“The discovery which triumphantly crowned my life’s work by what some may deem poetic justice was destined also to destroy it.  This brings me to the matter which has led to my presence here to-night.  My preceding remarks were a necessary foreword.  I come to the year 1902, when I was established in Cairo, whither I had conveyed the results of the labor of many years and where I had taken up my quarters in a large native house not twenty yards from the Bab-es-Zuwela.”

Gatton stirred restlessly in his chair and my own curiosity knew no bounds.

“My inquiries at this time had nearly exhausted my always slender financial resources, and the proceeds of a small practice which I succeeded in establishing (exclusively amongst the extensive half-caste colony resident in this neighborhood) proved a welcome addition to my income.  It was due to the fact that at this time I was an active practitioner that I came in touch with the most perfect and notable example of a psycho-hybrid which I had ever encountered, indeed which, so far as I am aware, has ever appeared.”

He paused again, as if overcome with faintness, and in anticipation of what was to come I could scarcely contain myself, when: 

“At this time,” he resumed, in a yet lower voice, “and indeed until quite recently, there were but few reliable European medical men in Cairo, and during the summer of 1902 an outbreak of cholera temporarily depleted their already scanty ranks.  It happened then that one night, whilst I sat in the huge, lofty room, once the principal harem apartment of the house, which I had appropriated as a study, Cassim, my Nubian servant, communicated to me (by means of a sign-language which I had taught him) some startling news.  My immediate presence was desired at the residence of Sir Burnham Coverly, then newly appointed to a government office, and who with his wife had only arrived in the country some few months earlier.

“I thought I knew the nature of the services required of me, but my employment by this typical English aristocrat, hide-bound with caste traditions as he could not fail to be, since he had spent five years of his official life in India, surprised me very greatly.  I was later to learn that the services of no other medical man (or of no medical man so highly qualified as myself) were available; but even had I known this at the time I should have put my pride in my pocket, and for this reason: 

“I had learned from a native acquaintance of a certain occurrence which had taken place on the very day of the baronet’s arrival in Egypt; and it led me to look for a particular manifestation, in fact, I will boldly declare, since science is admittedly a callous mistress, that it had led me to hope for this manifestation, however unpleasant it might prove for those intimately concerned.  Accordingly, having made suitable preparation I accompanied Sir Burnham’s servant back to the residence of the baronet....”