properties he had discovered in the parabola, adding with infinite
gusto his 'firm' belief that the ancient Assyrians were acquainted with
all our modern notions respecting the parabola itself, the projection
of bodies in general, and of the heavenly bodies in particular; and
must, moreover, from certain inferences of his own in connection with
the Winged Circle, have been conversant with the fact that light is not
an ether, but only the vibration of an ether. He then galloped on to
suggest that I should at once take part with him in his investigations,
and commented on the timeliness of my visit. I, on my part, was anxious
for his opinion on other and far weightier matters than the concerns of
the Assyrians, and intimated as much to him. But for two days he was
firm in his tacit refusal to listen to my story; and, concluding that
he was disinclined to undergo the agony of unrest with which he was
always tormented by any mystery which momentarily baffled him, I was,
of course, forced to hold my peace. On the third day, however, of his
own accord he asked me to what epidemic I had referred. I then detailed
to him some of the strange events which were agitating the mind of the
outside world. From the very first he was interested: later on that
interest grew into a passion, a greedy soul-consuming quest after the
truth, the intensity of which was such at last as to move me even to
pity.

I may as well here restate the facts as I communicated them to Zaleski.
The concatenation of incidents, it will be remembered, started with the
extraordinary death of that eminent man of science, Professor
Schleschinger, consulting laryngologist to the Charité Hospital in
Berlin. The professor, a man of great age, was on the point of
contracting his third marriage with the beautiful and accomplished
daughter of the Herr Geheimrath Otto von Friedrich. The contemplated
union, which was entirely one of those _mariages de convenance_ so