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           Charleswaschantingagainnowandhismothercouldhearsyllablesthatsoundedlike’YinashYogSothothhelgebthrodag’—endingina’Yah!’whosemaniacalforcemountedinanear-splittingcrescendo.Asecondlaterallpreviousmemorieswereeffacedbythewailingscreamwhichburstoutwithfranticexplosivenessandgraduallychangedformtoaparoxysmofdiabolicandhystericallaughter.Mrs.Ward,withthemingledfearandblindcourageofmaternity,advancedandknockedaffrightedlyattheconcealingpanels,butobtainednosignofrecognition.Sheknockedagain,butpausednervelesslyasasecondshriekarose,thisoneunmistakablyinthefamiliarvoiceofherson,andsoundingconcurrentlywiththestillburstingcachinnationsofthatothervoice.Presentlyshefainted,althoughsheisstillunabletorecallthepreciseandimmediatecause.Memorysometimesmakesmercifuldeletions.

           Mr.Wardreturnedfromthebusinesssectionataboutquarterpastsix;andnotfindinghiswifedownstairs,wastoldbythefrightenedservantsthatshewasprobablywatchingatCharles’sdoor,fromwhichthesoundshadbeenfarstrangerthaneverbefore.Mountingthestairsatonce,hesawMrs.Wardstretchedoutatfulllengthonthefloorofthecorridoroutsidethelaboratory;andrealizingthatshehadfainted,hastenedtofetchaglassofwaterfromasetbowlinaneighboringalcove.