MR. X. No, you may not!—­Sit down there at the table, where you sat before, and we’ll have another talk before you go.

MR. Y. [Sits down after having put on a dark coat] What are you up to now?

MR. X. [Looking into the mirror back of MR. Y.] Oh, now I have it!  Oh-h-h!

MR. Y. [Alarmed] What kind of wonderful things are you discovering now?

MR. X. I see in the mirror that you are a thief—­a plain, ordinary thief!  A moment ago, while you had only the white shirt on, I could notice that there was something wrong about my book-shelf.  I couldn’t make out just what it was, for I had to listen to you and watch you.  But as my antipathy increased, my vision became more acute.  And now, with your black coat to furnish the needed color contrast For the red back of the book, which before couldn’t be seen against the red of your suspenders—­now I see that you have been reading about forgeries in Bernheim’s work on mental suggestion—­for you turned the book upside-down in putting it back.  So even that story of yours was stolen!  For tins reason I think myself entitled to conclude that your crime must have been prompted by need, or by mere love of pleasure.

MR. Y. By need!  If you only knew—­

MR. X. If you only knew the extent of the need I have had to face and live through!  But that’s another story!  Let’s proceed with your case.  That you have been in prison—­I take that for granted.  But it happened in America, for it was American prison life you described.  Another thing may also be taken for granted, namely, that you have not borne your punishment on this side.

MR. Y. How can you imagine anything of the kind?

MR. X. Wait until the sheriff gets here, and you’ll learn all about it.

(MR. Y. gets up.)

ME.  X. There you see!  The first time I mentioned the sheriff, in connection with the storm, you wanted also to run away.  And when a person has served out his time he doesn’t care to visit an old mill every day just to look at a prison, or to stand by the window—­in a word, you are at once punished and unpunished.  And that’s why it was so hard to make you out. [Pause.]

MR. Y. [Completely beaten] May I go now?

MR. X. Now you can go.

MR. Y. [Putting his things together] Are you angry at me?

MR. X. Yes—­would you prefer me to pity you?

MR. Y. [Sulkily] Pity?  Do you think you’re any better than I?

MR. X. Of course I do, as I AM better than you.  I am wiser, and I am less of a menace to prevailing property rights.

MR. Y. You think you are clever, but perhaps I am as clever as you.  For the moment you have me checked, but in the next move I can mate you—­all the same!

MR. X. [Looking hard at MR. Y.] So we have to have another bout! 
What kind of mischief are you up to now?

MR. Y. That’s my secret.

MR. X. Just look at me—­oh, you mean to write my wife an anonymous letter giving away MY secret!