\"Yes——isn’titfunny？\"saidtheladynextme。
Itwassofunnythatitsetmethinkingafreshandthat，withtheinterestofit，whichbecameapositiveexcitement，Ihadtokeepmyselfinhandinordernottoopubliclytoexplain，nottobreakoutrightandleftwithmyreflections。Idon’tknowwhy——itwasasenseinstinctiveandunreasoned，butIfeltfromthefirstthatifIwasonthescentofsomethingultimateIhadbetterwasteneithermywondernormywisdom。IWASonthescent——thatIwassureof；andyetevenafterIwassureIshouldstillhavebeenatalosstoputmyenigmaitselfintowords。Iwasjustconscious，vaguely，ofbeingonthetrackofalaw，alawthatwouldfit，thatwouldstrikemeasgoverningthedelicatephenomena——delicatethoughsomarked——thatmyimaginationfounditselfplayingwith。Apartoftheamusementtheyyieldedcame，Idaresay，frommyexaggeratingthem——groupingthemintoalargermystery（andtherebyalarger\"law\"）thanthefacts，asobserved，yetwarranted；butthatisthecommonfaultofmindsforwhichthevisionoflifeisanobsession。Theobsessionpays，ifonewill；buttopayithastoborrow。Afterdinner，butwhilethemenwerestillintheroom，IhadsometalkagainwithLong，ofwhomIinquiredifhehadbeensoplacedastosee\"poorBriss。\"
Heappearedtowonder，andpoorBriss，withourshiftingofseats，wasnowatadistance。\"Ithinkso——butIdidn’tparticularlynotice。What’sthematterwithpoorBriss？\"
\"That’sexactlywhatIthoughtyoumightbeabletotellme。Butifnothing，inhim，strikesyou——！\"Hemetmyeyesamoment——thenglancedabout。\"Whereishe？\"
\"Behindyou；onlydon’tturnroundtolook，forheknows——\"ButIdropped，havingcaughtsomethingdirectedtowardmeinBrissenden’sface。Myinterlocutorremainedblank，simplyaskingme，afteraninstant，whatitwasheknew。