“I WAS SEATED in my chair, back again in this old study. My glance wandered round the room. For a minute, it had a strange, quivery appearance — unreal and unsubstantial. This disappeared, and I saw that nothing was altered in any way. I looked towards the end window — the blind was up.

“I rose to my feet, shakily. As I did so, a slight noise, in the direction of the door, attracted my attention. I glanced towards it. For a short instant, it appeared to me that it was being closed, gently. I stared, and saw that I must have been mistaken — it seemed closely shut.

“With a succession of efforts, I trod my way to the window, and looked out. The sun was just rising, lighting up the tangled wilderness of gardens. For, perhaps, a minute, I stood, and stared. I passed my ha............