"Very well," he said, "I will tell you the whole story from beginning
to end. Heaven knows it is a relief to speak; but if you laugh, I
believe I shall kill you."

"I will not laugh," said Hollington. "Whatever it is, I see it has
gone hard with you."

Dartmouth began with the night of the first attempt of his
suppressed poetical genius to manifest itself, and gave Hollington a
comprehensive account of each detail of his subsequent experiences,
down to the reading of the letters and the spiritual retrospect they
had induced. He did not tell the story dramatically; he had no
fire left in him; he stated it in a matter-of-fact way, which was
impressive because of the speaker's indisputable belief in his own
words. Hollington felt no desire to laugh; on the contrary, he was
seriously alarmed, and he determined to knock this insane freak of
Harold's brain to atoms, if mortal power could do it, and regardless
of consequences to himself.

When Dartmouth had finished, Hollington lit a cigar and puffed at it
for a moment, meditatively regarding his friend meanwhile. Then he
remarked, in a matter-of-fact tone:

"So you are your own grandfather, and Miss Penrhyn is her own
grandmother."

Dartmouth moved uneasily. "It sounds ridiculous--but--don't chaff."

"My dear boy, I was never more serious in my life. I merely wanted to