in the alibi. And since his duty to his journal obviously
forbade his wasting time on insoluble mysteries, he ceased to
frequent Granice, who dropped back into a deeper isolation. For
a day or two after his visit to Allonby he continued to live in
dread of Dr. Stell. Why might not Allonby have deceived him as
to the alienist's diagnosis? What if he were really being
shadowed, not by a police agent but by a mad-doctor? To have the
truth out, he suddenly determined to call on Dr. Stell.

The physician received him kindly, and reverted without
embarrassment to the conditions of their previous meeting. "We
have to do that occasionally, Mr. Granice; it's one of our
methods. And you had given Allonby a fright."

Granice was silent. He would have liked to reaffirm his guilt,
to produce the fresh arguments which had occurred to him since
his last talk with the physician; but he feared his eagerness
might be taken for a symptom of derangement, and he affected to
smile away Dr. Stell's allusion.

"You think, then, it's a case of brain-fag--nothing more?"

"Nothing more. And I should advise you to knock off tobacco.
You smoke a good deal, don't you?"

He developed his treatment, recommending massage, gymnastics,
travel, or any form of diversion that did not--that in short--

Granice interrupted him impatiently. "Oh, I loathe all that--and
I'm sick of travelling."