at the open door of the parlour. Then she heard the stranger laughing quietly, and his footsteps came across the room. She could not see his face from where she stood. The parlour door shut loudly, and the place was silent again. Cuss went straight up the village to Bunting, the vicar. 'Am I mad?' Cuss began, as he entered the little study. 'Do I look like a madman?' 'What's happened?' asked the vicar. 'That man at the inn ...' 'Well?' 'Give me something to drink,' said Cuss, and he sat down. When his nerves had been steadied by a glass of wine he said, 'As I went in, he put his hands in his pockets and then he sat down in his chair. I told him I'd heard he took an interest in scientific things. He said, "Yes." I tried to talk to him. He got quite angry ...Well, he told me that he had had a piece of paper. It was important, most important, most valuable. A list of..."Was it medicine?" I asked. "Why do you want to know?" was his answer. In any case, this paper was of great value. He had read it, put it down on the table and looked away. Then the wind had lifted it and blown it into the fire. He saw it go up the chimney. Just as he told me that, he lifted his arm. The sleeve was empty. I could see right up it. What can keep a sleeve up and open if there's nothing in it? '"How can you move an empty sleeve like that?" I asked. '"Empty sleeve?" he said. '"Yes," I said,"an empty sleeve." '"It's an empty sleeve, is it? You saw it was an empty sleeve?" He stood up. I stood up too. He came towards me in three very slow steps, and stood quite close. '"You said it was an empty sleeve?" he said. '"Certainly," I said. 'Then very quietly he pulled his sleeve out of his pocket again,