“You’ll get nought out of him, sir,” he said. “It’s my belief he’ll never utter sane word again.” As he spoke the sexton’s eyes lighted on me in their wild roving, steadied, flickered and took a little glint of reason. Still gazing at me, he sunk into his chair again. “Leave us alone for a minute,” I said to the man. “He seems to recognize me, I think.” “As long as his eyes don’t wander, maybe,” he answered. “Keep ’em fixed on you”--and he withdrew to his former standpoint. “George,” I said, in a low, distinct voice, “do you know me?” I held him with an intense gaze. He seemed struggling in an inward agony to escape it. “George,” I said again, “do you know who I am?” “The grave yon, where no grass grows,” he muttered. “Yes, yes. Why doesn’t it grow there?” “Ask the----” “Ask whom? I’m listening.” “It’s he--oh, my God!” I saw the terror creep and flutter behind the surface of his skin. I saw it leap out and heard a yell, as his eyes escaped their thraldom; and on the instant the attendant was there and struggling with him. In the shock of it I jumped up and turned--and saw Dr. Crackenthorpe standing in the doorway. I ran at him in a sort of frenzy. “What do you want?” I cried; “what are you here for?” I think I was about to strike him, when the wizened figure of the doctor who had given me permission to enter thrust itself between us. “What’s all this?” he said, in a sharp, grating voice. “How dare you make this uproar, sir?” I fell back, shaking with rage. All down the row of beds pale sick faces had risen, looking on in wonder. Beside the fire my escort was still struggling with the madman. “What right has he to be here--to come and spy upon me?” I cried. “This is simply outrageous! Dr. Crackenthorpe” (he glanced at the newcomer with no very flattering expression) “is here to superintend the removal of a patient of his. He must be protected from insult. I rescind my permit. Johnson, see this man off the premises.” A second attendant advanced and took me, police fashion, by the elbow. I offered no resistance. Impulse had made a fool of me, and I felt it. The sound of the scuffle by the fire still continued. As I passed Dr. Crackenthorpe he made me a mocking bow, hat in hand. Then, waving me aside as if I were some troublesome supplicant he desired to ignore, he advanced further into the room. Then came a sudden thud and loud exclamation, at which both I and my attendant turned. The madman had bested his enemy and dashed him to the floor. A moment then he paused, his gasping mouth and pale eyes indicative of his terror of the man approaching--a moment only, and he turned and fled. I was conscious of a sudden breaking out of voices--of a fearful screech ringing above them--of a hurried rush of shapes--of a bound and crash and shattering snap of glass. It all happened in an instant, and there was a jagged and gaping fissure in a window at the end of the room--and George White was gone. CHAPTER XLIX. A QUIET WARNING.