its mission.  It grew and darkened and solidified before our eyes.  It rose from just beyond the table so that the lower portions remained invisible, but I saw the outline limn itself upon the air, as though slowly revealed by the rising of a curtain.  It apparently had not then quite concentrated to the normal proportions, but was spread out on all sides into space, huge, though rapidly condensing, for I saw the colossal shoulders, the neck, the lower portion of the dark jaws, the terrible mouth, and then the teeth and lips—­and, as the veil seemed to lift further upon the tremendous face—­I saw the nose and cheek bones.  In another moment I should have looked straight into the eyes—­

But what Dr. Silence did at that moment was so unexpected, and took me so by surprise, that I have never yet properly understood its nature, and he has never yet seen fit to explain in detail to me.  He uttered some sound that had a note of command in it—­and, in so doing, stepped forward and intervened between me and the face.  The figure, just nearing completeness, he therefore hid from my sight—­and I have always thought purposely hid from my sight.

“The fire!” he cried out.  “The fire!  Beware!”

There was a sudden roar as of flame from the very mouth of the pit, and for the space of a single second all grew light as day.  A blinding flash passed across my face, and there was heat for an instant that seemed to shrivel skin, and flesh, and bone.  Then came steps, and I heard Colonel Wragge utter a great cry, wilder than any human cry I have ever known.  The heat sucked all the breath out of my lungs with a rush, and the blaze of light, as it vanished, swept my vision with it into enveloping darkness.

When I recovered the use of my senses a few moments later I saw that Colonel Wragge with a face of death, its whiteness strangely stained, had moved closer to me.  Dr. Silence stood beside him, an expression of triumph and success in his eyes.  The next minute the soldier tried to clutch me with his hand.  Then he reeled, staggered, and, unable to save himself, fell with a great crash upon the brick floor.

After the sheet of flame, a wind raged round the building as though it would lift the roof off, but then passed as suddenly as it came.  And in the intense calm that followed I saw that the form had vanished, and the doctor was stooping over Colonel Wragge upon the floor, trying to lift him to a sitting position.

“Light,” he said quietly, “more light.  Take the shades off.”

Colonel Wragge sat up and the glare of the unshaded lamps fell upon his face.  It was grey and drawn, still running heat, and there was a look in the eyes and about the corners of the mouth that seemed in this short space of time to have added years to its age.  At the same time, the expression of effort and anxiety had left it.  It showed relief.

“Gone!” he said, looking up at the doctor in a dazed fashion, and struggling to his feet.  “Thank God! it’s gone at last.”  He stared round the laundry as though to find out where he was.  “Did it control me—­take possession of me?  Did I talk nonsense?” he asked bluntly.  “After the heat came, I remember nothing—­”