the house. He was not surprised, therefore, when the lackey handed him a second linen cloth and bade him wipe his shoes a second time. He did it in silence, and found not even a suspicion of dust.
This ceremony ended, the servant opened another door, and ushered Isez into a third room.
"A white mask covered his face."
Again, the room was entirely furnished in white. The walls were hung with fluted satin; the sofas and chairs were covered with broché satin; the carpet was of satin, on which was a raised pattern of flowers in velvet; a large bed with heavy satin curtains and thick quilt stood at one side of the room. A dressing-table was in the bay-window, from which every breath of air was excluded by voluminous draperies. The atmosphere was heavy, as if never purified by sunshine or breeze, but always lighted up by white wax candles in girandoles against the walls.
The inhabitant of this chamber was a strange figure which sat in a fauteuil beside the fireplace of white tiles, on which burnt an open fire of coal and wood—the only touch of colour and brightness which Isez had seen in the ghostly house. A tall, stout person this appeared to be, wearing a white satin nightcap, and a white satin dressing-gown lined with white fur. A white mask covered his face, of which only two pale-blue eyes could be seen.
As soon as this extraordinary, fantastic figure saw Isez enter, he said in a monotonous, hoarse voice, "The devil is inside my body."
Isez waited to hear more, but not another word followed. He remained standing for some time, but nothing was said by the patient, who did not even raise his eyes again, or look at the surgeon. As well as Isez could judge, three-quarters of an hour passed without a single remark on either side.
A table stood beside the invalid. On it lay a heap of gloves. He took up a white silk glove, and slowly put it on his left hand; then he put one on his right hand. Over these he put a pair of satin ones; next a pair of kid ones. By this time his hands looked enormous. The fourth pair were of white velvet; the fifth pair of fine wool; the sixth pair of ermine. The hands appeared now as those of a giant. Isez watched these doings with interest which deepened into alarm. As soon as the six pairs of gloves were on, the invalid began to take them off again, with much deliberation folding them neatly together in pairs. At length reappeared his waxen, unwholesome-looking hands.
Isez was furtively glancing round the room. In one corner stood a sword in a white scabbard; in another a musket with the stock painted white; two pistols of white wood mounted in silver lay on a side table. Isez was unarmed, and did not like what he saw; he found himself trembling, and dreaded lest he should fall. Although he had not been invited to do so, he seated himself.
A silence ensued, lasting a quarter of an hour. At the end of that time the phantom pulled a bell cord which hung near his chair. The two white lackeys entered.
"Bring bandages," said the wooden voice to them.
The men went out, and returned with several strips of linen.
"Bleed me," said the figure; "take five pounds of blood."
Isez started back, astonished at the quan-
