To begin with, Mr.Weiss's habit of appearing some time after my arrival and disappearing some time before my departure was decidedly odd.

But still more odd was his sudden departure this evening on what looked like a mere pretext.

That departure coincided in time with the sick man's recovery of the power of speech.

Could it be that Mr.Weiss was afraid that the half-conscious man might say something compromising to him in my presence?
It looked rather like it.

And yet he had gone away and left me with the patient and the housekeeper.
But when I came to think about it I remembered that Mrs.Schallibaum had shown some anxiety to prevent the patient from talking.