All at once his attention seemed to waver, and he passed his hand over his brow, while perplexity came into his face.

Then he noticed that his pipe was out, and, knocking the ashes from it by rapping the bowl on the side of the table, he filled it with an absent-mindedness unusual with him.

Again he turned to his writing, and again he passed his hand over his brow.

Suddenly, without any apparent cause, he looked first to the right and then to the left of him.

Once more he tried to write, but, noticing his pipe was out, he struck another match and nervously puffed away, until clouds of blue smoke rose around him.