Murrel resumed his enquiry.
“I suppose, Dr. Hendry,” he said, “that your old chemical studies helped you a great deal in making these colours?”
The old gentleman shook his head thoughtfully.
“Chemistry alone would hardly have taught me all I know,” he said. “It is a question of optics. It is a question of physiology.” He suddenly thrust his beard across the table and said rapidly in a hissing voice, “It is even more a question of pathological psychology.”
“Oh,” said the visitor, and waited for what would happen next.
“Do you know,” said Hendry with a sudden sobriety of tone, “do you know why I lost all of my customers? Do you know why I have come down to this?”
“As far as I can make out,” said Murrel with a certain surly energy that was a surprise to himself, “You seem to have been d
