“New Genus, by heavens!  And in England!” said Hapley, staring.

Then he suddenly thought of Pawkins.  Nothing would have maddened Pawkins more...And Pawkins was dead!

Something about the head and body of the insect became singularly suggestive of Pawkins, just as the chess king had been.

“Confound Pawkins!” said Hapley.  “But I must catch this.”  And looking round him for some means of capturing the moth, he rose slowly out of his chair.  Suddenly the insect rose, struck the edge of the lampshade—­Hapley heard the “ping”—­and vanished into the shadow.

In a moment Hapley had whipped off the shade, so that the whole room was illuminated.  The thing had disappeared, but soon his practised eye detected it upon the wall-paper near the door.  He went towards it poising the lamp-shade for capture.  Before he was within striking distance, however, it had risen and was fluttering round the room.  After the fashion of its kind, it flew with sudden starts and turns, seeming to vanish here and reappear there.  Once Hapley struck, and missed; then again.

The third time he hit his microscope.  The instrument swayed, struck and overturned the lamp, and fell noisily upon the floor.  The lamp turned over on the table and, very luckily, went out.  Hapley was left in the dark.  With a start he felt the strange moth blunder into his face.

It was maddening.  He had no lights.  If he opened the door of the room the thing would get away.  In the darkness he saw Pawkins quite distinctly laughing at him.  Pawkins had ever an oily laugh.  He swore furiously and stamped his foot on the floor.

There was a timid rapping at the door.

Then it opened, perhaps a foot, and very slowly.  The alarmed face of the landlady appeared behind a pink candle flame; she wore a night-cap over her grey hair and had some purple garment over her shoulders.  “What was that fearful smash?” she said.  “Has anything——­” The strange moth appeared fluttering about the chink of the door.  “Shut that door!” said Hapley, and suddenly rushed at her.

The door slammed hastily.  Hapley was left alone in the dark.  Then in the pause he heard his landlady scuttle upstairs, lock her door, and drag something heavy across the room and put against it.

It became evident to Hapley that his conduct and appearance had been strange and alarming.  Confound the moth! and Pawkins!  However, it was a pity to lose the moth now.  He felt his way into the hall and found the matches, after sending his hat down upon the floor with a noise like a drum.  With the lighted candle he returned to the sitting-room.  No moth was to be seen.  Yet once for a moment it seemed that the thing was fluttering round his head.  Hapley very suddenly decided to give up the moth and go to bed.  But he was excited.  All night long his sleep was broken by dreams of the moth, Pawkins, and his landlady.  Twice in the night he turned out and soused his head in cold water.