A curious blackness had settled
under his eyes, and twice he passed
his hand across his lips.

"They are numb," he said, in surprised
apology to his host. A moment
later he shivered violently, beads of
sweat burst out on his forehead, and
the color swept from his face. He
started up, staring wildly about him;
he tried to speak, but his words
stumbled into incoherent babbling.
It was all so sudden, his rising,
then falling back into his chair, then
slipping sidewise and crumpling up
upon the floor, all the while stammering
unmeaning words--that Henry Roberts
sat looking at him in dumb amazement.
It was Philippa who cried out
and ran forward to help him, then
stopped midway, her hands clutched
together at her throat, her eyes dilating
with a horror that seemed to paralyze
her so that she was unable to move to
his assistance. The shocked silence of
the moment was broken by Fenn's
voice, trailing on and on, in totally
unintelligible words.

Henry Roberts, staring open-mouthed,