We watched the face of the beast, and saw the soul of Fleete coming back into the eyes.  Then a sweat broke out on the forehead and the eyes-they were human eyes—–­closed.  We waited for an hour but Fleete still slept.  We carried him to his room and bade the leper go, giving him the bedstead, and the sheet on the bedstead to cover his nakedness, the gloves and the towels with which we had touched him, and the whip that had been hooked round his body.  He put the sheet about him and went out into the early morning without speaking or mewing.

Strickland wiped his face and sat down.  A night-gong, far away in the city, made seven o’clock.

‘Exactly four-and-twenty hours!’ said Strickland.  ’And I’ve done enough to ensure my dismissal from the service, besides permanent quarters in a lunatic asylum.  Do you believe that we are awake?’

The red-hot gun-barrel had fallen on the floor and was singeing the carpet.  The smell was entirely real.

That morning at eleven we two together went to wake up Fleete.  We looked and saw that the black leopard-rosette on his chest had disappeared.  He was very drowsy and tired, but as soon as he saw us, he said, ’Oh!  Confound you fellows.  Happy New Year to you.  Never mix your liquors.  I’m nearly dead.’

‘Thanks for your kindness, but you’re over time,’ said Strickland.  ’To-day is the morning of the second.  You’ve slept the clock round with a vengeance.’

The door opened, and little Dumoise put his head in.  He had come on foot, and fancied that we were laving out Fleete.

‘I’ve brought a nurse,’ said Dumoise.  ’I suppose that she can come in for... what is necessary.’

‘By all means,’ said Fleete cheerily, sitting up in bed.  ’Bring on your nurses.’

Dumoise was dumb.  Strickland led him out and explained that there must have been a mistake in the diagnosis.  Dumoise remained dumb and left the house hastily.  He considered that his professional reputation had been injured, and was inclined to make a personal matter of the recovery.  Strickland went out too.  When he came back, he said that he had been to call on the Temple of Hanuman to offer redress for the pollution of the god, and had been solemnly assured that no white man had ever touched the idol and that he was an incarnation of all the virtues labouring under a delusion.

‘What do you think?’ said Strickland.

I said, ‘"There are more things . . ."’

But Strickland hates that quotation.  He says that I have worn it threadbare.

One other curious thing happened which frightened me as much as anything in all the night’s work.  When Fleete was dressed he came into the dining-room and sniffed.  He had a quaint trick of moving his nose when he sniffed.  ‘Horrid doggy smell, here,’ said he.  ’You should really keep those terriers of yours in better order.  Try sulphur, Strick.’