"You are fresh from a night journey, I understand, which is in itself a monotonous occupation." "Oh, my night could not be called monotonous," said he, and laughed.

He laughed very heartily, with a high, ringing note, leaning back in his chair and shaking his sides.

All my medical instincts rose up against that laugh.
"Stop it!" I cried; "pull yourself together!" and I poured out some water from a caraffe.
It was useless, however.

He was off in one of those hysterical outbursts which come upon a strong nature when some great crisis is over and gone.

Presently he came to himself once more, very weary and pale-looking.
"I have been making a fool of myself," he gasped.
"Not at all.