about in this way. It is not often that I go to a music-hall, but on this particular occasion I had been attracted by meeting that morning, in Oxford Street, an army of sandwich-men, all bearing the name, in gigantic capitals, of "Joe Jorkins, the Lion Comique."

It occurred to me that if nothing better turned up, I might as well drop in at the "Pagoda" and see the great man, who, for the singing of three songs nightly, in a harsh voice, and grimacing at the public over the footlights, received a sum which would make the mouths of the well-born and highly educated water. Well, I went and heard the star sing, or rather, howl, "Oh, Mary Ann, your mother's looking!" and other similar specimens of music-hall minstrelsy, to the extraordinary and vociferous delight of his innumerable admirers. Suddenly, when the entertainment was nearly over, from the left hand side of the stage there came a whiff of something, and a voice among the audience cried: "Fire!" The effect was electrical. A moment before every one was engaged in keeping time with their feet to a refrain of the popular idol. The next and with a mighty shout of terror, the dense packed mass of human beings were fighting and falling over each other in their rush for the various exits, which were soon jammed by the panic-stricken throng of men and

women.

The great "Comique" had fled from the stage on the first warning of danger. What I should have done myself, whether I should have joined the general mêlée and fought and struggled like the rest, I cannot tell. For while I was making up my mind, some one next to me said:

"Keep cool, it's the only way."

It was a tall, sallow-faced man, with lantern jaws, and a drooping, drab-coloured moustache, who had occupied the adjoining seat to my own, and had witnessed the performance with the same weary indifferent expression which he wore even

now.

"I dare say it's a false alarm," he continued; "anyhow, we may as well stay here and be decently cremated, as be knocked down and trampled underfoot by the mob."

I felt myself unable to regard either contingency with the equanimity of this stranger; but nevertheless, partly out of shame, and partly because, in spite of the perceptible smell of burning, there was

As I

very little smoke and no ominous crackling to be heard, I kept my seat-as well as my head-for some time longer, until the hall had sufficiently emptied Itself to allow me to walk quietly out of the place. saw it described in the papers next day, some woodwork at the side of the stage had caught fire, owing to its propinquity to a gas jet. Fortunately there was little or no damage done, owing to the prompt and efficacious measures which were taken, and no serious results beyond a few broken arms and other accidents caused by the mad struggle of the majority to escape from the building.

I left the hall, still in company with the stranger, who had kept his head and consequently enabled me to keep mine.

"Got far to go?" he enquired, briefly, as soon as we had reached the street.

"Not very," I said. Then, with a sudden impulse, I turned to him: "In fact it's close by. Won't you?-er-can't I offer you-}"

"Thanks," was the reply, "I don't care if I do."

I was somewhat taken aback by the alacrity with which he accepted my invita tion, almost before the words were out of my mouth. However, I felt I owed him something, and what trifling hospitality I might be able to show him should be offered ungrudgingly.

"I take it for granted you are an unmarried man," he remarked, after we had gone a little distance, "or you would scarcely propose to introduce a complete stranger into the bosom of your family at this hour and in this unexpected manner?"

"Well, no, perhaps not," I admitted, with a laugh. "No doubt under those lamentable circumstances my spirit would be too completely broken to venture on any such proceeding. Yes, you are right in imagining mine to be a bachelor ménage. Here is my turning-you see I was right in saying it was close by."

My rooms were on the first floor, a very comfortable set, and having raked together the remnants of a fire which still smouldered in the grate, remarking as I did so that a fire was a very good thing in its place, I produced decanters and glasses from a convenient cupboard, together with a box of my very best cigars, in honour of the occasion.

My new acquaintance proved himself to be very good company. He was full of anecdote, and a capital raconteur, and before another half-hour had passed I

felt that I had every reason to congratulate myself heartily on having fallen in with such an original and entertaining character. Certainly this was not what one would have expected from the expression of his face; indeed in repose-and it generally was in repose the countenance was a remarkably inanimate one. Even when relating the most ludicrous incident, it remained quite unchanged; though from an artistic point of view, perhaps that was not to be regretted, as it served rather to accentuate by the very force of the contrast the point of the good thing he happened to be recounting. I could not help wondering to myself, as the time slipped thus pleasantly away, whether by any combination of circumstances it would be possible to break or in any way disturb this man's immoveable calm. I knew by my own very recent personal experience that he had shown himself equally impassive under circumstances which might well have tried the nerves of the strongest for surely the prospect of a death by fire, helpless and hemmed in on all sides, might make the boldest shudder! But while I was asking myself this question and turning it over in my mind, at the same time that I was acting the host and taking my part in the conversation, it was answered for me.

It was by this time about twenty minutes past twelve. Every one else belonging to the house, with the exception of myself, had no doubt retired for the night. There was no other lodger on the premises, and, as I had my latch-key, I could come in at any hour of the day or night I pleased without disturbing any one. The house, then, was quite quiet, when all at once there came a slight sound outside my door. I recognised it at once, but took no notice at first, for my visitor was relating some of his recent experiences of the Paris Exhibition, from which he had but just returned. But when the faint sound I have just spoken of occurred, he stopped suddenly in the midst of a sentence. I waited a second or two for him to continue.

"You were saying?" I said, glancing at him as I spoke.

Good heavens! The change I saw in that man's face frightened me! The impassive, blasé expression was gone, and in its place I saw a look of ghastly, livid terror-of fear, unmistakeable and overwhelming. His hands clutched the arms of his chair; his jaw had fallen like that of a dead man, and great drops of agony

"Hear what?" I asked. do not mean

"

"It was like the sound of finger-nails on the panels of the door. There it is is again!"

"Pray don't let that alarm you," I said, hardly able to keep myself from laughing outright. "There is nothing at all remarkable or supernatural about it, as I can easily prove to you." And crossing over to the door, I threw it open. "Walk in, Peter," I said; "for I suppose it is you."

My invitation was promptly accepted, and a very fine tabby cat proved to be the disturber, and proceeded to rub his head against my legs, and generally express, cat-fashion, his great satisfaction at being admitted.

"Peter and I are great friends," I continued, introducing him. "He always comes up to pay me a visit some time in the course of the evening. He's rather late to-night, but was probably engaged earlier, and that is the way he announces his presence-by scratching at the door. I'm sorry you- I stopped. What was it 1 had been going to say "I'm sorry you were alarmed"? That would scarcely do, so I changed it to: "Perhaps you don't like cats? I know some people have an extraordinary aversion to them. If so, I'll send Peter away. He really has no business to be prowling about at this time of night. But I'm afraid he is a dissipated animal, and keeps very bad hours."

By this time his face had resumed its former expression, with the exception of a slight nervous twitching at one corner of the mouth, which was, however, nearly concealed by his moustache, and perhaps he was a little more drab-coloured than before.

"No," he replied, slowly, "I have no dislike for cats - rather the reverse; but--" He paused, and appeared to be searching in his mind for an explanation. "The fact is, I'm nervous-highly nervous." ("You must be, indeed," I thought to myself) Really, it almost amounts to a disease with me at times."

"Ah, that accounts for it," I replied,

thinking in my own mind that it did nothing of the sort. Very likely, too, that little scare we both had to-night had something to do with it."

"No doubt," he answered, eagerly, appearing to grasp the excuse I held out with avidity. "That had a good deal to do with it, you may be sure.'

I was not altogether sure of it, by any means, but stroked Peter's glossy coat with an air of conviction.

After this we resumed the conversation where it had been so abruptly broken off; but, somehow or other, the interest seemed to have gone out of it. Peter had unconsciously acted the part of a wet blanket, and I even forgot myself once so far as to yawn. My new friend took the hint and

rose.

"I must apologise for keeping you up so late, and indeed I have some way to go myself, and, unless I fall in with a cab, shall have to walk the entire distance."

Of course I assured him that I never went to bed before the small hours; but that if he must go And go he did; but not until he had requested me to look him up some evening at the address he gave me; adding that the acquaintance had commenced under somewhat unusual circumstances, and he did not think that it should be allowed to drop. I assented cordially to this remark, being of the same opinion myself; the more so that there appeared to be the elements of something, which might turn out to be highly interesting, if properly developed, about this fresh and accidental acquaintance of mine.

So he took his departure; but it seemed to me that as he passed Peter, who had estab. lished himself in front of the fire, and was paying some slight attention to his toilet, he, either by purpose or accident, bestowed upon him a kick, and that of no inconsiderable force, judging by the feline objurgation which followed.

"Never mind, Peter," I said, addressing that intelligent animal-who had evidently made up his mind to pass the remainder of the night on my hearth-rug-after the visitor had departed. "You were only the scapegoat on this occasion. Perhaps some day we may find out the real reason for his strange behaviour. Nerves are all very well, but they won't account for the look of downright, uncompromising terror that I saw on that man's face, if ever I saw it on any face in my life. Yet, from what happened earlier in the evening, I should certainly have supposed him, of

all men, to have been superior to anything of that sort. I wonder what it really meant? I should very much like to find out." I took up the card that he had placed upon the corner of the mantelpiece. "Richard Warden, Esq., Mandeville Mansions, W. A good address. My new friend seems to be somewhat of a swell. So much the better. I shall certainly look him up, as he requested me to do. So good night, Peter, and pleasant dreams."

CHAPTER II,

IT was with no ill-intention, but simply owing to my naturally inquisitive disposition, that I prosecuted a few cautious enquiries among my other friends and acquaintances concerning this man Warden. For it is really remarkable how often among own circle you can, if not actually meet with some one who is acquainted with the individual concerning whom you are making enquiries, at least find a man who knows another man who knows him. This was just what happened in this particular instance. An old friend of mine had another old friend, who had once been on rather intimate terms with the elder brother of this identical Richard Warden. I say, had been, advisedly, as the individual referred to had died a couple of years or so before, and his junior had thereupon succeeded him in possession of a very fair estate, somewhere up in the North. This last is a very comprehensive term, and covers a good deal of ground. I, not unnaturally, enquired as to the cause of his death not that I suspected anything like foul play, though it is not easy to be sure of any thing, when there is only one life between you and a snug property, and—

However, I was relieved to hear that the relative in this instance unmistakeably owed his decease to a pure accident. It appeared that he had been drowned while skating on a lake in his own grounds. The ice had given way owing to a sudden thaw, and the water being very deep in that particular part, these two circumstances helped to bring about the catas trophe. There had been several other persons involved in the same accident, but this was the only case which proved fatal. Every effort had been made at the time, on recovery of the body, to restore life, but without success, and the unfortunate man, being unmarried, was consequently succeeded in the property