The morning pipe was at last lighted, and the moment had arrived for which he looked. With very considerable—almost tremulous—excitement he ran across, unlocked the drawer, and, extracting the picture—still face downwards—ran back, and put it into Nisbet’s hands.
“ Now,” he said, “Nisbet, I want you to tell me exactly what you see in that picture. Describe it, if you don’t mind, rather minutely. I’ll tell you why afterwards.”
“ Well,” said Nisbet, “I have here a view of a country-house—English, I presume—by moonlight.”
“ Moonlight? You’re sure of that?”
“ Certainly. The moon appears to be on the wane, if you wish for details, and there are clouds in the sky.”
“ All right. Go on. I’ll swear,” added Williams in an aside, “there was no moon when I saw it first.”
“ Well, ther
