"I mean much hotter than it should have been. It was like an oven, and the smell was stifling—"
"What smell?" asked Dr. Cairn. "Can you describe it?"
"Excuse me, sir, but I seem to notice it here in this room to-night, and I think I noticed it about the place before—never so strong as in the orchid-houses."
"Go on!" said Dr. Cairn.
"I went through the first house, and saw nothing. The shadow of the wall prevented the moonlight from shining in there. But just as I was about to enter the middle house, I thought I saw—a face."
"What do you mean you thought you saw?" snapped Mr. Saunderson.
"I mean, sir, that it was so horrible and so strange that I could not believe it was real—which is one of the reasons why I did not speak before. It reminded me of the face of a gentleman I have seen here—Mr. Ferrara—"
Dr. Cairn stifled an exclamation.
"But in other ways it was quite unlike the gentleman. In some ways it was more like the face of a woman—a very bad woman. It had a sort of bluish light on it, but where it could have come from, I don't know. It seemed to be smiling, and two bright eyes looked straight out at me."
Crombie stopped, raising his hand to his head confusedly.