What did he mean? What was it about? Who was the old lady? I
looked round. I saw no one. Hobart stooped over. Harry began
slowly to recognise us. It was as if his mind had wandered and was
coming back from a far place. He spoke slowly; his words were
incoherent and rambling.

"Hobart," he said; "you know her. She is the maiden out of the
moonbeams. The Rhamda, he is our enemy. Hobart, Charlotte. I know
so much. I cannot tell you. You are two hours late. It's a strange
thing. I have found it and I think I know. It came suddenly. The
discovery of the great professor. Why didn't you come two hours
earlier? We might have conquered."

He dropped his head upon his arms; then as suddenly he looked up.
He drew the ring from his finger.

"Give it to Charlotte," he said. "It won't hurt her. Don't touch
it yourself. Had I only known. Watson didn't know--"

He straightened; he was tense, rigid, listening.

"Do you hear anything? Listen! Can you hear? It's the old lady.
There--"

But there was not a sound; only the rumble of the streets, the
ticking of the clock, and our heart-beats. Again he went through
the counting.

"Hobart!"