Mr. Hinchcliff looked up, hearing imperfectly. He had been lost in the rapt contemplation of the college cap tied by a string to his portmanteau handles--the outward and visible sign of his newly-gained pedagogic position--in the rapt appreciation of the college cap and the pleasant anticipations it excited. For Mr. Hinchcliff had just matriculated at London University, and was going to be junior assistant at the Holmwood Grammar School--a very enviable position. He stared across the carriage at his fellow-traveller. "Why not give it away?" said this person. "Give it away! Why not?" He was a tall, dark, sunburnt man with a pale face. His arms were folded tightly, and his feet were on the seat in front of him. He was pulling at a lank black moustache. He stared hard at his toes. "Why not?" he said. Mr. Hinchcliff coughed. The stranger lifted his eyes--they were curious, dark-grey eyes--and stared blankly at Mr. Hinchcliff for the best part of a minute, perhaps. His expression grew to interest. "Yes," he said slowly. "Why not? And end it." "I don't quite follow you, I'm afraid," said Mr. Hinchcliff, with another cough. "You don't quite follow me?" said the stranger quite mechanically, his singular eyes wandering from Mr. Hinchcliff to the bag with its ostentatiously displayed cap, and back to Mr. Hinchcliff's downy face. "You're so abrupt, you know," apologised Mr Hinchcliff. "Why shouldn't I?" said the stranger, following his thoughts. "You are a student?" he said, addressing Mr. Hinchcliff. "I am--by Correspondence--of the London University," said Mr. Hinchcliff, with irrepressible pride, and feeling nervously at his tie. "In pursuit of knowledge," said the stranger, and suddenly took his feet off the seat, put his fist on his knees, and stared at Mr. Hinchcliff as though he had never seen a student before. "Yes," he said, and flung out an index finger. Then he rose, took a bag from the hat-rack, and unlocked it. Quite silently he drew out something round and wrapped in a quantity of silver-paper, and unfolded this carefully. He held it out towards Mr. Hinchcliff--a small, very smooth, golden-yellow fruit. Mr. Hinchcliff's eyes and mouth were open. He did not offer to take this object--if he was intended to take it. "That," said this fantastic stranger, speaking very slowly, "is the Apple of the Tree of Knowledge. Look at it--small, and bright, and wonderful--Knowledge--and I am going to give it to you." Mr. Hinchcliff's mind worked painfully for a minute, and then the sufficient explanation, "Mad!" flashed across his brain, and illuminated the whole situation. One humoured madmen. He put his head a little on one side. "The Apple of the Tree of Knowledge, eigh!" said Mr. Hinchcliff, regarding it with a finely assumed air of interest, and then looking at the interlocutor. "But don't you want to eat it yourself? And besides--how did you come by it?"