wheeled round and overturned the cart right in front of the animal, but apparently without hurting anybody.  Then”—­here he paused a moment and with an effort continued—­“that devil in beast’s shape cocked its ears, stretched out its long trunk, dragged the baby from the nurse’s arms, whirled it round and threw it high into the air, to fall crushed upon the kerb.  It sniffed at the body of the child, feeling it over with the tip of its trunk, as though to make sure that it was dead.  Next, once more it trumpeted triumphantly, and without attempting to harm my wife or anybody else, walked quietly past the broken cart and continued its journey, until outside the town it was made fast and shot.”

“What an awful story!” I said with a gasp.

“Yes, but there is worse to follow.  My poor wife went off her head, with the shock I suppose, for no physical injury could be found upon her.  She did not suffer in health or become violent, quite the reverse indeed for her gentleness increased.  She just went off her head.  For hours at a time she would sit silent and smiling, playing with the stones of that red necklace which those conjurers gave her, or rather counting them, as a nun might do with the beads of her rosary.  At times, however, she would talk, but always to the baby, as though it lay before her or she were nursing it.  Oh!  Quatermain, it was pitiful, pitiful!

“I did everything I could.  She was seen by three of the greatest brain-doctors in England, but none of them was able to help.  The only hope they gave was that the fit might pass off as suddenly as it had come.  They said too that a thorough change of scene would perhaps be beneficial, and suggested Egypt; that was in October.  I did not take much to the idea, I don’t know why, and personally should not have acceded to it had it not been for a curious circumstance.  The last consultation took place in the big drawing-room at Ragnall.  When it was over my wife remained with her mother at one end of the room while I and the doctors talked together at the other, as I thought quite out of her earshot.  Presently, however, she called to me, saying in a perfectly clear and natural voice: 

“‘Yes, George, I will go to Egypt.  I should like to go to Egypt.’  Then she went on playing with the necklace and talking to the imaginary child.

“Again on the following morning as I came into her room to kiss her, she exclaimed,

“‘When do we start for Egypt?  Let it be soon.’

“With these sayings the doctors were very pleased, declaring that they showed signs of a returning interest in life and begging me not to thwart her wish.