mind, however, was fear that the doctor might come in and find the being there. He therefore sat up in bed and gasped out: [Pg 20] "'Op it!" With a puzzled expression on his hideous countenance, the being began slowly and with obvious reluctance to disappear. He seemed to be doubting the evidence of his ears. "'Ere, I say," called out Alf suddenly, as an idea struck him. "Arf a mo'!" The being, who was still just visible as a faint murkiness in the atmosphere, took shape again with alacrity. "What wouldst thou have?" he began once more. "I am ready to obey thee as thy slave and the slave...." "Yes," interrupted Alf, who was in terror of the possible advent of the doctor. "You said all that before. What I want to know is, was it you that turned me this ruddy color?" "Verily, O Master, the color is not the color of blood; and indeed, with thine own lips thou didst command me to strike thee pink!" "Lumme!" said Alf, light breaking in upon him at last. "Well, if that's your idea of a joke, it ain't mine, that's all. You can just blinkin' well think again, if you want to make me laugh. See?" "Thy wish," said the Spirit, to whom Alf's [Pg 21]idiomatic speech was just so much gibberish, "is my command. What wouldst thou have? I am ready to obey...." [Pg 21] "Stop it," said Alf in acute apprehension, his eye on the door. "Didn't you 'ear what I said? Put me right, for the Lord's sake, and then 'op it, quick. I can 'ear the doc. comin'." Captain Browne entered. He was in a very despondent frame of mind. He was a keen and ambitious young man, and his failure to make any impression on Higgins' condition had been a great blow to his pride. Sorely against his will he was now about to own himself defeated. He closed the door behind him. There was an instant's pause. Then the officer, without a change of countenance, spoke quietly. "Ah!" he said. "Then my last treatment has had the effect I hoped for. It's a cure. You needn't go to the Base, after all."
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