"Never fear, Hobart, your sister is safe enough. The Nervina is
not a woman. She is not of the flesh."

"Brr," said the doctor, "you give me the creeps."

Watson reached for the brandy; he nodded to the doctor.

"Just a bit more of that stuff if you please. Whatever it is, on
the last night one has no fear of habit. There--Now, gentlemen, if
you will come with me, I shall take you to the house of the Blind
Spot."




IX

"NOW THERE ARE THREE"


I shall never forget that night. When we stepped to the pavement
the whole world was shrouded. The heavy fog clung like depression;
life was gone out--a foreboding of gloom and disaster. It was
cold, dank, miserable; one shuddered instinctively and battered
against the wall with steaming columns of breath. Just outside the
door we were detained.

"Dr. Hansen?"

Someone stepped beside us.