“By what, Addison? Tell me that!—by what?”
“By a grey vapour.”
Major Dale’s eyes began to protrude, and:—
“Addison,” he said hoarsely—“don’t joke about it!—don’t joke. It was not a grey vapour that strangled Seager....”
“Certainly it was not. Seager was strangled by some wholly inoffensive person—we shall probably never know his identity—who had fallen asleep amongst the bushes on the mound, close beside the house....”
“But man alive! I’ve seen the beastly thing, with my own eyes! You’ve seen it! Wales saw it! Mrs. Ord saw it!...”
“Mrs. Ord saw her husband.”
“Ah! you’re coming round to my belief about the Ords!”
“Decidedly I am.”
“But what did Wales see—eh? And what did I see!”