The Devil Doctor

Vague creakings from within the house, sounds as though of stealthy footsteps upon the stairs, set my nerves tingling and I knew that my imagination was magnifying these ordinary night sounds out of all proportion to their actual significance. Leaves rustled faintly outside the window at my back: I construed their sibilant whispers into the dreaded name - Fu-Manchu - Fu-Manchu - Fu-Manchu!