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it； and then astonished us both by abruptly wishing us
good…night。 I offered to sit up with him； and he shook his head。
Arthur offered to sit up with him； and he said； shortly； with his
face turned away； 〃No。〃 I insisted on having somebody left to
watch him。 He gave way when he found I was determined； and said
he would accept the services of the waiter at the inn。
〃Thank you both；〃 he said； as we rose to go。 〃I have one last
favor to asknot of you； doctor； for I leave you to exercise
your professional discretion； but of Mr。 Holliday。〃 His eyes；
while he spoke； still rested steadily on me； and never once
turned toward Arthur。 〃I beg that Mr。 Holliday will not mention
to any one； least of all to his father； the events that have
occurred and the words that have passed in this room。 I entreat
him to bury me in his memory as； but for him； I might have been
buried in my grave。 I cannot give my reason for making this
strange request。 I can only implore him to grant it。〃
His voice faltered for the first time； and he hid his face on the
pillow。 Arthur； completely bewildered； gave the required pledge。
I took young Holliday away with me immediately afterward to the
house of my friend； determining to go back to the inn and to see
the medical student again before he had left in the morning。
I returned to the inn at eight o'clock； purposely abstaining from
waking Arthur； who was sleeping off the past night's excitement
on one of my friend's sofas。 A suspicion had occurred to me； as
soon as I was alone in my bedroom； which made me resolve that
Holliday and the stranger whose life he had saved should not meet
again； if I could prevent it。
I have already alluded to certain reports or scandals which I
knew of relating to the early life of Arthur's father。 While I
was thinking； in my bed； of what had passed at the inn； of the
change in the student's pulse when he heard the name of Holliday；
of the resemblance of expression that I had discovered between
his face and Arthur's； of the emphasis he had laid on those three
words； 〃my own brother；〃 and of his incomprehensible
acknowledgment of his own illegitimacywhile I was thinking of
these things； the reports I have me ntioned suddenly flew into my
mind； and linked themselves fast to the chain of my previous
reflections。 Something within me whispered； 〃It is best that
those two young men should not meet again。〃 I felt it before I
slept； I felt it when I woke； and I went as I told you； alone to
the inn the next morning。
I had missed my only opportunity of seeing my nameless patient
again。 He had been gone nearly an hour when I inquired for him。
I have now told you everything that I know for certain in
relation to the man whom I brought back to life in the
double…bedded room of the inn at Doncaster。 What I have next to
add is matter for inference and surmise； and is not； strictly
speaking； matter of fact。
I have to tell you； first； that the medical student turned out to
be strangely and unaccountably right in assuming it as more than
probable that Arthur Holliday would marry the young lady who had
given him the water…color drawing of the landscape。 That marriage
took place a little more than a year after the events occurred
which I have just been relating。
The young couple came to live in the neighborhood in which I was
then established in practice。 I was present at the wedding； and
was rather surprised to find that Arthur was singularly reserved
with me； both before and after his marriage； on the subject of
the young lady's prior engagement。 He only referred to it once
when we were alone； merely telling me； on that occasion； that his
wife had done all that honor and duty required of her in the
matter； and that the engagement had been broken off with the full
approval of her parents。 I never heard more from him than this。
For three years he and his wife lived together happily。 At the
expiration of that time the symptoms of a serious illness first
declared themselves in Mrs。 Arthur Holliday。 It turned out to be
a long； lingering； hopeless malady。 I attended her throughout。 We
had been great friends when she was well； and we became more
attached to each other than ever when she was ill。 I had many
long and interesting conversations with her in the intervals when
she suffered least。 The result of one of those conversations I
may briefly relate； leaving you to draw any inferences from it
that you please。
The interview to which I refer occurred shortly before her death。
I called one evening as usual； and found her alone； with a look
in her eyes which told me she had been crying。 She only informed
me at first that she had been depressed in spirits； but by little
and little she became more communicative； and confessed to me
that she had been looking over some old letters which had been
addressed to her； before she had seen Arthur； by a man to whom
she had been engaged to be married。 I asked her how the
engagement came to be broken off。 She replied that it had not
been broken off； but that it had died out in a very mysterious
way。 The person to whom she was engagedher first love； she
called himwas very poor； and there was no immediate prospect of
their being married。 He followed my profession； and went abroad
to study。 They had corresponded regularly until the time when； as
she believed； he had returned to England。 From that period she
heard no more of him。 He was of a fretful； sensitive temperament；
and she feared that she might have inadvertently done or said
something to offend him。 However that might be； he had never
written to her again； and after waiting a year she had married
Arthur。 I asked when the first estrangement had begun； and found
that the time at which she ceased to hear anything of her first
lover exactly corresponded with the time at which I had been
called in to my mysterious patient at The Two Robins Inn。
A fortnight after that conversation she died。 In course of time
Arthur married again。 Of late years he has lived principally in
London； and I have seen little or nothing of him。
I have some years to pass over before I can approach to anything
like a conclusion of this fragmentary narrative。 And even when
that later period is reached； the little that I have to say will
not occupy your attention for more than a few minutes。
One rainy autumn evening； while I was still practicing as a
country doctor； I was sitting alone； thinking over a case then
under my charge； which sorely perplexed me； when I heard a low
knock at the door of my room。
〃Come in；〃 I cried； looking up curiously to see who wanted me。
After a momentary delay； the lock moved； and a long； white； bony
hand stole round the door as it opened； gently pushing it over a
fold in the carpet which hindered it from working freely on the
hinges。 The hand was followed by a man whose face instantly
struck me with a very strange sensation。 There was something
familiar to me in the look of him； and yet it was also something
that suggested the idea of change。
He quietly introduced himself as 〃Mr。 Lorn；〃 presented to me some
excellent professional recommendations； and proposed to fill the
place； then va