Dr. Dean gave him a civil little bow.

"I do not ask you to accept them, my dear sir! I state my facts,
and you can take them or leave them, just as you please. You
yourself can offer no explanation of the singular way in which
this picture has been produced; I offer one which is perfectly
tenable with the discoveries of psychic science,--and you dismiss
it as preposterous. That being the case, I should recommend you to
cut up this canvas and try your hand again on the same subject."

"Of course, I shall try again," retorted Gervase. "But I do not
think I shall destroy this first sketch. It is a curiosity in its
way; and it has a peculiar fascination for me. Do you notice how
thoroughly Egyptian the features are? They are the very contour of
some of the faces on the recently-discovered frescoes."

"Oh, I noticed that at once," said the Doctor; "but that is not
remarkable, seeing that you yourself are quite of an Egyptian
type, though a Frenchman,--so much so, in fact, that many people
in this hotel have commented on it."

Gervase said nothing, but slowly turned the canvas round with its
face to the wall.

"You have seen enough of it, I suppose?" he inquired of Denzil
Murray.

"More than enough!"