A sudden madness overcame Ernest at this boast.  He must strike now or never.  He must rid humanity of this dangerous maniac—­this demon of strength.  With a power ten times intensified, he raised a heavy chair so as to hurl it at Reginald’s head and crush it.

Reginald stood there calmly, a smile upon his lips....  Primal cruelties rose from the depth of his nature....  Still he smiled, turning his luminous gaze upon the boy ... and, behold ...  Ernest’s hand began to shake ... the chair fell from his grasp....  He tried to call for help, but no sound issued from his lips....  Utterly paralysed he confronted ... the Force....

Minutes—­eternities passed.

And still those eyes were fixed upon him.

But this was no longer Reginald!

It was all brain ... only brain ... a tremendous brain-machine ... infinitely complex ... infinitely strong.  Not more than a mile away Ethel endeavoured to call to him through the night.  The telephone rang, once, twice, thrice, insistingly.  But Ernest heard it not.  Something dragged him ... dragged the nerves from his body dragged, dragged, dragged....  It was an irresistible suction ... pitiless ... passionless ... immense.

Sparks, blue, crimson and violet, seemed to play around the living battery.  It reached the finest fibres of his mind....  Slowly ... every trace of mentality disappeared....  First the will ... then feeling ... judgment ... memory ... fear even....  All that was stored in his brain-cells came forth to be absorbed by that mighty engine....

The Princess With the Yellow Veil appeared ... flitted across the room and melted away.  She was followed by childhood memories ... girls’ heads, boys’ faces....  He saw his dead mother waving her arms to him....  An expression of death-agony distorted the placid features....  Then, throwing a kiss to him, she, too, disappeared.  Picture on picture followed....  Words of love that he had spoken ... sins, virtues, magnanimities, meannesses, terrors ... mathematical formulas even, and snatches of songs.  Leontina came and was swallowed up....  No, it was Ethel who was trying to speak to him ... trying to warn....  She waved her hands in frantic despair....  She was gone....  A pale face ... dark, dishevelled hair....  Jack....  How he had changed!  He was in the circle of the vampire’s transforming might.  “Jack,” he cried.  Surely Jack had something to explain ... something to tell him ... some word that if spoken would bring rest to his soul.  He saw the words rise to the boy’s lips, but before he had time to utter them his image also had vanished.  And Reginald ...  Reginald, too, was gone....  There was only the mighty brain ... panting ... whirling....  Then there was nothing....  The annihilation of Ernest Fielding was complete.

Vacantly he stared at the walls, at the room and at his master.  The latter was wiping the sweat from his forehead.  He breathed deeply....  The flush of youth spread over his features....  His eyes sparkled with a new and dangerous brilliancy....  He took the thing that had once been Ernest Fielding by the hand and led it to its room.