intheeveningIenteredhisstudy，aftertraversinganimposingbutemptydining-roomverydimlylit。Thehousewassilent。
IwasprecededbyanelderlygrimJavaneseservantinasortofliveryofwhitejacketandyellowsarong，who，afterthrowingthedooropen，exclaimedlow：“Oh，master!“andsteppingaside，vanishedinamysteriouswayasthoughhehadbeenaghostonlymomentarilyembodiedforthatparticularservice。Steinturnedroundwiththechair，andinthesamemovementhisspectaclesseemedtogetpusheduponhisforehead。Hewelcomedmeinhisquietandhumorousvoice。Onlyonecornerofthevastroom，thecornerinwhichstoodhiswriting-desk，wasstronglylightedbyashadedreading-lamp，andtherestofthespaciousapartmentmeltedintoshapelessgloomlikeacavern。Narrowshelvesfilledwithdarkboxesofuniformshapeandcolourranroundthewalls，notfromfloortoceiling，butinasombrebeltaboutfourfeetbroad。Catacombsofbeetles。Woodentabletswerehungaboveatirregularintervals。Thelightreachedoneofthem，andthewordColeopterawritteningoldlettersglitteredmysteriouslyuponavastdimness。Theglasscasescontainingthecollectionofbutterflieswererangedinthreelongrowsuponslender-leggedlittletables。Oneofthesecaseshadbeenremovedfromitsplaceandstoodonthedesk，whichwasbestrewnwithoblongslipsofpaperblackenedwithminutehandwriting。
“`Soyouseeme——so，“hesaid。Hishandhoveredoverthecasewhereabutterflyinsolitarygrandeurspreadoutdarkbronzewings，seveninchesormoreacross，withexquisitewhiteveiningsandagorgeousborderofyellowspots。“OnlyonespecimenlikethistheyhaveinyourLondon，andthen——nomore。TomysmallnativetownthismycollectionIshallbequeath。
Somethingofme。Thebest。“
`Hebentforwardinthechairandgazedintently，hischinoverthefrontofthecase。Istoodathisback。“Marvellous，“hewhispered，andseemedtoforgetmypresence。Hishistorywascurious。HehadbeenborninBavaria，andwhenayouthoftwenty-twohadtakenanactivepartintherevolutionarymovementof1848。Heavilycompromised，hemanagedtomakehisescape，andatfirstfoundarefugewithapoorrepublicanwatch-makerinTrieste。FromtherehemadehiswaytoTripoliwithastockofcheapwatchestohawkabout——notaverygreatopeningtruly，butitturnedoutluckyenoughbecauseitwastherehecameuponaDutchtraveller——aratherfamousman，Ibelieve，butIdon’trememberhisname。Itwasthatnaturalistwho，engaginghimasasortofassistant，tookhimtotheEast。TheytravelledintheArchipelagotogetherandseparately，collectinginsectsandbirds，forfouryearsormore。Thenthenaturalistwenthome，andStein，havingnohometogoto，remainedwithanoldtraderhehadcomeacrossinhisjourneysintheinteriorofCelebes——ifCelebesmaybesaidtohaveaninterior。ThisoldScotsman，theonlywhitemanallowedtoresideinthecountryatthetime，wasaprivilegedfriendofthechiefrulerofWajoStates，whowasawoman。IoftenheardSteinrelatehowthatchap，whowasslightlyparalysedononeside，hadintroducedhimtothenativecourtashorttimebeforeanotherstrokecarriedhimoff。Hewasaheavymanwithapatriarchalwhitebeard，andofimposingstature。Hecameintothecouncil-hallwherealltherajahs，pangerans，andhead-menwereassembled，withthequeen，afatwrinkledwomanveryfreeinherspeech，Steinsaid，recliningonahighcouchunderacanopy。Hedraggedhisleg，thumpingwithhisstick，andgraspedStein’sarm，leadinghimrightuptothecouch。