so I said:--

"Do you love me?"

"Do I loves you?"

"Yes!" I roared frantically, "do you love me?"

"_Begaire_ I dunno, but I zinks so."

"Then," said I, dimly discerning a chance of relief from my suffering,
"throw me out as ballast."

"Oh, _horrible! horrible! Mon Dieu!_ vat a man!"

I turned my sickly gaze upon him and saw that he was deadly pale, and
that the perspiration stood out in great drops upon his forehead. The
explanation was plain enough--he took me for a maniac. I would have
protested and moved the previous question, but taking a small phial from
his pocket he broke off the head and threw the contents in my face. Ten
seconds later I was totally oblivious, and upon recovering found myself
in this place, where such strange things are going on that my fingers
prick to write them.

DICK TINTO.


* * * * *

AN EX-MONSTER.