'
'Curious taste for a young man,' remarked the doctor, dryly.
'Nature,' said M. Vandeloup, 'does not form men all on the same
pattern, and my taste for toxicology has at least the charm of
novelty.'
Gollipeck looked at the young man again in a sharp manner.
'I hope you'll enjoy the book,' he said, abruptly, and vanished into
the house.
When he was gone, the mocking smile so habitual to Vandeloup's
countenance faded away, and his face assumed a thoughtful
expression. He opened the book, and turned over the leaves rapidly,
but without finding what he was in search of. With an uneasy laugh
he shut the volume with a snap, and put it under his arm again.
'He's an enigma,' he thought, referring to the doctor; 'but he can't
suspect anything. The case may be in this book, but I doubt if even
this man with the barbarous name can connect Gaston Vandeloup, of
Ballarat, with Octave Braulard, of Paris.'
His face reassumed its usual gay look, and throwing away the half-
smoked cigarette, he walked into the house and found Madame Midas
seated in her arm-chair near the window looking pale and ill, while
Archie was walking up and down in an excited manner, and talking
volubly in broad Scotch. As to Dr Gollipeck, that eccentric
individual was standing in front of the fire, looking even more
dilapidated than usual, and drying his red bandanna handkerchief in
an abstract manner.
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