William Somerset Maugham - The Magician

7/29/2019 William Somerset Maugham - The Magician

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/william-somerset-maugham-the-magician 1/153

The Pr oj ect Gut enber g EBook of The Magi ci an, by Somer set Maugham Thi s eBook i s f or t he use of anyone anywhere at no cost and wi t hal most no r est r i ct i ons whatsoever . You may copy i t , gi ve i t away orr e- use i t under t he t er ms of t he Pr oj ect Gut enber g Li cense i ncl udedwi t h t hi s eBook or onl i ne at www. gut enber g. net

Ti t l e: The Magi ci an

Aut hor : Somer set Maugham Rel ease Dat e: December 4, 2004 [EBook #14257]

Language: Engl i sh

Charact er set encodi ng: I SO- 8859- 1

*** START OF THI S PROJ ECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MAGI CI AN ***

Produced by Suzanne Shel l , Mary Meehan and t he PG Onl i ne Di st r i but edProof r eadi ng Team.

The Magi ci an

A NOVEL By SOMERSET MAUGHAM

TOGETHER WI TH A FRAGMENT OF AUTOBI OGRAPHY

1908

A FRAGMENT OF AUTOBI OGRAPHY

I n 1897, af t er spendi ng f i ve year s at St Thomas' s Hospi t al I passed t heexami nat i ons whi ch enabl ed me t o pr act i se medi ci ne. Whi l e st i l l a medi calst udent I had publ i shed a novel cal l ed _Li za of Lambeth_ whi ch caused ami l d sensat i on, and on t he st r engt h of t hat I r ashl y deci ded t o abandondoct or i ng and ear n my l i vi ng as a wr i t er ; so, as soon as I was' qual i f i ed' , I set out f or Spai n and spent t he best par t of a year i nSevi l l e. I amused mysel f hugel y and wr ote a bad novel . Then I r etur ned t o



London and, wi t h a f r i end of my own age, t ook and f ur ni shed a smal l f l atnear Vi ct ori a St at i on. A mai d of al l work cooked f or us and kept t he f l atneat and t i dy. My f r i end was at t he Bar , and so I had t he day ( and t hef l at ) t o mysel f and my work. Dur i ng t he next si x year s I wr ote sever alnovel s and a number of pl ays. Onl y one of t hese novel s had any success,but even t hat f ai l ed t o make t he st i r t hat my f i r st one had made. I coul dget no manager t o t ake my pl ays. At l ast , i n desperat i on, I sent one,whi ch I cal l ed _A Man of Honour _, t o the St age Soci ety, whi ch gave t woper f ormances, one on Sunday ni ght , anot her on Monday af t ernoon, of pl ayswhi ch, unsui t abl e f or t he commerci al t heat r e, were consi dered of suf f i ci ent mer i t t o pl ease an i nt el l ect ual audi ence. As ever y one knows,i t was t he St age Soci ety that pr oduced t he ear l y pl ays of Bernard Shaw. The commi t t ee accept ed _A Man of Honour _, and W. L. Cour t ney, who was amember of i t , t hought wel l enough of my crude pl ay t o publ i sh i t i n _TheFor t ni ght l y Revi ew_, of whi ch he was t hen edi t or . I t was a f eat her i n mycap.

Though t hese ef f or t s of mi ne brought me ver y l i t t l e money, t hey at t r act ednot a l i t t l e at t ent i on, and I made f r i ends. I was l ooked upon as apr omi si ng young wr i t er and, I t hi nk I may say i t wi t hout vani t y, was

accept ed as a member of t he i nt el l i gent si a, an honour abl e condi t i onwhi ch, some year s l ater, when I became a popul ar wr i t er of l i ghtcomedi es, I l ost ; and have never si nce r egai ned. I was i nvi t ed t ol i t erar y part i es and to part i es gi ven by women of r ank and f ashi on whot hought i t behoved t hem t o pat r oni se the ar t s. An unat t ached and f ai r l ypresent abl e young man i s al ways i n demand. I l unched out and di ned out .Si nce I coul d not af f or d t o take cabs, when I di ned out , i n t ai l s and awhi t e t i e, as was t hen t he cust om, I went and came back by bus. I wasasked to spend week- ends i n the count r y. They were somethi ng of a t r i alon account of t he t i ps you had t o gi ve t o the but l er and t o the f oot manwho brought you your morni ng t ea. He unpacked your gl adst one bag, andyou were uneasi l y aware t hat your wel l - worn pyj amas and modest t oi l etar t i cl es had made an unf avour abl e i mpr essi on upon hi m. For al l t hat , If ound l i f e pl easant and I enj oyed mysel f . There seemed no r eason why Ishoul d not go on i ndef i ni t el y i n t he same way, br i ngi ng out a novel oncea year ( whi ch sel dom ear ned more t han t he smal l advance t he publ i sherhad gi ven me but whi ch was on t he whol e respect abl y revi ewed) , goi ng t omore and more part i es, maki ng more and more f r i ends. I t was al l ver yni ce, but I coul dn' t see t hat i t was l eadi ng me anywhere. I was t hi r t y.I was i n a r ut . I f el t I must get out of i t . I t di d not t ake me l ong t omake up my mi nd. I t ol d t he f r i end wi t h whom I shar ed t he f l at t hat Iwant ed t o be r i d of i t and go abr oad. He coul d not keep i t by hi msel f ,but we l ucki l y f ound a mi ddl e- aged gent l eman who wi shed to i nst al l hi smi st r ess i n i t , and was prepar ed t o take i t of f our hands. We sol d t hef ur ni t ur e f or what i t coul d f et ch, and wi t hi n a mont h I was on my way t oPar i s. I t ook a r oom i n a cheap hotel on t he Lef t Bank.

A f ew mont hs bef ore t hi s, I had been f or t unat e enough to make f r i endswi t h a young pai nter who had a st udi o i n the Rue Campagne Premi ère. Hi sname was Geral d Kel l y. He had had an upbr i ngi ng unusual f or a pai nt er ,f or he had been t o Et on and t o Cambri dge. He was hi ghl y tal ent ed,abundant l y l oquaci ous, and i mmensel y ent husi ast i c. I t was he who f i r stmade me acquai nted wi t h t he I mpr essi oni st s, whose pi ct ur es had r ecent l ybeen accept ed by the Luxembourg. To my shame, I must admi t t hat I coul dnot make head or t ai l of t hem. Wi t hout much searchi ng, I f ound anapar t ment on t he f i f t h f l oor of a house near t he Li on de Bel f or t . I t hadt wo rooms and a ki t chen, and cost seven hundr ed f r ancs a year , whi ch was



t hen t went y- ei ght pounds. I bought , second- hand, such f ur ni t ur e andhousehol d ut ensi l s as wer e essent i al , and the _conci er ge_ t ol d me of awoman who woul d come i n f or hal f a day and make my _caf é au l ai t _ i n t hemorni ng and my l uncheon at noon. I set t l ed down and set t o work on st i l lanot her novel . Soon af t er my ar r i val , Ger al d Kel l y t ook me t o ar est aur ant cal l ed Le Chat Bl anc i n the Rue d' Odessa, near t he GareMont parnasse, where a number of ar t i st s were i n t he habi t of di ni ng;and f r om t hen on I di ned t her e ever y ni ght . I have descr i bed t he pl aceel sewher e, and i n some det ai l i n the novel t o whi ch these pages are meantt o ser ve as a pr ef ace, so t hat I need not here say more about i t . As ar ul e, t he same peopl e came i n every ni ght , but now and then ot her s came,per haps onl y once, per haps t wo or t hr ee t i mes. We were apt t o l ook upont hem as i nt er l oper s, and I don' t t hi nk we made them part i cul ar l y wel come.I t was t hus t hat I f i r st met Ar nol d Bennet t and Cl i ve Bel l . One of t hesecasual vi si t or s was Al ei st er Cr owl ey. He was spendi ng t he wi nt er i nPar i s. I t ook an i mmedi ate di sl i ke t o hi m, but he i nt erest ed and amusedme. He was a gr eat t al ker and he t al ked uncommonl y wel l . I n ear l y yout h,I was t ol d, he was ext r emel y handsome, but when I knew hi m he had put onwei ght , and hi s hai r was t hi nni ng. He had f i ne eyes and a way, whethernatur al or acqui r ed I do not know, of so f ocusi ng t hem t hat , when he

l ooked at you, he seemed t o l ook behi nd you. He was a f ake, but notent i r el y a f ake. At Cambr i dge he had won hi s chess bl ue and was est eemedt he best whi st pl ayer of hi s t i me. He was a l i ar and unbecomi ngl yboast f ul , but t he odd t hi ng was t hat he had actual l y done some of t het hi ngs he boast ed of . As a mountai neer , he had made an ascent of K2 i nt he Hi ndu Kush, t he second hi ghest mountai n i n I ndi a, and he made i twi t hout t he el aborat e equi pment , t he cyl i nders of oxygen and so f ort h,whi ch render t he endeavours of t he mountai neers of t he present day morel i kel y t o succeed. He di d not r each t he t op, but got near er t o i t t hananyone had done bef or e.

Cr owl ey was a vol umi nous wr i t er of ver se, whi ch he publ i shed sumpt uousl yat hi s own expense. He had a gi f t f or r hymi ng, and hi s verse i s notent i r el y wi t hout mer i t . He had been gr eat l y i nf l uenced by Swi nbur ne andRober t Br owni ng. He was gr ossl y, but not uni nt el l i gent l y, i mi t at i ve. Asyou f l i p thr ough the pages you may wel l r ead a st anza whi ch, i f youcame acr oss i t i n a vol ume of Swi nbur ne' s, you woul d accept wi t houtquesti on as t he wor k of t he master. ' _ I t ' s r at her har d, i sn' t i t , Si r ,t o make sense of i t ?_ ' I f you were shown t hi s l i ne and asked what poethad wr i t t en i t , I t hi nk you woul d be i ncl i ned t o say, Robert Br owni ng. You woul d be wr ong. I t was wr i t t en by Al ei st er Cr owl ey.

At t he t i me I knew hi m he was dabbl i ng i n Sat ani sm, magi c and t he occul t . There was j ust t hen somet hi ng of a vogue i n Par i s f or t hat sor t of t hi ng,occasi oned, I sur mi se, by t he i nt er est t hat was st i l l t aken i n a book of Huysmans' s, _Là Bas_. Cr owl ey t ol d f ant ast i c st or i es of hi s exper i ences,but i t was har d t o say whet her he was t el l i ng t he t r ut h or mer el y pul l i ng

your l eg. Dur i ng t hat wi nt er I saw hi m sever al t i mes, but never af t er Il ef t Par i s t o r et ur n t o London. Once, l ong af t er war ds, I r ecei ved at el egr am f r om hi m whi ch r an as f ol l ows: ' Pl ease send t went y- f i ve poundsat once. Mot her of God and I st ar vi ng. Al ei st er Cr owl ey. ' I di d not doso, and he l i ved on f or many di sgracef ul years.

I was gl ad t o get back to London. My ol d f r i end had by t hen r ooms i n Pal lMal l , and I was abl e t o t ake a bedr oom i n t he same bui l di ng and use hi ssi t t i ng- r oom t o wor k i n. _The Magi ci an_ was publ i shed i n 1908, so Isuppose i t was wr i t t en dur i ng t he f i r st si x mont hs of 1907. I do not



r emember how I came t o t hi nk t hat Al ei st er Cr owl ey mi ght ser ve as t hemodel f or t he char act er whom I cal l ed Ol i ver Haddo; nor, i ndeed,how I came to t hi nk of wr i t i ng t hat par t i cul ar novel at al l . When, al i t t l e whi l e ago, my publ i sher expr essed a wi sh t o r ei ssue i t , I f el tt hat , bef or e consent i ng t o t hi s, I r eal l y shoul d r ead i t agai n. Near l yf i f t y year s had passed si nce I had done so, and I had compl etel yf orgot t en i t . Some aut hors enj oy r eadi ng t hei r ol d works; some cannotbear t o. Of t hese I am. When I have cor r ect ed t he pr oof s of a book, Ihave f i ni shed wi t h i t f or good and al l . I am i mpat i ent when peopl e i nsi ston t al ki ng t o me about i t ; I am gl ad i f t hey l i ke i t , but do not muchcar e i f t hey don' t . I am no mor e i nt er est ed i n i t t han i n a wor n- outsui t of cl ot hes t hat I have gi ven away. I t was t hus wi t h di si ncl i nat i ont hat I began t o read _The Magi ci an_. I t hel d my i nt erest , as two of myear l y novel s, whi ch f or t he same r eason I have been obl i ged t o read, di dnot . One, i ndeed, I si mpl y coul d not get t hr ough. Anot her had t o my mi ndsome good dr amat i c scenes, but t he humour f i l l ed me wi t h mort i f i cat i on,and I shoul d have been ashamed t o see i t r epubl i shed. As I r ead _TheMagi ci an_, I wondered how on ear t h I coul d have come by al l t he mater i alconcer ni ng the bl ack art s whi ch I wr ote of . I must have spent days anddays readi ng i n t he l i br ary of t he Br i t i sh Museum. The st yl e i s l ush and

t ur gi d, not at al l t he sor t of st yl e I appr ove of now, but per haps notunsui t ed t o t he subj ect ; and t here are a gr eat many more adver bs andadj ect i ves t han I shoul d use t oday. I f ancy I must have been i mpr essed byt he _écri t ur e art i st e_ whi ch t he French wr i t er s of t he t i me had not yetent i r el y abandoned, and unwi sel y sought t o i mi t at e t hem.

Though Al ei st er Cr owl ey ser ved, as I have sai d, as t he model f or Ol i verHaddo, i t i s by no means a por t r ai t of hi m. I made my character morest r i ki ng i n appear ance, more si ni st er and more r ut hl ess t han Cr owl ey everwas. I gave hi m magi cal powers t hat Cr owl ey, t hough he cl ai med t hem,cer t ai nl y never possessed. Cr owl ey, however , r ecogni zed hi msel f i n t hecr eat ur e of my i nvent i on, f or such i t was, and wr ot e a f ul l - page r evi ewof t he novel i n _Vani t y Fai r _, whi ch he si gned ' Ol i ver Haddo' . I di d notr ead i t , and wi sh now t hat I had. I dar esay i t was a pr et t y pi ece of vi t uper at i on, but pr obabl y, l i ke hi s poems, i nt ol er abl y ver bose.

I do not r emember what success , i f any, my novel had when i t waspubl i shed, and I di d not bother about i t much, f or by t hen a gr eat changehad come i nt o my l i f e. The manager of t he Cour t Theat r e, one Ot ho St uart ,had br ought out a pl ay whi ch f ai l ed t o pl ease, and he coul d noti mmedi atel y get t he cast he want ed f or t he next pl ay he had i n mi nd toproduce. He had r ead one of mi ne, and f ormed a ver y poor opi ni on of i t ; but he was i n a quandar y, and i t occur r ed t o hi m t hat i t mi ght j ustser ve t o keep hi s t heat r e open f or a f ew weeks, by t he end of whi ch theact ors he want ed f or t he pl ay he had been obl i ged to post pone woul d be atl i ber t y. He put mi ne on. I t was an i mmedi at e success. The resul t of t hi swas t hat i n a ver y l i t t l e whi l e ot her managers accept ed t he pl ays t hey

had consi st ent l y ref used, and I had f our r unni ng i n London at t he samet i me. I , who f or t en year s had ear ned an aver age of one hundred pounds ayear , f ound mysel f earni ng several hundr ed pounds a week. I made up mymi nd t o abandon t he wr i t i ng of novel s f or t he r est of my l i f e. I di d notknow t hat t hi s was somet hi ng out of my cont r ol and t hat when t he urge t owr i t e a novel sei zed me, I shoul d be abl e t o do nothi ng but submi t . Fi veyears l ater , t he ur ge came and, r ef usi ng t o wr i t e any more pl ays f or t het i me, I st ar t ed upon t he l ongest of al l my novel s. I cal l ed i t _Of HumanBondage_.



The Magi ci an

I

Ar t hur Bur don and Dr Por hoët wal ked i n si l ence. They had l unched at ar est aur ant i n t he Boul evard Sai nt Mi chel , and were saunt er i ng now i n t hegar dens of t he Luxembour g. Dr Por hoët wal ked wi t h st oopi ng shoul ders, hi shands behi nd hi m. He behel d the scene wi t h the eyes of t he many pai nterswho have sought by means of t he most char mi ng gar den i n Par i s t o expr esst hei r sense of beaut y. The gr ass was scat t er ed wi t h t he f al l en l eaves,but t hei r wan decay l i t t l e served t o gi ve a t ouch of nat ur e t o t heart i f i ce of al l besi des. The t r ees wer e neat l y sur r ounded by bushes,and t he bushes by t r i m beds of f l owers . But t he t r ees grew wi t hout

abandonment , as t hough consci ous of t he decor at i ve scheme t hey hel ped t of orm. I t was autumn, and some were l eaf l ess al r eady. Many of t he f l owerswere wi t her ed. The f ormal gar den r emi nded one of a l i ght woman, no l ongeryoung, who sought , wi t h f aded f i nery, wi t h powder and pai nt , t o make abr ave show of despai r . I t had t hose f al se, di f f i cul t smi l es of uneasygai et y, and t he pi t i f ul gr aces whi ch at t empt a f asci nat i on t hat t hehur r yi ng years have r endered vai n.

Dr Por hoët dr ew more cl osel y round hi s f r agi l e body the heavy cl oak whi cheven i n summer he coul d not persuade hi msel f t o di scar d. The best par t of hi s l i f e had been spent i n Egypt , i n t he pr act i ce of medi ci ne, and t hef r i gi d summers of Europe scarcel y warmed hi s bl ood. Hi s memory f l ashedf or an i nst ant upon t hose mul t i - col our ed st r eet s of Al exandr i a; and t hen,l i ke a homi ng bi r d, i t f l ew t o the gr een woods and t he st orm- beat encoast s of hi s nat i ve Br i t t any. Hi s brown eyes wer e vei l ed wi t h suddenmel anchol y.

' Let us wai t here f or a moment , ' he sai d.

They t ook t wo st r aw- bot t omed chai r s and sat near t he oct agonal wat erwhi ch compl et es wi t h i t s f ount ai n of Cupi ds t he enchant i ng ar t i f i ci al i t yof t he Luxembourg. The sun shone more ki ndl y now, and t he t r ees whi chf r amed t he scene were gol den and l ovel y. A bal ust r ade of st one gr acef ul l yencl osed t he space, and t he f l owers, f r eshl y bedded, were ver y gay. I none cor ner t hey coul d see t he squat, quai nt t ower s of Sai nt Sul pi ce, andon t he ot her s i de the uneven r oof s of t he Boul evard Sai nt Mi chel .

The pal ace was grey and sol i d. Nur ses, some i n t he whi t e caps of t hei rnat i ve pr ovi nce, others wi t h t he sat i n st r eamers of t he _nounou_, marchedsedatel y t wo by two, wheel i ng perambul ators and t al ki ng. Br i ght l y dr essedchi l dren t r undl ed hoops or whi pped a st ubbor n t op. As he wat ched t hem, DrPor hoët ' s l i ps br oke i nt o a smi l e, and i t was so t ender t hat hi s t hi nf ace, sal l ow f r om l ong exposur e to subt r opi cal suns, was t r ansf i gur ed.He no l onger st r uck you mer el y as an i nsi gni f i cant l i t t l e man wi t h hol l owcheeks and a thi n gr ey bear d; f or t he wear i ness of expressi on whi ch washabi t ual t o hi m vani shed bef ore t he charmi ng sympathy of hi s smi l e. Hi ssunken eyes gl i t t ered wi t h a ki ndl y but i r oni c good- humour . Now passed a



guard i n the romant i c cl oak of a br i gand i n comi c opera and a peaked capl i ke t hat of an _al guaci l _. A gr oup of t el egr aph boys i n bl ue st ood r ounda pai nt er , who was maki ng a sket ch- - not wi t hst andi ng hal f - f r ozen f i nger s.Here and there, i n baggy cor dur oys, t i ght j ackets, and wi de- br i mmed hats,st r ol l ed st udent s who mi ght have st epped f r om t he page of Mur ger ' si mmor t al r omance. But t he st udent s now are uneasy wi t h t he f ear of r i di cul e, and more of t en t hey wal k i n bowl er hats and t he neat coatsof t he _boul evar di er _.

Dr Por hoët spoke Engl i sh f l uent l y, wi t h scar cel y a t r ace of f or ei gnaccent , but wi t h an el aborat i on whi ch suggest ed t hat he had l ear ned t hel anguage as much f r omst udy of t he Engl i sh cl assi cs as f r omconver sat i on.

' And how i s Mi ss Dauncey?' he asked, t ur ni ng t o hi s f r i end.

Ar t hur Bur don smi l ed.

' Oh, I expect she' s al l r i ght . I ' ve not seen her t oday, but I ' m goi ng t ot ea at t he st udi o thi s af t ernoon, and we want you t o di ne wi t h us at t heChi en Noi r . '

' I shal l be much pl eased. But do you not wi sh t o be by your sel ves?'

' She met me at t he st at i on yest erday, and we di ned t ogether . We t al kedsteadi l y f romhal f past s i x t i l l mi dni ght . '

' Or , r at her , she tal ked and you l i st ened wi t h t he del i ght ed at t ent i on of a happy l over. '

Ar t hur Bur don had j ust ar r i ved i n Par i s. He was a surgeon on t he st af f of St Luke' s, and had come ost ensi bl y t o st udy t he methods of t he Frenchoper at or s; but hi s r eal obj ect was cer t ai nl y t o see Margar et Dauncey. Hewas f ur ni shed wi t h i nt r oduct i ons f r omLondon surgeons of r eput e, and hadal r eady spent a morni ng at t he Hôt el Di eu, where the operat or , warnedt hat hi s vi si t or was a bol d and ski l f ul sur geon, whose r eput at i on i nEngl and was al r eady consi derabl e, had sought t o dazzl e hi m by f eat s t hatsavour ed al most of l egerdemai n. Though t he hi nt of char l atanr y i n t heFr enchman' s met hods had not escaped Ar t hur Burdon' s shr ewd eyes, t heaudaci ous sur eness of hi s hand had exci t ed hi s ent husi asm. Dur i ngl uncheon he t al ked of nothi ng el se, and Dr Por hoët , dr awi ng upon hi smemory, r ecount ed t he more ext r aor di nary operat i ons t hat he had wi t nessedi n Egypt .

He had known Ar t hur Burdon ever si nce he was born, and i ndeed had mi ssedbei ng pr esent at hi s bi r t h onl y because t he Khedi ve I smaï l had summonedhi m unexpectedl y t o Cai r o. But t he Levant i ne merchant who was Ar t hur ' sf at her had been hi s most i nt i mat e f r i end, and i t was wi t h si ngul ar

pl easure that Dr Por hoët saw t he young man, on hi s advi ce, ent er hi sown pr of essi on and achi eve a di st i nct i on whi ch hi msel f had never won.

Though t oo much i nt er est ed i n t he char act er s of t he persons whom chancet hr ew i n hi s pat h t o have much ambi t i on on hi s own behal f , i t pl eased hi mt o see i t i n ot her s. He obser ved wi t h sat i sf act i on t he pr i de whi ch Ar t hurt ook i n hi s cal l i ng and t he deter mi nat i on, backed by hi s conf i dence andt al ent , t o become a mast er of hi s ar t . Dr Porhoët knew t hat a di ver si t yof i nt er est s, t hough i t adds char m t o a man' s per sonal i t y, t ends t oweaken hi m. To excel one' s f el l ows i t i s needf ul t o be ci r cumscr i bed.



He di d not r egr et , t heref ore, t hat Ar t hur i n many ways was narr ow.Let t er s and t he ar t s meant l i t t l e to hi m. Nor woul d he t r oubl e hi msel f wi t h t he gr acef ul t r i vi al i t i es whi ch make a man a good t al ker . I n mi xedcompany he was cont ent t o l i st en si l ent l y to ot hers, and onl y somethi ngver y def i ni t e to say coul d t empt hi m t o j oi n i n t he gener al conver sat i on.He wor ked ver y har d, oper at i ng, di ssect i ng, or l ect ur i ng at hi s hospi t al ,and t ook pai ns t o r ead every word, not onl y i n Engl i sh, but i n French andGerman, whi ch was publ i shed concerni ng hi s pr of essi on. Whenever he coul dsnat ch a f r ee day he spent i t on t he gol f - l i nks of Sunni ngdal e, f or hewas an eager and a f i ne pl ayer .

But at t he oper at i ng- t abl e Ar t hur was di f f er ent . He was no l onger t heawkwar d man of soci al i nt er cour se, who was suf f i ci ent l y consci ous of hi sl i mi t ati ons not t o t al k of what he di d not under st and, and si ncer e enoughnot t o expr ess admi r at i on f or what he di d not l i ke. Then, on t he otherhand, a si ngul ar exhi l ar ati on f i l l ed hi m; he was consci ous of hi s power ,and he rej oi ced i n i t . No unf oreseen acci dent was abl e to conf use hi m.He seemed t o have a posi t i ve i nst i nct f or operat i ng, and hi s hand andhi s br ai n worked i n a manner t hat appeared al most aut omat i c. He neverhesi t ated, and he had no f ear of f ai l ur e. Hi s success had been no l ess

t han hi s cour age, and i t was pl ai n t hat soon hi s r eput at i on wi t h t hepubl i c woul d equal t hat whi ch he had al r eady won wi t h t he pr of essi on.

Dr Por hoët had been maki ng l i st l ess pat t er ns wi t h hi s s t i ck upon t hegr avel , and now, wi t h t hat charmi ng smi l e of hi s, t ur ned t o Ar t hur .

' I never cease t o be ast oni shed at t he unexpect edness of human natur e, 'he r emar ked. ' I t i s r eal l y ver y sur pr i si ng t hat a man l i ke you shoul df al l so deepl y i n l ove wi t h a gi r l l i ke Mar gar et Dauncey. '

Ar t hur made no r epl y, and Dr Por hoët , f ear i ng that hi s words mi ghtof f end, hastened t o expl ai n.

' You know as wel l as I do that I t hi nk her a very charmi ng young person.She has beaut y and grace and sympathy. But your charact er s ar e moredi f f er ent t han chal k and cheese. Not wi t hst andi ng your bi r t h i n t he Eastand your boyhood spent ami d t he very scenes of t he Thousand and OneNi ght s, you are t he most mat t er - of - f act cr eat ur e I have ever comeacross. '

' I see no har m i n your sayi ng i nsul ar , ' smi l ed Ar t hur . ' I conf ess that Ihave no i magi nat i on and no sense of humour . I am a pl ai n, pr act i cal man,but I can see t o t he end of my nose wi t h ext r eme cl ear ness. For t unatel yi t i s rather a l ong one. '

' One of my cher i shed i deas i s t hat i t i s i mpossi bl e t o l ove wi t houti magi nat i on. '

Agai n Ar t hur Burdon made no repl y, but a cur i ous l ook came i nt o hi seyes as he gazed i n f r ont of hi m. I t was the l ook whi ch mi ght f i l l t hepassi onate eyes of a myst i c when he saw i n ecst asy t he Di vi ne Lady of hi s const ant pr ayer s.

' But Mi ss Dauncey has none of t hat narr owness of out l ook whi ch, i f youf orgi ve my sayi ng so, i s perhaps t he secret of your st r engt h. She has adel i ght f ul ent husi asm f or ever y f or m of ar t . Beaut y r eal l y means as mucht o her as bread and but t er t o t he more sober l y- mi nded. And she t akes a



passi onat e i nt er est i n t he var i et y of l i f e. '

' I t i s r i ght t hat Mar gar et shoul d car e f or beaut y, si nce t her e i s beaut yi n ever y i nch of her , ' answer ed Ar t hur .

He was t oo ret i cent t o pr oceed t o any anal ysi s of hi s f eel i ngs; buthe knew t hat he had car ed f or her f i r st on account of t he physi calper f ect i on whi ch cont r ast ed so ast oni shi ngl y wi t h t he count l essdef or mi t i es i n t he st udy of whi ch hi s l i f e was spent . But one phr aseescaped hi m al most agai nst hi s wi l l .

' The f i r st t i me I saw her I f el t as t hough a new worl d had opened t o myken. '

The di vi ne musi c of Keat s' s l i nes r ang t hrough Ar t hur ' s r emar k, and t ot he Frenchman' s mi nd gave hi s passi on a r omant i c not e t hat f orebodedf ut ur e t r agedy. He sought t o di spel t he cl oud whi ch hi s f ancy had castupon t he most sat i sf act or y of l ove af f ai r s.

' You ar e ver y l ucky, my f r i end. Mi ss Margaret admi r es you as much as you

ador e her . She i s never t i r ed of l i st eni ng t o my pr osy st or i es of yourchi l dhood i n Al exandr i a, and I ' m qui t e sur e t hat she wi l l make you t hemost admi r abl e of wi ves. '

' You can' t be more sure t han I am, ' l aughed Ar t hur .

He l ooked upon hi msel f as a happy man. He l oved Margaret wi t h al l hi shear t , and he was conf i dent i n her gr eat af f ect i on f or hi m. I t wasi mpossi bl e t hat anyt hi ng shoul d ar i se t o di st ur b t he pl easant l i f ewhi ch they had pl anned t ogether . Hi s l ove cast a gl amour upon hi swork, and hi s work, by cont r ast , made l ove t he more ent r anci ng.

' We' r e goi ng t o f i x the dat e of our mar r i age now, ' he sai d. ' I ' m buyi ngf ur ni t ur e al r eady. '

' I t hi nk onl y Engl i sh peopl e coul d have behaved so oddl y as you, i npost poni ng your marr i age wi t hout r eason f or t wo mort al years. '

' You see, Margaret was t en when I f i r st saw her , and onl y sevent een whenI asked her t o mar r y me. She t hought she had r eason to be gr at ef ul t o meand woul d have mar r i ed me t her e and t hen. But I knew she hanker ed af t ert hese t wo year s i n Par i s, and I di dn' t f eel i t was f ai r t o bi nd her t o met i l l she had seen at l east somethi ng of t he worl d. And she seemed hardl yr eady f or mar r i age, she was gr owi ng st i l l . '

' Di d I not say that you were a mat t er- of - f act young man?' smi l ed DrPor hoët .

' And i t ' s not as i f t here had been any doubt about our knowi ng our mi nds.We bot h car ed, and we had a l ong t i me bef ore us. We coul d af f ord t owai t . '

At t hat moment a man st r ol l ed past t hem, a bi g st out f el l ow, showi l ydr essed i n a check sui t ; and he gr avel y t ook of f hi s hat t o Dr Por hoët . The doct or smi l ed and r et urned t he sal ut e.

' Who i s your f at f r i end?' asked Ar t hur .



' That i s a compat r i ot of your s. Hi s name i s Ol i ver Haddo. '

' Ar t - st udent ?' i nqui r ed Ar t hur , wi t h t he scor nf ul t one he used whenr ef er r i ng t o t hose whose wal k i n l i f e was not so pr act i cal as hi s own.

' Not exact l y. I met hi m a l i t t l e whi l e ago by chance. When I was get t i ngt oget her t he mater i al f or my l i t t l e book on t he ol d al chemi st s I r ead agr eat deal at t he l i br ar y of t he Ar senal , whi ch, you may have hear d, i ssi ngul ar l y r i ch i n al l wor ks deal i ng wi t h t he occul t sci ences. '

Burden' s f ace assumed an expr essi on of amused di sdai n. He coul d notunders t and why Dr Por hoët occupi ed hi s l ei sure wi t h st udi es sopr of i t l ess. He had r ead hi s book, r ecent l y publ i shed, on t he moref amous of t he al chemi st s; and, t hough f orced t o admi r e the pr of oundknowl edge upon whi ch i t was based, he coul d not f orgi ve the wast e of t i me whi ch hi s f r i end mi ght have expended more usef ul l y on topi cs of press i ng moment .

' Not many peopl e st udy i n t hat l i br ar y, ' pur sued t he doct or, ' and I

soon knew by si ght t hose who were f r equent l y t here. I saw t hi s gent l emanevery day. He was i mmersed i n st r ange ol d books when I ar r i ved ear l y i nt he morni ng, and he was r eadi ng t hem st i l l when I l ef t , exhaust ed.Somet i mes i t happened t hat he had the vol umes I asked f or , and Idi scovered t hat he was st udyi ng the same subj ect s as mysel f . Hi sappear ance was ext r aor di nary, but scarcel y sympathet i c; so, t hough If anci ed t hat he gave me opport uni t i es t o addr ess hi m, I di d not avai lmysel f of t hem. One day, however , cur i ousl y enough, I was l ooki ng upsome poi nt upon whi ch i t seemed i mpossi bl e to f i nd aut hori t i es. Thel i br ar i an coul d not hel p me, and I had gi ven up t he search, when t hi sperson br ought me the very book I needed. I surmi sed t hat t he l i br ar i anhad t ol d hi m of my di f f i cul t y. I was ver y gr at ef ul t o t he st r anger . Wel ef t t ogether t hat af t ernoon, and our ki ndr ed st udi es gave us a commont opi c of conver sat i on. I f ound t hat hi s r eadi ng was extr aor di nar i l y wi de,and he was abl e t o gi ve me i nf ormat i on about works whi ch I had nevereven hear d of . He had t he advant age over me t hat he coul d apparent l yr ead, Hebr ew as wel l as Ar abi c, and he had st udi ed t he Kabbal ah i n t heor i gi nal . '

' And much good i t di d hi m, I have no doubt , ' sai d Ar t hur . ' And what i s heby pr of essi on?'

Dr Por hoët gave a depr ecat i ng smi l e.

' My dear f el l ow, I har dl y l i ke t o t el l you. I t r embl e i n ever y l i mb att he t hought of your unmi t i gated scorn. '

' Wel l ?'

' You know, Par i s i s f ul l of queer peopl e. I t i s t he chosen home of ever yki nd of eccent r i ci t y. I t sounds i ncredi bl e i n t hi s year of gr ace, but myf r i end Ol i ver Haddo cl ai ms t o be a magi ci an. I t hi nk he i s qui t eser i ous. '

' Si l l y ass! ' answer ed Ar t hur wi t h emphasi s.



2

Margaret Dauncey shared a f l at near t he Boul evard du Mont par nasse wi t hSusi e Boyd; and i t was t o meet her t hat Ar t hur had arr anged t o come t ot ea t hat af t ernoon. The young women wai t ed f or hi m i n the st udi o. Theket t l e was boi l i ng on t he stove; cups and _pet i t s f our s_ st ood i nr eadi ness on a model st and. Susi e l ooked f orward t o t he meet i ng wi t hi nterest . She had heard a good deal of t he young man, and knew t hat t heconnexi on between hi m and Margar et was not l acki ng i n romance. For yearsSusi e had l ed t he monotonous l i f e of a mi st r ess i n a school f or youngl adi es, and had r esi gned her sel f t o i t s dr ear i ness f or t he r est of herl i f e, when a l egacy f r om a di st ant r el at i on gave her suf f i ci ent i ncomet o l i ve modest l y upon her means. When Margar et , who had been her pupi l ,came, soon af t er t hi s, t o announce her i nt ent i on of spendi ng a coupl eof years i n Par i s t o st udy ar t , Susi e wi l l i ngl y agr eed t o accompanyher. Si nce then she had worked i ndust r i ousl y at Col arossi ' s Academy,by no means under t he del usi on t hat she had t al ent , but merel y t o

amuse hersel f . She r ef used t o sur r ender t he pl easi ng not i on t hat herenvi r onment was sl i ght l y wi cked. Af t er t he toi l of many year s i t r el i evedher t o be ear nest i n not hi ng; and she f ound i nf i ni t e sat i sf act i on i nwatchi ng t he l i ves of t hose around her.

She had a gr eat af f ect i on f or Margar et , and though her own st ock of ent husi asms was r un l ow, she coul d enj oy t horoughl y Margaret ' s youngenchant ment i n al l t hat was exqui si t e. She was a pl ai n woman; but t her ewas no envy i n her , and she t ook t he keenest pl easure i n Margaret ' scomel i ness. I t was al most wi t h mat ernal pr i de t hat she wat ched each yearadd a new grace t o t hat exceedi ng beaut y. But her common sense was sound,and she t ook care by good- natured bant er t o t emper t he pr ai ses whi chext r avagant admi r ers at t he dr awi ngcl ass l avi shed upon t he handsome gi r lbot h f or her l ooks and f or her t al ent . She was proud t o thi nk t hat shewoul d hand over t o Ar t hur Burdon a woman whose charact er she had hel pedt o f or m, and whose l ovel i ness she had cul t i vat ed wi t h a del i cat e car e.

Susi e knew, par t l y f r om f r agment s of l ett er s whi ch Mar gar et r ead t o her ,par t l y f r omher conver sat i on, how passi onat el y he ador ed hi s br i de; andi t pl eased her t o see that Mar gar et l oved hi m i n return wi t h a gr at ef uldevot i on. The st or y of t hi s vi si t t o Par i s t ouched her i magi nat i on.Margar et was t he daught er of a count r y barr i st er, wi t h whom Ar t hur hadbeen i n the habi t of st ayi ng; and when he di ed, many years af t er hi swi f e, Ar t hur f ound hi msel f t he gi r l ' s guar di an and execut or. He sent hert o school ; saw t hat she had everyt hi ng she coul d possi bl y want ; and when,at sevent een, she tol d hi m of her wi sh to go to Par i s and l ear n dr awi ng,he at once consent ed. But t hough he never sought t o assume aut hor i t y over

her , he suggest ed t hat she shoul d not l i ve al one, and i t was on t hi saccount t hat she went t o Susi e. The pr eparat i ons f or t he j our ney werescarcel y made when Margar et di scovered by chance t hat her f at her had di edpenni l ess and she had l i ved ever s i nce at Ar t hur ' s ent i r e expense. Whenshe went t o see hi m wi t h tear s i n her eyes, and t ol d hi m what she knew,Ar t hur was so embarr assed t hat i t was qui t e absurd.

' But why di d you do i t ?' she asked hi m. ' Why di dn' t you t el l me?'

' I di dn' t t hi nk i t f ai r t o put you under any obl i gat i on t o me, and I



want ed you t o f eel qui t e f r ee. '

She cr i ed. She coul dn' t hel p i t .

' Don' t be so si l l y, ' he l aughed. ' You own me not hi ng at al l . I ' ve donever y l i t t l e f or you, and what I have done has gi ven me a gr eat deal of pl easur e. '

' I don' t know how I can ever r epay you. '

' Oh, don' t say t hat , ' he cr i ed. ' I t makes i t so much har der f or me t o saywhat I want t o. '

She l ooked at hi m qui ckl y and r eddened. Her deep bl ue eyes were vei l edwi t h t ear s.

' Don' t you know t hat I ' d do anythi ng i n t he wor l d f or you?' she cr i ed.

' I don' t want you t o be gr atef ul t o me, because I was hopi ng- - I mi ght askyou t o mar r y me some day. '

Margar et l aughed char mi ngl y as she hel d out her hands.

' You must know t hat I ' ve been want i ng you t o do t hat ever si nce I wast en. '

She was qui t e wi l l i ng t o gi ve up her i dea of Par i s and be marr i ed wi t houtdel ay, but Ar t hur pr essed her not t o change her pl ans. At f i r st Mar gar etvowed i t was i mposs i bl e t o go, f or she knew now t hat she had no money,and she coul d not l et her l over pay.

' But what does i t mat t er ?' he sai d. ' I t ' l l gi ve me such pl easur e t o goon wi t h t he smal l al l owance I ' ve been maki ng you. Af t er al l , I ' m pr et t ywel l - t o- do. My f ather l ef t me a moderat e i ncome, and I ' m maki ng a gooddeal al r eady by oper at i ng. '

' Yes, but i t ' s di f f er ent now. I di dn' t know bef or e. I t hought Iwas spendi ng my own money. '

' I f I di ed t omorr ow, every penny I have woul d be your s. We shal l bemar r i ed i n t wo years, and we' ve known one anot her much t oo l ong t ochange our mi nds. I t hi nk t hat our l i ves ar e qui t e i r r evocabl y uni t ed. '

Margaret wi shed ver y much t o spend t hi s t i me i n Par i s, and Ar t hur hadmade up hi s mi nd t hat i n f ai r ness t o her t hey coul d not marr y t i l l shewas ni net een. She consul t ed Susi e Boyd, whose common sense pr event ed herf r ompayi ng much heed t o r omant i c not i ons of f al se del i cacy.

' My dear , you' d take hi s money wi t hout scr upl e i f you' d si gned yournames i n a chur ch vest r y, and as t her e' s not t he l east doubt t hat you' l lmarr y, I don' t see why you shoul dn' t now. Besi des, you' ve got nothi ngwhat ever t o l i ve on, and you' r e equal l y unf i t t ed to be a gover ness or at ypewr i t er . So i t ' s Hobson' s choi ce, and you' d bet t er put your exqui si t esent i ment s i n your pocket . '

Mi ss Boyd, by one acci dent af t er another , had never seen Ar t hur , butshe had hear d so much that she l ooked upon hi m al r eady as an ol d f r i end.



She admi r ed hi m f or hi s t al ent and st r engt h of charact er as much as f orhi s l ovi ng t enderness t o Margar et . She had seen port r ai t s of hi m, butMargaret sai d he di d not photogr aph wel l . She had asked i f he wasgood- l ooki ng.

' No, I don' t t hi nk he i s, ' answer ed Mar gar et , ' but he' s ver y pai nt abl e. '

' That i s an answer whi ch has t he advant age of soundi ng wel l and meani ngnot hi ng, ' smi l ed Susi e.

She bel i eved pr i vat el y that Margar et ' s passi on f or t he ar t s was a notunami abl e pose whi ch woul d di sappear when she was happi l y mar r i ed. Tohave hal f a dozen chi l dren was i n her mi nd much more i mpor t ant t han topai nt pi ct ur es. Mar gar et ' s gi f t was by no means despi cabl e, but Susi ewas not convi nced t hat cal l ous mast ers woul d have been so ent husi ast i ci f Margaret had been as pl ai n and ol d as hersel f .

Mi ss Boyd was t hi r t y. Her busy l i f e had not caused t he year s t o passeasi l y, and she l ooked ol der . But she was one of t hose pl ai n women whosepl ai nness does not mat t er . A gal l ant Fr enchman had t o her f ace cal l ed her

a _bel l e l ai de_, and, f ar f r om denyi ng t he j ust ness of hi s obser vat i on,she had been al most f l at t ered. Her mout h was l arge, and she had l i t t l er ound br i ght eyes. Her ski n was col our l ess and much di sf i gur ed byf r eckl es. Her nose was l ong and t hi n. But her f ace was so ki ndl y, hervi vaci t y so at t r act i ve, t hat no one af t er t en mi nut es t hought of herugl i ness. You not i ced t hen t hat her hai r , t hough spr i nkl ed wi t h whi t e,was pr et t y, and that her f i gur e was exceedi ngl y neat . She had good hands,ver y whi t e and admi r abl y f ormed, whi ch she waved cont i nual l y i n t hef ervour of her gest i cul at i on. Now t hat her means were adequate she tookgreat pai ns wi t h her dr ess, and her cl ot hes, t hough t hey cost much moret han she coul d af f or d, were al ways beaut i f ul . Her t ast e was so gr eat ,her t act so sur e, t hat she was abl e to make t he most of hersel f . Shewas determi ned t hat i f peopl e cal l ed her ugl y they shoul d be f orcedi n the same br eat h to conf ess t hat she was perf ect l y gowned. Susi e' st al ent f or dress was remarkabl e, and i t was due t o her i nf l uence t hatMar gar et was ar r ayed al ways i n t he l at est mode. The gi r l ' s t ast e i ncl i nedt o be ar t i st i c, and her sense of col our was apt t o r un away wi t h herdi scret i on. Except f or t he di spl ay of Susi e' s f i r mness, she woul dscarcel y have resi st ed her desi r e to wear nondescr i pt garment s of vi ol ent hue. But t he ol der woman expr essed hersel f wi t h deci si on.

' My dear , you won' t dr aw any t he worse f or wear i ng a wel l - made cor set ,and t o sur r ound your body wi t h bands of gr ey f l annel wi l l cer t ai nl y noti ncrease your t al ent . '

' But t he f ashi on i s so hi deous, ' smi l ed Mar gar et .

' Fi ddl est i cks! The f ashi on i s al ways beaut i f ul . Last year i t wasbeaut i f ul t o wear a hat l i ke a por k- pi e ti pped over your nose; andnext year , f or al l I know, i t wi l l be beaut i f ul t o wear a bonnet l i kea si t z- bath at t he back of your head. Ar t has nothi ng t o do wi t h a smartf r ock, and whether a hi gh- heel ed poi nt ed shoe commends i t sel f or not t ot he pai nt ers i n t he quar t er , i t ' s t he onl y t hi ng i n whi ch a woman' s f ootl ooks r eal l y ni ce. '

Susi e Boyd vowed t hat she woul d not l i ve wi t h Margaret at al l unl ess shel et her see t o the buyi ng of her t hi ngs.



' And when you' r e mar r i ed, f or heaven' s sake ask me to st ay wi t h you f ourt i mes a year , so that I can see af t er your cl ot hes. You' l l never keepyour husband' s af f ect i on i f you t r ust t o your own j udgment . '

Mi ss Boyd' s r eward had come the ni ght bef ore, when Mar gar et , comi ng homef r om di nner wi t h Ar t hur , had r epeated an observat i on of hi s.

' How beaut i f ul l y you' r e dr essed! ' he had sai d. ' I was r at her af r ai d you' dbe weari ng ar t - serges. '

' Of cour se you di dn' t t el l hi m t hat I i nsi st ed on buyi ng ever y st i t chyou' d got on, ' cri ed Susi e.

' Yes, I di d, ' answer ed Mar gar et si mpl y. ' I t ol d hi m I had no t ast e atal l , but t hat you wer e r esponsi bl e f or ever ythi ng. '

' That was t he l east you coul d do, ' answered Mi ss Boyd.

But her hear t went out t o Mar gar et , f or t he t r i vi al i nci dent showed once

more how f r ank t he gi r l was. She knew qui t e wel l t hat f ew of her f r i ends,t hough many t ook advantage of her mat chl ess t ast e, woul d have made suchan admi ssi on t o the l over who congr atul ated t hem on t he success of t hei rcos t ume.

There was a knock at t he door, and Ar t hur came i n.

' Thi s i s t he f ai r y pr i nce, ' sai d Mar gar et , br i ngi ng hi m t o her f r i end.

' I ' m gl ad t o see you i n or der t o t hank you f or al l you' ve done f orMar gar et , ' he smi l ed, t aki ng t he pr of f ered hand.

Susi e r emarked t hat he l ooked upon her wi t h f r i endl i ness, but wi t h acert ai n vacancy, as t hough t oo much engr ossed i n hi s bel oved r eal l y t onot i ce anyone el se; and she wonder ed how t o make conver sat i on wi t h a manwho was so mani f est l y absorbed. Whi l e Margar et busi ed hersel f wi t h t hepr eparat i ons f or t ea, hi s eyes f ol l owed her movement s wi t h a dogl i ke,t ouchi ng devot i on. They t r avel l ed f r om her smi l i ng mout h t o her def thands. I t seemed t hat he had never seen anyt hi ng so r avi shi ng as t he wayi n whi ch she bent over t he ket t l e. Mar gar et f el t t hat he was l ooki ng ather, and t ur ned r ound. Thei r eyes met , and t hey st ood f or an appr eci abl et i me gazi ng at one anot her si l ent l y.

' Don' t be a pai r of per f ect i di ot s, ' cri ed Susi e gai l y. ' I ' m dyi ng f or myt ea. '

The l over s l aughed and r eddened. I t st r uck Art hur t hat he shoul d say

somethi ng pol i t e.

' I hope you' l l show me your sketches af t erwards, Mi ss Boyd. Margaret sayst hey' r e awf ul l y good. '

' You r eal l y needn' t t hi nk i t i n t he l east necessar y to show any i nt er esti n me, ' she r epl i ed bl unt l y.

' She dr aws the most del i ght f ul car i cat ur es, ' sai d Mar gar et . ' I ' l l br i ngyou a horr or of your sel f , whi ch she' l l do the moment you l eave us. '



' Don' t be so spi t ef ul , Mar gar et . '

Mi ss Boyd coul d not hel p thi nki ng al l t he same t hat Ar t hur Bur don woul dcari catur e very wel l . Margaret was r i ght when she sai d that he was nothandsome, but hi s cl eanshaven f ace was f ul l of i nt er est t o so passi onat ean observer of her ki nd. The l over s wer e si l ent , and Susi e had theconver sat i on t o hersel f . She chat t ered wi t hout pause and had t hesat i sf act i on pr esent l y of capt ur i ng t hei r at t ent i on. Ar t hur seemed t obecome aware of her pr esence, and l aughed hear t i l y at her bur l esqueaccount of t hei r f el l ow- st udent s at Col ar ossi ' s. Meanwhi l e Susi e exami nedhi m. He was ver y t al l and very t hi n. Hi s f r ame had a Yorkshi r eman' ssol i di t y, and hi s bones were massi ve. He mi ssed bei ng ungai nl y onl yt hr ough t he ser eni t y of hi s sel f - r el i ance. He had hi gh cheek- bones anda l ong, l ean f ace. Hi s nose and mout h were l arge, and hi s ski n wassal l ow. But t here were two charact er i st i cs whi ch f asci nat ed her , ani mposi ng st r engt h of pur pose and a si ngul ar capaci t y f or suf f er i ng. Thi swas a man who knew hi s mi nd and was det ermi ned t o achi eve hi s desi r e; i tr ef r eshed her vast l y af t er t he ext r eme weakness of t he young pai nt erswi t h whom of l ate she had most l y consor t ed. But t hose qui ck dark eyes

were abl e t o expr ess an angui sh t hat was hardl y t ol erabl e, and the mobi l emout h had a nervous i nt ensi t y whi ch suggest ed t hat he mi ght easi l y suf f ert he ver y agoni es of woe.

Tea was r eady, and Art hur st ood up t o r ecei ve hi s cup.

' Si t down, ' sai d Mar gar et . ' I ' l l br i ng you ever yt hi ng you want , and Iknow exact l y how much sugar t o put i n. I t pl eases me t o wai t on you. '

Wi t h t he grace t hat marked al l her movement s she wal ked cr oss t he st udi o,t he f i l l ed cup i n one hand and t he pl at e of cakes i n t he ot her . To Susi ei t seemed t hat he was overwhel med wi t h grat i t ude by Margar et ' scondescensi on. Hi s eyes were sof t wi t h i ndescr i babl e t enderness as het ook t he sweet meat s she gave hi m. Margar et smi l ed wi t h happy pr i de. Foral l her good- natur e, Susi e coul d not pr event t he pang that wr ung herhear t ; f or she t oo was capabl e of l ove. There was i n her a weal t h of passi onate af f ect i on t hat none had sought t o f i nd. None had everwhi sper ed i n her ear s t he charmi ng nonsense t hat she r ead i n books. Sher ecogni sed t hat she had no beaut y t o hel p her , but once she had at l eastt he charm of vi vaci ous yout h. That was gone now, and the f r eedom t o goi nt o the wor l d had come too l ate; yet her i nst i nct t ol d her t hat she wasmade t o be a decent man' s wi f e and the mot her of chi l dren. She st oppedi n t he mi ddl e of her br i ght chat t er , f ear i ng t o t r ust her voi ce, butMargar et and Ar t hur were t oo much occupi ed t o not i ce t hat she had ceasedt o speak. They sat si de by si de and enj oyed t he happi ness of oneanot her ' s company.

' What a f ool I am! ' t hought Susi e.

She had l ear nt l ong ago t hat common sense, i nt el l i gence, good- natur e, andst r engt h of charact er were uni mport ant i n compari son wi t h a pr et t y f ace.She shrugged her shoul der s.

' I don' t know i f you young t hi ngs r eal i se t hat i t ' s gr owi ng l at e. I f youwant us t o di ne at t he Chi en Noi r , you must l eave us now, so t hat we canmake our sel ves t i dy. '



' Ver y wel l , ' sai d Ar t hur , get t i ng up. ' I ' l l go back t o my hot el and havea wash. We' l l meet at hal f - past seven. '

When Margaret had cl osed t he door on hi m, she tur ned t o her f r i end.

' Wel l , what do you t hi nk?' she asked, smi l i ng.

' You can' t expect me t o f or m a def i ni t e opi ni on of a man whom I ' ve seenf or so shor t a t i me. '

' Nonsense! ' sai d Margaret .

Susi e hesi t ated f or a moment .

' I t hi nk he has an ext r aor di nar i l y good f ace, ' she sai d at l astgravel y. ' I ' ve never seen a man whose honest y of pur pose was sot r anspar ent . '

Susi e Boyd was so l azy t hat she coul d never be i nduced t o occupy hersel f wi t h househol d mat t ers and, whi l e Margaret put t he t ea t hi ngs away, she

began t o dr aw t he car i cat ur e whi ch ever y new f ace suggest ed t o her . Shemade a l i t t l e sket ch of Ar t hur , abnor mal l y l anky, wi t h a col ossal nose,wi t h t he wi ngs and t he bow and ar r ow of t he God of Love, but i t was nothal f done bef or e she thought i t si l l y. She t or e i t up wi t h i mpat i ence.When Margar et came back, she t urned round and l ooked at her st eadi l y.

' Wel l ?' sai d t he gi r l , smi l i ng under t he scrut i ny.

She stood i n t he mi ddl e of t he l of t y st udi o. Hal f - f i ni shed canvasesl eaned wi t h t hei r f aces agai nst t he wal l ; pi eces of st uf f wer e hunghere and t here, and photogr aphs of wel l - known pi ct ur es. She had f al l enunconsci ousl y i nt o a wonder f ul pose, and her beauty gave her ,not wi t hst andi ng her yout h, a rar e di gni t y. Susi e smi l ed mocki ngl y.

' You l ook l i ke a Gr eek goddess i n a Par i s f r ock, ' she sai d.

' What have you t o say to me?' asked Margaret , di vi ni ng f r om t he searchi ngl ook t hat somethi ng was i n her f r i end' s mi nd.

Susi e st ood up and went t o her .

' You know, bef ore I ' d seen hi m I hoped wi t h al l my hear t t hat he' d makeyou happy. Not wi t hst andi ng al l you' d t ol d me of hi m, I was af r ai d. Iknew he was much ol der t han you. He was t he f i r st man you' d ever known.I coul d scar cel y bear t o ent r ust you t o hi m i n case you were mi serabl e. '

' I don' t t hi nk you need have any f ear . '

' But now I hope wi t h al l my hear t t hat you' l l make hi m happy. I t ' s notyou I ' m f r i ght ened f or now, but hi m. '

Margar et di d not answer ; she coul d not under st and what Susi e meant .

' I ' ve never seen anyone wi t h such a capaci t y f or wr etchedness as t hat manhas. I don' t t hi nk you can concei ve how desperat el y he mi ght suf f er. Bever y car ef ul , Margaret , and be very good t o hi m, f or you have t he powert o make hi m mor e unhappy t han any human bei ng shoul d be. '



' Oh, but I want hi m t o be happy, ' cr i ed Margar et vehement l y. ' You knowt hat I owe ever ythi ng t o hi m. I ' d do al l I coul d t o make hi m happy, eveni f I had t o sacri f i ce mysel f . But I can' t sacri f i ce mysel f , because Il ove hi m so much t hat al l I do i s pur e del i ght . '

Her eyes f i l l ed wi t h t ear s and her voi ce br oke. Susi e, wi t h a l i t t l el augh t hat was hal f hyst er i cal , ki ssed her .

' My dear , f or heaven' s sake don' t cr y! You know I can' t bear peopl e whoweep, and i f he sees your eyes r ed, he' l l never f or gi ve me. '

3

The Chi en Noi r , where Susi e Boyd and Mar garet gener al l y di ned, was t hemost char mi ng r est aur ant i n t he quar t er . Downst ai r s was a publ i c r oom,

wher e al l and sundr y devour ed t hei r f ood, f or t he l i t t l e pl ace had ar eput at i on f or good cooki ng combi ned wi t h cheapness; and t he _pat r on_,a ret i r ed hor se- deal er who had t aken t o vi ct ual l i ng i n or der t o bui l d upa busi ness f or hi s son, was a cheery soul whose l oud- voi ced f r i endl i nessatt r act ed cust om. But on the f i r st f l oor was a narr ow r oom, wi t h t hr eet abl es ar r anged i n a horse- shoe, whi ch was r eser ved f or a smal l part y of Engl i sh or Amer i can pai nt ers and a f ew Fr enchmen wi t h t hei r wi ves. Atl east , t hey were so near l y wi ves, and t hei r manner had such a mat r i moni alr espect abi l i t y, t hat Susi e, when f i r st she and Margar et were i nt r oducedi nt o t hi s soci ety, j udged i t woul d be vul gar t o t ur n up her nose. Shehel d t hat i t was pr udi sh t o i nsi st upon t he convent i ons of Not t i ng Hi l li n the Boul evard de Mont parnasse. The young women who had thrown i n t hei rl i ves wi t h t hese pai nt ers were modest i n demeanour and qui et i n dr ess. They wer e model housewi ves, who had preser ved t hei r sel f - r espectnot wi t hst andi ng a di f f i cul t posi t i on, and di d not l ook upon t hei rr el at i on wi t h l ess ser i ousness because t hey had not mut t ered a f ewwords bef ore _Monsi eur l e Mai r e_.

The r oom was f ul l when Ar t hur Burdon ent er ed, but Mar garet had kept hi man empty seat bet ween her sel f and Mi ss Boyd. Everyone was speaki ng atonce, i n Fr ench, at t he t op of hi s voi ce, and a f ur i ous argument waspr oceedi ng on t he meri t of t he l at er I mpr essi oni st s. Ar t hur sat down, andwas hur r i edl y i nt r oduced t o a l anky yout h, who sat on t he ot her si de of Mar gar et . He was ver y t al l , ver y t hi n, ver y f ai r . He wor e a ver y hi ghcol l ar and ver y l ong hai r , and hel d hi msel f l i ke an exhaust ed l i l y.

' He al ways r emi nds me of an Aubr ey Bear dsl ey t hat ' s been dreadf ul l y

smudged, ' sai d Susi e i n an under t one. ' He' s a ni ce, ki nd cr eat ur e, buthi s name i s J agson. He has vi r t ue and i ndust r y. I haven' t seen any of hi swor k, but he has absol ut el y _no_ t al ent . '

' How do you know, i f you' ve not seen hi s pi ct ur es?' asked Ar t hur .

' Oh, i t ' s one of our convent i ons her e t hat nobody has t al ent , ' l aughedSusi e. ' We suf f er one another per sonal l y, but we have no i l l usi ons aboutt he val ue of our nei ghbour ' s wor k. '



' Tel l me who ever yone i s. '

' Wel l , l ook at t hat l i t t l e bal d man i n t he cor ner . That i s War r en. '

Ar t hur l ooked at t he man she poi nt ed out . He was a smal l per son, wi t ha pat e as shi ni ng as a bi l l i ar d- bal l , and a poi nt ed bear d. He hadpr ot r udi ng, br i l l i ant eyes.

' Hasn' t he had t oo much t o dr i nk?' asked Ar t hur f r i gi dl y.

' Much, ' answer ed Susi e pr ompt l y, ' but he' s al ways i n t hat condi t i on, andt he f ur t her he get s f r om sobr i et y t he mor e char mi ng he i s. He' s t he onl yman i n t hi s r oomof whom you' l l never hear a wor d of evi l . The st r anget hi ng i s t hat he' s ver y near l y a gr eat pai nt er . He has t he mostf asci nat i ng sense of col our i n t he wor l d, and t he mor e i nt oxi cat ed he i s,t he more del i cat e and beaut i f ul i s hi s pai nt i ng. Somet i mes, af t er moret han t he usual number of _apér i t i f s_, he wi l l si t down i n a caf é t o do asketch, wi t h hi s hand so shaky t hat he can hardl y hol d a br ush; he has t owai t f or a f avourabl e moment , and then he makes a j ab at t he panel . Andt he i mmor al t hi ng i s t hat each of t hese l i t t l e j abs i s l ovel y. He' s t he

most del i ght f ul i nt erpret er of Par i s I know, and when you' ve seen hi ssketches- - he' s done hundr eds, of uni magi nabl e gr ace and f eel i ng anddi st i nct i on- - you can never see Par i s i n t he same way agai n. '

The l i t t l e mai d who l ooked busi l y af t er t he var i ed want s of t he cust omer sst ood i n f r ont of t hem t o r ecei ve Ar t hur ' s or der . She was a har d- vi sagedcr eat ur e of matur e age, but she l ooked neat i n her bl ack dr ess and whi t ecap; and she had a mother l y way of at t endi ng to t hese peopl e, wi t h acapaci ous smi l e of her l arge mout h whi ch was f ul l of char m.

' I don' t mi nd what I eat , ' sai d Ar t hur . ' Let Mar gar et or der my di nner f orme. '

' I t woul d have been j ust as good i f I had or der ed i t , ' l aughed Susi e.

They began a l i vel y di scussi on wi t h Mar i e as t o t he mer i t s of t he var i ousdi shes, and i t was onl y i nt er r upt ed by War r en' s hi l ar i ous expost ul at i ons.

' Mar i e, I pr eci pi t at e mysel f at your f eet , and beg you t o br i ng me a _poul e au r i z_ . '

' Oh, but gi ve me one moment , _monsi eur _, ' sai d t he mai d.

' Do not pay any at t ent i on t o that gent l eman. Hi s moral s are detest abl e,and he onl y seeks t o l ead you f r om t he narr ow path of vi r t ue. '

Ar t hur pr otest ed t hat on t he cont r ary t he passi on of hunger occupi ed at

t hat moment hi s hear t t o the excl usi on of al l ot her s.

' Mar i e, you no l onger l ove me, ' cr i ed Warr en. ' There was a t i me when youdi d not l ook so col dl y upon me when I ordered a bot t l e of whi t e wi ne. '

The r est of t he part y t ook up hi s compl ai nt , and al l besought her not t oshow t oo har d a hear t t o the bal d and r ubi cund pai nt er .

' _Mai s si , j e vous ai me, Monsi eur War r en, _' she cr i ed, l aughi ng, ' _J evous ai me t ous, t ous. _'



She ran downst ai r s, ami d the shout s of men and women, t o gi ve her order s.

' The ot her day t he Chi en Noi r was t he scene of a t r agedy, ' sai d Susi e.' Mar i e br oke of f r el at i ons wi t h her l over , who i s a wai t er at Lavenue' s,and woul d have no r econci l i at i on. He wai t ed t i l l he had a f r ee eveni ng,and t hen came to the room downst ai r s and order ed di nner . Of cour se, shewas obl i ged t o wai t on hi m, and as she br ought hi m each di sh heexpost ul at ed wi t h her, and t hey mi ngl ed t hei r t ears. '

' She wept i n f l oods, ' i nt er r upt ed a yout h wi t h neat l y br ushed hai r andf at nose. ' She wept al l over our f ood, and we at e i t sal t wi t h t ear s. Webesought her not t o yi el d; except f or our encour agement she woul d havegone back t o hi m; and he beat s her . '

Mar i e appear ed agai n, wi t h no si gns now t hat so short a whi l e ago r omancehad pl ayed a game wi t h her , and br ought t he di shes t hat had been order ed.Susi e sei zed once more upon Ar t hur Bur don' s at t ent i on.

' Now pl ease l ook at t he man who i s si t t i ng next t o Mr Warr en. '

Ar t hur saw a t al l , dar k f el l ow wi t h st r ongl y- mar ked f eat ur es, unt i dyhai r , and a ragged bl ack moust ache.

' That i s Mr O' Br i en, who i s an exampl e of t he f act t hat st r engt h of wi l land an ear nest pur pose cannot make a pai nt er . He' s a f ai l ure, and heknows i t , and t he bi t t er ness has war ped hi s soul . I f you l i st en t o hi m,you' l l hear every pai nt er of emi nence come under hi s l ash. He can f orgi venobody who' s successf ul , and he never acknowl edges mer i t i n anyone t i l lhe' s saf el y dead and bur i ed. '

' He must be a cheer f ul compani on, ' answered Ar t hur. ' And who i s t he st outol d l ady by hi s si de, wi t h t he f l aunt i ng hat ?'

' That i s t he mother of Madame Rouge, t he l i t t l e pal ef aced woman si t t i ngnext t o her . She i s t he mi st r ess of Rouge, who does al l t he i l l ust r at i onsf or _La Semai ne_. At f i r st i t r at her t i ckl ed me t hat t he ol d l ady shoul dcal l hi m _mon gendr e_, my son- i n- l aw, and t ake the i r r egul ar uni on of herdaught er wi t h such a nobl e unconcern f or pr opr i et y; but now i t seemsqui t e nat ur al . '

The mot her of Madame Rouge had t he r emai ns of beaut y, and she sat bol tupr i ght , pi cki ng t he l eg of a chi cken wi t h a di gni f i ed gest ur e. Ar t hurl ooked away qui ckl y, f or, cat chi ng hi s eye, she gave hi m an amorousgl ance. Rouge had mor e t he appear ance of a pr osperous t r adesman t han of an ar t i st ; but he carr i ed on wi t h O' Br i en, whose Fr ench was per f ect , anar gument on t he mer i t s of Cézanne. To one he was a gr eat mast er and to

t he other an i mpudent char l atan. Each hot l y repeat ed hi s opi ni on, ast hough t he mere f act of sayi ng t he same t hi ng sever al t i mes made i t moreconvi nci ng.

' Next t o me i s Madame Meyer , ' proceeded Susi e. ' She was a gover ness i nPol and, but she was much t oo pret t y t o r emai n one, and now she l i ves wi t ht he l andscape pai nt er who i s by her s i de. '

Ar t hur ' s eyes f ol l owed her words and r est ed on a cl eanshaven man wi t h al arge quant i t y of gr ey, cur l i ng hai r . He had a handsome f ace of a



del i beratel y aest het i c t ype and was very el egant l y dr essed. Hi s mannerand hi s conver sat i on had t he f l amboyance of t he r omant i c t hi r t i es. Het al ked i n f l owi ng per i ods wi t h an ai r of f i nal i t y, and what he sai d wasno l ess j ust t han obvi ous. The gay l i t t l e l ady who shared hi s f or t unesl i st ened t o hi s wi sdom wi t h an admi r at i on t hat pl ai nl y f l at t er ed hi m.

Mi ss Boyd had descr i bed everyone t o Ar t hur except young Raggl es, whopai nt ed st i l l l i f e wi t h a cer t ai n amount of ski l l , and Cl ayson, t heAmeri can scul pt or. Raggl es st ood f or r ank and f ashi on at t he Chi enNoi r . He was ver y smart l y dr essed i n a horsey way, and he wal ked wi t hbowl egs, as t hough he spent most of hi s t i me i n t he saddl e. He al oneused scent ed pomade upon hi s neat smoot h hai r . Hi s chi ef di st i nct i onwas a gr eat coat he wore, wi t h a scar l et l i ni ng; and War r en, whose memoryf or names was def ect i ve, coul d onl y recal l hi m by that pecul i ar i t y. Buti t was unders t ood t hat he knew duchesses i n f ashi onabl e st r eet s, andoccasi onal l y di ned wi t h them i n sol emn spl endour .

Cl ayson had a vi nous nose and a t edi ous habi t of sayi ng br i l l i ant t hi ngs.Wi t h hi s t wi nkl i ng eyes, r ed cheeks, and f ai r , poi nt ed beard, he l ookedexact l y l i ke a Fr anz Hal s; but he was dr essed l i ke t he car i cat ur e of a

Fr enchman i n a comi c paper . He spoke Engl i sh wi t h a Par i si an accent .

Mi ss Boyd was begi nni ng t o t ear hi m gai l y l i mb f r oml i mb, when t he doorwas f l ung open, and a l arge person ent ered. He thr ew of f hi s cl oak wi t h adr amat i c gest ur e.

' Mar i e, di sembar r ass me of t hi s coat of f r i eze. Hang my sombr ero upon aconveni ent peg. '

He spoke execrabl e French, but t here was a gr andi l oquence about hi svocabul ary whi ch set everyone l aughi ng.

' Here i s somebody I don' t know, ' sai d Susi e.

' But I do, at l east , by si ght , ' answer ed Bur don. He l eaned over t o DrPor hoët who was si t t i ng opposi t e, qui et l y eati ng hi s di nner and enj oyi ngt he nonsense whi ch everyone tal ked. ' I s not t hat your magi ci an?'

' Ol i ver Haddo, ' sai d Dr Por hoët, wi t h a l i t t l e nod of amusement .

The new ar r i val st ood at t he end of t he r oom wi t h al l eyes upon hi m. Het hrew hi msel f i nto an at t i t ude of command and r emai ned f or a momentper f ect l y st i l l .

' You l ook as i f you wer e posi ng, Haddo, ' sai d War r en huski l y.

' He coul dn' t hel p doi ng t hat i f he t r i ed, ' l aughed Cl ayson.

Ol i ver Haddo sl owl y t ur ned hi s gl ance t o the pai nt er .

' I gr i eve t o see, O most excel l ent War r en, t hat t he r i pe j ui ce of t he _aper i t i f _ has gl azed your sparkl i ng eye. '

' Do you mean t o say I ' m dr unk, si r ?'

' I n one gr oss, but expr essi ve, wor d, dr unk. '



The pai nt er grot esquel y f l ung hi msel f back i n hi s chai r as t hough he hadbeen st r uck a bl ow, and Haddo l ooked st eadi l y at Cl ayson.

' How of t en have I expl ai ned t o you, O Cl ayson, t hat your depl orabl e l ackof educat i on pr ecl udes you f r om t he br i l l i ancy t o whi ch you aspi r e?'

For an i nst ant Ol i ver Haddo resumed hi s ef f ect i ve pose; and Susi e,smi l i ng, l ooked at hi m. He was a man of gr eat si ze, t wo or t hr eei nches more than si x f eet hi gh; but t he most not i ceabl e thi ng abouthi m was a vast obesi t y. Hi s paunch was of i mposi ng di mensi ons. Hi s f acewas l arge and f l eshy. He had t hr own hi msel f i nt o t he arr ogant at t i t udeof Vel asquez' s por t r ai t of Del Bor r o i n t he Museum of Ber l i n; and hi scount enance bor e of set pur pose the same cont empt uous smi l e. He advancedand shook hands wi t h Dr Porhoët .

' Hai l , br ot her wi zar d! I gr eet i n you, i f not a mast er , at l east ast udent not unwor t hy my est eem. '

Susi e was convul sed wi t h l aughter at hi s pompousness, and he t urned t oher wi t h t he ut most gr avi t y.

' Madam, your l aught er i s more sof t i n mi ne ears t han t he si ngi ng of Bul bul i n a Per si an gar den. '

Dr Por hoët i nt erposed wi t h i nt r oduct i ons. The magi ci an bowed sol emnl y ashe was i n turn made known to Susi e Boyd, and Margaret , and Ar t hur Burdon.He hel d out hi s hand t o t he gr i m I r i sh pai nt er .

' Wel l , my O' Br i en, have you been mi xi ng as usual t he waters of bi t t ernesswi t h t he t hi n cl ar et of Bor deaux?'

' Why don' t you si t down and eat your di nner? ' r etur ned t he ot her ,gruf f l y.

' Ah, my dear f el l ow, I wi sh I coul d dr i ve t he f act i nt o t hi s head of your s t hat r udeness i s not synonymous wi t h wi t . I shal l not have l i ved i nvai n i f I t each you i n t i me t o real i ze t hat t he r api er of i r ony i s mor eef f ect i ve an i nst r ument t han t he bl udgeon of i nsol ence. '

O' Br i en r eddened wi t h anger , but coul d not at once f i nd a ret or t , andHaddo passed on t o t hat f aded, har ml ess youth who sat next t o Margar et .

' Do my eyes decei ve me, or i s t hi s t he J agson whose name i n i t s i nani t yi s so appr opr i at e t o t he bear er ? I am eager t o know i f you st i l l devot eupon t he ungr at ef ul ar t s t al ent s whi ch were more pr of i t abl y empl oyed uponhaberdasher y. '

The unl ucky cr eat ure, t hus brut al l y at t acked, bl ushed f eebl y wi t houtanswer i ng, and Haddo went on t o t he Fr enchman, Meyer as mor e wor t hy of hi s mocki ng.

' I ' m af r ai d my ent r ance i nt er r upt ed you i n a di scour se. Was i t t hecel ebr ated harangue on t he gr eat ness of Mi chel angel o, or was i t t hesear chi ng anal ysi s of t he ar t of Wagner ?'

' We were j ust goi ng, ' sai d Meyer, get t i ng up wi t h a f r own.



' I am desol at ed t o l ose t he pear l s of wi sdom t hat habi t ual l y f al l f r omyour cul t i vat ed l i ps, ' r eturned Haddo, as he pol i t el y wi t hdr ew MadameMeyer ' s chai r .

He sat down wi t h a smi l e.

' I saw t he pl ace was crowded, and wi t h Napol eoni c i nst i nct deci dedt hat I coul d onl y make room by i nsul t i ng somebody. I t i s cause f orcongr atul ati on that my gi bes, whi ch Raggl es, a f ool i sh yout h, mi st akesf or wi t , have caused t he di sappear ance of a person who l i ves i n open si n;t hereby vacat i ng t wo seat s, and al l owi ng me t o eat a humbl e meal wi t hampl e r oom f or my el bows. '

Mar i e br ought hi m t he bi l l of f ar e, and he l ooked at i t gr avel y.

' I wi l l have a vani l l a i ce, O wel l - bel oved, and a wi ng of a t enderchi cken, a f r i ed sol e, and some excel l ent pea- soup. '

' _Bi en, un pot age, une sol e, _ one chi cken, and an i ce. '

' But why shoul d you ser ve t hem i n that or der r at her t han i n t he or der Igave you?'

Mar i e and the t wo Frenchwomen who were st i l l i n t he room broke i nt oexcl amat i ons at t hi s ext r avagance, but Ol i ver Haddo waved hi s f at hand.

' I shal l st ar t wi t h t he i ce, O Mar i e, t o cool t he passi on wi t h whi chyour eyes i nf l ame me, and t hen wi t hout hesi t at i on I wi l l devour t he wi ngof a chi cken i n or der t o sust ai n mysel f agai nst your smi l e. I shal l t henpr oceed t o a f r esh sol e, and wi t h t he pea- soup I wi l l f i ni sh a notunsust ai ni ng meal . '

Havi ng succeeded i n capt ur i ng t he at t ent i on of everyone i n t he room,Ol i ver Haddo proceeded t o eat t hese di shes i n t he order he had named.Margaret and Burdon watched hi m wi t h scornf ul eyes, but Susi e, who wasnot r evol t ed by the vani t y whi ch sought t o att r act not i ce, l ooked at hi mcur i ousl y. He was cl ear l y not ol d, t hough hi s cor pul ence added t o hi sapparent age. Hi s f eat ur es were good, hi s ear s smal l , and hi s nosedel i catel y shaped. He had bi g teet h, but t hey were whi t e and even. Hi smout h was l arge, wi t h heavy moi st l i ps. He had t he neck of a bul l ock. Hi sdar k, cur l i ng hai r had r etr eat ed f r om t he f orehead and t empl es i n such away as t o gi ve hi s cl eanshaven f ace a di sconcer t i ng nudi t y. The bal dnessof hi s cr own was vaguel y l i ke a tonsure. He had t he l ook of a verywi cked, sensual pr i est . Mar gar et , st eal i ng a gl ance at hi m as he at e,on a sudden vi ol ent l y shuddered; he af f ect ed her wi t h an uncont r ol l abl edi sl i ke. He l i f t ed hi s eyes sl owl y, and she l ooked away, bl ushi ng ast hough she had been taken i n some i ndi scr et i on. These eyes were t he most

cur i ous t hi ng about hi m. They were not l arge, but an exceedi ngl y pal ebl ue, and they l ooked at you i n a way t hat was si ngul ar l y embarr assi ng.At f i r st Susi e coul d not di scover i n what pr eci sel y t hei r pecul i ar i t yl ay, but i n a moment she f ound out : t he eyes of most per sons convergewhen t hey l ook at you, but Ol i ver Haddo' s, nat ur al l y or by a habi t hehad acqui r ed f or ef f ect , r emai ned par al l el . I t gave the i mpr essi on t hathe l ooked st r ai ght t hr ough you and saw t he wal l beyond. I t was uncanny.But anot her st r ange t hi ng about hi m was t he i mpossi bi l i t y of t el l i ngwhether he was ser i ous. There was a mocker y i n that queer gl ance, asar doni c smi l e upon the mout h, whi ch made you hesi t at e how t o t ake hi s



out r ageous ut t er ances. I t was i r r i t at i ng t o be uncer t ai n whet her , whi l eyou were l aughi ng at hi m, he was not r eal l y enj oyi ng an el aborat e j oke atyour expense.

Hi s pr esence cast an unusual chi l l upon t he part y. The French membersgot up and l ef t . War r en r eel ed out wi t h O' Br i en, whose uncout h sar casmswere no match f or Haddo' s bi t t er gi bes. Raggl es put on hi s coat wi t h t hescar l et l i ni ng and went out wi t h t he tal l J agson, who smar t ed st i l l underHaddo' s i nsol ence. The Amer i can scul pt or pai d hi s bi l l si l ent l y. Whenhe was at t he door , Haddo st opped hi m.

' You have model l ed l i ons at t he J ardi n des Pl ant es, my dear Cl ayson. Haveyou ever hunt ed them on t hei r nat i ve pl ai ns?'

' No, I haven' t . '

Cl ayson di d not know why Haddo asked t he quest i on, but he br i st l ed wi t hi nci pi ent wr at h.

' Then you have not seen t he j ackal , gnawi ng at a dead ant el ope, scamper

away i n ter r or when t he Ki ng of Beast s s t al ked down to make hi s meal . '

Cl ayson sl ammed t he door behi nd hi m. Haddo was l ef t wi t h Margar et , andAr t hur Bur don, Dr Por hoët , and Susi e. He smi l ed qui et l y.

' By the way, ar e _you_ a l i on- hunt er ?' asked Susi e f l i ppant l y.

He t ur ned on her hi s st r ai ght uncanny gl ance.

' I have no equal wi t h bi g game. I have shot more l i ons t han any manal i ve. I t hi nk J ul es Gér ar d, whom t he Fr ench of t he ni net eent h cent ur ycal l ed _Le Tueur de Li ons_ , may have been f i t t o compare wi t h me, but Ican cal l t o mi nd no ot her . '

Thi s st at ement , made wi t h t he great est cal m, caused a moment of si l ence.Margaret st ared at hi m wi t h amazement .

' You suf f er f r om no f al se modest y, ' sai d Ar t hur Bur don.

' Fal se modest y i s a si gn of i l l - br eedi ng, f r om whi ch my bi r t h ampl ypr otects me. '

Dr Por hoët l ooked up wi t h a smi l e of i r ony.

' I wi sh Mr Haddo woul d t ake thi s oppor t uni t y t o di scl ose t o us t hemyst er y of hi s bi r t h and f ami l y. I have a suspi ci on t hat , l i ke t hei mmort al Cagl i ost r o, he was born of unknown but nobl e parent s, and

educat ed secr et l y i n East er n pal aces. '

' I n my or i gi n I ammore t o be compared wi t h Deni s Zachai r e or wi t hRaymond Lul l y. My ancest or , Geor ge Haddo, came t o Scot l and i n t he sui t eof Anne of Denmark, and when J ames I , her consor t , ascended t he Engl i sht hr one, he was gr ant ed t he est at es i n St af f or dshi r e whi ch I st i l lpossess. My f ami l y has f ormed al l i ances wi t h t he most nobl e bl ood of Engl and, and the Merest ons, t he Parnabys, t he Hol l i ngt ons, have beenproud t o gi ve t hei r daughters t o my house. '



' Those ar e f act s whi ch can be ver i f i ed i n wor ks of r ef er ence, ' sai dAr t hur dr yl y.

' They can, ' sai d Ol i ver .

' And t he East ern pal aces i n whi ch your yout h was spent , and t he bl acksl aves who wai t ed on you, and t he bearded shei khs who i mpar t ed t o yousecret knowl edge?' cr i ed Dr Por hoët .

' I was educat ed at Et on, and I l ef t Oxf or d i n 1896. '

' Woul d you mi nd tel l i ng me at what col l ege you were?' sai d Ar t hur .

' I was at t he House. '

' Then you must have been t here wi t h Fr ank Hurr el l . '

' Now assi st ant physi ci an at St Luke' s Hospi t al . He was one of my mosti nt i mat e f r i ends. '

' I ' l l wr i t e and ask hi m about you. '

' I ' m dyi ng t o know what you di d wi t h al l t he l i ons you sl aught er ed, ' sai dSusi e Boyd.

The man' s ef f r ont er y di d not exasper at e her as i t obvi ousl y exasper at edMargar et and Ar t hur . He amused her , and she was anxi ous t o make hi m t al k.

' They decorate t he f l oor s of Skene, whi ch i s t he name of my pl ace i nSt af f or dshi r e. ' He paused f or a moment t o l i ght a ci gar . ' I am t he onl yman al i ve who has ki l l ed t hr ee l i ons wi t h t hr ee successi ve shot s. '

' I shoul d have t hought you coul d have demol i shed them by t he ef f ect s of your or at or y, ' sai d Ar t hur .

Ol i ver l eaned back and pl aced hi s t wo l arge hands on the t abl e.

' Bur khardt , a German wi t h whom I was shoot i ng, was down wi t h f ever andcoul d not st i r f r om hi s bed. I was awakened one ni ght by t he uneasi nessof my oxen, and I hear d t he r oar i ng of l i ons cl ose at hand. I t ook mycarbi ne and came out of my t ent . There was onl y t he meagr e l i ght of t hemoon. I wal ked al one, f or I knew nat i ves coul d be of no use t o me.Present l y I came upon t he car cass of an ant el ope, hal f - consumed, and Imade up my mi nd to wai t f or t he r et ur n of t he l i ons. I hi d mysel f amongt he boul ders t went y paces f r om t he pr ey. Al l about me was t he i mmensi t yof Af r i ca and t he si l ence. I wai t ed, mot i onl ess, hour af t er hour , t i l lt he dawn was near l y at hand. At l ast t hr ee l i ons appear ed over a rock.

I had not i ced, t he day bef or e, spoor of a l i on and t wo f emal es. '

' May I ask how you coul d di st i ngui sh the sex?' asked Ar t hur ,i ncredul ousl y.

' The pr i nt s of a l i on' s f or e f eet ar e di spr opor t i onat el y l ar ger t hant hose of t he hi nd f eet . The f or e f eet and hi nd f eet of t he l i oness arenear l y the same si ze. '

' Pr ay go on, ' sai d Susi e.



' They came i nt o f ul l vi ew, and i n t he di m l i ght , as t hey st ood chest on,t hey appear ed as huge as t he st r ange beast s of t he Ar abi an t al es. I ai medat t he l i oness whi ch st ood nearest t o me and f i r ed. Wi t hout a sound, l i kea bul l ock f el l ed at one bl ow, she dr opped. The l i on gave vent t o asonor ous r oar . Hast i l y I sl i pped anot her car t r i dge i n my r i f l e. Then Ibecame consci ous t hat he had seen me. He l owered hi s head, and hi s cr estwas er ect . Hi s l i f t ed t ai l was t wi t chi ng, hi s l i ps wer e dr awn back f r omt he r ed gums, and I saw hi s gr eat whi t e f angs. Li vi ng f i r e f l ashed f r omhi s eyes, and he gr owl ed i ncessant l y. Then he advanced a f ew st eps, hi shead hel d l ow; and hi s eyes were f i xed on mi ne wi t h a l ook of r age.Suddenl y he j erked up hi s t ai l , and when a l i on does t hi s he charges. Igot a qui ck si ght on hi s chest and f i r ed. He rear ed up on hi s hi nd l egs,r oar i ng l oudl y and cl awi ng at t he ai r , and f el l back dead. One l i onessr emai ned, and thr ough t he smoke I saw her spr i ng to her f eet and rusht owards me. Escape was i mposs i bl e, f or behi nd me were hi gh boul der s t hatI coul d not cl i mb. She came on wi t h hoar se, coughi ng gr unt s, and wi t hdesper at e cour age I f i r ed my remai ni ng bar r el . I mi ssed her cl ean. I t ookone st ep backwards i n t he hope of get t i ng a car t r i dge i nt o my r i f l e, andf el l , scar cel y t wo l engt hs i n f r ont of t he f ur i ous beast . She mi ssed me.

I owed my saf ety to that f al l . And t hen suddenl y I f ound t hat she hadcol l apsed. I had hi t her af t er al l . My bul l et went cl ean t hr ough herhear t , but t he spr i ng had car r i ed her f orwards. When I scr ambl ed t o myf eet I f ound t hat she was dyi ng. I wal ked back t o my camp and at e acapi t al br eakf ast. '

Ol i ver Haddo' s st ory was recei ved wi t h ast oni shed si l ence. No one coul dasser t t hat i t was unt r ue, but he t ol d i t wi t h a gr andi l oquence t hatcarr i ed no convi ct i on. Ar t hur woul d have wagered a consi derabl e sum t hatt here was no word of t r ut h i n i t . He had never met a person of t hi s ki ndbef ore, and coul d not under st and what pl easure t her e mi ght be i n t heel aborate i nvent i on of i mpr obabl e advent ur es.

' You ar e evi dent l y ver y br ave, ' he sai d.

' To f ol l ow a wounded l i on i nt o thi ck cover i s probabl y t he most dangerouspr oceedi ng i n t he wor l d, ' sai d Haddo cal ml y. ' I t cal l s f or t he ut mostcool ness and f or i r on ner ve. '

The answer had an odd ef f ect on Ar t hur . He gave Haddo a r api d gl ance, andwas sei zed suddenl y wi t h uncont r ol l abl e l aught er. He l eaned back i n hi schai r and r oar ed. Hi s hi l ar i t y af f ect ed t he ot her s, and t hey br oke i nt opeal upon peal of l aught er . Ol i ver watched t hemgr avel y. He seemednei t her di sconcer t ed nor sur pr i sed. When Ar t hur r ecover ed hi msel f , hef ound Haddo' s si ngul ar eyes f i xed on hi m.

' Your l aught er r emi nds me of t he crackl i ng of t horns under a pot, ' he

sai d.

Haddo l ooked r ound at t he others. Though hi s gaze pr eser ved i t s f i xi t y,hi s l i ps br oke i nt o a queer , sar doni c smi l e.

' I t must be pl ai n even t o the f eebl est i nt el l i gence t hat a man can onl ycommand the el ement ary spi r i t s i f he i s wi t hout f ear . A capr i ci ous mi ndcan never r ul e t he syl phs, nor a f i ckl e di sposi t i on t he undi nes. '

Ar t hur st ared at hi m wi t h amazement . He di d not know what on ear t h t he



man was t al ki ng about . Haddo pai d no heed.

' But i f t he adept i s acti ve, pl i ant , and st r ong, t he whol e wor l d wi l l beat hi s command. He wi l l pass t hr ough t he st orm and no rai n shal l f al lupon hi s head. The wi nd wi l l not di spl ace a si ngl e f ol d of hi s gar ment .He wi l l go thr ough f i r e and not be bur ned. '

Dr Por hoët vent ur ed upon an expl anat i on of t hese cr ypt i c ut t erances.

' These l adi es are unacquai nt ed wi t h the myst eri ous bei ngs of whomyouspeak, _cher ami _. They shoul d know t hat dur i ng the Mi ddl e Agesi magi nat i on peopl ed t he f our el ement s wi t h i nt el l i gences, nor mal l yunseen, some of whi ch were f r i endl y t o man and ot hers host i l e. They weret hought t o be powerf ul and consci ous of t hei r power , t hough at t he samet i me t hey were pr of oundl y aware t hat t hey possessed no soul . Thei r l i f edepended upon t he cont i nuance of some natur al obj ect , and hence f or t hemt here coul d be no i mmort al i t y. They must r etur n event ual l y t o t he abyssof unendi ng ni ght , and t he dar kness of deat h af f l i ct ed them al ways. Buti t was t hought t hat i n the same manner as man by hi s uni on wi t h God hadwon a spark of di vi ni t y, so mi ght t he syl phs, gnomes, undi nes, and

sal amanders by an al l i ance wi t h man par t ake of hi s i mmort al i t y. And manyof t hei r women, whose beauty was mor e t han human, gai ned a human soul byl ovi ng one of t he race of men. But t he reverse occur r ed al so, and of t en al ove- si ck yout h l ost hi s i mmor t al i t y because he l ef t t he haunt s of hi ski nd t o dwel l wi t h t he f ai r , soul l ess deni zens of t he runni ng st r eams orof t he f or est ai rs. '

' I di dn' t know t hat you spoke f i gur at i vel y, ' sai d Ar t hur t o Ol i ver Haddo.

The ot her shrugged hi s shoul ders.

' What el se i s t he wor l d t han a f i gur e? Li f e i t sel f i s but a symbol . Youmust be a wi se man i f you can t el l us what i s r eal i t y. '

' When you begi n to t al k of magi c and myst i ci sm I conf ess t hat I am out of my dept h. '

' Yet magi c i s no mor e than t he ar t of empl oyi ng consci ousl y i nvi si bl emeans t o pr oduce vi si bl e ef f ect s. Wi l l , l ove, and i magi nat i on are magi cpowers t hat ever yone possesses; and whoever knows how t o devel op t hem t ot hei r f ul l est ext ent i s a magi ci an. Magi c has but one dogma, namel y, t hatt he seen i s t he measure of t he unseen. '

' Wi l l you t el l us what t he powers are t hat t he adept possesses?'

' They ar e enumerated i n a Hebr ew manuscr i pt of t he si xt eenth cent ur y,whi ch i s i n my possessi on. The pr i vi l eges of hi m who hol ds i n hi s r i ght

hand t he Keys of Sol omon and i n hi s l ef t t he Br anch of t he Bl ossomi ngAl mond ar e t went y- one. He behol ds God f ace t o f ace wi t hout dyi ng, andconver ses i nt i matel y wi t h t he Seven Geni i who command t he cel est i al army.He i s super i or t o ever y af f l i ct i on and t o ever y f ear . He r ei gns wi t h al lheaven and i s served by al l hel l . He hol ds t he secr et of t he r esur r ect i onof t he dead, and the key of i mmor t al i t y. '

' I f you possess even t hese you have evi dent l y t he most var i edat t ai nment s, ' sai d Ar t hur i r oni cal l y.



' Everyone can make game of t he unknown, ' r et or t ed Haddo, wi t h a shr ug of hi s massi ve shoul ders.

Ar t hur di d not answer . He l ooked at Haddo cur i ousl y. He asked hi msel f whether he bel i eved ser i ousl y these pr epost erous t hi ngs, or whether hewas amusi ng hi msel f i n an el ephant i ne way at t hei r expense. Hi s mar i nerwas earnest , but t her e was an odd expr essi on about t he mout h, a hardt wi nkl e of t he eyes, whi ch seemed t o bel i e i t . Susi e was vast l yent er t ai ned. I t di ver t ed her enor mousl y to hear occul t mat t er s di scussedwi t h appar ent gr avi t y i n t hi s pr osai c t aver n. Dr Por hoët br oke t hesi l ence.

' Ar ago, af t er whom has been named a nei ghbour i ng boul evard, decl ared t hatdoubt was a pr oof of modest y, whi ch has r arel y i nt erf ered wi t h t hepr ogr ess of sci ence. But one cannot say t he same of i ncr edul i t y, and het hat uses the word i mpossi bl e out si de of pur e mathemat i cs i s l acki ng i npr udence. I t shoul d be r emembered t hat Lact ant i us procl ai med bel i ef i nt he exi st ence of ant i podes i nane, and Sai nt August i ne of Hi ppo added t hati n any case t here coul d be no quest i on of i nhabi t ed l ands. '

' That sounds as i f you wer e not qui t e scept i cal , dear doct or , ' sai d Mi ssBoyd.

' I n my yout h I bel i eved not hi ng, f or sci ence had taught me t o di st r usteven t he evi dence of my f i ve senses, ' he r epl i ed, wi t h a shrug of t he shoul ders . ' But I have seen many t hi ngs i n t he East whi ch arei nexpl i cabl e by t he known pr ocesses of sci ence. Mr Haddo has gi venyou one def i ni t i on of magi c, and I wi l l gi ve you anot her . I t may bedescri bed mer el y as t he i nt el l i gent ut i l i zat i on of f or ces whi ch ar eunknown, cont emned, or mi sunder st ood of t he vul gar. The young man whoset t l es i n t he East sneers at t he i deas of magi c whi ch surr ound hi m,but I know not what t here i s i n t he at mosphere that saps hi s unbel i ef .When he has soj our ned f or some year s among Or i ent al s, he comes i nsensi bl yt o share the opi ni on of many sensi bl e men t hat perhaps t here i s somet hi ngi n i t af t er al l . '

Ar t hur Burdon made a gest ure of i mpat i ence.

' I cannot i magi ne that , however much I l i ved i n East er n count r i es, Icoul d bel i eve anythi ng t hat had t he whol e wei ght of sci ence agai nst i t .I f t here were a word of t r ut h i n anyt hi ng Haddo says, we shoul d be unabl et o f or m any r easonabl e t heor y of t he uni ver se. '

' For a sci ent i f i c man you ar gue wi t h si ngul ar f at ui t y, ' sai d Haddo i ci l y,and hi s manner had an of f ensi veness whi ch was i nt ensel y i r r i t at i ng. ' Youshoul d be aware t hat sci ence, deal i ng onl y wi t h t he general , l eaves outof consi derat i on t he i ndi vi dual cases t hat cont r adi ct t he enor mous

maj or i t y. Occasi onal l y the hear t i s on t he ri ght si de of t he body, butyou woul d not on t hat account ever put your st ethoscope i n any othert han t he usual spot . I t i s possi bl e t hat under cer t ai n condi t i ons t hel aw of gr avi t y does not appl y, yet you wi l l conduct your l i f e under t heconvi ct i on that i t does so i nvar i abl y. Now, t her e ar e some of us whochoose t o deal onl y wi t h t hese except i ons t o the common r un. The dul l manwho pl ays at Mont e Car l o put s hi s money on t he col our s, and general l ybl ack or r ed t urns up; but now and then zero appear s, and he l oses. Butwe, who have backed zer o al l t he t i me, wi n many t i mes our st ake. Here andt here you wi l l f i nd men whose i magi nat i on r ai ses t hem above the humdrum



of manki nd. They ar e wi l l i ng t o l ose thei r al l i f onl y t hey have chanceof a gr eat pr i ze. I s i t not hi ng not onl y t o know t he f ut ur e, as di d t hepr ophets of ol d, but by maki ng i t t o f orce t he very gates of t heunknown?'

Suddenl y the bant eri ng gr avi t y wi t h whi ch he spoke f el l away f r omhi m. Asi ngul ar l i ght came i nt o hi s eyes, and hi s voi ce was hoar se. Now at l astt hey saw t hat he was ser i ous.

' What shoul d you know of t hat l ust f or gr eat secr et s whi ch consumes me t ot he bott om of my soul ! '

' Anyhow, I ' m per f ect l y del i ght ed t o meet a magi ci an, ' cri ed Susi e gai l y.

' Ah, cal l me not t hat , ' he sai d, wi t h a f l our i sh of hi s f at hands,r egai ni ng i mmedi atel y hi s port ent ous f l i ppancy. ' I woul d be known r atheras t he Br ot her of t he Shadow. '

' I shoul d have t hought you coul d be onl y a ver y di st ant r el at i on of anyt hi ng so unsubst ant i al , ' sai d Ar t hur , wi t h a l augh.

Ol i ver ' s f ace t ur ned r ed wi t h f ur i ous anger . Hi s st r ange bl ue eyes gr ewcol d wi t h hat r ed, and he t hr ust out hi s scar l et l i ps t i l l he had t her ut hl ess expr essi on of a Ner o. The gi be at hi s obesi t y had caught hi m ont he r aw. Susi e f ear ed t hat he woul d make so i nsul t i ng a r epl y that aquarr el must ensure.

' Wel l , r eal l y, i f we want t o go t o t he f ai r we must st ar t , ' she sai dqui ckl y. ' And Mar i e i s dyi ng t o be ri d of us. '

They got up, and cl at t er ed down t he st ai r s i nt o t he st r eet .

4

They came down t o t he busy, nar r ow s t r eet whi ch l ed i nt o t he Boul evar d duMont parnasse. El ect r i c t r ams passed t hr ough i t wi t h harsh r i ngi ng of bel l s, and peopl e surged al ong the pavement s.

The f ai r t o whi ch t hey wer e goi ng was hel d at t he Li on de Bel f or t , notmore t han a mi l e away, and Ar t hur hai l ed a cab. Susi e t ol d the dr i verwher e t hey want ed t o be set down. She not i ced that Haddo, who was wai t i ngf or t hem t o st art , put hi s hand on t he hor se' s neck. On a sudden, f or noapparent r eason, i t began t o t r embl e. The t r embl i ng passed t hr ough the

body and down i t s l i mbs t i l l i t shook f r om head t o f oot as t hough i t hadt he st agger s. The coachman j umped of f hi s box and hel d the wr et chedcr eat ur e' s head. Mar gar et and Susi e got out . I t was a hor r i bl y pai nf ulsi ght . The hor se seemed not t o suf f er f r om act ual pai n, but f r om anext r aor di nar y f ear . Though she knew not why, an i dea came t o Susi e.

' Take your hand away, Mr Haddo, ' she sai d sharpl y.

He smi l ed, and di d as she bade hi m. At t he same moment t he t r embl i ngbegan t o decrease, and i n a moment t he poor ol d cab- horse was i n i t s



usual state. I t seemed a l i t t l e f r i ght ened st i l l , but ot her wi ser ecover ed.

' I wonder what t he deuce was the matt er wi t h i t , ' sai d Ar t hur .

Ol i ver Haddo l ooked at hi m wi t h t he bl ue eyes t hat seemed t o see r i ghtt hr ough peopl e, and t hen, l i f t i ng hi s hat , wal ked away. Susi e t ur nedsuddenl y t o Dr Por hoët .

' Do you thi nk he coul d have made t he hor se do t hat ? I t came i mmedi at el yhe put hi s hand on i t s neck, and i t st opped as soon as he t ook i t away. '

' Nonsense! ' sai d Ar t hur .

' I t occur r ed t o me t hat he was pl ayi ng some t r i ck, ' sai d Dr Por hoëtgravel y. ' An odd t hi ng happened once when he came t o see me. I have t woPer si an cat s, whi ch ar e t he most pr oper l y conduct ed of al l t hei r t r i be. They spend t hei r days i n f r ont of my f i r e, medi t at i ng on t he probl ems of metaphysi cs. But as soon as he came i n t hey st ar t ed up, and t hei r f urst ood r i ght on end. Then t hey began to r un madl y r ound and round t he

r oom, as t hough t he vi ct i ms of uncont r ol l abl e ter r or . I opened t he door ,and t hey bol t ed out . I have never been abl e t o underst and exact l y whatt ook pl ace. '

Margar et shudder ed.

' I ' ve never met a man who f i l l ed me wi t h such l oathi ng, ' she sai d. ' Idon' t know what t here i s about hi m t hat f r i ght ens me. Even now I f eel hi seyes f i xed st r angel y upon me. I hope I shal l never see hi m agai n. '

Ar t hur gave a l i t t l e l augh and pr essed her hand. She woul d not l et hi sgo, and he f el t t hat she was t r embl i ng. Per sonal l y, he had no doubt aboutt he mat t er . He woul d have no t r i f l i ng wi t h credi bi l i t y. Ei t her Haddobel i eved t hi ngs t hat none but a l unat i c coul d, or el se he was a char l at anwho sought t o at t r act at t ent i on by hi s ext r avagances. I n any case he wascont empt i bl e. I t was cer t ai n, at al l event s, t hat nei t her he nor anyoneel se coul d work mi r acl es.

' I ' l l t el l you what I ' l l do, ' sai d Art hur. ' I f he real l y knows FrankHurr el l I ' l l f i nd out al l about hi m. I ' l l dr op a not e t o Hurr el l t oni ghtand ask hi m t o tel l me anythi ng he can. '

' I wi sh you woul d, ' answered Susi e, ' because he i nt erest s me enormousl y. There' s no pl ace l i ke Par i s f or meet i ng queer f ol k. Sooner or l at er your un acr oss per sons who bel i eve i n ever ythi ng. There' s no f or m of r el i gi on, t her e' s no eccent r i c i t y or enor mi t y, t hat hasn' t i t s vot ar i es. J ust t hi nk what a pr i vi l ege i t i s t o come upon a man i n t he t went i et h

cent ur y who honest l y bel i eves i n t he occul t . '

' Si nce I have been occupi ed wi t h t hese mat t ers, I have come acr ossst r ange peopl e, ' sai d Dr Por hoët qui et l y, ' but I agr ee wi t h Mi ss Boydt hat Ol i ver Haddo i s t he most ext r aor di nar y. For one t hi ng, i t i si mpossi bl e t o know how much he r eal l y bel i eves what he says. I s he ani mpost or or a madman? Does he decei ve hi msel f , or i s he l aughi ng up hi ssl eeve at t he f ol l y of t hose who t ake hi m ser i ousl y? I cannot t el l . Al lI know i s t hat he has t r avel l ed wi del y and i s acquai nt ed wi t h manyt ongues. He has a mi nut e knowl edge of al chemi cal l i t eratur e, and t here



i s no book I have hear d of , deal i ng wi t h t he bl ack art s, whi ch he doesnot seem t o know. ' Dr Por hoët shook hi s head sl owl y. ' I shoul d not car et o dogmat i ze about t hi s man. I know I shal l out r age the f eel i ngs of myf r i end Ar t hur , but I am bound t o conf ess i t woul d not sur pr i se me t ol ear n t hat he possessed powers by whi ch he was abl e to do thi ngsseemi ngl y mi r acul ous. '

Ar t hur was pr event ed f r om answer i ng by thei r ar r i val at t he Li on deBel f or t .

The f ai r was i n f ul l swi ng. The noi se was deaf eni ng. St eam bandst hundered out t he popul ar t unes of t he moment , and t o thei r di nmerr y- go- r ounds were t ur ni ng. At t he door of boot hs men voci f erousl yi mport uned t he passers - by t o ent er . Fr om t he shoot i ng sal oons came acont i nual spat t er of t oy ri f l es. Li nki ng up t hese sounds, wer e the voi cesof t he ser r i ed cr owd t hat surged al ong t he cent r al avenue, and t heshuf f l e of t hei r myr i ad f eet . The ni ght was l ur i d wi t h acet yl ene t or ches,whi ch f l amed wi t h a dul l unceasi ng r oar . I t was a cur i ous si ght , hal f gay, hal f sor di d. The thr ong seemed bent wi t h a ki nd of savagery uponamusement , as t hough, r esent f ul of t he wear y round of dai l y l abour , i t

sought by a desperat e ef f or t t o be merr y.

The Engl i sh par t y wi t h Dr Porhoët , mi l dl y i r oni c, had scar cel y enter edbef or e t hey wer e j oi ned by Ol i ver Haddo. He was i ndi f f er ent t o t he pl ai nf act t hat t hey di d not want hi s company. He at t r act ed at t ent i on, f or hi sappearance and hi s manner were r emarkabl e, and Susi e not i ced that he waspl eased t o see peopl e poi nt hi m out t o one another . He wore a Spani shcl oak, t he _capa_, and he f l ung t he red and gr een vel vet of i t s l i ni nggaudi l y over hi s shoul der . He had a l ar ge sof t hat. Hi s hei ght was great ,t hough l ess not i ceabl e on account of hi s obesi t y, and he towered over t hepuny mul t i t ude.

They l ooked i dl y at t he var i ous shows, r esi st i ng t he mel odramas, t heci r cuses, t he exhi bi t i ons of eccent r i ci t y, whi ch l oudl y cl amour ed f ort hei r cust om. Present l y t hey came t o a man who was cut t i ng si l houet t es i nbl ack paper, and Haddo i nsi st ed on posi ng f or hi m. A l i t t l e cr owdcol l ect ed and di d not spar e t hei r j okes at hi s si ngul ar appear ance. Het hr ew hi msel f i nt o hi s f avour i t e at t i t ude of pr oud command. Margaretwi shed t o t ake t he opport uni t y of l eavi ng hi m, but Mi ss Boyd i nsi st ed onst ayi ng.

' He' s t he most r i di cul ous creat ur e I ' ve ever seen i n my l i f e, ' shewhi sper ed. ' I woul dn' t l et hi m out of my si ght f or wor l ds. '

When t he si l houet t e was done, he pr esent ed i t wi t h a l ow bow t o Margar et .

' I i mpl or e your accept ance of t he onl y por t r ai t now i n exi st ence of

Ol i ver Haddo, ' he sai d.

' Thank you, ' she answer ed f r i gi dl y.

She was unwi l l i ng t o t ake i t , but had not t he pr esence of mi nd to puthi m of f by a j est , and woul d not be f r ankl y rude. As t hough cer t ai n sheset much st or e on i t , he pl aced i t car ef ul l y i n an envel ope. They wal kedon and suddenl y came t o a canvas booth on whi ch was an East er n name.Roughl y pai nt ed on sai l - cl oth was a pi ct ur e of an Ar ab charmi ng snakes,and above were cert ai n words i n Ar abi c. At t he ent r ance, a nat i ve sat



cr oss- l egged, l i st l essl y beat i ng a dr um. When he saw t hem st op, headdr essed t hem i n bad Fr ench.

' Does not t hi s r emi nd you of t he t ur bi d Ni l e, Dr Por hoët ?' sai d Haddo.' Let us go i n and see what t he f el l ow has t o show. '

Dr Por hoët st epped f orward and addressed t he char mer , who br i ght ened onhear i ng t he l anguage of hi s own count r y.

' He i s an Egypt i an f r om Assi ut , ' sai d t he doctor.

' I wi l l buy t i cket s f or you al l , ' sai d Haddo.

He hel d up t he f l ap t hat gave access t o the boot h, and Susi e went i n.Margar et and Ar t hur Bur don, somewhat agai nst t hei r wi l l , were obl i ged t of ol l ow. The nat i ve cl osed t he openi ng behi nd them. They f ound t hemsel vesi n a di r t y l i t t l e t ent , i l l - l i t by t wo smoki ng l amps; a dozen st ool s wer epl aced i n a ci r cl e on t he bare gr ound. I n one corner sat a f el l ah woman,mot i onl ess, i n ampl e r obes of di ngy bl ack. Her f ace was hi dden by a l ongvei l , whi ch was hel d i n pl ace by a queer ornament of br ass i n t he mi ddl e

of t he f orehead, between t he eyes. These al one were vi si bl e, l arge andsombr e, and t he l ashes were darkened wi t h kohl : her f i ngers were br i ght l yst ai ned wi t h henna. She moved sl i ght l y as t he vi si t or s ent er ed, and theman gave her hi s drum. She began t o rub i t wi t h her hands, cur i ousl y, andmade a dr oni ng sound, whi ch was odd and myst er i ous. There was a pecul i arodour i n t he pl ace, so t hat Dr Por hoët was f or a moment t r anspor t ed t ot he evi l - smel l i ng st r eet s of Cai r o. I t was an acr i d mi xt ur e of i ncense,of at t ar of r oses, wi t h ever y i magi nabl e put r escence. I t choked t he twowomen, and Susi e asked f or a ci garet t e. The nat i ve gr i nned when he hear dt he Engl i sh t ongue. He showed a row of spar kl i ng and beaut i f ul t eet h.

' My name Mohammed, ' he sai d. ' Me show ser pents t o Si r dar Lor d Ki t chener .Wai t and see. Serpent s very poi sonous. '

He was dressed i n a l ong bl ue gabar di ne, more sui t ed t o the sunny banksof t he Ni l e t han t o a f ai r i n Par i s, and i t s col our coul d har dl y be seenf or di r t . On hi s head was t he nat i onal t ar boosh.

A r ug l ay at one si de of t he t ent , and f r om under i t he t ook a goat ski nsack. He pl aced i t on t he gr ound i n t he mi ddl e of t he ci r cl e f ormed byt he seats and crouched down on hi s haunches. Margar et shuddered, f or t heuneven sur f ace of t he sack moved st r angel y. He opened t he mout h of i t . The woman i n t he cor ner l i st l essl y droned away on t he drum, andoccasi onal l y ut t er ed a bar bar i c cr y. Wi t h a l eer and a f l ash of hi sbr i ght t eet h, t he Ar ab t hrust hi s hand i nt o the sack and r ummaged as aman woul d r ummage i n a sack of cor n. He drew out a l ong, wr i t hi ng snake.He pl aced i t on t he ground and f or a moment wai t ed, t hen he passed hi s

hand over i t : i t became i mmedi atel y as r i gi d as a bar of i r on. Exceptt hat t he eyes, t he cruel eyes, wer e open st i l l , t her e mi ght have been nol i f e i n i t .

' Look, ' sai d Haddo. ' That i s t he mi r acl e whi ch Moses di d bef or e Phar aoh. '

Then t he Arab t ook a r eed i nst r ument , not unl i ke t he pi pe whi ch Pani n t he hi l l s of Gr eece pl ayed t o t he dr yads, and he pi ped a wei r d,monotonous t une. The st i f f ness broke away f r om t he snake suddenl y, andi t l i f t ed i t s head and r ai sed i t s l ong body t i l l i t st ood al most on t he



t i p of i t s t ai l , and i t swayed sl owl y t o and f r o.

Ol i ver Haddo seemed ext r aor di nari l y f asci nated. He l eaned f orward wi t heager f ace, and hi s unnat ur al eyes were f i xed on t he charmer wi t h ani ndescr i babl e expr essi on. Mar gar et dr ew back i n t er r or .

' You need not be f r i ght ened, ' sai d Ar t hur . ' These peopl e onl y wor k wi t hani mal s whose f angs have been ext r act ed. '

Ol i ver Haddo l ooked at hi m bef ore answer i ng. He seemed t o consi der eacht i me what sor t of man t hi s was t o whom he spoke.

' A man i s onl y a snake- char mer because, wi t hout r ecour se t o medi ci ne, hei s proof agai nst t he f angs of t he most venomous serpent s. '

' Do you t hi nk so?' sai d Ar t hur .

' I saw t he most not ed char mer of Madr as di e t wo hour s af t er he had beenbi t t en by a cobr a, ' sai d Haddo. I had hear d many t al es of hi s prowess,and one eveni ng asked a f r i end t o t ake me t o hi m. He was out when we

arr i ved, but we wai t ed, and pr esent l y, accompani ed by some f r i ends, hecame. We t ol d hi m what we want ed. He had been at a mar r i age- f east and wasdr unk. But he sent f or hi s snakes, and f ort hwi t h showed us marvel s whi cht hi s man has never hear d of . At l ast he t ook a gr eat cobr a f r om hi s sackand began t o handl e i t . Suddenl y i t dar t ed at hi s chi n and bi t hi m. I tmade t wo marks l i ke pi n- poi nt s. The j uggl er s t art ed back.

' " I am a dead man, " he sai d.

' Those about hi m woul d have ki l l ed t he cobr a, but he prevent ed t hem.

' "Let t he creat ur e l i ve, " he sai d. "I t may be of ser vi ce t o ot her s of myt r ade. To me i t can be of no ot her use. Nothi ng can save me. "

' Hi s f r i ends and t he j uggl er s, hi s f el l ows, gat her ed r ound hi m and pl acedhi m i n a chai r . I n t wo hour s he was dead. I n hi s drunkenness he hadf or got t en a por t i on of t he spel l whi ch pr ot ect ed hi m, and so he di ed. '

' You have a mar vel l ous col l ect i on of t al l st or i es, ' sai d Ar t hur . ' I ' maf r ai d I shoul d want bet t er pr oof t hat t hese par t i cul ar snakes arepoi sonous. '

Ol i ver t ur ned t o t he charmer and spoke t o hi m i n Ar abi c. Then he answeredArthur.

' The man has a hor ned vi per , _cerast es_ i s t he name under whi ch yougent l emen of sci ence know i t , and i t i s t he most deadl y of al l Egypt i an

snakes. I t i s commonl y known as Cl eopat r a' s Asp, f or t hat i s t he serpentwhi ch was br ought i n a basket of f i gs t o the paramour of Caesar i n ordert hat she mi ght not endur e t he t r i umph of August us. '

' What are you goi ng to do?' asked Susi e.

He smi l ed but di d not answer . He st epped f orward t o the cent r e of t het ent and f el l on hi s knees. He ut t ered Ar abi c words, whi ch Dr . Por hoëtt r ansl at ed t o t he ot her s.



' O vi per , I adj ur e you, by the gr eat God who i s al l - power f ul , t o comef ort h. You ar e but a snake, and God i s great er t han al l snakes. Obey mycal l and come. '

A t r emor went t hrough the goat ski n bag, and i n a moment a head waspr ot r uded. A l i t he body wr i ggl ed out . I t was a snake of l i ght gr eycol our , and over each eye was a horn. I t l ay sl i ght l y cur l ed.

' Do you r ecogni ze i t ?' sai d Ol i ver i n a l ow voi ce t o t he doct or .

' I do. '

The char mer sat mot i onl ess, and t he woman i n t he di m backgr ound ceasedher wei r d r ubbi ng of t he drum. Haddo sei zed t he snake and opened i t smout h. I mmedi atel y i t f ast ened on hi s hand, and t he rept i l e teet h wentdeep i nt o hi s f l esh. Ar t hur wat ched hi m f or si gns of pai n, but he di d notwi nce. The wr i t hi ng snake dangl ed f r om hi s hand. He r epeat ed a sent encei n Ar abi c, and, wi t h t he pecul i ar suddenness of a dr op of wat er f al l i ngf r om a r oof , t he snake f el l t o t he gr ound. The bl ood f l owed f r eel y. Haddospat upon t he bl eedi ng pl ace t hr ee t i mes, mutt er i ng words t hey coul d not

hear , and thr ee t i mes he rubbed t he wound wi t h hi s f i ngers . The bl eedi ngst opped. He st r et ched out hi s hand f or Ar t hur t o l ook at .

' That sur el y i s what a sur geon woul d cal l heal i ng by f i r st i nt ent i on, ' hesai d.

Bur don was ast oni shed, but he was i r r i t at ed, t oo, and woul d not al l owt hat t her e was anythi ng st r ange i n the cessat i on of t he f l owi ng bl ood.

' You haven' t yet shown that t he snake was poi sonous. '

' I have not f i ni shed yet , ' smi l ed Haddo.

He spoke agai n t o the Egypt i an, who gave an order t o hi s wi f e. Wi t hout awor d she r ose to her f eet and f r om a box t ook a whi t e rabbi t . She l i f t edi t up by t he ear s, and i t st r uggl ed wi t h i t s f our quai nt l egs. Haddo puti t i n f r ont of t he horned vi per . Bef ore anyone coul d have moved, t hesnake dar t ed f or war d, and l i ke a f l ash of l i ght ni ng st r uck t he r abbi t . The wr et ched l i t t l e beast gave a sl i ght scr eam, a shudder went t hroughi t , and i t f el l dead.

Margaret sprang up wi t h a cry.

' Oh, how cr uel ! How hat ef ul l y cr uel ! '

' Ar e you convi nced now?' asked Haddo cool l y.

The t wo women hurr i ed t o t he doorway. They wer e f r i ght ened and di sgust ed.Ol i ver Haddo was l ef t al one wi t h t he snake- char mer .

5

Dr Por hoët had asked Ar t hur t o br i ng Margaret and Mi ss Boyd t o see hi m on



Sunday at hi s apar t ment i n t he Î l e Sai nt Loui s; and t he l over s ar r angedt o spend an hour on t hei r way at t he Louvre. Susi e, i nvi t ed t o accompanyt hem, pr ef err ed i ndependence and her own r ef l ect i ons.

To avoi d t he cr owd whi ch t hrongs t he pi ct ure gal l er i es on hol i days,t hey went t o t hat part of t he museum wher e anci ent scul pt ur e i s kept . I twas comparat i vel y empt y, and t he l ong hal l s had t he si ngul ar r est f ul nessof pl aces wher e wor ks of ar t are gat her ed t oget her. Margar et was f i l l edwi t h a genui ne emot i on; and though she coul d not anal yse i t , as Susi e,who l oved t o di ssect her s t ate of mi nd, woul d have done, i t st r angel yexhi l ar at ed her . Her hear t was upl i f t ed f r om t he sor di dness of ear t h,and she had a sensat i on of f r eedom whi ch was as del i ght f ul as i t wasi ndescr i babl e. Ar t hur had never t r oubl ed hi msel f wi t h ar t t i l l Mar gar et ' sent husi asm t aught hi m t hat t her e was a si de of l i f e he di d not r eal i ze. Though beaut y meant l i t t l e t o hi s pract i cal nature, he sought , i n hi sgr eat l ove f or Mar garet , t o appr eci at e t he wor ks whi ch exci t ed her t osuch charmi ng ecst asy. He wal ked by her s i de wi t h doci l i t y and l i st ened,not wi t hout def erence, t o her out bur st s. He admi r ed t he corr ect ness of Gr eek anat omy, and t here was one st atue of an athl ete whi ch at t r actedhi s pr ol onged at t ent i on, because t he muscl es were i ndi cat ed wi t h t he

pr eci si on of a pl at e i n a sur gi cal t extbook. When Mar gar et t al ked of t heGr eeks' di vi ne repose and of t hei r bl i t heness, he t hought i t ver y cl everbecause she sai d i t ; but i n a man i t woul d have aroused hi s i mpat i ence.

Yet t here was one pi ece, t he char mi ng st at ue known as _La Di ane deGabi es_, whi ch moved hi m di f f er ent l y, and t o thi s pr esent l y he i nsi st edon goi ng. Wi t h a l augh Margaret r emonst r ated, but secr et l y she was notdi spl eased. She was aware t hat hi s passi on f or t hi s f i gur e was due, nott o i t s i nt r i nsi c beaut y, but t o a l i keness he had di scover ed i n i t t oher sel f .

I t st ood i n t hat f ai r wi de gal l er y wher e i s t he mocki ng f aun, wi t h hi si nhuman savour of f el l owshi p wi t h the ear t h whi ch i s di vi ne, and t hesi ght l ess Homer . The goddess had not t he arr ogance of t he hunt r ess whol oved Endymi on, nor t he maj est y of t he col d mi st r ess of t he ski es. Shewas i n t he l i keness of a young gi r l , and wi t h col l ect ed gestur e f ast enedher cl oak. Ther e was not hi ng di vi ne i n her save a sweet st r ange spi r i tof vi r gi ni t y. A l over i n anci ent Gr eece, who of f er ed sacri f i ce bef or et hi s f ai r i mage, mi ght f orget easi l y that i t was a goddess t o whom heknel t , and see onl y an ear t hl y mai d f r esh wi t h yout h and chast i t y andl ovel i ness. I n Ar t hur ' s eyes Mar gar et had al l t he exqui si t e gr ace of t hest atue, and the same unconsci ous composur e; and i n her al so breat hed t hespr i ng odour s of i nef f abl e pur i t y. Her f eat ur es wer e chi sel l ed wi t ht he cl ear and di vi ne per f ect i on of t hi s Gr eek gi r l ' s; her ear s wer e asdel i cat e and as f i nel y wr ought . The col our of her ski n was so t ender t hati t r emi nded you vaguel y of al l beaut i f ul sof t t hi ngs, t he radi ance of sunset and the darkness of t he ni ght , t he hear t of r oses and t he dept h of

r unni ng water. The goddess' s hand was r ai sed t o her r i ght shoul der, andMargar et ' s hand was as smal l , as dai nt y, and as whi t e.

' Don' t be so f ool i sh, ' sai d she, as Ar t hur l ooked si l ent l y at t he st at ue.

He tur ned hi s eyes s l owl y, and t hey r est ed upon her . She saw t hat t heywer e vei l ed wi t h t ears.

' What on ear t h' s t he matt er? '



' I wi sh you weren' t so beaut i f ul , ' he answered, awkwardl y, as though hecoul d scar cel y br i ng hi msel f t o say such f ool i sh t hi ngs. ' I ' m so af r ai dt hat somethi ng wi l l happen t o pr event us f r om bei ng happy. I t seems t oomuch t o expect t hat I shoul d enj oy such extr aor di nar i l y good l uck. '

She had t he i magi nat i on t o see that i t meant much f or t he pr act i cal manso to expr ess hi msel f . Love of her dr ew hi m out of hi s character, and,t hough he coul d not r esi st , he r esent ed t he ef f ect i t had on hi m. Shef ound nothi ng t o repl y, but she t ook hi s hand.

' Ever ythi ng has gone pr et t y wel l wi t h me so f ar , ' he sai d, speaki ngal most t o hi msel f . ' Whenever I ' ve r eal l y want ed anythi ng, I ' ve managed t oget i t . I don' t see why t hi ngs shoul d go agai nst me now. '

He was t r yi ng t o reassur e hi msel f agai nst an i nst i nct i ve suspi ci on of t hemal i ce of ci r cumst ances. But he shook hi msel f and st r ai ght ened hi s back.

' I t ' s st upi d t o be so mor bi d as t hat , ' he mut t er ed.

Margaret l aughed. They wal ked out of t he gal l ery and t ur ned t o t he quay.

By cr ossi ng t he br i dge and f ol l owi ng t he r i ver , t hey must come event ual l yt o Dr . Por hoët ' s house.

* * * * *

Meanwhi l e Susi e wander ed down t he Boul evard Sai nt Mi chel , al er t wi t h t heSunday cr owd, t o t hat par t of Par i s whi ch was dearest t o her hear t . L' Î l eSai nt Loui s t o her mi nd of f er ed a synt hesi s of t he French spi r i t , and i tpl eased her f ar more t han t he gari sh boul evards i n whi ch t he Engl i sh as ar ul e seek f or t he count r y' s f asci nat i on. I t s posi t i on on an i sl and i nt he Sei ne gave i t a compact charm. The narr ow st r eet s, wi t h t hei r ar r ayof dai nt y comest i bl es, had t he l ook of st r eet s i n a pr ovi nci al t own. Theyhad a quai nt ness whi ch appeal ed t o the f ancy, and t hey were ver y rest f ul . The names of t he st r eet s r ecal l ed t he monarchy t hat passed away i nbl oodshed, and i n _poudr e de r i z_. The very pl ane t r ees had a gr eat ersobr i ety t han el sewhere, as t hough consci ous t hey st ood i n a Par i s wherepr ogr ess was not . I n f r ont was t he t ur bi d Sei ne, and bel ow, t he t wi nt owers of Not r e Dame. Susi e coul d have ki ssed t he hard pavi ng st ones of t he quay. Her good- nat ur ed, pl ai n f ace l i t up as she r eal i zed t he del i ghtof t he scene upon whi ch her eyes r est ed; and i t was wi t h a l i t t l e pang,her mi nd agl ow wi t h char act er s and event s f r om hi st or y and f r om f i ct i on,t hat she t ur ned away t o ent er Dr Por hoët ' s house.

She was pl eased t hat t he appr oach di d not cl ash wi t h her f ant asi es. Shemounted a br oad st ai r case, dar k but r oomy, and, at t he command of t he _conci er ge_, r ang a t i nkl i ng bel l at one of t he doorways t hat f aced her .Dr Por hoët opened i n person. .

' Ar t hur and Mademoi sel l e ar e al r eady here, ' he sai d, as he l ed her i n.

They went t hrough a pr i m Fr ench di ni ng- r oom, wi t h much woodwor k and heavyscar l et hangi ngs, t o the l i br ar y. Thi s was a l ar ge room, but t hebookcases t hat l i ned t he wal l s, and a l ar ge wr i t i ng- t abl e heaped up wi t hbooks, much di mi ni shed i t s s i ze. There were books ever ywhere. They werest acked on t he f l oor and pi l ed on every chai r . There was hardl y space t omove. Susi e gave a cr y of del i ght .



' Now you must n' t t al k t o me. I want t o l ook at al l your books. '

' You coul d not pl ease me mor e, ' sai d Dr Por hoët , ' but I am af r ai d t heywi l l di sappoi nt you. They ar e of many sor t s, but I f ear t her e ar e f ewt hat wi l l i nt er est an Engl i sh young l ady. '

He l ooked about hi s wr i t i ng- t abl e ti l l he f ound a packet of ci gar et t es.He gr avel y of f ered one t o each of hi s guest s. Susi e was enchant ed wi t ht he st r ange must y smel l of t he ol d books, and she t ook a f i r st gl ance att hemi n general . For t he most part t hey were i n paper bi ndi ngs, some of t hem neat enough, but more wi t h br oken backs and di ngy edges; t hey wereset al ong t he shel ves i n serr i ed r ows, unt i di l y, wi t hout met hod or pl an. There wer e many ol der ones al so i n bi ndi ngs of cal f and pi gski n, t r easur ef r om hal f t he bookshops i n Eur ope; and t her e wer e huge f ol i os l i kePrussi an gr enadi er s; and t i ny El zevi r s, whi ch had been r ead by pat r i ci anl adi es i n Veni ce. J ust as Ar t hur was a di f f er ent man i n t he oper at i ngt heat r e, Dr Por hoët was changed among hi s books. Though he pr eser ved t heami abl e ser eni t y whi ch made hi m al ways so at t r act i ve, he had t here adi ver t i ng br usqueness of demeanour whi ch cont r ast ed quai nt l y wi t h hi susual cal m.

' I was t el l i ng these young peopl e, when you came i n, of an anci ent Korânwhi ch I was gi ven i n Al exandr i a by a l ear ned man whom I operated upon f orcat ar act . ' He showed her a beaut i f ul l y- wr i t t en Ar abi c wor k, wi t hwonder f ul capi t al s and headl i nes i n gol d. ' You know t hat i t i s al mosti mpossi bl e f or an i nf i del t o acqui r e t he hol y book, and t hi s i s apar t i cul ar l y r ar e copy, f or i t was wr i t t en by Kaï t Bey, t he gr eat est of t he Mamel uke Sul t ans. '

He handl ed t he del i cate pages as a l over of f l owers woul d handl er ose- l eaves.

' And have you much l i t erat ur e on t he occul t sci ences?' asked Susi e.

Dr Por hoët smi l ed.

' I vent ur e t o t hi nk that no pr i vat e l i br ar y cont ai ns so compl et e acol l ect i on, but I dar e not show i t t o you i n t he pr esence of our f r i endAr t hur . He i s t oo pol i t e t o accuse me of f ool i shness, but hi s sar cast i csmi l e woul d bet r ay hi m. '

Susi e went t o t he shel ves t o whi ch he vaguel y waved, and l ooked wi t h apecul i ar exci t ement at t he myst eri ous ar r ay. She ran her eyes al ong t henames. I t seemed t o her t hat she was enter i ng upon an unknown r egi on of r omance. She f el t l i ke an advent ur ous pr i ncess who rode on her pal f r eyi nt o a f or est of gr eat bare t r ees and myst i c si l ences, where wan,unear t hl y shapes pr essed upon her way.

' I t hought once of wr i t i ng a l i f e of t hat f ant ast i c and gr andi l oquentcr eat ur e, Phi l i ppus Aur eol us Theophr ast us Paracel sus Bombast vonHohenhei m, ' sai d Dr Por hoët , ' and I have col l ect ed many of hi s books. '

He took down a sl i m vol ume i n duodeci mo, pr i nt ed i n t he sevent eent hcent ur y, wi t h queer pl at es, on whi ch were al l manner of cabbal i st i csi gns. The pages had a pecul i ar , must y odour . They were st ai ned wi t hi r on- moul d.



' Her e i s one of t he most i nt er est i ng works concer ni ng the bl ack ar t .I t i s t he _Gr i moi r e of Honor i us_, and i s t he pr i nci pal t ext - book of al lt hose who deal i n t he darkest ways of t he sci ence. '

Then he poi nt ed out t he _Hexamer on_ of Torquemada and t he _Tabl eau del ' I nconst ance des Démons_ , by Del ancr e; he dr ew hi s f i nger down t hel eat her back of Del r i o' s _Di squi si t i ones Magi cae_ and set upr i ght t he _Pseudomonarchi a Daemonorum_ of Wi er us; hi s eyes r est ed f or an i nst ant onHauber ' s _Act a et Scr i pt a Magi ca_, and he bl ew t he dust car ef ul l y of f t hemost f amous, t he most i nf amous, of t hem al l , Spr enger' s _Mal l eusMal ef i kor um_.

' Her e i s one of my gr eat est t r easur es. I t i s t he _Cl avi cul a Sal omoni s_;and I have much r eason t o bel i eve t hat i t i s t he i dent i cal copy whi chbel onged t o t he gr eat est advent ur er of t he ei ght eent h cent ur y, J acquesCasanova. You wi l l see t hat t he owner ' s name had been cut out , but enoughr emai ns t o i ndi cat e t he bot t om of t he l et t er s; and t hese cor r espondexact l y wi t h t he si gnatur e of Casanova whi ch I have f ound at t heBi bl i othéque Nati onal e. He r el at es i n hi s memoi r s t hat a copy of t hi sbook was sei zed among hi s ef f ect s when he was ar r est ed i n Veni ce f or

t r af f i c i n t he bl ack ar t s; and i t was t her e, on one of my j our neys f r omAl exandr i a, t hat I pi cked i t up. '

He repl aced t he pr eci ous work, and hi s eye f el l on a st out vol ume boundi n vel l um.

' I had al most f or got t en the most wonder f ul , t he most mysteri ous, of al lt he books t hat t r eat of occul t sci ence. You have hear d of t he Kabbal ah,but I doubt i f i t i s more t han a name to you. '

' I know not hi ng about i t at al l , ' l aughed Susi e, ' except t hat i t ' s al lver y romant i c and ext r aor di nar y and r i di cul ous. '

' Thi s, t hen, i s i t s hi st or y. Moses, who was l ear ned i n al l t he wi sdom of Egypt , was f i r st i ni t i at ed i nt o t he Kabbal ah i n t he l and of hi s bi r t h;but became most pr of i ci ent i n i t dur i ng hi s wanderi ngs i n the wi l der ness.Her e he not onl y devot ed t he l ei sur e hour s of f or t y year s t o t hi smyst er i ous sci ence, but r ecei ved l essons i n i t f r om an obl i gi ng angel . Byai d of i t he was abl e t o sol ve t he di f f i cul t i es whi ch ar ose dur i ng hi smanagement of t he I sr ael i t es, not wi t hst andi ng the pi l gr i mages, war s, andmi seri es of t hat most unr ul y nat i on. He cover t l y l ai d down t he pr i nci pl esof t he doct r i ne i n t he f i r st f our books of t he Pent at euch, but wi t hhel dt hem f r om Deut eronomy. Moses al so i ni t i at ed t he Sevent y El der s i nt o thesesecr et s, and t hey i n t ur n t r ansmi t t ed t hem f r om hand t o hand. Of al l whof ormed t he unbr oken l i ne of t r adi t i on, Davi d and Sol omon were t he mostdeepl y l ear ned i n the Kabbal ah. No one, however, dared to wr i t e i t downt i l l Schi meon ben J ochai , who l i ved i n t he t i me of t he dest r uct i on of

J er usal em; and af t er hi s death t he Rabbi El eazar , hi s son, and t he RabbiAbba, hi s secretar y, col l ect ed hi s manuscr i pt s and f r omt hem composed t hecel ebr at ed t r eat i se cal l ed _Zohar _. '

' And how much do you bel i eve of t hi s marvel l ous st ory?' asked Ar t hurBurdon.

' Not a wor d, ' answer ed Dr Por hoët , wi t h a smi l e. ' Cr i t i ci sm has shownt hat _Zohar _ i s of moder n or i gi n. Wi t h si ngul ar ef f r ont er y, i t ci t es anaut hor who i s known t o have l i ved dur i ng t he el event h cent ur y, ment i ons



t he Cr usades, and r ecor ds events whi ch occur r ed i n t he year of Our Lord1264. I t was some t i me bef ore 1291 t hat copi es of _Zohar _ began t o beci r cul at ed by a Spani sh J ew named Moses de Leon, who cl ai med t o possessan aut ogr aph manuscr i pt by t he r eputed aut hor Schi meon ben J ochai . Butwhen Moses de Leon was gather ed t o t he bosom of hi s f at her Abraham, aweal t hy Hebr ew, J oseph de Avi l a, promi sed t he scr i be' s wi dow, who hadbeen l ef t dest i t ut e, t hat hi s son shoul d mar r y her daught er, t o whomhe woul d pay a handsome dowr y, i f she woul d gi ve hi m t he or i gi nalmanuscr i pt f r om whi ch these copi es were made. But t he wi dow ( one cani magi ne wi t h what gnashi ng of t eet h) was obl i ged t o conf ess t hat she hadno such manuscr i pt , f or Moses de Leon had composed _Zohar _ out of hi s ownhead, and wr i t t en i t wi t h hi s own r i ght hand. '

Ar t hur got up t o st r etch hi s l egs. He gave a l augh.

' I never know how much you r eal l y bel i eve of al l t hese t hi ngs you t el lus. You speak wi t h such gr avi t y t hat we ar e al l t aken i n, and t hen i tt ur ns out t hat you' ve been l aughi ng at us. '

' My dear f r i end, I never know mysel f how much I bel i eve, ' r etur ned Dr

Por hoët .

' I wonder i f i t i s f or t he same reason t hat Mr Haddo puzzl es us so much, 'sai d Susi e.

' Ah, t her e you have a case t hat i s r eal l y i nt er est i ng, ' r epl i ed t hedoctor. ' I assur e you t hat , t hough I know hi m f ai r l y i nt i mat el y, I havenever been abl e t o make up my mi nd whet her he i s an el aborat e pr act i cal j oker , or whether he i s r eal l y convi nced he has t he wonder f ul power s t owhi ch he l ays cl ai m. '

' We cer t ai nl y saw t hi ngs l ast ni ght t hat wer e not qui t e nor mal , ' sai dSusi e. ' Why had t hat serpent no ef f ect on hi m t hough i t was abl e t o ki l lt he rabbi t i nst ant aneousl y? And how are you goi ng t o expl ai n t he vi ol entt r embl i ng of t hat horse, Mr . Bur don?'

' I can' t expl ai n i t , ' answered Art hur , i r r i t abl y, ' but I ' m not i ncl i nedt o at t r i but e t o the super nat ur al ever yt hi ng t hat I can' t i mmedi at el yunders t and. '

' I don' t know what t her e i s about hi m t hat exci t es i n me a sor t of hor r or , ' sai d Mar gar et . ' I ' ve never t aken such a sudden di sl i ke t oanyone. '

She was t oo r et i cent t o say al l she f el t , but she had been st r angel yaf f ect ed l ast ni ght by t he recol l ect i on of Haddo' s wor ds and of hi s act s.She had awakened mor e t han once f r om a ni ght mar e i n whi ch he assumed

f ant ast i c and ghast l y shapes. Hi s mocki ng voi ce r ang i n her ears, and sheseemed st i l l t o see that vast bul k and t he savage, sensual f ace. I t wasl i ke a spi r i t of evi l i n her pat h, and she was cur i ousl y al ar med. Onl yher r el i ance on Ar t hur ' s common sense pr event ed her f r om gi vi ng way t or i di cul ous t err ors.

' I ' ve wr i t t en t o Frank Hur r el l and asked hi m t o t el l me al l he knowsabout hi m, ' sai d Ar t hur . ' I shoul d get an answer ver y soon. '

' I wi sh we' d never come across hi m, ' cr i ed Margar et vehement l y. ' I f eel



t hat he wi l l br i ng us mi sf or t une. '

' You' r e al l of you absur dl y pr ej udi ced, ' answer ed Susi e gai l y. ' Hei nt erest s me enormousl y, and I mean t o ask hi m t o tea at t he st udi o. '

' I ' m sur e I shal l be del i ght ed t o come. '

Margar et cr i ed out , f or she r ecogni zed Ol i ver Haddo' s deep bant eri ngt ones; and she t ur ned r ound qui ckl y. They were al l so t aken aback t hatf or a moment no one spoke. They wer e gathered round t he wi ndow and hadnot hear d hi m come i n. They wondered gui l t i l y how l ong he had been t hereand how much he had hear d.

' How on ear t h di d you get her e?' cr i ed Susi e l i ght l y, r ecover i ng her sel f f i r s t .

' No wel l - br ed sor cer er i s so dead t o t he f i ner f eel i ngs as t o ent er ar oom by the door, ' he answer ed, wi t h hi s puzzl i ng smi l e. ' You wer est andi ng r ound t he wi ndow, and I t hought i t woul d st ar t l e you i f I choset hat mode of i ngr ess, so I descended wi t h i ncredi bl e ski l l down t he

chi mney. '

' I see a l i t t l e soot on your l ef t el bow, ' r et ur ned Susi e. ' I hope youwer en' t at al l bur ned. '

' Not at al l , t hanks, ' he answer ed, gr avel y br ushi ng hi s coat .

' I n what ever way you came, you are very wel come, ' sai d Dr Por hoët ,geni al l y hol di ng out hi s hand.

But Ar t hur i mpati ent l y t ur ned t o hi s host .

' I wi sh I knew what made you engage upon t hese st udi es, ' he sai d. ' Ishoul d have t hought your medi cal pr of essi on pr otected you f r om anyt ender ness towards super st i t i on. '

Dr Por hoët shrugged hi s shoul der s.

' I have al ways been i nt erest ed i n t he oddi t i es of manki nd. At one t i meI r ead a good deal of phi l osophy and a good deal of sci ence, and Il ear ned i n that way t hat nothi ng was cer t ai n. Some peopl e, by t he pur sui tof sci ence, are i mpr essed wi t h the di gni t y of man, but I was onl y madeconsci ous of hi s i nsi gni f i cance. The gr eat est quest i ons of al l have beent hr eshed out si nce he acqui r ed t he begi nni ngs of ci vi l i zat i on and hei s as f ar f r om a sol ut i on as ever . Man can know not hi ng, f or hi s sensesare hi s onl y means of knowl edge, and they can gi ve no cer t ai nt y. There i sonl y one subj ect upon whi ch t he i ndi vi dual can speak wi t h aut hor i t y, and

t hat i s hi s own mi nd, but even here he i s sur r ounded wi t h darkness. Ibel i eve that we shal l al ways be i gnorant of t he matt ers whi ch i t mostbehoves us t o know, and t heref ore I cannot occupy mysel f wi t h t hem. Ipr ef er t o set t hem al l asi de, and, si nce knowl edge i s unat t ai nabl e, t ooccupy mysel f onl y wi t h f ol l y. '

' I t i s a poi nt of vi ew I do not sympat hi ze wi t h, ' sai d Ar t hur .

' Yet I cannot be sur e t hat i t i s al l f ol l y, ' pur sued t he Frenchmanr ef l ecti vel y. He l ooked at Ar t hur wi t h a cer t ai n i r oni c gr avi t y. ' Do



you bel i eve t hat I shoul d l i e to you when I pr omi sed t o speak t he t r ut h?'

' Cert ai nl y not . '

' I shoul d l i ke t o t el l you of an exper i ence t hat I once had i nAl exandr i a. So f ar as I can see, i t can be expl ai ned by none of t hepr i nci pl es known t o sci ence. I ask you onl y t o bel i eve that I am notconsci ousl y decei vi ng you. '

He spoke wi t h a ser i ousness whi ch gave aut hor i t y t o hi s words. I t waspl ai n, even t o Ar t hur , t hat he nar r at ed t he event exact l y as i t occur r ed.

' I had hear d f r equent l y of a cer t ai n shi ekh who was abl e by means of amagi c mi r r or t o show t he i nqui r er persons who were absent or dead, and anat i ve f r i end of mi ne had of t en begged me to see hi m. I had never t houghti t wor t h whi l e, but at l ast a t i me came when I was gr eat l y t r oubl ed i nmy mi nd. My poor mot her was an ol d woman, a wi dow, and I had r ecei ved nonews of her f or many weeks. Though I wr ot e r epeat edl y, no answer r eachedme. I was very anxi ous and very unhappy. I t hought no har m coul d come i f I sent f or t he sor cer er , and per haps af t er al l he had the power whi ch

was at t r i but ed t o hi m. My f r i end, who was i nt erpr eter t o t he Fr enchConsul ate, br ought hi m t o me one eveni ng. He was a f i ne man, t al l andst out , of a f ai r compl exi on, but wi t h a dark brown bear d. He was shabbi l ydr essed, and, bei ng a descendant of t he Pr ophet , wore a gr een tur ban. I nhi s conver sat i on he was af f abl e and unaf f ect ed. I asked hi m what personscoul d see i n t he magi c mi r r or , and he sai d t hey were a boy not ar r i ved atpubert y, a vi r gi n, a bl ack f emal e sl ave, and a pr egnant woman. I n ordert o make sure that t her e was no col l usi on, I despat ched my servant t o ani nt i mate f r i end and asked hi m t o send me hi s son. Whi l e we wai t ed, Ipr epared by t he magi ci an' s di r ect i on f r anki ncense and cor i ander - seed,and a chaf i ngdi sh wi t h l i ve charcoal . Meanwhi l e, he wr ote f orms of i nvocat i on on si x st r i ps of paper . When t he boy ar r i ved, t he sorcerert hr ew i ncense and one of t he paper st r i ps i nt o t he chaf i ngdi sh, t hent ook t he boy' s r i ght hand and dr ew a square and cer t ai n myst i cal marks ont he pal m. I n t he cent r e of t he squar e he pour ed a l i t t l e i nk. Thi s f or medt he magi c mi r r or. He desi r ed t he boy t o l ook st eadi l y i nt o i t wi t houtr ai si ng hi s head. The f umes of t he i ncense f i l l ed t he room wi t h smoke. The sor cer er mut t er ed Ar abi c wor ds, i ndi st i nct l y, and t hi s he cont i nuedt o do al l t he t i me except when he asked t he boy a quest i on.

' "Do you see anythi ng i n t he i nk?" he sai d.

' "No, " t he boy answered.

' But a mi nut e l at er , he began to t r embl e and seemed very much f r i ght ened.

' " I see a man sweepi ng the gr ound, " he sai d.

' "When he has done sweepi ng, t el l me, " sai d t he shei kh.

' "He has done, " sai d the boy.

' The sorcerer t ur ned t o me and asked who i t was t hat I wi shed the boyshoul d see.

' "I desi r e to see t he wi dow J eanne- Mar i e Por hoët . "



' The magi ci an put t he second and t hi r d of t he smal l st r i ps of paper i nt ot he chaf i ngdi sh, and f r esh f r anki ncense was added. The f umes werepai nf ul t o my eyes. The boy began t o speak.

' " I see an ol d woman l yi ng on a bed. She has a bl ack dr ess, and on herhead i s a l i t t l e whi t e cap. She has a wr i nkl ed f ace and her eyes arecl osed. Ther e i s a band t i ed r ound her chi n. The bed i s i n a sor t of hol e, i n t he wal l , and t her e ar e shut t er s t o i t . "

The boy was descr i bi ng a Br et on bed, and t he whi t e cap was t he _coi f f e_ t hat my mother wore. And i f she l ay t here i n her bl ack dr ess, wi t h a bandabout her chi n, I knew t hat i t coul d mean but one t hi ng.

' "What el se does he see?" I asked t he sor cer er.

' He r epeat ed my quest i on, and pr esent l y t he boy spoke agai n.

' " I see f our men come i n wi t h a l ong box. And t her e ar e women cr yi ng. They al l wear l i t t l e whi t e caps and bl ack dresses. And I see a man i n awhi t e sur pl i ce, wi t h a l ar ge cross i n hi s hands, and a l i t t l e boy i n a

l ong red gown. And t he men t ake of f t hei r hat s. And now everyone i skneel i ng down. "

' " I wi l l hear no mor e, " I sai d. " I t i s enough. "

' I knew t hat my mot her was dead.

' I n a l i t t l e whi l e, I recei ved a l et t er f rom the pr i est of the vi l l age i nwhi ch she l i ved. They had bur i ed her on t he very day upon whi ch the boyhad seen t hi s si ght i n t he mi r r or of i nk. '

Dr Por hoët passed hi s hand acr oss hi s eyes, and f or a l i t t l e whi l e t her ewas si l ence.

' What have you t o say t o that?' asked Ol i ver Haddo, at l ast .

' Not hi ng, ' answer ed Ar t hur .

Haddo l ooked at hi m f or a mi nut e wi t h those queer eyes of hi s whi chseemed t o st are at t he wal l behi nd.

' Have you ever hear d of El i phas Levi ?' he i nqui r ed. ' He i s t he mostcel ebr ated occul t i st of r ecent years. He i s t hought t o have known moreof t he myst er i es t han any adept si nce the di vi ne Par acel sus. '

' I met hi m once, ' i nt err upt ed Dr Por hoët . ' You never saw a man who l ookedl ess l i ke a magi ci an. Hi s f ace beamed wi t h good- nat ur e, and he wore a

l ong grey bear d, whi ch covered near l y the whol e of hi s breast . He was of a shor t and ver y cor pul ent f i gur e. '

' The pr acti ce of bl ack ar t s evi dent l y di sposes t o obesi t y, ' sai d Ar t hur ,i c i l y .

Susi e not i ced that t hi s t i me Ol i ver Haddo made no si gn that t he t auntmoved hi m. Hi s unwi nki ng, st r ai ght eyes r emai ned upon Ar t hur wi t houtexpr essi on.



' Levi ' s r eal name was Al phonse- Loui s Const ant , but he adopt ed t hat underwhi ch he i s general l y known f or r easons t hat ar e pl ai n t o t he r omant i cmi nd. Hi s f ather was a boot maker . He was dest i ned f or t he pr i est hood, butf el l i n l ove wi t h a damsel f ai r and marr i ed her. The uni on was unhappy.A f ate bef el l hi m whi ch has been t he l ot of gr eat er men t han he, and hi swi f e pr esent l y abandoned the mar i t al r oof wi t h her l over . To consol ehi msel f he began t o make seri ous r esearches i n the occul t , and i n duecour se publ i shed a vast number of myst i cal works deal i ng wi t h magi c i nal l i t s br anches. '

' I ' m sur e Mr Haddo was goi ng to t el l us somethi ng ver y i nt er est i ng abouthi m, ' sai d Susi e.

' I wi shed mer el y to gi ve you hi s account of how he rai sed t he spi r i t of Apol l oni us of Tyana i n London. '

Susi e set t l ed her sel f mor e comf or t abl y i n her chai r and l i t a ci gar et t e.

' He went t her e i n t he spr i ng of 1856 t o escape f r om i nt er nal di squi etudeand t o devot e hi msel f wi t hout di st r act i on t o hi s st udi es. He had l et t er s

of i nt r oduct i on t o var i ous per sons of di st i nct i on who concer nedt hemsel ves wi t h t he super nat ur al , but , f i ndi ng t hem t r i vi al andi ndi f f erent , he i mmersed hi msel f i n the st udy of t he supr eme Kabbal ah.One day, on r et ur ni ng t o hi s hot el , he f ound a note i n hi s r oom. I tcont ai ned hal f a car d, t r ansver sel y di vi ded, on whi ch he at oncer ecogni zed t he char act er of Sol omon' s Seal , and a t i ny sl i p of paper onwhi ch was wr i t t en i n penci l : _The ot her hal f of t hi s car d wi l l be gi venyou at t hr ee o' cl ock t omorr ow i n f r ont of West mi nst er Abbey_. Next day,goi ng t o t he appoi nt ed spot , wi t h hi s por t i on of t he car d i n hi s hand, hef ound a baroni al equi page wai t i ng f or hi m. A f oot man appr oached, and,maki ng a si gn to hi m, opened t he car r i age door . Wi t hi n was a l ady i nbl ack sat i n, whose f ace was conceal ed by a t hi ck vei l . She mot i oned hi mt o a seat besi de her , and at t he same t i me di spl ayed t he ot her part of t he card he had r ecei ved. The door was shut , and t he car r i age rol l edaway. When t he l ady r ai sed her vei l , El i phas Levi saw t hat she was of mat ure age; and beneath her grey eyebr ows were br i ght bl ack eyes of preternatural f i xi ty . '

Susi e Boyd cl apped her hands wi t h del i ght .

' I t hi nk i t ' s del i ci ous, and I ' m sure every word of i t i s t r ue, ' shecr i ed. ' I ' m enchant ed wi t h t he myst eri ous meet i ng at West mi nst er Abbeyi n t he Mi d- Vi ct or i an er a. Can' t you see t he el der l y l ady i n a hugecr i nol i ne and a bl ack poke bonnet , and t he wi zar d i n a ri di cul ous hat,a bot t l e- gr een f r ock- coat , and a f l owi ng t i e of bl ack si l k?'

' El i phas r emarks t hat t he l ady spoke French wi t h a marked Engl i sh

accent , ' pur sued Haddo i mpert ur babl y. ' She addr essed hi m as f ol l ows:"Si r , I am awar e that t he l aw of secr ecy i s r i gor ous among adept s; and Iknow t hat you have been asked f or phenomena, but have decl i ned to gr at i f ya f r i vol ous cur i osi t y. I t i s possi bl e t hat you do not possess t henecessary mater i al s. I can show you a compl ete magi cal cabi net , but Imust r equi r e of you f i r st t he most i nvi ol abl e si l ence. I f you do notguar ant ee t hi s on your honour , I wi l l gi ve t he or der f or you t o be dr i venhome. " '

Ol i ver Haddo t ol d hi s st or y not i nef f ect i vel y, but wi t h a comi c gr avi t y



t hat pr event ed one f r omknowi ng exact l y how t o take i t .

' Havi ng gi ven t he requi r ed pr omi se El i phas Levi was shown a col l ect i on of vest ment s and of magi cal i nst r ument s. The l ady l ent hi m cert ai n books of whi ch he was i n need; and at l ast , as a resul t of many conver sat i ons,det ermi ned hi m t o at t empt at her house t he exper i ence of a compl eteevocat i on. He pr epar ed hi msel f f or t went y- one days, scr upul ousl yobservi ng t he r ul es l ai d down by t he Ri t ual . At l engt h ever ythi ngwas r eady. I t was pr oposed t o cal l f or t h t he phant om of t he di vi neApol l oni us, and to quest i on i t upon t wo matt ers , one of whi ch concer nedEl i phas Levi and t he ot her , t he l ady of t he cri nol i ne. She had at f i r stcount ed on assi st i ng at t he evocat i on wi t h a t r ust wor t hy per son, but att he l ast moment her f r i end dr ew back; and as t he t r i ad or uni t y i sr i gor ousl y pr escri bed i n magi cal r i t es, El i phas was l ef t al one. Thecabi net pr epar ed f or t he exper i ment was si t uat ed i n a t ur r et . Fourconcave mi r r ors were hung wi t hi n i t , and t here was an al t ar of whi t emarbl e, sur r ounded by a chai n of magnet i c i r on. On i t was engr avedt he si gn of t he Pentagr am, and thi s symbol was drawn on t he new, whi t esheepski n whi ch was st r et ched beneat h. A copper brazi er st ood on t heal t ar , wi t h char coal of al der and of l aur el wood, and i n f r ont a second

br azi er was pl aced upon a t r i pod. El i phas Levi was cl othed i n a whi t er obe, l onger and more ampl e t han t he sur pl i ce of a pr i est , and he woreupon hi s head a chapl et of ver vai n l eaves ent wi ned about a gol den chai n.I n one hand he hel d a new sword and i n the ot her t he Ri t ual . '

Susi e' s passi on f or car i cat ur e at once asser t ed i t sel f , and she l aughedas she saw i n f ancy t he por t l y l i t t l e Frenchman, wi t h hi s r ound, r edf ace, t hus wonder f ul l y at t i r ed.

' He set al i ght t he t wo f i r es wi t h t he pr epar ed mater i al s, and began, atf i r st i n a l ow voi ce, but r i si ng by degr ees, t he i nvocat i ons of t heRi t ual . The f l ames i nvest ed ever y obj ect wi t h a waver i ng l i ght . Pr esent l yt hey went out . He set more t wi gs and per f umes on the brazi er , and whent he f l ame st ar t ed up once mor e, he saw di st i nct l y bef ore t he al t ar ahuman f i gur e l arger t han l i f e, whi ch di ssol ved and di sappear ed. He begant he i nvocat i ons agai n and pl aced hi msel f i n a ci r cl e, whi ch he hadal r eady t r aced between t he al t ar and t he t r i pod. Then t he dept h of t hemi r r or whi ch was i n f r ont of hi m gr ew br i ght er by degr ees, and a pal ef orm arose, and i t seemed gr adual l y t o appr oach. He cl osed hi s eyes, andcal l ed t hree t i mes upon Apol l oni us. When he opened t hem, a man st oodbef ore hi m, whol l y envel oped i n a wi ndi ng sheet , whi ch seemed more gr eyt han bl ack. Hi s f or m was l ean, mel anchol y, and bear dl ess. El i phas f el t ani nt ense col d, and when he sought t o ask hi s quest i ons f ound i t i mpossi bl et o speak. Thereupon, he pl aced hi s hand on the Pent agr am, and di r ect edt he poi nt of hi s sword t owar d t he f i gur e, adj ur i ng i t ment al l y by t hatsi gn not t o t er r i f y, but t o obey hi m. The f or m suddenl y gr ew i ndi st i nctand soon i t st r angel y vani shed. He commanded i t t o retur n, and then f el t ,

as i t were, an ai r pass by hi m; and, somethi ng havi ng touched t he handwhi ch hel d t he sword, hi s arm was i mmedi atel y benumbed as f ar as t heshoul der. He supposed t hat t he weapon di spl eased t he spi r i t , and set i tdown wi t hi n t he ci r cl e. The human f i gur e at once reappear ed, but El i phasexperi enced such a sudden exhaust i on i n al l hi s l i mbs t hat he was obl i gedt o si t down. He f el l i nt o a deep coma, and dr eamed st r ange dr eams. But of t hese, when he r ecovered, onl y a vague memory r emai ned t o hi m. Hi s armcont i nued f or several days t o be numb and pai nf ul . The f i gur e had notspoken, but i t seemed t o El i phas Levi t hat t he quest i ons were answered i nhi s own mi nd. For t o each an i nner voi ce repl i ed wi t h one gr i m word:



dead. '

' Your f r i end seems t o have had as l i t t l e f ear of spooks as you haveof l i ons, ' sai d Bur don. ' To my t hi nki ng i t i s pl ai n t hat al l t hesepr eparat i ons, and t he per f umes, t he mi r r ors , t he pent agr ams, must havet he gr eat est ef f ect on t he i magi nati on. My onl y sur pr i se i s t hat yourmagi ci an saw no more. '

' El i phas Levi t al ked t o me hi msel f of t hi s evocat i on, ' sai d Dr Por hoët .' He tol d me that i t s i nf l uence on hi m was very gr eat . He was no l ongert he same man, f or i t seemed t o hi m t hat somet hi ng f r om t he wor l d beyondhad passed i nt o hi s soul . '

' I am ast oni shed t hat you shoul d never have t r i ed such an i nt er est i ngexper i ment your sel f , ' sai d Ar t hur t o Ol i ver Haddo.

' I have, ' answered t he ot her cal ml y. ' My f at her l ost hi s power of speechshor t l y bef or e he di ed, and i t was pl ai n t hat he sought wi t h al l hi smi ght t o t el l me somet hi ng. A year af t er hi s deat h, I cal l ed up hi sphant omf r om t he gr ave so t hat I mi ght l ear n what I t ook t o be a dyi ng

wi sh. The ci r cumst ances of t he appar i t i on ar e so si mi l ar t o t hose I have j ust t ol d you t hat i t woul d onl y bore you i f I r epeated t hem. The onl ydi f f er ence was t hat my f ather act ual l y spoke. '

' What di d he say?' asked Susi e.

' He sai d sol emnl y: " _Buy Ashant i s, t hey are bound to go up. _"

' I di d as he tol d me; but my f ather was al ways unl ucky i n specul at i on,and t hey went down st eadi l y. I sol d out at consi der abl e l oss, andconcl uded t hat i n t he wor l d beyond t hey are as i gnorant of t he tendencyof t he St ock Exchange as we ar e i n t hi s val e of sor r ow. '

Susi e coul d not hel p l aughi ng. But Ar t hur shrugged hi s shoul dersi mpat i ent l y. I t di st ur bed hi s pr acti cal mi nd never t o be cer t ai n i f Haddo was ser i ous, or i f , as now, he was pl ai nl y maki ng game of t hem.

6

Two days l at er , Ar t hur r ecei ved Fr ank Hur r el l ' s answer t o hi s l et t er . I twas char act er i st i c of Frank t hat he shoul d t ake such pai ns t o repl y atl engt h t o the i nqui r y, and i t was cl ear t hat he had l ost none of hi s ol di nt er est i n odd per sonal i t i es. He anal ysed Ol i ver Haddo' s char act er wi t h

t he pat i ence of a sci ent i f i c man st udyi ng a new speci es i n whi ch he i spassi onatel y concer ned.

My dear Bur don:

I t i s si ngul ar t hat you shoul d wr i t e j ust now t o ask what I know of Ol i ver Haddo, si nce by chance I met t he ot her ni ght at di nner at QueenAnne' s Gat e a man who had much t o t el l me of hi m. I am cur i ous t o knowwhy he exci t es your i nt er est , f or I am sur e hi s pecul i ar i t i es make hi mr epugnant t o a person of your r obust common sense. I can wi t h di f f i cul t y



i magi ne t wo men l ess capabl e of get t i ng on t ogether . Though I have notseen Haddo now f or years, I can t el l you, i n one way and another , a gooddeal about hi m. He er r ed when he descr i bed me as hi s i nt i mate f r i end. I ti s t r ue t hat at one t i me I saw much of hi m, but I never ceased cor di al l yt o di sl i ke hi m. He came up t o Oxf ord f r om Et on wi t h a reput at i on f orathl et i cs and eccent r i ci t y. But you know t hat t here i s not hi ng t hatarouses the i l l - wi l l of boys mor e t han t he l at t er , and he achi eved anunpopul ari t y whi ch was remarkabl e. I t t ur ned out t hat he pl ayed f oot bal ladmi r abl y, and except f or hi s r at her scor nf ul i ndol ence he mi ght easi l yhave got hi s bl ue. He sneer ed at t he popul ar ent husi asm f or games, andwas used t o say t hat cri cket was al l ver y wel l f or boys but not f i t f ort he past i me of men. ( He was t hen ei ght een! ) He tal ked gr andi l oquent l y of bi g- game shoot i ng and of mountai n cl i mbi ng as spor t s whi ch demandedcour age and sel f - r el i ance. He seemed, i ndeed, t o l i ke f oot bal l , but hepl ayed i t wi t h a br ut al savagery whi ch t he ot her persons concer nednat ur al l y r esent ed. I t became cur r ent opi ni on i n ot her pur sui t s t hat hedi d not pl ay t he game. He di d nothi ng t hat was mani f est l y unf ai r , but wascapabl e of t aki ng advant ages whi ch most peopl e woul d have t hought mean;and he made def eat more har d t o bear because he exul t ed over t hevanqui shed wi t h t he coar se bant er t hat yout hs f i nd so di f f i cul t t o

endure.

What you woul d hardl y bel i eve i s t hat , when he f i r st came up, he was aper son of gr eat physi cal at t r act i ons. He i s now gr own f at , but i n t hosedays was ext r emel y handsome. He remi nded one of t hose col ossal st at uesof Apol l o i n whi ch t he god i s r epr esent ed wi t h a f emi ni ne roundnessand del i cacy. He was ver y t al l and had a magni f i cent f i gur e. I t wasso wel l - f ormed f or hi s age that one mi ght have f oret ol d hi s preci ouscorpul ence. He hel d hi msel f wi t h a dashi ng erect ness. Many cal l ed i t ani nsol ent swagger . Hi s f eat ur es were r egul ar and f i ne. He had a gr eatquant i t y of cur l i ng hai r , whi ch was wor n l ong, wi t h a sor t of poet i cgr ace: I amt ol d t hat now he i s ver y bal d; and I can i magi ne t hat t hi smust be a gr eat bl ow t o hi m, f or he was al ways exceedi ngl y vai n. Ir emember a pecul i ari t y of hi s eyes, whi ch coul d scar cel y have beennat ur al , but how i t was acqui r ed I do not know. The eyes of most peopl econver ge upon t he obj ect at whi ch t hey l ook, but hi s r emai ned paral l el .I t gave t hem a si ngul ar expr essi on, as t hough he wer e scr ut i ni si ng t hei nmost t hought of t he person wi t h whom he t al ked. He was notori ous al sof or t he ext r avagance of hi s costume, but , unl i ke t he aest het es of t hatday, who cl ot hed t hemsel ves wi t h art i st i c car el essness, he had a tast ef or out r ageous col our s. Somet i mes, by a queer f r eak, he dr essed hi msel f at unseasonabl e moment s wi t h excessi ve f ormal i t y. He i s t he onl yundergraduat e I have ever seen wal k down the Hi gh i n a t al l hat and acl osel y- but t oned f r ock- coat .

I have t ol d you he was very unpopul ar, but i t was not an unpopul ari t yof t he sor t whi ch i gnores a man and l eaves hi m chi ef l y to hi s own

soci et y. Haddo knew ever ybody and was t o be f ound i n t he most unl i kel ypl aces. Though peopl e di sl i ked hi m, t hey showed a cur i ous pl easure i n hi scompany, and he was pr obabl y ent er t ai ned mor e t han any man i n Oxf ord. Inever saw hi m but he was sur r ounded by a l i t t l e crowd, who abused hi mbehi nd hi s back, but coul d not r esi st hi s f asci nat i on.

I of t en t r i ed t o anal yse t hi s, f or I f el t i t as much as anyone, andt hough I honest l y coul d not bear hi m, I coul d never r esi st goi ng t osee hi m whenever opport uni t y ar ose. I suppose he of f ered t he charmof t he unexpect ed t o that mass of undergr aduates who, f or al l t hei r



mat t er - of - f act br eezi ness, ar e cur i ousl y al i ve to t he romant i c. I t wasi mpossi bl e t o t el l what he woul d do or say next , and you were keptper pet ual l y on t he al er t . He was cer t ai nl y not wi t t y, but he had a coar sehumour whi ch exci t ed t he rather gr oss sense of t he l udi cr ous possessed byt he young. He had a gi f t f or car i cat ur e whi ch was r eal l y di ver t i ng, andan i mpert ur babl e assurance. He had al so an i ngeni ous t al ent f orpr of ani t y, and hi s i nvent i veness i n t hi s par t i cul ar was a power amongyout hs whose i magi nat i ons st opped at t he commoner sor t s of bad l anguage.I have hear d hi m pr each a ser mon of t he most bl asphemous sor t i n the ver yaccent s of t he l ate Dean of Chr i st Chur ch, whi ch out r aged and at t he samet i me i r r esi st i bl y amused everyone who heard i t . He had a more var i edknowl edge t han t he gr eat er part of undergr aduates, and, havi ng at t hesame t i me a r et ent i ve memory and consi der abl e qui ckness , he was abl e t oassume an at t i t ude of omni sci ence whi ch was as i mpr essi ve as i t wasi r r i t ati ng. I have never hear d hi m conf ess t hat he had not r ead a book.Of t en, when I t r i ed t o cat ch hi m, he conf ounded me by quot i ng thei dent i cal words of a passage i n some work whi ch I coul d have sworn he hadnever set eyes on. I dar esay i t was due onl y t o some j uggl i ng, l i ke t heconj ur or ' s sl ei ght of hand t hat appar ent l y l et s you choose a car d, but i nf act f orces one on you; and he br ought t he conver sat i on r ound cl ever l y to

a poi nt when i t was obvi ous I shoul d ment i on a def i ni t e book. He tal kedver y wel l , wi t h an ent ert ai ni ng f l ow of r ather pompous l anguage whi chmade t he amusi ng t hi ngs he sai d part i cul arl y f unny. Hi s passi on f oreuphui sm cont r asted st r i ki ngl y wi t h the si mpl e speech of t hose wi t h whomhe consor t ed. I t cer t ai nl y added aut hor i t y to what he sai d. He was pr oudof hi s f ami l y and never hesi t at ed t o t el l t he cur i ous of hi sdi st i ngui shed descent . Unl ess he has much al t ered, you wi l l al r eady havehear d of hi s r el at i onshi p wi t h var i ous nobl e houses. He i s, i n f act ,near l y connect ed wi t h persons of i mport ance, and hi s ancest r y i s no l essdi st i ngui shed t han he asser t s. Hi s f at her i s dead, and he owns a pl ace i nSt af f or dshi r e whi ch i s al most hi st or i c. I have seen phot ogr aphs of i t ,and i t i s cer t ai nl y ver y f i ne. Hi s f or ebear s have been not ed i n t hehi st ory of Engl and si nce t he days of t he cour t i er who accompani ed Anne of Denmar k t o Scot l and, and, i f he i s pr oud of hi s st ock, i t i s not wi t houtcause. So he passed hi s t i me at Oxf or d, cor di al l y di sl i ked, at t he samet i me r espected and mi st r ust ed; he had t he r eput at i on of a l i ar and ar ogue, but i t coul d not be deni ed t hat he had consi derabl e i nf l uence overothers . He amused, angered, i r r i t ated, and i nt erest ed everyone wi t h whomhe came i n contact . There was al ways somet hi ng myst er i ous about hi m, andhe l oved t o wr ap hi msel f i n a romant i c i mpenet r abi l i t y. Though he knew somany peopl e, no one knew hi m, and to t he end he r emai ned a st r anger i nour mi dst . A l egend gr ew up around hi m, whi ch he f ost ered sedul ousl y, andi t was r eport ed t hat he had secret vi ces whi ch coul d onl y be whi sper edwi t h bat ed br eath. He was sai d t o i nt oxi cat e hi msel f wi t h Or i ent al dr ugs,and to haunt t he vi l est opi um- dens i n the East of London. He kept t hegr eat est sur pr i se f or t he l ast , si nce, t hough he was never seen to wor k,he managed, t o the uni ver sal surpr i se, t o get a f i r st . He went down, and

t o t he best of my bel i ef was never seen i n Oxf ord agai n.

I have hear d vaguel y t hat he was t r avel l i ng over t he worl d, and, whenI met i n t own now and t hen some of t he f el l ows who had known hi m at t he' Varsi t y, wei r d r umour s r eached me. One t ol d me t hat he was t r ampi ngacr oss Ameri ca, ear ni ng hi s l i vi ng as he went ; anot her asser t ed that hehad been seen i n a monast r y i n I ndi a; a t hi r d assur ed me t hat he hadmar r i ed a bal l et- gi r l i n Mi l an; and someone el se was posi t i ve t hat hehad taken to dr i nk. One opi ni on, however , was common t o al l myi nf ormant s, and thi s was t hat he di d somethi ng out of t he common. I t



was cl ear t hat he was not t he man t o set t l e down t o the t ame l i f e of acount r y gent l eman whi ch hi s posi t i on and f or t une i ndi cat ed. At l ast I methi m one day i n Pi ccadi l l y, and we di ned t ogether at t he Savoy. I har dl yr ecogni zed hi m, f or he was become enormousl y st out , and hi s hai r hadal r eady gr own t hi n. Though he coul d not have been more t han t went y- f i ve,he l ooked consi derabl y ol der. I t r i ed t o f i nd out what he had been up t o,but , wi t h t he ai r of myst er y he af f ect s, he woul d go i nt o no detai l s. Hegave me t o under st and t hat he had soj our ned i n l ands wher e t he whi t e manhad never been bef ore, and had l ear nt esot er i c secrets whi ch overt hr ewt he f oundat i ons of modern sci ence. I t seemed t o me that he had coarsenedi n mi nd as wel l as i n appearance. I do not know i f i t was due t o my owndevel opment si nce t he ol d days at Oxf ord, and t o my gr eat er knowl edge of t he wor l d, but he di d not seem t o me so br i l l i ant as I r emembered. Hi sf aci l e bant er was rather st upi d. I n f act he bored me. The pose whi ch hadseemed amusi ng i n a l ad f r esh f r om Et on now was i nt ol erabl e, and I wasgl ad t o l eave hi m. I t was char act er i st i c t hat , af t er aski ng me to di nner ,he l ef t me i n a l or dl y way to pay the bi l l .

Then I heard not hi ng of hi m t i l l t he ot her day, when our f r i end Mi ss Leyasked me t o meet at di nner t he German expl orer Burkhardt . I dar e say you

r emember t hat Bur khardt br ought out a book a l i t t l e whi l e ago on hi sadvent ur es i n Cent r al Asi a. I knew t hat Ol i ver Haddo was hi s compani on i nt hat j our ney and had meant t o r ead i t on t hi s account , but , havi ng beenexcessi vel y busy, had omi t t ed to do so. I t ook t he oppor t uni t y t o ask t heGerman about our common acquai ntance, and we had a l ong t al k. Burkhardthad met hi m by chance at Mombasa i n East Af r i ca, wher e he was ar r angi ngan expedi t i on af t er bi g game, and they agr eed t o go together . He tol d met hat Haddo was a marvel l ous shot and a hunt er of except i onal abi l i t y.Burkhardt had been rat her suspi ci ous of a man who boast ed so much of hi sat t ai nment s, but was obl i ged soon to conf ess t hat he boast ed of nothi ngunj ust l y. Haddo has had an ext r aor di nary experi ence, t he t r ut h of whi chBur khardt can vouch f or. He went out al one one ni ght on t he t r ai l of t hr ee l i ons and ki l l ed t hem al l bef or e mor ni ng wi t h one shot each. I knownot hi ng of t hese t hi ngs, but f r om t he way i n whi ch Bur khar dt spoke, I j udge i t must be a uni que occur r ence. But , char act er i st i cal l y enough, noone was more consci ous t han Haddo of t he si ngul ar i t y of hi s f eat , and hemade l i f e al most i nsuf f er abl e f or hi s f el l ow- t r avel l er i n consequence.Bur khardt assur es me t hat Haddo i s r eal l y r emar kabl e i n pur sui t of bi ggame. He has a sor t of i nst i nct whi ch l eads hi m t o t he most unl i kel ypl aces, and a wonder f ul f eel i ng f or count r y, whereby he can cut acr oss,and head of f ani mal s whose spoor he has not i ced. Hi s cour age i s verygr eat . To f ol l ow a wounded l i on i nt o t hi ck cover i s t he most dangerousproceedi ng i n t he wor l d, and demands t he utmost cool ness . The ani mali nvar i abl y sees t he sport sman bef ore he sees i t , and i n most caseschar ges. But Haddo never hesi t ated on t hese occasi ons, and Bur khardtcoul d onl y expr ess ent i r e admi r at i on f or hi s pl uck. I t appear s t hat he i snot what i s cal l ed a good sport sman. He ki l l s want onl y, when t here can be

no possi bl e excuse, f or t he mere pl easur e of i t ; and t o Bur khar dt ' si ndi gnat i on f r equent l y shot beast s whose ski ns and horns t hey di d noteven t r oubl e to take. When ant el ope were so f ar of f t hat i t wasi mpossi bl e to ki l l t hem, and t he appr oach of ni ght made i t usel ess t of ol l ow, he woul d of t en shoot , and l eave a wr etched wounded beast t o di eby i nches. Hi s sel f i shness was ext r eme, and he never shar ed anyi nf or mat i on wi t h hi s f r i end t hat mi ght r ob hi m of an uni nt er r upt edpur sui t of game. But not wi t hst andi ng al l t hi s, Bur khar dt had so hi gh anopi ni on of Haddo' s gener al capaci t y and of hi s r esour cef ul ness t hat , whenhe was ar r angi ng hi s j our ney i n Asi a, he asked hi m t o come al so. Haddo



consent ed, and i t appear s t hat Bur khar dt ' s book gi ves f ur t her pr oof , i f i t i s needed, of t he man' s ext r aor di nar y qual i t i es. The German conf essedt hat on more t han one occasi on he owed hi s l i f e t o Haddo' s r are powerof sei zi ng oppor t uni t i es. But t hey quar r el l ed at l ast t hr ough Haddo' sover- bear i ng t r eat ment of t he nat i ves. Bur khardt had vaguel y suspect edhi m of cruel t y, but at l engt h i t was cl ear t hat he used t hem i n a mannerwhi ch coul d not be def ended. Fi nal l y he had a desperat e quarr el wi t h oneof t he camp ser vant s, as a resul t of whi ch the man was shot dead. Haddoswor e that he f i r ed i n sel f - def ence, but hi s act i on caused a gener aldeser t i on, and t he t r avel l ers f ound t hemsel ves i n a ver y dangerouspredi cament . Burkhardt t hought t hat Haddo was cl ear l y t o bl ame andr ef used to have anyt hi ng more t o do wi t h hi m. They separat ed. Bur khardtr etur ned to Engl and; and Haddo, pursued by t he f r i ends of t he mur deredman, had gr eat di f f i cul t y i n escapi ng wi t h hi s l i f e. Not hi ng has beenheard of hi m si nce t i l l I got your l et t er .

Al t ogether , an ext r aor di nary man. I conf ess t hat I can make nothi ng of hi m. I shal l never be surpr i sed t o hear anyt hi ng i n connexi on wi t h hi m.I r ecommend you t o avoi d hi m l i ke t he pl ague. He can be no one' s f r i end.As an acquai nt ance he i s t r eacher ous and i nsi ncere; as an enemy, I can

wel l i magi ne t hat he woul d be as merci l ess as he i s unscr upul ous.

An i mmensel y l ong l et t er !

Goodbye, my son. I hope t hat your st udi es i n French met hods of surgerywi l l have added t o your wi sdom. Your i ndust r y edi f i es me, and I amsuret hat you wi l l event ual l y be a baronet and t he Presi dent of t he RoyalCol l ege of Sur geons; and you shal l r el i eve royal per sons of t hei r ,ver mi f orm appendi x.

Yours ever ,

FRANK HURRELL

Ar t hur , havi ng r ead t hi s l et t er t wi ce, put i t i n an envel ope and l ef t i twi t hout comment f or Mi ss Boyd. Her answer came wi t hi n a coupl e of hours:' I ' ve asked hi m t o t ea on Wednesday, and I can' t put hi m of f . You mustcome and hel p us; but pl ease be as pol i t e t o hi m as i f , l i ke most of us,he had onl y t aken ment al l i ber t i es wi t h the Ten Commandment s. '

7

On the morni ng of t he day upon whi ch they had asked hi m t o t ea, Ol i ver

Haddo l ef t at Margar et ' s door vast masses of chrysanthemums. There wereso many that t he aust ere st udi o was changed i n aspect . I t gai ned anephemeral br i ght ness t hat Mar gar et , not wi t hst andi ng pi eces of si l k hungher e and t here on t he wal l s, had never been abl e to gi ve i t . When Ar t hurar r i ved, he was di smayed t hat t he t hought had not occur r ed t o hi m.

' I ' m so sor r y, ' he sai d. ' You must t hi nk me ver y i nconsi der at e. '

Margaret smi l ed and hel d hi s hand.



' I t hi nk I l i ke you because you don' t t r oubl e about t he common l i t t l eat t ent i ons of l over s. '

' Margar et ' s a wi se gi r l , ' smi l ed Susi e. ' She knows t hat when a man sendsf l owers i t i s a s i gn t hat he has admi r ed more women t han one. '

' I don' t suppose t hat t hese were sent par t i cul ar l y t o me. '

Ar t hur Bur don sat down and observed wi t h pl easure t he cheer f ul f i r e. Thedrawn cur t ai ns and t he l amps gave t he pl ace a ni ce cosi ness, and t herewas t he pecul i ar ai r of r omance whi ch i s al ways i n a st udi o. Ther e i s asense of f r eedomabout i t t hat di sposes the mi nd t o di ver t i ngspecul at i ons. I n such an at mospher e i t i s possi bl e t o be seri ous wi t houtpompousness and f l i ppant wi t hout i nani t y.

I n t he f ew days of t hei r acquai nt ance Ar t hur and Susi e had arr i ved att er ms of pl easant f ami l i ar i t y. Susi e, f r om her super i or st andpoi nt of anunmarr i ed woman no l onger young, used hi m wi t h the good- nat ured banterwhi ch she af f ected. To her , he was a f ool i sh young t hi ng i n l ove, and shemarvel l ed t hat even t he cl everest man i n that condi t i on coul d behave

l i ke a per f ect i di ot . But Mar gar et knew t hat , i f her f r i end chaf f ed hi m,i t was because she compl etel y appr oved of hi m. As t hei r i nt i macyi ncreased, Susi e l ear nt t o appr eci at e hi s sol i d char act er . She admi r edhi s capaci t y i n deal i ng wi t h mat t ers t hat were i n hi s pr ovi nce, and t hesi mpl i ci t y wi t h whi ch he l ef t al one those of whi ch he was i gnor ant . Ther ewas no pose i n hi m. She was t ouched al so by an i ngenuous candour whi chgave a persuasi ve charm t o hi s abr upt ness. And, t hough she set a pl ai nwoman' s val ue on good l ooks, hi s appear ance, r ough hewn l i ke a st atue i npor phyry, pl eased her si ngul ar l y. I t was an i ndex of hi s char act er . Thel ook of hi m gave you t he whol e man, st r ong yet gent l e, honest and si mpl e,nei t her ver y i magi nat i ve nor ver y br i l l i ant , but i mmensel y rel i abl e andt r ust wort hy t o t he bot t om of hi s soul . He was seated now wi t h Margar et ' st er r i er on hi s knees, st r oki ng i t s ear s, and Susi e, l ooki ng at hi m,wondered wi t h a l i t t l e pang why no man l i ke that had even cared f or her .I t was evi dent t hat he woul d make a per f ect compani on, and hi s l ove, oncewon, was of t he sort t hat di d not al t er .

Dr Porhoët came i n and sat down wi t h the modest qui et ness whi ch was oneof hi s charms. He was not a gr eat t al ker and l oved most t o l i st en i nsi l ence to t he chat t er of young peopl e. The dog j umped down f r om Ar t hur ' sknee, went up t o the doct or , and r ubbed i t sel f i n f r i endl y f ashi onagai nst hi s l egs. They began t o tal k i n t he sof t l i ght and had f or got t enal most t hat anot her guest was expect ed. Margar et hoped f ervent l y that hewoul d not come. She had never l ooked more l ovel y t han on t hi s af t ernoon,and she busi ed her sel f wi t h t he pr epar ati ons f or t ea wi t h a housewi f el ygr ace that added a pecul i ar del i cacy to her comel i ness. The di gni t y whi chencompassed t he perf ect i on of her beaut y was del i ght f ul l y sof t ened, so

t hat you were r emi nded of t hose sweet domest i c sai nt s who l i ght en hereand t her e t he passi onate recor ds of t he Gol den Book.

' _C' est t el l ement i nt i me i ci _, ' smi l ed Dr Por hoët , br eaki ng i nt o Fr enchi n t he i mpossi bi l i t y of expr essi ng i n Engl i sh t he exact f eel i ng whi cht hat scene gave hi m.

I t mi ght have been a pi ct ur e by some mast er of _genr e_. I t seemed hardl yby chance t hat t he col our s ar r anged t hemsel ves i n such agr eeabl e tones,or t hat t he l i nes of t he wal l and t he seat ed persons achi eved such a



gr acef ul decor ati on. The at mospher e was extr aor di nar i l y peacef ul .

There was a knock at t he door, and Ar t hur got up t o open. The t er r i erf ol l owed at hi s heel s. Ol i ver Haddo ent ered. Susi e watched t o see whatt he dog woul d do and was by t hi s t i me not sur pr i sed to see a changecome over i t . Wi t h i t s t ai l bet ween i t s l egs, t he f r i endl y l i t t l e beastsl unk al ong t he wal l t o t he f ur t her most cor ner . I t t ur ned a suspi ci ous,f r i ght ened eye upon Haddo and t hen hi d i t s head. The vi si t or, i nt ent uponhi s greet i ngs, had not not i ced even that t here was an ani mal i n the r oom.He accept ed wi t h a si mpl e cour t esy t hey hardl y expect ed f r omhi m t heyoung woman' s t hanks f or hi s f l owers. Hi s behavi our surpr i sed t hem. Heput asi de hi s poses. He seemed genui nel y to admi r e t he cosy l i t t l est udi o. He asked Margaret t o show hi m her sket ches and l ooked at t hemwi t h unassumed i nt erest . Hi s obser vat i ons were poi nt ed and showed acer t ai n knowl edge of what he spoke about . He descr i bed hi msel f as anamateur , t hat obj ect of a pai nt er' s der i si on: t he man ' who knows what hel i kes' ; but hi s cr i t i ci sm, t hough gener ous, showed t hat he was no f ool . The t wo women wer e i mpressed. Put t i ng t he sket ches asi de, he began t ot al k, of t he many pl aces he had seen. I t was evi dent t hat he sought t opl ease. Susi e began t o unders t and how i t was t hat , notwi t hst andi ng

hi s af f ect at i ons, he had acqui r ed so gr eat an i nf l uence over t heundergraduat es of Oxf ord. There was r omance and l aught er i n hi sconver sati on; and t hough, as Frank Hur r el l had sai d, l acki ng i n wi t ,he made up f or i t wi t h a di ver t i ng pl easant r y that mi ght ver y wel l havepassed f or humour . But Susi e, t hough amused, f el t t hat t hi s was not t hepur pose f or whi ch she had asked hi m t o come. Dr Por hoët had l ent herhi s ent ert ai ni ng work on t he ol d al chemi st s, and t hi s gave her a chancet o br i ng t hei r conver sat i on t o mat t ers on whi ch Haddo was exper t . She hadr ead t he book wi t h del i ght and, her mi nd al l af l ame wi t h t hose st r angehi st or i es wherei n f act and f ancy were so wonderf ul l y mi ngl ed, she waseager t o know more. The l ong toi l i n whi ch so many had engaged, al ways t ol ose t hei r f or t unes, of t en t o suf f er per secut i on and t or t ur e, i nt er est edher no l ess t han t he account s, al most aut hent i cat ed, of t hose who hadsucceeded i n t hei r ext r aordi nary quest .

She t urned t o Dr Por hoët .

' You are a bol d man t o assert t hat now and t hen t he ol d al chemi st sact ual l y di d make gol d, ' she sai d.

' I have not gone qui t e so f ar as t hat , ' he smi l ed. ' I asser t mer el y that ,i f evi dence as concl usi ve wer e of f er ed of any ot her hi st or i cal event , i twoul d be credi t ed beyond doubt . We can di sbel i eve these ci r cumst ant i aldet ai l s onl y by comi ng t o t he concl usi on bef or ehand t hat i t i s i mpossi bl et hey shoul d be t r ue. '

' I wi sh you woul d wr i t e that l i f e of Paracel sus whi ch you suggest i n your

pr ef ace. '

Dr Por hoët , smi l i ng shook hi s head.

' I don' t t hi nk I shal l ever do that now, ' he sai d. ' Yet he i s t he mosti nt er est i ng of al l t he al chemi st s, f or he of f er s t he f asci nat i ng pr obl emof an i mmensel y compl ex char act er . I t i s i mpossi bl e to know t o whatext ent he was a char l atan and to what a man of ser i ous sci ence. '

Susi e gl anced at Ol i ver Haddo, who sat i n si l ence, hi s heavy f ace i n



shadow, hi s eyes f i xed st eadi l y on the speaker . The i mmobi l i t y of t hatvast bul k was pecul i ar .

' Hi s name i s not so r i di cul ous as l at er associ at i ons have made i t seem, 'pr oceeded t he doct or , ' f or he bel onged t o t he cel ebr ated f ami l y of Bombast , and t hey were cal l ed Hohenhei m af t er t hei r anci ent r esi dence,whi ch was a cast l e near St ut t gart i n Wür t emberg. The most i nt erest i ngpart of hi s l i f e i s t hat whi ch t he absence of document s makes i ti mpossi bl e accur at el y t o descr i be. He t r avel l ed i n Ger many, I t al y,Fr ance, t he Net her l ands, i n Denmark, Sweden, and Russi a. He went even t oI ndi a. He was t aken pr i soner by t he Tart ars , and br ought t o the Gr eatKhan, whose son he af t erwards accompani ed t o Const ant i nopl e. The mi ndmust be dul l i ndeed t hat i s not t hr i l l ed by the t hought of t hi s wander i nggeni us t r aver si ng t he l ands of t he ear t h at t he most event f ul dat e of t hewor l d' s hi st or y. I t was at Const ant i nopl e that , accor di ng t o a cer t ai n _aureum vel l us_ pr i nt ed at Ror schach i n t he si xt eenth cent ury, her ecei ved t he phi l osopher ' s st one f r om Sol omon Tr i smosi nus. Thi s per sonpossessed al so the _Uni ver sal Panacea_, and i t i s assert ed t hat he wasseen st i l l al i ve by a French t r avel l er at t he end of t he sevent eent hcent ur y. Par acel sus then passed t hr ough t he count r i es that bor der t he

Danube, and so reached I t al y, where he served as a sur geon i n thei mper i al army. I see no r eason why he shoul d not have been pr esent at t hebat t l e of Pavi a. He col l ect ed i nf or mat i on f r om physi ci ans, sur geons andal chemi st s; f r om execut i oner s, bar ber s, shepher ds, J ews, gi psi es,mi dwi ves, and f or t une- t el l er s; f r om hi gh and l ow, f r om l ear ned andvul gar . I n the sket ch I have gi ven of hi s career i n t hat vol ume you hol d,I have copi ed out a f ew words of hi s upon t he acqui r ement of knowl edgewhi ch af f ect me wi t h a si ngul ar emot i on. '

Dr Por hoët t ook hi s book f r om Mi ss Boyd and opened i t t hought f ul l y. Her ead out t he f i ne passage f r om t he pr ef ace of t he _Par agr anum_:

' I went i n sear ch of my ar t , of t en i ncur r i ng danger of l i f e. I have notbeen ashamed t o l earn t hat whi ch seemed usef ul t o me even f r om vagabonds,hangmen, and barber s. We know t hat a l over wi l l go f ar t o meet t he womanhe adores; how much more wi l l t he l over of Wi sdom be t empted t o go i nsear ch of hi s di vi ne mi st r ess. '

He t ur ned t he page t o f i nd a f ew more l i nes f ur t her on:

' We shoul d l ook f or knowl edge wher e we may expect t o f i nd i t , and whyshoul d a man be despi sed who goes i n search of i t ? Those who r emai n athome may gr ow r i cher and l i ve more comf or t abl y t han t hose who wander ; butI desi r e nei t her t o l i ve comf or t abl y nor t o gr ow r i ch. '

' By J ove, t hose ar e f i ne wor ds, ' sai d Ar t hur , r i si ng t o hi s f eet .

Thei r brave si mpl i ci t y moved hi m as no r hetor i c coul d have done, andt hey made hi m mor e eager st i l l t o devot e hi s own l i f e t o t he di f f i cul tacqui si t i on of knowl edge. Dr Por hoët gave hi m hi s i r oni c smi l e.

' Yet t he man who coul d wr i t e t hat was i n many ways a mere buf f oon, whopr ai sed hi s wares wi t h t he vul gar gl i bness of a quack. He was vai n andost ent at i ous, i nt emper at e and boast f ul . Li st en:

' Af t er me, O Avi cenna, Gal en, Rhases and Mont agnana! Af t er me, not Iaf t er you, ye men of Par i s, Mont pel l i er , Mei ssen, and Col ogne; al l you



t hat come f r om t he count r i es al ong t he Danube and t he Rhi ne, and you t hatcome f r om t he i sl ands of t he sea. I t i s not f or me t o f ol l ow you, becausemi ne i s t he l ordshi p. The t i me wi l l come when none of you shal l r emai n i nhi s dar k cor ner who wi l l not be an obj ect of cont empt t o t he wor l d,because I shal l be t he Ki ng, and t he Monarchy wi l l be mi ne. '

Dr Por hoët cl osed t he book.

' Di d you ever hear such gi bber i sh i n your l i f e? Yet he di d a bol d t hi ng.He wr ot e i n German i nst ead of i n Lat i n, and so, by weakeni ng t he ol dbel i ef i n aut hor i t y, br ought about t he begi nni ng of f r ee t hought i nsci ence. He cont i nued t o t r avel f r om pl ace t o pl ace, f ol l owed by a cr owdof di sci pl es, some t i mes at t r act ed t o a weal t hy ci t y by hope of gai n,somet i mes j our neyi ng t o a pet t y cour t at t he i nvi t at i on of a pr i nce. Hi sf ol l y and t he mal i ce of hi s r i val s pr event ed hi m f r om r emai ni ng anywher ef or l ong. He wr ought many wonder f ul cur es. The physi ci ans of Nurembergdenounced hi m as a quack, a charl atan, and an i mpost or . To r ef ut e themheasked the ci t y counci l t o put under hi s care pat i ent s t hat had beenpr onounced i ncur abl e. They sent hi m sever al cases of el ephant i asi s,and he cur ed t hem: t est i moni al s t o that ef f ect may st i l l be f ound i n t he

archi ves of Nur emberg. He di ed as t he resul t of a tavern brawl and wasbur i ed at Sal zbur g. Tr adi t i on says t hat , hi s astr al body havi ng al r eadydur i ng physi cal exi st ence become sel f - consci ous, he i s now a l i vi ngadept , r esi di ng wi t h ot her s of hi s sor t i n a cer t ai n pl ace i n Asi a. Fromt her e he st i l l i nf l uences t he mi nds of hi s f ol l ower s and at t i mes evenappear s t o t hem i n vi si bl e and tangi bl e subst ance. '

' But l ook her e, ' sai d Ar t hur , ' di dn' t Par acel sus, l i ke most of t hese ol df el l ows, i n t he cour se of hi s r esear ches make any pr act i cal di scover i es?'

' I pr ef er t hose whi ch wer e not pr act i cal , ' conf essed t he doct or , wi t ha smi l e. ' Consi der f or exampl e t he _Ti nct ur a Physi cor um_, whi ch nei t herPope nor Emperor coul d buy wi t h al l hi s weal t h. I t was one of t hegreat est al chemi cal myst er i es, and, t hough ment i oned under t he nameof _The Red Li on_ i n many occul t works, was actual l y known to f ewbef ore Par acel sus, except Hermes Tri smegi st us and Al bert us Magnus. I t spr eparat i on was ext r emel y di f f i cul t , f or t he pr esence was needed of t woperf ect l y harmoni ous persons whose ski l l was equal . I t was sai d t o be ar ed et her eal f l ui d. The l east wonder f ul of i t s many pr oper t i es was i t spower t o t r ansmut e al l i nf er i or met al s i nt o gol d. Ther e i s an ol d chur chi n t he sout h of Bavar i a wher e t he t i ncture i s sai d t o be st i l l bur i ed i nt he gr ound. I n t he year 1698 some of i t penet r ated t hr ough t he soi l , andt he phenomenon was wi t nessed by many peopl e, who bel i eved i t t o be ami r acl e. The chur ch whi ch was thereupon erect ed i s st i l l a wel l - knownpl ace f or pi l gr i mage. Par acel sus concl udes hi s di r ecti ons f or i t smanuf actur e wi t h t he words: _But i f t hi s be i ncompr ehensi bl e to you,r emember t hat onl y he who desi r es wi t h hi s whol e hear t wi l l f i nd, and t o

hi m onl y who knocks vehement l y shal l t he door be opened_. '

' I shal l never t r y t o make i t , ' smi l ed Ar t hur .

' Then t here was t he _El ect r um Magi cum_, of whi ch the wi se made mi r r orswherei n t hey were abl e t o see not onl y the event s of t he past and of t hepresent , but t he doi ngs of men i n dayt i me and at ni ght . They mi ght seeanyt hi ng t hat had been wr i t t en or spoken, and t he person who sai d i t ,and t he causes t hat made hi m say i t . But I l i ke best t he _Pr i mum EnsMel i ssae_. An el abor at e pr escr i pt i on i s gi ven f or i t s manuf act ur e. I t was



a remedy t o pr ol ong l i f e, and not onl y Par acel sus, but hi s predecessorsGal en, Ar nol d of Vi l l anova, and Raymond Lul l i , had l abour ed st udi ousl y todi scover i t . '

' Wi l l i t make me ei ght een agai n?' cr i ed Susi e.

' I t i s guarant eed t o do so, ' answered Dr Por hoët gr avel y. ' Lesebr en, aphysi ci an to Loui s XI V, gi ves an account of cer t ai n exper i ment s wi t nessedby hi msel f . I t appears t hat one of hi s f r i ends prepar ed t he remedy, andhi s cur i osi t y woul d not l et hi m r est unt i l he had seen wi t h hi s own eyest he ef f ect of i t . '

' That i s t he t r ue sci ent i f i c at t i t ude, ' l aughed Ar t hur .

' He took ever y mor ni ng at sunr i se a gl ass of whi t e wi ne t i nct ur ed wi t ht hi s pr epar at i on; and af t er usi ng i t f or f our t een days hi s nai l s began t of al l out , wi t hout , however , causi ng hi m any pai n. Hi s cour age f ai l ed hi mat t hi s poi nt , and he gave the same dose to an ol d f emal e servant . Sher egai ned at l east one of t he char act er i st i cs of yout h, much t o herast oni shment , f or she di d not know t hat she had been t aki ng a medi ci ne,

and, becomi ng f r i ght ened, r ef used t o cont i nue. The experi ment er t hen t ooksome gr ai n, soaked i t i n t he t i nct ur e, and gave i t t o an aged hen. On t hesi xth day the bi r d began t o l ose i t s f eat her s, and kept on l osi ng t hemt i l l i t was naked as a newborn babe; but bef ore t wo weeks had passedother f eat hers gr ew, and these were more beaut i f ul l y col our ed t han anyt hat f or t unate hen had possessed i n her yout h. Her comb st ood up, and shebegan agai n t o l ay eggs. '

Ar t hur l aughed hear t i l y.

' I conf ess I l i ke t hat st or y much bet t er t han t he ot hers. The _Pr i mum EnsMel i ssae_ at l east of f er s a l ess puer i l e benef i t t han most magi calsecret s. '

' Do you cal l t he search f or gol d pueri l e?' asked Haddo, who had beensi t t i ng f or a l ong t i me i n compl et e si l ence.

' I venture to cal l i t sordi d. '

' You ar e ver y super i or . '

' Because I t hi nk the ai ms of myst i cal per sons i nvar i abl y gr oss ort r i vi al ? To my pl ai n mi nd, i t i s i nane to r ai se t he dead i n or der t o hearf r om t hei r phant om l i ps not hi ng but commonpl aces. And I r eal l y cannot seet hat t he al chemi st who spent hi s l i f e i n t he at t empt ed manuf act ur e of gol d was a more respectabl e obj ect t han t he out si de j obber of modernci vi l i zat i on. '

' But i f he sought f or gol d i t was f or t he power i t gave hi m, and i t waspower he ai med at when he brooded ni ght and day over di m secr et s. Powerwas t he subj ect of al l hi s dr eams, but not a pal t r y, l i mi t ed domi ni onover t hi s or t hat ; power over t he whol e wor l d, power over al l cr eat edt hi ngs, power over t he very el ement s, power over God Hi msel f . Hi s l ustwas so vast t hat he coul d not r est t i l l t he st ar s i n t hei r cour ses wer eobedi ent t o hi s wi l l . '

For once Haddo l ost hi s eni gmat i c manner . I t was pl ai n now t hat hi s words



i nt oxi cat ed hi m, and hi s f ace assumed a new, a st r ange, expr essi on. Apecul i ar ar r ogance f l ashed i n hi s shi ni ng eyes.

' And what el se i s i t t hat men seek i n l i f e but power ? I f t hey wantmoney, i t i s but f or t he power t hat at t ends i t , and i t i s power agai nt hat t hey st r i ve f or i n al l t he knowl edge they acqui r e. Fool s and sot sai m at happi ness, but men ai m onl y at power. The magus, t he sor cer er ,t he al chemi st , are sei zed wi t h f asci nat i on of t he unknown; and t heydesi r e a gr eat ness t hat i s i naccessi bl e to manki nd. They t hi nk by thesci ence t hey st udy so pat i ent l y, but endur ance and st r engt h, by f orce of wi l l and by i magi nat i on, f or t hese are t he gr eat weapons of t he magi ci an,t hey may achi eve at l ast a power wi t h whi ch t hey can f ace the God of Heaven Hi msel f . '

Ol i ver Haddo l i f t ed hi s huge bul k f r om t he l ow chai r i n whi ch he had beensi t t i ng. He began t o wal k up and down t he st udi o. I t was cur i ous t o seet hi s heavy man, whose ser i ousness was al ways pr obl emat i cal , caught up bya cur i ous exci t ement .

' You' ve been t al ki ng of Par acel sus, ' he sai d. ' Ther e i s one of hi s

exper i ment s whi ch t he doct or has wi t hhel d f r om you. You wi l l f i nd i tnei t her mean nor mer cenar y, but i t i s ver y t er r i bl e. I do not knowwhet her t he account of i t i s t r ue, but i t woul d be of ext r aor di nar yi nterest t o test i t f or onesel f . '

He l ooked r ound at t he f our persons who watched hi m i ntent l y. There wasa si ngul ar agi t at i on i n hi s manner , as t hough t he thi ng of whi ch he spokewas ver y near hi s heart .

' The ol d al chemi st s bel i eved i n t he possi bi l i t y of spont aneousgenerat i on. By t he combi nat i on of psychi cal powers and of st r angeessences, t hey cl ai m t o have cr eat ed f orms i n whi ch l i f e becamemani f est . Of t hese, t he most marvel l ous were t hose st r ange bei ngs,mal e and f emal e, whi ch were cal l ed _homuncul i _. The ol d phi l osophersdoubt ed t he possi bi l i t y of t hi s oper at i on, but Par acel sus asser t sposi t i vel y t hat i t can be done. I pi cked up once f or a song on a bar r owat London Br i dge a l i t t l e book i n German. I t was di r t y and thumbed,many of t he pages were torn, and t he bi ndi ng scar cel y hel d t he l eavest ogether. I t was cal l ed _Di e Sphi nx_ and was edi t ed by a cert ai n Dr Emi lBeset zny. I t cont ai ned t he most ext r aor di nary account I have ever r ead of cer t ai n spi r i t s gener at ed by J ohann- Fer di nand, Count von Küf f st ei n, i nt he Tyrol , i n 1775. The sour ces f r om whi ch t hi s account i s t aken consi stof masoni c manuscr i pt s, but more especi al l y of a di ary kept by a cer t ai n J ames Kammer er , who act ed i n t he capaci t y of but l er and f amul us t o t heCount . The evi dence i s t en t i mes st r onger t han any upon whi ch men bel i evet he ar t i cl es of t hei r re l i gi on. I f i t r el at ed t o l ess wonderf ul subj ect s,you woul d not hesi t ate t o bel i eve i mpl i ci t l y ever y wor d you r ead. Ther e

were t en _homuncul i _- - J ames Kammerer cal l s t hempr ophesyi ng spi r i t s- - kepti n st r ong bot t l es, such as ar e used t o pr eserve f r ui t , and t hese wer ef i l l ed wi t h water. They were made i n f i ve weeks, by t he Count vonKüf f st ei n and an I t al i an myst i c and r osi cruci an, t he Abbé Gel oni . Thebot t l es were cl osed wi t h a magi c seal . The spi r i t s were about a spanl ong, and t he Count was anxi ous t hat t hey shoul d grow. They weret her ef or e bur i ed under t wo car t l oads of manur e, and t he pi l e dai l yspr i nkl ed wi t h a cer t ai n l i quor pr epar ed wi t h gr eat t r oubl e by t headept s. The pi l e af t er such spr i nkl i ngs began t o f erment and st eam, asi f heat ed by a subt err anean f i r e. When t he bot t l es were removed, i t was



f ound that t he spi r i t s had gr own t o about a span and a hal f each; t hemal e _homuncul i _ were come i nt o possessi on of heavy bear ds, and t he nai l sof t he f i ngers had gr own. I n t wo of t he bot t l es there was nothi ng t o beseen save cl ear water , but when t he Abbé knocked thr i ce at t he seal upont he mout h, ut t er i ng at t he same t i me cert ai n Hebr ew words, t he watert ur ned a myster i ous col our , and t he spi r i t s showed t hei r f aces, ver ysmal l at f i r st , but gr owi ng i n si ze t i l l t hey at t ai ned t hat of a humancount enance. And t hi s count enance was horr i bl e and f i endi sh. '

Haddo spoke i n a l ow voi ce t hat was hardl y st eady, and i t was pl ai n thathe was much moved. I t appear ed as i f hi s st ory af f ect ed hi m so t hat hecoul d scarcel y pr eserve hi s composur e. He went on.

' These bei ngs were f ed every thr ee days by t he Count wi t h a r ose- col our edsubst ance whi ch was kept i n a si l ver box. Once a week t he bot t l es wereempt i ed and f i l l ed agai n wi t h pur e rai n- water . The change had t o be mader api dl y, because whi l e the _homuncul i _ were exposed t o t he ai r t heycl osed thei r eyes and seemed t o gr ow weak and unconsci ous, as t hough t heywer e about t o di e. But wi t h t he spi r i t s t hat wer e i nvi si bl e, at cer t ai ni nt erval s bl ood was pour ed i nt o t he water; and i t di sappear ed at once,

i nexpl i cabl y, wi t hout col our i ng or t r oubl i ng i t . By some acci dent one of t he bot t l es f el l one day and was br oken. The _homuncul us_ wi t hi n di edaf t er a f ew pai nf ul r espi r at i ons i n spi t e of al l ef f or t s t o save hi m, andt he body was bur i ed i n t he gar den. An at t empt t o generat e anot her , madeby t he Count wi t hout t he assi st ance of t he Abbé, who had l ef t , f ai l ed; i tpr oduced onl y a smal l t hi ng l i ke a l eech, whi ch had l i t t l e vi t al i t y andsoon di ed. '

Haddo ceased speaki ng, and Ar t hur l ooked at hi m wi t h amazement . ' Butt aki ng f or gr ant ed t hat t he thi ng i s possi bl e, what on ear t h i s t he useof manuf actur i ng t hese st r ange beast s?' he excl ai med.

' Use! ' cr i ed Haddo passi onatel y. ' What do you t hi nk woul d be man' ssensat i ons when he had sol ved t he gr eat myst ery of exi st ence, when he sawl i vi ng bef ore hi m t he subst ance whi ch was dead? These _homuncul i _ wereseen by hi st or i cal per sons, by Count Max Lemberg, by Count Fr anz- J osef von Thun, and by many other s. I have no doubt t hat t hey were act ual l ygener ated. But wi t h our moder n appl i ances, wi t h our gr eat er ski l l , whatmi ght i t not be possi bl e to do now i f we had t he cour age? There ar echemi st s t oi l i ng away i n t hei r l abor at or i es t o creat e the pr i mi t i vepr ot opl asm f r om mat t er whi ch i s dead, t he or gani c f r om t he i nor gani c. Ihave st udi ed t hei r experi ment s. I know al l t hat t hey know. Why shoul dn' tone work on a l arger scal e, j oi ni ng t o the knowl edge of t he ol d adept st he sci ent i f i c di scovery of t he moderns? I don' t know what woul d be ther esul t . I t mi ght be very st r ange and ver y wonder f ul . Somet i mes my mi nd i sver i l y haunt ed by t he desi r e t o see a l i f el ess subst ance move under myspel l s, by the desi r e t o be as God. '

He gave a l ow wei r d l augh, hal f cr uel , hal f vol upt uous. I t made Margar etshudder wi t h sudden f r i ght . He had t hr own hi msel f down i n t he chai r , andhe sat i n compl ete shadow. By a si ngul ar ef f ect hi s eyes appear edbl ood- r ed, and t hey stared i nt o space, st r angel y par al l el , wi t h ani nt ensi t y that was t er r i f yi ng. Ar t hur st ar t ed a l i t t l e and gave hi m asearchi ng gl ance. The l augh and t hat uncanny gl ance, t he unaccount abl eemot i on, wer e ext r aordi nari l y si gni f i cant . The whol e t hi ng was expl ai nedi f Ol i ver Haddo was mad.



There was an uncomf or t abl e si l ence. Haddo' s wor ds wer e out of t unewi t h the r est of t he conver sat i on. Dr Por hoët had spoken of magi calt hi ngs wi t h a scept i cal i r ony t hat gave a cert ai n humour t o the subj ect ,and Susi e was r esol utel y f l i ppant . But Haddo' s vehemence put t hesei ncr edul ous peopl e out of countenance. Dr Por hoët got up t o go. He shookhands wi t h Susi e and wi t h Margar et . Ar t hur opened t he door f or hi m. Theki ndl y schol ar l ooked r ound f or Mar gar et ' s t er r i er . . .

' I must bi d my f ar ewel l s t o your l i t t l e dog. '

He had been so qui et t hat t hey had f orgot t en hi s presence.

' Come here, Copper, ' sai d Margar et .

The dog sl owl y sl unk up t o t hem, and wi t h a t er r i f i ed express i on cr ouchedat Mar gar et ' s f eet .

' What on ear t h' s t he mat t er wi t h you?' she asked.

' He' s f r i ght ened of me, ' sai d Haddo, wi t h t hat harsh l augh of hi s, whi ch

gave such an unpl easant i mpressi on.

' Nonsense! '

Dr Por hoët bent down, st r oked t he dog' s back, and shook i t s paw. Margaretl i f t ed i t up and set i t on a t abl e.

' Now, be good, ' she sai d, wi t h l i f t ed f i nger .

Dr Por hoët wi t h a smi l e went out , and Ar t hur shut t he door behi nd hi m.Suddenl y, as t hough evi l had ent er ed i nt o i t , t he t er r i er spr ang atOl i ver Haddo and f i xed i t s t eet h i n hi s hand. Haddo ut t ered a cr y, and,shaki ng i t of f , gave i t a savage ki ck. The dog r ol l ed over wi t h a l oudbar k t hat was al most a scream of pai n, and l ay st i l l f or a moment as i f i t wer e desper atel y hur t . Mar gar et cr i ed out wi t h hor r or and i ndi gnati on.A f i erce rage on a sudden sei zed Ar t hur so t hat he scar cel y knew what hewas about . The wr et ched br ut e' s suf f er i ng, Mar gar et ' s t er r or , hi s owni nst i nct i ve hat r ed of t he man, wer e j oi ned t oget her i n f r enzi ed passi on.

' You br ut e, ' he mut t er ed.

He hi t Haddo i n t he f ace wi t h hi s cl enched f i st . The man col l apsedbul ki l y t o t he f l oor , and Ar t hur , f ur i ousl y sei z i ng hi s col l ar , begant o ki ck hi m wi t h al l hi s mi ght . He shook hi m as a dog woul d shake ar at and t hen vi ol ent l y f l ung hi m down. For some r eason Haddo made nor esi st ance. He r emai ned wher e he f el l i n ut t er hel pl essness. Ar t hurt ur ned t o Margaret . She was hol di ng t he poor hur t dog i n her hands,

cryi ng over i t , and t r yi ng t o comf or t i t i n i t s pai n. Ver y gent l y heexami ned i t t o see i f Haddo' s brut al ki ck had br oken a bone. They satdown besi de t he f i r e. Susi e, t o st eady her ner ves, l i t a ci gar et t e. Shewas hor r i bl y, acut el y consci ous of t hat man who l ay i n a mass on t hef l oor behi nd t hem. She wondered what he woul d do. She wondered why he di dnot go. And she was ashamed of hi s humi l i at i on. Then her heart st oodst i l l ; f or she r eal i zed t hat he was rai si ng hi msel f t o hi s f eet , sl owl y,wi t h t he di f f i cul t y of a ver y f at per son. He l eaned agai nst t he wal l andst ar ed at t hem. He remai ned t her e qui t e mot i onl ess. Hi s st i l l ness got onher nerves, and she coul d have scr eamed as she f el t hi m l ook at t hem,



l ook wi t h t hose unnat ur al eyes, whose expr essi on now she dared not eveni magi ne.

At l ast she coul d no l onger r esi st t he t empt at i on t o t ur n r ound j ustenough to see hi m. Haddo' s eyes were f i xed upon Margaret so i nt ent l yt hat he di d not see he was hi msel f observed. Hi s f ace, di st or t ed bypassi on, was horr i bl e t o l ook upon. That vast mass of f l esh had amal i gnancy that was i nhuman, and i t was t err i bl e to see the sat ani chat r ed whi ch hi deousl y def ormed i t . But i t changed. The redness gave wayt o a ghast l y pal l or . The revengef ul scowl di sappear ed; and a t orpi d smi l espread over t he f eat ur es, a smi l e that was even more t err i f yi ng t han t hef r own of mal i ce. What di d i t mean? Susi e coul d have cr i ed out , but hert ongue cl eaved t o her t hroat . The smi l e passed away, and t he f ace becameonce more i mpassi ve. I t seemed t hat Margaret and Ar t hur r eal i zed at l astt he power of t hose i nhuman eyes, and t hey became qui t e st i l l . The dogceased i t s sobbi ng. The si l ence was so gr eat t hat each one hear d thebeat i ng of hi s hear t . I t was i nt ol er abl e.

Then Ol i ver Haddo moved. He came f or war d sl owl y.

' I want t o ask you t o f or gi ve me f or what I di d, ' he sai d.

' The pai n of t he dog' s bi t e was so keen t hat I l ost my temper. I deepl yr egr et t hat I ki cked i t . Mr Bur don was ver y ri ght t o t hr ash me. I f eelt hat I deser ved no l ess. '

He spoke i n a l ow voi ce, but wi t h gr eat di st i nct ness. Susi e wasast ounded. An abj ect apol ogy was t he l ast t hi ng she expect ed.

He paused f or Margaret ' s answer . But she coul d not bear t o l ook at hi m.When she spoke, her words were scar cel y audi bl e. She di d not know why hi sr equest t o be f orgi ven made hi m seem more detest abl e.

' I t hi nk, i f you don' t mi nd, you had bett er go away. '

Haddo bowed sl i ght l y. He l ooked at Bur don.

' I wi sh t o t el l you t hat I bear no mal i ce f or what you di d. I r ecogni zet he j ust i ce of your anger . '

Ar t hur di d not answer at al l . Haddo hesi t ated a moment , whi l e hi s eyesr est ed on them qui et l y. To Susi e i t seemed t hat t hey f l i cker ed wi t h theshadow of a smi l e. She wat ched hi m wi t h bewi l dered ast oni shment .

He r eached f or hi s hat , bowed agai n, and went .

8

Susi e coul d not per suade hersel f t hat Haddo' s r egr et was si ncer e. Thehumi l i t y of i t ar oused her suspi ci on. She coul d not get out of her mi ndt he ugl y sl yness of t hat smi l e whi ch succeeded on hi s f ace t he f i r stpassi onate l ook of deadl y hat r ed. Her f ancy suggest ed var i ous dar k meanswher eby Ol i ver Haddo mi ght t ake vengeance on hi s enemy, and she was at



pai ns t o warn Ar t hur . But he onl y l aughed.

' The man' s a f unk, ' he sai d. ' Do you t hi nk i f he' d had anythi ng i n hi m atal l he woul d have l et me ki ck hi m wi t hout t r yi ng t o def end hi msel f ?'

Haddo' s cowardi ce i ncreased t he di sgust wi t h whi ch Ar t hur r egarded hi m.He was amused by Susi e' s t r epi dat i on.

' What on ear t h do you suppose he can do? He can' t drop a br i ckbat on myhead. I f he shoot s me he' l l get hi s head cut of f , and he won' t be such anass as t o r i sk t hat ! '

Mar gar et was gl ad t hat t he i nci dent had r el i eved t hem of Ol i ver ' ssoci et y. She met hi m i n t he str eet a coupl e of days l at er , and si ncehe took of f hi s hat i n t he Fr ench f ashi on wi t hout wai t i ng f or her t oacknowl edge hi m, she was abl e t o make her cut mor e poi nted.

She began t o di scuss wi t h Ar t hur t he date of t hei r marr i age. I t seemedt o her t hat she had got out of Par i s al l i t coul d gi ve her , and shewi shed to begi n a new l i f e. Her l ove f or Ar t hur appear ed on a sudden

mor e ur gent , and she was f i l l ed wi t h del i ght at t he thought of t hehappi ness she woul d gi ve hi m.

A day or t wo l ater Susi e r ecei ved a t el egr am. I t r an as f ol l ows:

Pl ease meet me at t he Gar e du Nord, 2: 40.

Nancy Cl er k

I t was an ol d f r i end, who was apparent l y ar r i vi ng i n Par i s t hataf t er noon. A phot ogr aph of her , wi t h a bol d si gnature, st ood on thechi mneypi ece, and Susi e gave i t an i nqui si t i ve gl ance. She had not seenNancy f or so l ong t hat i t sur pr i sed her t o recei ve t hi s urgent message.

' What a bor e i t i s! ' she sai d. ' I suppose I must go. '

They meant t o have t ea on t he ot her si de of t he r i ver , but t he j ourney t ot he st at i on was so l ong t hat i t woul d not be wort h Susi e' s whi l e t o comeback i n t he i nt erval ; and t hey arr anged t heref ore t o meet at t he house towhi ch t hey wer e i nvi t ed. Susi e st ar t ed a l i t t l e bef or e t wo.

Margaret had a cl ass t hat af t ernoon and set out t wo or t hr ee mi nut esl at er . As she wal ked through t he cour t yar d she st ar t ed ner vousl y, f orOl i ver Haddo passed sl owl y by. He di d not seem t o see her . Suddenl y hest opped, put hi s hand t o hi s hear t , and f el l heavi l y t o t he gr ound. The _conci er ge_, t he onl y person at hand, r an f or war d wi t h a cr y. She knel tdown and, l ooki ng r ound wi t h t err or , caught si ght of Margar et .

' _Oh, mademoi sel l e, venez vi t e!_ ' she cr i ed.

Margaret was obl i ged t o go. Her hear t beat hor r i bl y. She l ooked down atOl i ver , and he seemed t o be dead. She f orgot t hat she l oat hed hi m.I nst i nct i vel y she knel t down by hi s si de and l oosened hi s col l ar . Heopened hi s eyes. An expr essi on of t err i bl e angui sh came i nt o hi s f ace.

' For t he l ove of God, t ake me i n f or one moment , ' he sobbed. ' I shal l di ei n t he str eet . '



Her hear t was moved t owar ds hi m. He coul d not go i nto t he poky den,evi l - smel l i ng and ai r l ess, of t he _conci er ge_. But wi t h her hel p Mar gar etr ai sed hi m t o hi s f eet , and t oget her t hey br ought hi m t o t he st udi o. Hesank pai nf ul l y i nt o a chai r .

' Shal l I f etch you some water? ' asked Margar et .

' Can you get a past i l l e out of my pocket ?'

He swal l owed a whi t e t abl oi d, whi ch she t ook out of a case at t ached t ohi s watch- chai n.

' I ' m ver y sor r y t o cause you t hi s t r oubl e, ' he gasped. ' I suf f er f r om adi sease of t he hear t , and somet i mes I am ver y near deat h. '

' I ' m gl ad t hat I was abl e t o hel p you, ' she sai d.

He seemed abl e t o br eat he mor e easi l y. She l ef t hi m t o hi msel f f or awhi l e, so t hat he mi ght r egai n hi s st r engt h. She took up a book and began

t o read. Pr esent l y, wi t hout movi ng f r om hi s chai r , he spoke.

' You must hate me f or i nt r udi ng on you. '

Hi s voi ce was st r onger , and her pi t y waned as he seemed t o r ecover . Sheanswer ed wi t h f r eezi ng i ndi f f erence.

' I coul dn' t do any l ess f or you t han I di d. I woul d have br ought a dogi nt o my room i f i t seemed hur t . '

' I see t hat you wi sh me to go. '

He got up and moved t owar ds t he door , but he st aggered and wi t h a groant umbl ed t o hi s knees. Margaret sprang f orward t o hel p hi m. She repr oachedher sel f bi t t er l y f or t hose scor nf ul wor ds. The man had bar el y escapeddeath, and she was merci l ess.

' Oh, pl ease stay as l ong as you l i ke, ' she cri ed. ' I ' m sor r y, I di dn' tmean t o hurt you. '

He dr agged hi msel f wi t h di f f i cul t y back to t he chai r , and she,consci ence- st r i cken, st ood over hi m hel pl essl y. She pour ed out agl ass of water , but he mot i oned i t away as t hough he woul d not bebehol den t o her even f or t hat .

' I s t her e not hi ng I can do f or you at al l ?' she excl ai med, pai nf ul l y.

' Not hi ng, except al l ow me to si t i n t hi s chai r , ' he gasped.

' I hope you' l l r emai n as l ong as you choose. '

He di d not r epl y. She sat down agai n and pr etended t o read. I n a l i t t l ewhi l e he began t o speak. Hi s voi ce r eached her as i f f r om a l ong way of f .

' Wi l l you never f or gi ve me f or what I di d t he ot her day?'

She answer ed wi t hout l ooki ng at hi m, her back st i l l t ur ned.



' Can i t mat t er t o you i f I f or gi ve or not ?'

' You have not pi t y. I t ol d you t hen how sor r y I was t hat a suddenuncont r ol l abl e pai n dr ove me t o do a t hi ng whi ch i mmedi at el y I bi t t erl yr egr et t ed. Don' t you thi nk i t must have been hard f or me, under t heact ual ci r cumst ances, t o conf ess my f aul t ?'

' I wi sh you not t o speak of i t . I don' t want t o t hi nk of t hat hor r i bl escene. '

' I f you knew how l onel y I was and how unhappy, you woul d have a l i t t l emercy. '

Hi s voi ce was st r angel y moved. She coul d not doubt now t hat he wassi ncer e.

' You t hi nk me a char l atan because I ai m at t hi ngs t hat are unknown t oyou. You won' t t r y t o unders t and. You won' t gi ve me any credi t f orst r i vi ng wi t h al l my soul t o a ver y gr eat end. '

She made no repl y, and f or a t i me there was si l ence. Hi s voi ce wasdi f f er ent now and cur i ousl y seduct i ve.

' You l ook upon me wi t h di sgust and scorn. You al most per suaded your sel f t o l et me di e i n t he st r eet r ather t han st r etch out t o me a hel pi ng hand.And i f you hadn' t been mer ci f ul t hen, al most agai nst your wi l l , I shoul dhave di ed. '

' I t can make no di f f erence t o you how I r egard you, ' she whi sper ed.

She di d not know why hi s sof t , l ow t ones myst er i ousl y wr ung herhear t st r i ngs. Her pul se began t o beat more qui ckl y.

' I t makes al l t he di f f er ence i n t he wor l d. I t i s hor r i bl e t o t hi nk of your cont empt . I f eel your goodness and your pur i t y. I can hardl y bear myown unwor t hi ness . You t urn your eyes away f r om me as t hough I wereuncl ean. '

She tur ned her chai r a l i t t l e and l ooked at hi m. She was ast oni shed att he change i n hi s appear ance. Hi s hi deous obesi t y seemed no l ongerr epel l ent , f or hi s eyes wor e a new expr essi on; t hey were i ncredi bl yt ender now, and they were moi st wi t h tear s. Hi s mout h was t or t ured by apassi onate di st r ess. Margar et had never seen so much unhappi ness on aman' s f ace, and an overwhel mi ng r emorse sei zed her .

' I don' t want t o be unki nd t o you, ' she sai d.

' I wi l l go. That i s how I can best r epay you f or what you have done. '

The wor ds wer e so bi t t er , so humi l i at ed, t hat t he col our r ose t o hercheeks.

' I ask you t o st ay. But l et us t al k of ot her t hi ngs. '

For a moment he kept si l ence. He seemed no l onger t o see Margar et , andshe watched hi m t hought f ul l y. Hi s eyes r est ed on a pr i nt of _La Gi oconda_



whi ch hung on t he wal l . Suddenl y he began t o speak. He r eci t ed t hehoneyed words wi t h whi ch Wal t er Pat er expr essed hi s admi r at i on f or t hatconsummat e pi ct ure.

' Hers i s t he head upon whi ch al l t he ends of t he wor l d are come, and t heeyel i ds ar e a l i t t l e wear y. I t i s a beaut y wr ought out f r om wi t hi n upont he f l esh, t he deposi t , l i t t l e cel l by cel l , of st r ange t hought s andf ant ast i c r ever i es and exqui si t e passi ons. Set i t f or a moment besi de oneof t hose whi t e Gr eek goddesses or beaut i f ul women of ant i qui t y, and howwoul d t hey be t r oubl ed by t hi s beaut y, i nt o whi ch t he soul wi t h al l i t smal adi es has passed. Al l t he t hought s and experi ence of t he wor l d haveet ched and moul ded t here, i n t hat whi ch they have of power t o ref i ne andmake expr essi ve t he out ward f orm, t he ani mal i sm of Gr eece, t he l ust of Rome, t he myst i ci sm of t he Mi ddl e Ages, wi t h i t s spi r i t ual ambi t i on andi magi nat i ve l oves, t he r eturn of t he Pagan wor l d, t he si ns of t heBor gi as. '

Hi s voi ce, poi gnant and musi cal , bl ended wi t h t he suave musi c of t hewords so t hat Margar et f el t she had never bef ore known thei r di vi nesi gni f i cance. She was i nt oxi cat ed wi t h thei r beaut y. She wi shed hi m t o

cont i nue, but had not t he st r engt h to speak. As i f he guessed hert hought , he went on, and now hi s voi ce had a r i chness i n i t as of anorgan hear d af ar of f . I t was l i ke an overwhel mi ng f r agr ance and she coul dhar dl y bear i t .

' She i s ol der t han t he rocks among whi ch she si t s; l i ke t he vampi r e, shehas been dead many t i mes, and l ear ned the secr et s of t he grave; and hasbeen a di ver i n deep seas, and keeps t hei r f al l en day about her ; andt r af f i cked f or st r ange evi l s wi t h East ern merchant s; and, as Leda, wast he mot her of Hel en of Troy, and, as Sai nt Anne, t he mother of Mary; andal l t hi s has been t o her but as t he sound of l yr es and f l ut es, and l i vesonl y i n the del i cacy wi t h whi ch i t has moul ded t he changi ng l i neament s,and t i nged t he eyel i ds and the hands. '

Ol i ver Haddo began t hen t o speak of Leonardo da Vi nci , mi ngl i ng wi t h hi sown f ant asi es t he per f ect words of t hat essay whi ch, so wonderf ul was hi smemory, he seemed t o know by hear t . He f ound exot i c f anci es i n thel i keness bet ween Sai nt J ohn t he Bapt i st , wi t h hi s sof t f l esh and wavi nghai r , and Bacchus, wi t h hi s ambi guous smi l e. Seen thr ough hi s eyes, t heseashore i n t he Sai nt Anne had t he ai r l ess l ethargy of some damaskedchapel i n a Spani sh nunnery, and over t he l andscapes br ooded a wan spi r i tof evi l t hat was ver y tr oubl i ng. He l oved t he myst er i ous pi ct ur es i nwhi ch t he pai nt er had sought t o expr ess somet hi ng beyond t he l i mi t s of pai nt i ng, somet hi ng of unsati sf i ed desi r e and of l ongi ng f or unhumanpassi ons. Ol i ver Haddo f ound t hi s qual i t y i n unl i kel y pl aces, and hi swords gave a new meani ng t o pai nt i ngs t hat Margar et had passedt hought l essl y by. Ther e was t he port r ai t of a st atuar y by Br onzi no i n t he

Long Gal l ery of t he Louvre. The f eat ur es wer e rat her l ar ge, t he f acer ather br oad. The expr essi on was sombr e, al most sur l y i n the repose of t he pai nt ed canvas, and t he eyes were br own, al mond- shaped l i ke t hose of an Or i ent al ; t he red l i ps wer e exqui si t el y model l ed, and t he sensual i t ywas cur i ousl y di st ur bi ng; t he dar k, chest nut hai r , cut shor t , cur l ed overt he head wi t h an i nf i ni t e gr ace. The ski n was l i ke i vor y sof t ened wi t h adel i cate car mi ne. There was i n that beaut i f ul count enance more t hanbeaut y, f or what most f asci nat ed t he obser ver was a supr eme anddi sdai nf ul i ndi f f er ence t o t he passi on of ot her s. I t was a vi ci ous f ace,except t hat beaut y coul d never be qui t e vi ci ous; i t was a cruel f ace,



except t hat i ndol ence coul d never be qui t e cruel . I t was a f ace thathaunt ed you, and yet your admi r at i on was al l oyed wi t h an unr easoni ngt er r or . The hands were nervous and adr oi t , wi t h l ong f ashi oni ng f i nger s;and you f el t t hat at t hei r t ouch t he cl ay al most moul ded i t sel f i nt ogr aci ous f orms. Wi t h Haddo' s subt l e words t he charact er of t hat man r osebef or e her , cruel yet i ndi f f er ent , i ndol ent and passi onat e, col d yetsensual ; unnat ur al secr et s dwel t i n hi s mi nd, and myst er i ous cr i mes, anda l ust f or t he knowl edge t hat was arcane. Ol i ver Haddo was at t r act ed byal l t hat was unusual , def ormed, and monst r ous, by t he pi ct ur es t hatr epr esent ed t he hi deousness of man or t hat r emi nded you of hi s mort al i t y.He summoned bef ore Margaret t he whol e arr ay of Ri bera' s ghoul i sh dwar f s,wi t h t hei r cunni ng smi l e, t he i nsane l i ght of t hei r eyes, and t hei rmal i ce: he dwel t wi t h a hor r i bl e f asci nat i on upon t hei r mal f or mat i ons,t he humped backs, t he cl ub f eet , t he hydr ocephal i c heads. He descr i bedt he pi ctur e by Val des Leal , i n a cer t ai n pl ace at Sevi l l e, whi chr epr esent s a pr i est at t he al t ar ; and t he al t ar i s sumpt uous wi t h gi l tand f l ori d car vi ng. He wear s a magni f i cent cope and a sur pl i ce of exqui si t e l ace, but he wear s t hem as t hough t hei r wei ght was more t han hecoul d bear ; and i n t he meagr e t r embl i ng hands, and i n t he whi t e, ashenf ace, i n t he dar k hol l owness of t he eyes, t her e i s a bodi l y cor r upt i on

t hat i s t er r i f yi ng. He seems t o hol d t oget her wi t h di f f i cul t y t he bondsof t he f l esh, but wi t h no eager year ni ng of t he soul t o bur st i t s pr i son,onl y wi t h despai r ; i t i s as i f t he Lor d Al mi ght y had f or saken hi m and t hehi gh heavens were empt y of t hei r sol ace. Al l t he beaut y of l i f e appear sf or got t en, and t her e i s not hi ng i n t he wor l d but decay. A ghast l yput r ef act i on has at t acked al r eady t he l i vi ng man; t he worms of t he gr ave,t he pi t eous hor r or of mor t al i t y, and t he dar kness bef ore hi m of f er naughtbut f ear . Beyond, dark ni ght i s seen and a t ur bul ent sea, t he dark ni ghtof t he soul of whi ch t he myst i cs wr i t e, and t he t r oubl ous sea of l i f ewhereon t here i s no r ef uge f or t he wear y and the si ck at hear t .

Then, as i f i n pur suance of a def i ni t e pl an, he anal ysed wi t h asearchi ng, vehement i nt ensi t y the cur i ous t al ent of t he modern Fr enchman,Gust ave Moreau. Margar et had l atel y vi si t ed t he Luxembour g, and hi spi ct ur es wer e f r esh i n her memor y. She had f ound i n them l i t t l e save adecorat i ve ar r angement mar r ed by f aul t y dr awi ng; but Ol i ver Haddo gavet hem at once a new, esoter i c i mpor t . Those ef f ect s as of a Fl or ent i ne j ewel , t he cl ust er ed col ours, emer al d and r uby, t he deep bl ue of sapphi r es, t he atmosphere of scent ed chambers, t he myst i c per sons whoseem ever about secr et , r el i gi ous r i t es, combi ned i n hi s cunni ng phr asest o cr eat e, as i t were, a pat t ern on her soul of morbi d and myst eri ousi nt r i cacy. Those pi ct ur es wer e f i l l ed wi t h a st r ange sense of si n, andt he mi nd t hat cont empl at ed t hemwas burdened wi t h the decadence of Romeand wi t h t he passi onate vi ce of t he Renai ssance; and i t was t or t ur ed,t oo, by al l t he i nt r ospecti on of t hi s l at er day.

Mar gar et l i st ened, r at her br eat hl essl y, wi t h t he exci t ement of an

expl or er bef or e whom i s spr ead the pl ai n of an undi scover ed cont i nent . The pai nt er s she knew spoke of t hei r ar t t echni cal l y, and t hi si magi nat i ve appr eci at i on was new t o her . She was horr i bl y f asci natedby t he personal i t y t hat i mbued t hese el aborat e sent ences. Haddo' s eyeswere f i xed upon hers , and she r esponded t o hi s words l i ke a del i cat ei nst r ument made f or r ecor di ng the beat i ngs of t he hear t . She f el t anext r aor di nary l anguor . At l ast he st opped. Margar et nei t her moved norspoke. She mi ght have been under a spel l . I t seemed t o her t hat she hadno power i n her l i mbs.



' I want t o do somethi ng f or you i n r eturn f or what you have done f or me, 'he sai d.

He st ood up and went t o t he pi ano.

' Si t i n thi s chai r , ' he sai d.

She di d not dr eam of di sobeyi ng. He began t o pl ay. Margaret was hardl ysur pr i sed t hat he pl ayed mar vel l ousl y. Yet i t was al most i ncredi bl e t hatt hose f at , l arge hands shoul d have such a tenderness of t ouch. Hi sf i ngers caressed t he notes wi t h a pecul i ar suavi t y, and he dr ew out of t he pi ano ef f ects whi ch she had scarcel y t hought possi bl e. He seemed t oput i nt o t he notes a t r oubl i ng, ambi guous passi on, and the i nst r ument hadt he t r emul ous emot i on of a human bei ng. I t was st r ange and terr i f yi ng.She was vaguel y f ami l i ar wi t h t he musi c t o whi ch she l i st ened; but t herewas i n i t , under hi s f i nger s, an exot i c savour t hat made i t har moni ouswi t h al l t hat he had sai d that af t ernoon. Hi s memory was i ndeedastoni shi ng. He had an i nf i ni t e t act t o know t he f eel i ng t hat occupi edMargaret ' s hear t , and what he chose seemed t o be exact l y t hat whi ch att he moment she i mper at i vel y needed. Then he began to pl ay thi ngs she di d

not know. I t was musi c t he l i ke of whi ch she had never hear d, barbar i c,wi t h a pl ai nt i ve wei r dness t hat br ought t o her f ancy t he moonl i t ni ght sof desert pl aces, wi t h pal m t r ees mut e i n t he wi ndl ess ai r , and t awnydi st ances. She seemed t o know t or t uous nar r ow st r eet s, whi t e houses of si l ence wi t h st r ange moon- shadows, and t he gl ow of yel l ow l i ght wi t hi n,and t he ti nkl i ng of uncout h i nst r ument s, and t he acr i d scent s of East er nperf umes. I t was l i ke a pr ocessi on passi ng t hr ough her mi nd of personswho were not human, yet exi st ed myst eri ousl y, wi t h a l i f e of vampi r es.Mona Li sa and Sai nt J ohn t he Bapt i st , Bacchus and t he mother of Mary,went wi t h eni gmat i c mot i ons. But t he daught er of Herodi as rai sed herhands as t hough, engaged f or ever i n a myst i c r i t e, t o i nvoke out l andi shgods. Her f ace was ver y pal e, and her dark eyes were sl eepl ess; t he j ewel s of her gi r dl e gl eamed wi t h sombre f i r es; and her dress was of col our s t hat have l ong been l ost . The smi l e, i n whi ch was al l t he sorr owof t he wor l d and al l i t s wi ckedness, behel d t he wan head of t he Sai nt ,and wi t h a voi ce t hat was col d wi t h the col dness of deat h she mur mur edt he words of t he poet :

' I am amor ous of t hy body, I okanaan! Thy body i s whi t e l i ke t he l i l i es of a f i el d that t he mower hat h never mowed. Thy body i s whi t e l i ke t he snowst hat l i e on the mount ai ns of J udea, and come down i nt o t he val l eys. Ther oses i n t he garden of t he Queen of Ar abi a ar e not so whi t e as t hy body.Nei t her t he roses i n the garden of t he Queen of Ar abi a, t he garden of spi ces of t he Queen of Ar abi a, nor t he f eet of t he dawn when t hey l i ghton t he l eaves, nor t he br east of t he moon when she l i es on t he br east of t he sea. . . Ther e i s not hi ng i n t he wor l d so whi t e as t hy body. Suf f er met o t ouch t hy body. '

Ol i ver Haddo ceased to pl ay. Nei t her of t hem st i r r ed. At l ast Mar gar etsought by an ef f or t t o r egai n her sel f - cont r ol .

' I shal l begi n t o t hi nk that you r eal l y ar e a magi ci an, ' she sai d,l i ght l y.

' I coul d show you st r ange t hi ngs i f you car ed t o see t hem, ' he answered,agai n r ai si ng hi s eyes t o her s.



' I don' t t hi nk you wi l l ever get me t o bel i eve i n occul t phi l osophy, 'she l aughed.

' Yet i t r ei gned i n Per si a wi t h t he magi , i t endowed I ndi a wi t h wonderf ult r adi t i ons, i t ci vi l i sed Gr eece t o t he sounds of Or pheus' s l yr e. '

He st ood bef ore Margar et , t ower i ng over her i n hi s huge bul k; and t herewas a si ngul ar f asci nat i on i n hi s gaze. I t seemed t hat he spoke onl y t oconceal f r om her t hat he was put t i ng f ort h now al l t he power t hat was i nhi m.

' I t conceal ed t he f i r st pr i nci pl es of sci ence i n t he cal cul at i ons of Pyt hagor as. I t est abl i shed empi r es by i t s or acl es, and at i t s voi cet yrant s grew pal e upon t hei r t hr ones. I t governed t he mi nds of some bycur i osi t y, and ot her s i t r ul ed by fear . '

Hi s voi ce gr ew ver y l ow, and i t was so seduct i ve t hat Mar gar et ' s brai nr eel ed. The sound of i t was over poweri ng l i ke t oo sweet a f r agr ance.

I t el l you t hat f or t hi s ar t not hi ng i s i mpossi bl e. I t commands t he

el ement s, and knows t he l anguage of t he st ars, and di r ect s t he pl anetsi n t hei r cour ses. The moon at i t s bi ddi ng f al l s bl ood- r ed f r om t he sky. The dead r i se up and f or m i nt o omi nous wor ds t he ni ght wi nd t hat moanst hr ough t hei r skul l s. Heaven and Hel l ar e i n i t s pr ovi nce; and al l f or ms,l ovel y and hi deous; and l ove and hate. Wi t h Ci r ce' s wand i t can changemen i nt o beast s of t he f i el d, and to t hem i t can gi ve a monst r oushumani t y. Li f e and deat h ar e i n t he ri ght hand and i n t he l ef t of hi m whoknows i t s secret s. I t conf er s weal t h by t he t r ansmut at i on of metal s andi mmor t al i t y by i t s qui nt essence. '

Margaret coul d not hear what he sai d. A gr adual l ethargy sei zed her underhi s bal ef ul gl ance, and she had not even t he st r engt h to wi sh to f r eeher sel f . She seemed bound t o hi m al r eady by hi dden chai ns.

' I f you have powers , show t hem, ' she whi sper ed, hardl y consci ous t hat shespoke.

Suddenl y he rel eased t he enormous t ensi on wi t h whi ch he hel d her . Li ke aman who has exer t ed al l hi s st r ength t o some end, t he vi ct ory won, hel oosened hi s muscl es, wi t h a f ai nt si gh of exhaust i on. Mar gar et di d notspeak, but she knew t hat somet hi ng hor r i bl e was about t o happen. Herhear t beat l i ke a pr i soned bi r d, wi t h hel pl ess f l ut t er i ngs, but i t seemedt oo l ate now t o dr aw back. Her words by a myst i c i nf l uence had set t l edsomet hi ng beyond possi bi l i t y of r ecal l .

On the st ove was a smal l bowl of pol i shed br ass i n whi ch water was kepti n or der t o gi ve a cer t ai n moi st ur e t o t he ai r . Ol i ver Haddo put hi s hand

i n hi s pocket and dr ew out a l i t t l e si l ver box. He t apped i t , wi t h asmi l e, as a man t aps a snuf f - box, and i t opened. He t ook an i nf i ni t esi malquant i t y of a bl ue powder t hat i t cont ai ned and t hr ew i t on t he wat er i nt he br ass bowl . I mmedi atel y a br i ght f l ame spr ang up, and Margaret gave acr y of al arm. Ol i ver l ooked at her qui ckl y and mot i oned her t o remai nst i l l . She saw t hat t he wat er was on f i r e. I t was bur ni ng as br i l l i ant l y,as hot l y, as i f i t were common gas; and i t bur ned wi t h the same dr y,hoar se r oar . Suddenl y i t was ext i ngui shed. She l eaned f orward and sawt hat t he bowl was empty.



The wat er had been consumed, as t hough i t wer e st r aw, and not a dropr emai ned. She passed her hand absent l y acr oss her f orehead.

' But wat er cannot bur n, ' she mut t ered t o her sel f .

I t seemed t hat Haddo knew what she t hought , f or he smi l ed st r angel y.

' Do you know t hat not hi ng more dest r uct i ve can be i nvent ed t han t hi s bl uepowder , and I have enough to burn up al l t he wat er i n Par i s? Who dreamtt hat wat er mi ght bur n l i ke chaf f ?'

He paused, seemi ng to f orget her pr esence. He l ooked thought f ul l y at t hel i t t l e s i l ver box.

' But i t can be made onl y i n t r i vi al quant i t i es, at enormous expense andwi t h exceedi ng l abour ; i t i s so vol at i l e t hat you cannot keep i t f ort hr ee days. I have somet i mes t hought t hat wi t h a l i t t l e i ngenui t y I mi ghtmake i t mor e st abl e, I mi ght so modi f y i t t hat , l i ke r adi um, i t l ost nost r engt h as i t bur ned; and t hen I shoul d possess t he gr eat est secr et t hathas ever been i n t he mi nd of man. For t here woul d be no end of i t . I t

woul d cont i nue to burn whi l e there was a dr op of water on t he eart h, andt he whol e worl d woul d be consumed. But i t woul d be a f r i ght f ul t hi ng tohave i n one' s hands; f or once i t were cast upon t he waters , t he doom of al l t hat exi st ed woul d be seal ed beyond repeal . '

He t ook a l ong br eat h, and hi s eyes gl i t t er ed wi t h a devi l i sh ardour . Hi svoi ce was hoar se wi t h overwhel mi ng emot i on.

' Somet i mes I am haunted by t he wi l d desi r e to have seen t he gr eat andf i nal scene when t he i r r evocabl e f l ames pour ed down t he r i ver , hur r yi ngal ong t he st r eams of t he ear t h, sear chi ng out t he moi st ur e i n al l gr owi ngt hi ngs, t ear i ng i t even f r om t he eter nal r ocks; when t he f l ames pour eddown l i ke t he r ushi ng of t he wi nd, and al l t hat l i ved f l ed f r om bef or et hemt i l l t hey came t o t he sea; and t he sea i t sel f was consumed i nvehement f i r e. '

Margar et shudder ed, but she di d not t hi nk the man was mad. She hadceased t o j udge hi m. He took one more part i cl e of t hat at r oci ous powderand put i t i n t he bowl . Agai n he t hr ust hi s hand i n hi s pocket andbrought out a handf ul of some crumbl i ng subst ance t hat mi ght have beendr i ed l eaves, l eaves of di f f er ent sort s, br oken and powder y. Ther e wasa tr ace of moi st ur e i n t hem st i l l , f or a l ow f l ame spr ang up i mmedi at el yat t he bot t om of t he di sh, and a t hi ck vapour f i l l ed t he r oom. I t had asi ngul ar and pungent odour t hat Margar et di d not know. I t was di f f i cul tt o br eat he, and she coughed. She want ed t o beg Ol i ver t o st op, but coul dnot . He took t he bowl i n hi s hands and br ought i t t o her.

' Look, ' he commanded.

She bent f or war d, and at t he bot t omsaw a bl ue f i r e, of a pecul i arsol i di t y, as t hough i t consi st ed of mol t en met al . I t was not st i l l , butwr i t hed st r angel y, l i ke ser pent s of f i r e t or t ur ed by t hei r own unear t hl yardour .

' Br eat he ver y deepl y. '

She di d as he t ol d her . A sudden t r embl i ng came over her , and darkness



f el l acr oss her eyes. She t r i ed t o cr y out , but coul d ut t er no sound. Herbr ai n reel ed. I t seemed t o her t hat Haddo bade her cover her f ace. Shegasped f or breat h, and i t was as i f t he eart h spun under her f eet . Sheappeared t o t r avel at an i mmeasurabl e speed. She made a sl i ght movement ,and Haddo t ol d her not t o l ook r ound. An i mmense t err or sei zed her . Shedi d not know whi t her she was bor ne, and st i l l t hey went qui ckl y, qui ckl y;and the hur r i cane i t sel f woul d have l agged behi nd them. At l ast t hei rmot i on ceased; and Ol i ver was hol di ng her arm.

' Don' t be af r ai d, ' he sai d. ' Open your eyes and st and up. '

The ni ght had f al l en; but i t was not t he comf or t abl e ni ght t hat soot hest he t r oubl ed mi nds of mort al men; i t was a ni ght t hat agi t ated t he soulmyster i ousl y so that each ner ve i n the body t i ngl ed. Ther e was a l ur i ddarkness whi ch di spl ayed and yet di st or t ed t he obj ect s t hat surr oundedt hem. No moon shone i n the sky, but smal l st ars appear ed t o dance on t heheat her , vague ni ght - f i r es l i ke spi r i t s of t he damned. They stood i n avast and t r oubl ed wast e, wi t h huge st ony boul ders and l eaf l ess t r ees,r ugged and gnar l ed l i ke t or t ur ed soul s i n pai n. I t was as i f t her e hadbeen a devast at i ng st orm, and the count r y r eposed af t er t he f l ood of

r ai n and t he t empest uous wi nd and t he l i ght ni ng. Al l t hi ngs about t hemappeared dumbl y t o suf f er , l i ke a man r acked by t orment s who has not t hest r engt h even t o real i ze t hat hi s agony has ceased. Margaret hear d t hef l i ght of monst r ous bi r ds, and t hey seemed t o whi sper st r ange t hi ngson t hei r passage. Ol i ver t ook her hand. He l ed her st eadi l y to acr oss- r oad, and she di d not know i f t hey wal ked ami d r ocks or t ombs.

She hear d the sound of a t r umpet , and f r om al l part s, st r angel y appear i ngwhere bef ore was not hi ng, a t urbul ent assembl y surged about her . Thatvast empty space was suddenl y f i l l ed by shadowy f orms, and t hey sweptal ong l i ke the waves of t he sea, cr owdi ng upon one another ' s heel s. Andi t seemed t hat al l t he mi ght y dead appear ed bef ore her ; and she saw gr i mt yrant s, and pai nt ed cour t esans, and Roman emperor s i n thei r pur pl e, andsul t ans of t he East . Al l t hose f i erce evi l women of ol den t i me passed byher si de, and now i t was Mona Li sa and now t he subt l e daught er of Herodi as. And J ezebel l ooked out upon her f r om beneat h her pai nted brows,and Cl eopat r a t ur ned away a wan, l ewd f ace; and she saw t he i nsat i abl emout h and t he want on eyes of Messal i na, and Fust i ne was haggar d wi t h theet er nal f i r es of l ust . She saw car di nal s i n t hei r scar l et , and war r i or si n t hei r st eel , gay gent l emen i n per i wi gs, and l adi es i n powder andpatch. And on a sudden, l i ke l eaves by the wi nd, al l t hese were dr i venbef ore t he si l ent t hr ongs of t he oppr essed; and they were i nnumerabl e ast he sands of t he sea. Thei r t hi n f aces were ear t hy wi t h want andcaver nous f r om di sease, and t hei r eyes wer e dul l wi t h despai r . Theypassed i n thei r t at t er ed mot l ey, some i n t he f ant ast i c r ags of t hebeggars of Al br echt Dür er and some i n t he gr ey cerecl ot hs of Le Nai n;many wore t he bl ouses and the caps of t he r abbl e i n France, and many t he

di ngy, smoke- gr i med weeds of Engl i sh poor . And they surged onward l i ke ar i ot ous cr owd i n nar r ow st r eet s f l yi ng i n t err or bef or e t he mount edt r oops. I t seemed as t hough al l t he wor l d were gathered t here i n st r angeconf usi on.

Then al l agai n was voi d; and Mar garet ' s gaze was r i vet ed upon a great ,r ui ned t r ee t hat st ood i n t hat wast e pl ace, al one, i n ghast l y desol at i on;and though a dead t hi ng, i t seemed t o suf f er a more t han human pai n. Thel i ght ni ng had t or n i t asunder , but t he wi nd of cent ur i es had soughti n vai n t o dr ag up i t s r oot s. The tor t ur ed br anches, bar e of any twi g,



wer e l i ke a Ti t an' s ar ms, convul sed wi t h i nt ol er abl e angui sh. And i n amoment she gr ew si ck wi t h f ear , f or a change came i nt o t he t r ee, and thet r emul ousness of l i f e was i n i t ; t he rough bar k was changed i nt o br ut i shf l esh and t he t wi st ed branches i nto human arms. I t became a monst r ous,goat - l egged t hi ng, more vast t han t he creat ur es of ni ght mare. She saw t hehor ns and t he l ong bear d, t he gr eat hai r y l egs wi t h t hei r hoof s, and t heman' s r apaci ous hands. The f ace was horr i bl e wi t h l ust and cr uel t y, andyet i t was di vi ne. I t was Pan, pl ayi ng on hi s pi pes, and t he l echer ouseyes caressed her wi t h a hi deous t enderness. But even whi l e she l ooked,as t he mi st of ear l y day, r i si ng, di scl oses a f ai r count r y, t he ani malpart of t hat ghoul i sh cr eat ur e seemed t o f al l away, and she saw a l ovel yyout h, t i t ani c but subl i me, l eani ng agai nst a massi ve r ock. He was morebeaut i f ul t han t he Adam of Mi chel angel o who wakes i nt o l i f e at t he cal lof t he Al mi ght y; and, l i ke hi m f r eshl y cr eat ed, he had t he ador abl el anguor of one who f eel s st i l l i n hi s l i mbs t he sof t r ai n on t he l oosebr own ear t h. Naked and f ul l of maj est y he l ay, t he out cast son of t hemorni ng; and she dared not l ook upon hi s f ace, f or she knew i t wasi mpossi bl e t o bear t he undyi ng pai n t hat dar kened i t wi t h ruthl essshadows. I mpel l ed by a gr eat cur i osi t y, she sought t o come near er,but t he vast f i gur e seemed st r angel y to di ssol ve i nt o a cl oud; and

i mmedi atel y she f el t hersel f agai n surr ounded by a hur r yi ng t hr ong. Then came al l l egendary monst er s and f oul beast s of a madman' s f ancy;i n the darkness she saw enormous t oads, wi t h paws pr essed to t hei rf l anks, and huge l i mpi ng scar abs, shel l ed cr eat ur es t he l i ke of whi chshe had never seen, and noi some br utes wi t h horny scal es and r ound cr abs'eyes, uncout h pr i meval t hi ngs, and wi nged ser pent s, and cr eepi ng ani mal sbegot t en of t he sl i me. She heard shr i l l cr i es and peal s of l aught er andt he terr i f yi ng r at t l e of men at t he poi nt of deat h. Haggard women,di shevel l ed and l ewd, car r i ed wi ne; and when t hey spi l t i t t her e wer est ai ns l i ke t he stai ns of bl ood. And i t seemed t o Mar gar et t hat a f i r ebur ned i n her vei ns, and her soul f l ed f r om her body; but a new soulcame i n i t s pl ace, and suddenl y she knew al l t hat was obscene. She t ookpar t i n some f est i val of hi deous l ust , and t he wi ckedness of t he wor l dwas pat ent t o her eyes. She saw t hi ngs so vi l e t hat she scr eamed i nt er r or , and she hear d Ol i ver l augh i n der i si on by her si de. I t was ascene of i ndescr i babl e horr or, and she put her hands t o her eyes so t hatshe mi ght not see.

She f el t Ol i ver Haddo take her hands. She woul d not l et hi m dr ag t hemaway. Then she hear d hi m speak.

' You need not be af r ai d. '

Hi s voi ce was qui t e natur al once more, and she r eal i zed wi t h a st art t hatshe was si t t i ng qui etl y i n t he st udi o. She l ooked ar ound her wi t hf r i ght ened eyes. Ever ythi ng was exact l y as i t had been. The ear l y ni ghtof aut umn was f al l en, and t he onl y l i ght i n t he r oom came f r om t he f i r e.

There was st i l l t hat vague, acr i d scent of t he subst ance whi ch Haddo hadbur ned.

' Shal l I l i ght t he candl es?' he sai d.

He st r uck a mat ch and l i t t hose whi ch were on t he pi ano. They thr ew ast r ange l i ght . Then Margaret suddenl y r emember ed al l t hat she had seen,and she r emembered that Haddo had st ood by her si de. Shame sei zed her,i nt ol erabl e shame, so that t he col our , r i si ng t o her cheeks, seemedactual l y t o bur n t hem. She hi d her f ace i n her hands and bur st i nt o



tears.

' Go away, ' she sai d. ' For God' s sake, go. '

He l ooked at her f or a moment ; and the smi l e came t o hi s l i ps whi ch Susi ehad seen af t er hi s t ussl e wi t h Ar t hur , when l ast he was i n t he st udi o.

' When you want me you wi l l f i nd me i n t he Rue de Vaugi r aud, number 209, 'he sai d. ' Knock at t he second door on t he l ef t , on t he t hi r d f l oor . '

She di d not answer . She coul d onl y thi nk of her appal l i ng shame.

' I ' l l wr i t e i t down f or you i n case you f or get . '

He scr i bbl ed t he address on a sheet of paper t hat he f ound on t he tabl e.Margaret t ook no not i ce, but sobbed as t hough her hear t woul d br eak.Suddenl y, l ooki ng up wi t h a st ar t , she saw t hat he was gone. She had notheard hi m open t he door or cl ose i t . She sank down on her knees andpr ayed desperat el y, as t hough some t err i bl e danger t hr eat ened her.

But when she hear d Susi e' s key i n t he door , Margaret sprang t o her f eet .She st ood wi t h her back t o the f i r epl ace, her hands behi nd her , i n t heatt i t ude of a pr i soner pr ot est i ng hi s i nnocence. Susi e was t oo muchannoyed to observe t hi s agi t at i on.

' Why on eart h di dn' t you come t o t ea?' she asked. ' I coul dn' t make outwhat had become of you. '

' I had a dr eadf ul headache, ' answered Mar gar et , t r yi ng to cont r olher sel f .

Susi e f l ung her sel f down wear i l y i n a chai r . Mar gar et f or ced her sel f t ospeak.

' Had Nancy anyt hi ng part i cul ar t o say t o you?' she asked.

' She never t ur ned up, ' answer ed Susi e i r r i t abl y. ' I can' t under st and i t .I wai t ed t i l l t he tr ai n came i n, but t her e was no si gn of her . Then It hought she mi ght have hi t upon t hat t i me by chance and was not comi ngf r om Engl and, so I wal ked about t he stat i on f or hal f an hour . '

She went t o the chi mneypi ece, on whi ch had been l ef t t he tel egr am t hatsummoned her t o t he Gare du Nord, and r ead i t agai n. She gave a l i t t l ecry of sur pr i se.

' How st upi d of me! I never not i ced t he post mark. I t was sent f r omt he RueL i t t r é . '

Thi s was l ess t han t en mi nut es' wal k f r om t he st udi o. Susi e l ooked at t hemessage wi t h perpl exi t y.

' I wonder i f someone has been pl ayi ng a si l l y pr act i cal j oke on me. ' Sheshr ugged her shoul der s. ' But i t ' s t oo f ool i sh. I f I wer e a suspi ci ouswoman, ' she smi l ed, ' I shoul d t hi nk you had sent i t your sel f t o get meout of t he way. '

The i dea f l ashed t hrough Mar garet t hat Ol i ver Haddo was t he aut hor of i t .



He mi ght easi l y have seen Nancy' s name on the phot ogr aph dur i ng hi s f i r stvi si t t o t he st udi o. She had no t i me t o t hi nk bef ore she answeredl i ght l y.

' I f I want ed t o get r i d of you, I shoul d have no hesi t at i on i n sayi ngso. '

' I suppose no one has been here?' asked Susi e.

' No one. '

The l i e sl i pped f r om Mar garet ' s l i ps bef or e she had made up her mi nd t ot el l i t . Her hear t gave a gr eat beat agai nst her chest . She f el t her sel f r edden.

Susi e got up t o l i ght a ci gar ett e. She wi shed t o rest her ner ves. The boxwas on t he t abl e and, as she hel ped her sel f , her eyes f el l car el essl y ont he addr ess t hat Haddo had l ef t . She pi cked i t up and r ead i t al oud.

' Who on ear t h l i ves t here?' she asked.

' I don' t know at al l , ' answer ed Margar et.

She br aced her sel f f or f ur t her quest i ons, but Susi e, wi t hout i nt er est ,put down t he sheet of paper and st r uck a mat ch.

Margar et was ashamed. Her nat ur e was si ngul ar l y t r ut hf ul , and i t t r oubl edher extr aor di nar i l y t hat she had l i ed t o her gr eat est f r i end. Somet hi ngst r onger t han her sel f seemed t o i mpel her . She woul d have gi ven much t oconf ess her t wo f al sehoods, but had not t he cour age. She coul d not beart hat Susi e' s i mpl i ci t t r ust i n her st r ai ght f or war dness shoul d bedest r oyed; and t he admi ss i on t hat Ol i ver Haddo had been ther e woul dent ai l a f ur t her acknowl edgment of t he namel ess hor r ors she hadwi t nessed. Susi e woul d thi nk her mad.

There was a knock at t he door; and Mar garet , her nerves shat t er ed by al lt hat she had endur ed, coul d hardl y rest r ai n a cr y of t er r or. She f earedt hat Haddo had r etur ned. But i t was Ar t hur Bur don. She gr eet ed hi m wi t ha passi onat e rel i ef t hat was unusual , f or she was by natur e a woman of gr eat sel f - possessi on. She f el t excessi vel y weak, physi cal l y exhaust edas t hough she had gone a l ong j our ney, and her mi nd was hi ghl y wr ought .Margaret r emember ed t hat her st ate had been the same on her f i r st ar r i vali n Par i s, when, i n her eager ness t o get a pr el i mi nar y gl i mpse of i t smar vel s, she had hur r i ed t i l l her bones ached f r omone cel ebr at edmonument t o anot her . They began t o speak of t r i vi al t hi ngs. Margarett r i ed t o j oi n cal ml y i n t he conver sati on, but her voi ce soundedunnatural , and she f anci ed t hat more than once Ar t hur gave her a cur i ous

l ook. At l engt h she coul d cont r ol her sel f no l onger and bur st i nt o asudden f l ood of t ear s. I n a moment , uncompr ehendi ng but af f ect i onate, hecaught her i n hi s ar ms. He asked tender l y what was t he mat t er . He soughtt o comf or t her . She wept ungover nabl y, cl i ngi ng t o hi m f or pr ot ect i on.

' Oh, i t ' s not hi ng, ' she gasped. ' I don' t know what i s t he mat t er wi t h me.I ' m onl y ner vous and f r i ght ened. '

Ar t hur had an i dea t hat women were of t en af f l i ct ed wi t h what he descr i bedby the ol d- f ashi oned name of vapour s, and was not di sposed to pay much



at t ent i on t o thi s vehement di st r ess. He soot hed her as he woul d have donea chi l d.

' Oh, t ake car e of me, Ar t hur . I ' m so af r ai d t hat some dr eadf ul t hi ng wi l lhappen t o me. I want al l your st r engt h. Pr omi se t hat you' l l never f orsakeme. '

He l aughed, as he ki ssed away her t ear s, and she t r i ed t o smi l e.

' Why can' t we be marr i ed at once?' she asked. ' I don' t want t o wai t anyl onger . I shan' t f eel saf e t i l l I ' m act ual l y your wi f e. '

He reasoned wi t h her ver y gent l y. Af t er al l , t hey wer e t o be marr i ed i n af ew weeks. They coul d not easi l y hast en matt ers , f or t hei r house was notyet r eady, and she needed t i me t o get her cl othes. The dat e had beenf i xed by her . She l i st ened sul l enl y to hi s wor ds. Thei r wi sdom was pl ai n,and she di d not see how she coul d possi bl y i nsi st . Even i f she tol d hi mal l t hat had passed he woul d not bel i eve her ; he woul d t hi nk she wassuf f er i ng f r om some t r i ck of her mor bi d f ancy.

' I f anythi ng happens t o me, ' she answered, wi t h the dark, angui shed eyesof a hunt ed beast , ' you wi l l be to bl ame. '

' I pr omi se you t hat not hi ng wi l l happen. '

9

Margaret ' s ni ght was di st ur bed, and next day she was unabl e t o go abouther wor k wi t h her usual t r anqui l l i t y. She t r i ed t o r eason her sel f i nt oa natur al expl anat i on of t he event s t hat had happened. The t el egr amt hat Susi e had r ecei ved poi nt ed t o a def i ni t e scheme on Haddo' s par t ,and suggest ed t hat hi s sudden i l l ness was but a devi ce t o get i nt o t hest udi o. Once ther e, he had used her nat ural sympat hy as a means wher ebyt o exerci se hi s hypnot i c power , and al l she had seen was merel y thecr eat i on of hi s own l i bi di nous f ancy. But t hough she sought t o persuadeher sel f t hat , i n pl ayi ng a vi l e t r i ck on her , he had t aken a shamef uladvant age of her pi t y, she coul d not l ook upon hi m wi t h anger. Hercont empt f or hi m, her utt er l oat hi ng, wer e al l oyed wi t h a f eel i ng t hataroused i n her horr or and di smay. She coul d not get t he man out of hert hought s. Al l t hat he had sai d, al l t hat she had seen, seemed, as thoughi t possessed a power of materi al gr owt h, unaccount abl y to absorb her . I twas as i f a rank weed were pl ant ed i n her hear t and sl i d l ong poi sonoust ent acl es down ever y ar t ery, so t hat each par t of her body was enmeshed.

Wor k coul d not di st r act her , conver sat i on, exer ci se, ar t , l ef t herl i st l ess; and bet ween her and al l t he act i ons of l i f e st ood t hef l amboyant , bul ky f or m of Ol i ver Haddo. She was t er r i f i ed of hi m nowas never bef or e, but cur i ousl y had no l onger t he physi cal r epul si onwhi ch hi t her t o had mast er ed al l ot her f eel i ngs. Al t hough she repeat ed t oher sel f t hat she want ed never t o see hi m agai n, Mar gar et coul d scar cel yr esi st an overwhel mi ng desi r e to go to hi m. Her wi l l had been t aken f r omher , and she was an aut omat on. She st r uggl ed, l i ke a bi r d i n t he f owl er ' snet wi t h usel ess beati ng of t he wi ngs; but at t he bot t om of her hear t shewas di ml y consci ous t hat she di d not want t o resi st . I f he had gi ven her



t hat addr ess, i t was because he knew she woul d use i t . She di d not knowwhy she want ed to go t o hi m; she had not hi ng t o say t o hi m; she knew onl yt hat i t was necessary t o go. But a f ew days bef ore she had seen t he _Phèdr e_ of Raci ne, and she f el t on a sudden al l t he t or ment s t hat wr ungt he hear t of t hat unhappy queen; she, t oo, st r uggl ed ai ml essl y to escapef r omt he poi son t hat t he i mmort al gods pour ed i n her vei ns. She askedher sel f f r ant i cal l y whet her a spel l had been cast over her , f or now shewas wi l l i ng t o bel i eve that Haddo' s power was al l - embr aci ng. Margaretknew t hat i f she yi el ded t o the horr i bl e tempt at i on nothi ng coul d saveher f r om dest r uct i on. She woul d have cr i ed f or hel p t o Ar t hur or t oSusi e, but somethi ng, she knew not what , pr event ed her . At l engt h, dr i venal most t o di st r act i on, she t hought t hat Dr Por hoët mi ght do somethi ng f orher . He, at l east , woul d under st and her mi ser y. There seemed not a momentt o l ose, and she hast ened t o hi s house. They t ol d her he was out . Herhear t sank, f or i t seemed t hat her l ast hope was gone. She was l i ke aper son dr owni ng, who cl i ngs t o a r ock; and t he waves dash agai nst hi m,and beat upon hi s bl eedi ng hands wi t h a mal i ce al l t oo human, as i f t ot ear t hem f r om t hei r r ef uge.

I nst ead of goi ng t o t he sket ch- cl ass, whi ch was hel d at si x i n t he

eveni ng, she hur r i ed t o t he addr ess t hat Ol i ver Haddo had gi ven her. Shewent al ong t he cr owded st r eet st eal t hi l y, as t hough af r ai d t hat someonewoul d see her, and her heart was i n a t ur moi l . She desi r ed wi t h al l hermi ght not t o go, and sought vehement l y to pr event hersel f , and yet wi t halshe went . She r an up t he st ai r s and knocked at t he door . She r emember edhi s di r ect i ons di st i nct l y. I n a moment Ol i ver Haddo st ood bef or e her . Hedi d not seem ast oni shed t hat she was t here. As she st ood on t he l andi ng,i t occur r ed t o her suddenl y t hat she had no r eason t o of f er f or hervi si t , but hi s wor ds saved her f r omany need f or expl anat i on.

' I ' ve been wai t i ng f or you, ' he sai d.

Haddo l ed her i nt o a si t t i ng- r oom. He had an apar t ment i n a _mai sonmeubl ée_, and heavy hangi ngs, t he sol i d f ur ni t ur e of t hat sort of housei n Par i s, was unexpect ed i n connexi on wi t h hi m. The sur r oundi ngs were socommonpl ace t hat t hey seemed t o emphasi se hi s si ngul ar i t y. There was apecul i ar l ack of comf or t , whi ch suggest ed t hat he was i ndi f f er ent t omateri al t hi ngs. The room was l arge, but so cumbered t hat i t gave acr amped i mpr essi on. Haddo dwel t t her e as i f he were apart f r om anyhabi t at i on t hat mi ght be hi s. He moved caut i ousl y among the heavyf ur ni t ur e, and hi s great obesi t y was somehow more r emarkabl e. There wast he acr i d per f ume whi ch Margar et r emember ed a f ew days bef ore i n hervi si on of an East er n ci t y.

Aski ng her t o si t down, he began t o tal k as i f t hey were ol dacquai ntances between whom not hi ng of moment had occur r ed. At l astshe took her cour age i n bot h hands.

' Why di d you make me come here?' she asked suddenl y,

' You gi ve me credi t now f or ver y marvel l ous powers, ' he smi l ed.

' You knew I shoul d come. '

' I knew. '

' What have I done t o you t hat you shoul d make me so unhappy? I want you



t o l eave me al one. '

' I shal l not pr event you f r om goi ng out i f you choose to go. No har m hascome t o you. The door i s open. '

Her hear t beat qui ckl y, pai nf ul l y al most , and she r emai ned si l ent . Sheknew t hat she di d not want t o go. There was somet hi ng t hat drew herst r angel y t o hi m, and she was ceasi ng t o resi st . A st r ange f eel i ng begant o take hol d of her , cr eepi ng st eal t hi l y thr ough her l i mbs; and she wast er r i f i ed, but unaccount abl y el at ed.

He began t o t al k wi t h t hat l ow voi ce of hi s t hat t hr i l l ed her wi t h acur i ous magi c. He spoke not of pi ct ur es now, nor of books, but of l i f e.He t ol d her of st r ange East ern pl aces where no i nf i del had been, and hersensi t i ve f ancy was af l ame wi t h t he honeyed f ervour of hi s phr ase. Hespoke of t he dawn upon sl eepi ng desol ate ci t i es, and t he moonl i t ni ght sof t he desert , of t he sunsets wi t h t hei r spl endour , and of t he cr owdedst r eet s at noon. The beaut y of t he East r ose bef ore her . He t ol d herof many- col our ed webs and of si l ken car pet s, t he gl i t t er i ng st eel of armour damascened, and of barbar i c, pr i cel ess gems. The spl endour of t he

East bl i nded her eyes. He spoke of f r anki ncense and myr r h and al oes, of heavy per f umes of t he scent - merchant s, and dr owsy odour s of t he Syr i angar dens. The f r agr ance of t he East f i l l ed her nost r i l s. And al l t heset hi ngs wer e t r ansf or med by t he power of hi s wor ds t i l l l i f e i t sel f seemed of f er ed t o her , a l i f e of i nf i ni t e vi vaci t y, a l i f e of f r eedom,a l i f e of supernatur al knowl edge. I t seemed t o her t hat a compar i son wasdrawn f or her at t ent i on bet ween the nar r ow r ound whi ch awai t ed her asAr t hur ' s wi f e and t hi s f ai r , f ul l exi st ence. She shudder ed t o thi nk of t he dul l house i n Harl ey St r eet and t he i nsi gni f i cance of i t s humdr umdut i es. But i t was possi bl e f or her al so to enj oy the wonder of t hewor l d. Her soul year ned f or a beauty t hat t he commonal t y of men di d notknow. And what devi l suggest ed, a warp as i t were i n t he woof of Ol i ver ' sspeech, t hat her exqui si t e l ovel i ness gave her t he r i ght t o devot eher sel f t o t he gr eat ar t of l i vi ng? She f el t a sudden desi r e f orperi l ous advent ur es. As t hough f i r e passed t hr ough her , she sprang t oher f eet and st ood wi t h pant i ng bosom, her f l ashi ng eyes br i ght wi t h t hemul t i - col our ed pi ct ur es t hat hi s magi c pr esent ed.

Ol i ver Haddo st ood t oo, and they f aced one another . Then, on a sudden,she knew what t he passi on was t hat consumed her . Wi t h a qui ck movement ,hi s eyes more t han ever s t r angel y st ari ng, he t ook her i n hi s arms, andhe ki ssed her l i ps. She sur r ender ed her sel f t o hi m vol upt uousl y. Herwhol e body burned wi t h t he ecst asy of hi s embrace.

' I t hi nk I l ove you, ' she sai d, hoar sel y.

She l ooked at hi m. She di d not f eel ashamed.

' Now you must go, ' he sai d.

He opened the door , and, wi t hout anot her word, she went . She wal kedt hr ough t he st r eet s as i f not hi ng at al l had happened. She f el t nei t herr emorse nor r evul si on.

Then Mar garet f el t ever y day t hat uncont r ol l abl e desi r e t o go t o hi m;and, t hough she t r i ed t o persuade hersel f not t o yi el d, she knew t hat heref f ort was onl y a pr etence: she di d not want anyt hi ng t o pr event her .



When i t seemed t hat some acci dent woul d do so, she coul d scarcel y cont r olher i r r i t at i on. Ther e was al ways t hat vi ol ent hunger of t he soul whi chcal l ed her t o hi m, and t he onl y happy hour s she had were t hose spent i nhi s company. Day af t er day she f el t t hat compl ete ecst asy when he t ookher i n hi s huge ar ms, and ki ssed her wi t h hi s heavy, sensual l i ps. Butt he ecst asy was ext r aor di nar i l y mi ngl ed wi t h l oat hi ng, and her physi calat t r act i on was al l i ed wi t h physi cal abhor r ence.

Yet when he l ooked at her wi t h t hose pal e bl ue eyes, and t hrew i nt ohi s voi ce t hose t r oubl i ng accent s, she f or got everyt hi ng. He spokeof unhal l owed t hi ngs. Somet i mes, as i t wer e, he l i f t ed a cor ner of t hevei l , and she caught a gl i mpse of t er r i bl e secret s. She under st ood howmen had bart ered thei r soul s f or i nf i ni t e knowl edge. She seemed t ost and upon a pi nnacl e of t he t empl e, and spi r i t ual ki ngdoms of darkness,pr i nci pal i t i es of t he unknown, wer e spr ead bef or e her eyes t o l ur e hert o dest r uct i on. But of Haddo hi msel f she l ear ned nothi ng. She di d notknow i f he l oved her . She di d not know i f he had ever l oved. He appear edt o st and apart f r om human ki nd. Margaret di scovered by chance t hat hi smother l i ved, but he woul d not speak of her .

' Some day you shal l see her, ' he sai d.

' When?'

' Ver y soon. '

Meanwhi l e her l i f e pr oceeded wi t h al l out war d r egul ar i t y. She f ound i teasy t o decei ve her f r i ends, because i t occur r ed t o nei t her t hat herf r equent absence was not due t o t he pl ausi bl e reasons she gave. The l i eswhi ch at f i r st seemed i nt ol er abl e now t r i pped gl i bl y of f her t ongue. Butt hough they were so natur al , she was sei zed of t en wi t h a pani c of f earl est t hey shoul d be di scovered; and somet i mes, suf f eri ng agoni es of r emorse, she woul d l i e i n bed at ni ght and t hi nk wi t h ut t er shame of t heway she was usi ng Ar t hur . But t hi ngs had gone t oo f ar now, and she mustl et t hem t ake t hei r cour se. She scar cel y knew why her f eel i ngs t owar dshi m had so compl etel y changed. Ol i ver Haddo had scar cel y ment i oned hi sname and yet had poi soned her mi nd. The compar i son bet ween t he two was t oAr t hur ' s di sadvant age. She t hought hi m a l i t t l e dul l now, and hi scommonpl ace way of l ooki ng at l i f e cont r ast ed wi t h Haddo' s f asci nat i ngbol dness. She r epr oached Ar t hur i n her hear t because he had neverunder st ood what was i n her . He nar r owed her mi nd. And gradual l y she begant o hate hi m because her debt of gr at i t ude was so gr eat . I t seemed unf ai rt hat he shoul d have done so much f or her . He f orced her t o marr y hi m byhi s benef i cence. Yet Mar gar et cont i nued t o di scuss wi t h hi m t hearr angement of t hei r house i n Harl ey St r eet . I t had been her wi sh t of ur ni sh t he dr awi ng- r oom i n the st yl e of Loui s XV; and toget her t hey madel ong excur si ons t o buy chai r s or ol d pi eces of si l k wi t h whi ch t o cover

t hem. Ever ythi ng shoul d be per f ect i n i t s ki nd. The date of t hei rmar r i age was f i xed, and al l t he detai l s wer e sett l ed. Ar t hur wasr i di cul ousl y happy. Margar et made no si gn. She di d not t hi nk of t hef ut ur e, and she spoke of i t onl y t o war d of f suspi ci on. She was i nwardl yconvi nced now t hat t he mar r i age woul d never t ake pl ace, but what was t oprevent i t she di d not know. She watched Susi e and Ar t hur cunni ngl y. Butt hough she watched i n or der t o conceal her own secr et , i t was another ' st hat she di scovered. Suddenl y Margar et became aware that Susi e was deepl yi n l ove wi t h Ar t hur Bur don. The di scover y was so ast oundi ng t hat at f i r sti t seemed absur d.



' You' ve never done t hat car i catur e of Ar t hur f or me t hat you pr omi sed, 'she sai d, suddenl y.

' I ' ve t r i ed, but he doesn' t l end hi msel f t o i t , ' l aughed Susi e.

' Wi t h that l ong nose and the gaunt f i gur e I shoul d have t hought you coul dmake somet hi ng scr eami ngl y f unny. '

' How oddl y you t al k of hi m! Somehow I can onl y see hi s beaut i f ul , ki ndeyes and hi s t ender mout h. I woul d as soon do a cari catur e of hi m aswr i t e a parody on a poem I l oved. '

Margar et t ook t he port f ol i o i n whi ch Susi e kept her sket ches. She caughtt he l ook of al ar m t hat crossed her f r i end' s f ace, but Susi e had not t hecour age to pr event her f r om l ooki ng. She turned t he dr awi ngs carel essl yand pr esent l y came t o a sheet upon whi ch, i n a more or l ess f i ni shedst at e, wer e hal f a dozen heads of Ar t hur . Pr et endi ng not t o see i t , shewent on t o the end. When she cl osed t he port f ol i o Susi e gave a si gh of r e l i e f .

' I wi sh you worked harder , ' sai d Margar et , as she put t he sket ches down.' I wonder you don' t do a head of Ar t hur as you can' t do a cari catur e. '

' My dear , you must n' t expect everyone t o t ake such an over power i ngi nt erest i n t hat young man as you do. '

The answer added a l ast cer t ai nt y t o Mar garet ' s suspi ci on. She t ol dher sel f bi t t er l y that Susi e was no l ess a l i ar t han she. Next day, whent he ot her was out , Margar et l ooked thr ough the port f ol i o once more, butt he sketches of Ar t hur had di sappear ed. She was sei zed on a sudden wi t hanger because Susi e dar ed to l ove the man who l oved her .

The web i n whi ch Ol i ver Haddo enmeshed her was woven wi t h ski l f uli nt r i cacy. He t ook each par t of her char act er separ at el y and f or t i f i edwi t h consummate ar t hi s i nf l uence over her . There was somet hi ng sat ani ci n hi s del i ber at i on, yet i n actual t i me i t was al most i ncredi bl e t hat hecoul d have changed t he ol d abhor r ence wi t h whi ch she r egarded hi m i ntot hat hungr y passi on. Mar gar et coul d not now r eal i ze her l i f e apar t f r omhi s. At l engt h he t hought t he t i me was r i pe f or t he f i nal st ep.

' I t may i nt er est you t o know t hat I ' m l eavi ng Par i s on Thur sday, ' he sai dcasual l y, one af t er noon.

She st ar t ed t o her f eet and st ar ed at hi m wi t h bewi l dered eyes.

' But what i s t o become of me?'

' You wi l l mar r y t he excel l ent Mr Bur don. '

' You know I cannot l i ve wi t hout you. How can you be so cruel ?'

' Then t he onl y al t ernat i ve i s t hat you shoul d accompany me. '

Her bl ood r an col d, and her hear t seemed pr essed i n an i r on vi ce.

' What do you mean?'



' There i s no need t o be agi t ated. I am maki ng you an emi nent l y desi r abl eof f er of mar r i age. '

She sank hel pl essl y i nt o her chai r . Because she had r ef used t o t hi nk of t he f utur e, i t had never st r uck her t hat t he t i me must come when i t woul dbe necessary t o l eave Haddo or t o t hr ow i n her l ot wi t h hi s def i ni t el y.She was sei zed wi t h r evul si on. Margaret r eal i zed t hat , t hough an odi ousat t r act i on bound her t o the man, she l oat hed and f ear ed hi m. The scal esf el l f r om her eyes. She r emembered on a sudden Ar t hur ' s great l ove andal l t hat he had done f or her sake. She hat ed her sel f . Li ke a bi r d at i t sl ast gasp beat i ng f r ant i cal l y agai nst t he bars of a cage, Mar garet made adesperate ef f or t t o r egai n her f r eedom. She spr ang up.

' Let me go f r om here. I wi sh I ' d never seen you. I don' t know what you' vedone wi t h me. '

' Go by al l means i f you choose, ' he answered.

He opened t he door , so t hat she mi ght see he used no compul si on, and

st ood l azi l y at t he t hr eshol d, wi t h a hat ef ul smi l e on hi s f ace. Ther ewas somet hi ng t er r i bl e i n hi s excessi ve bul k. Rol l s of f at descended f r omhi s chi n and conceal ed hi s neck. Hi s cheeks were huge, and t he l ack of beard added t o t he hi deous nakedness of hi s f ace. Margar et st opped as shepassed hi m, horr i bl y repel l ed yet horr i bl y f asci nated. She had an i mmensedesi r e that he shoul d t ake her agai n i n hi s arms and pr ess her l i ps wi t ht hat r ed vol upt uous mout h. I t was as t hough f i ends of hel l were t aki ngr evenge upon her l ovel i ness by i nspi r i ng i n her a passi on f or t hi smonst r ous cr eat ur e. She t r embl ed wi t h t he i nt ensi t y of her desi r e. Hi seyes were hard and cr uel .

' Go, ' he sai d.

She bent her head and f l ed f r om bef ore hi m. To get home she passedt hr ough the gardens of t he Luxembour g, but her l egs f ai l ed her, andi n exhaust i on she sank upon a bench. The day was sul t r y. She t r i ed t ocol l ect her sel f . Mar gar et knew wel l t he par t i n whi ch she sat , f or i n t heenthusi ast i c days t hat seemed so l ong gone by she was accust omed t o comet here f or t he sake of a cer t ai n t r ee upon whi ch her eyes now r est ed.I t had al l t he sl i m del i cacy of a J apanese pr i nt . The l eaves wer e sl enderand f r agi l e, hal f gol d wi t h aut umn, hal f gr een, but so tenuous t hat t hedar k br anches made a pat t ern of subt l e beaut y agai nst t he sky. The handof a dr aught sman coul d not have f ashi oned i t wi t h a more excel l entski l l . But now Mar gar et coul d t ake no pl easur e i n i t s gr ace. She f el ta hear t r endi ng pang t o t hi nk t hat t hencef orward t he consummate t hi ngsof ar t woul d have no meani ng f or her . She had seen Ar t hur t he eveni ngbef ore, and remember ed wi t h an agony of shame t he l i es t o whi ch she had

been f or ced i n or der t o expl ai n why she coul d not see hi m t i l l l at e thatday. He had pr oposed t hat t hey shoul d go t o Ver sai l l es, and was bi t t er l ydi sappoi nt ed when she t ol d hi m t hey coul d not , as usual on Sundays, spendt he whol e day t ogether. He accept ed her excuse t hat she had t o vi si t asi ck f r i end. I t woul d not have been so i nt ol er abl e i f he had suspect edher of decei t , and hi s r epr oaches woul d have hardened her hear t . I t washi s ent i r e conf i dence whi ch was so di f f i cul t t o bear .

' Oh, i f I coul d onl y make a cl ean br east of i t al l , ' she cri ed.



The bel l of Sai nt Sul pi ce was r i ngi ng f or vespers. Mar garet wal ked sl owl yt o the chur ch, and sat down i n the seat s r eserved i n t he t r ansept f or t heneedy. She hoped t hat t he musi c she must hear t her e woul d r est her soul ,and perhaps she mi ght be abl e t o pr ay. Of l at e she had not dared. Therewas a pl easant dar kness i n t he pl ace, and i t s l ar ge si mpl i ci t y wassoot hi ng. I n her exhaust i on, she wat ched l i st l essl y the peopl e go t o andf r o. Behi nd her was a pr i est i n t he conf essi onal . A l i t t l e peasant gi r l ,i n a Br et on _coi f f e_, per haps a mai d- servant l at el y come f r om her nati vevi l l age t o t he gr eat capi t al , passed i n and knel t down. Margar et coul dhear her mut t ered words, and at i nt erval s t he deep voi ce of t he pr i est .I n t hr ee mi nut es she t r i pped neat l y away. She l ooked so f r esh i n herpl ai n bl ack dr ess, so heal t hy and i nnocent , t hat Mar garet coul d notr est r ai n a sob of envy. The chi l d had so l i t t l e to conf ess, a f ew punyer r or s whi ch must exci t e a smi l e on t he l i ps of t he gent l e pr i est , andher candi d spi r i t was l i ke snow. Margar et woul d have gi ven anyt hi ng t okneel down and whi sper i n t hose passi onl ess ears al l t hat she suf f ered,but t he pr i est ' s f ai t h and hers were not t he same. They spoke a di f f erentt ongue, not of t he l i ps onl y but of t he soul , and he woul d not l i st en t ot he words of an heret i c.

A l ong pr ocessi on of semi nar i st s came i n f r omt he col l ege whi ch i s undert he shadow of t hat great chur ch, t wo by t wo, i n bl ack cassocks and shor twhi t e surpl i ces. Many were t onsured al r eady. Some were qui t e young.Margaret watched t hei r f aces, wonder i ng i f t hey were torment ed by suchagony as she. But t hey had a l i vi ng f ai t h t o sust ai n t hem, and i f some,as was pl ai n, were narr ow and obt use, t hey had at l east a f i xed r ul ewhi ch pr event ed t hem f r om swervi ng i nt o t r eacherous byways. One of t wohad a wan ascet i c l ook, such as t he sai nts may have had when t he t er r orof l i f e was known t o them onl y i n t he i magi ni ngs of t he cl oi st er . Thecanons of t he chur ch f ol l owed i n t hei r more gorgeous vest ment s, andf i nal l y the of f i ci at i ng cl ergy.

The musi c was beaut i f ul . There was about i t a st ai d, sad di gni t y; and i tseemed t o Margaret f i t t hus t o adore God. But i t di d not move her . Shecoul d not under st and the wor ds t hat t he pr i est s chant ed; t hei r gest ur es,t hei r movement s t o and f r o, were st r ange to her . For her t hat st at el yser vi ce had no meani ng. And wi t h a gr eat cr y i n her hear t she sai d t hatGod had f orsaken her . She was al one i n an al i en l and. Evi l was al l abouther , and i n t hose cer emoni es she coul d f i nd no comf ort . What coul d sheexpect when t he God of her f athers l ef t her t o her f ate? So that shemi ght not weep i n f r ont of al l t hose peopl e, Margar et wi t h down- t ur nedf ace wal ked t o t he door . She f el t ut t er l y l ost . As she wal ked al ong t hei nt ermi nabl e st r eet t hat l ed t o her own house, she was shaken wi t h sobs.

' God has f orsaken me, ' she repeat ed. ' God has f oresaken me. '

Next day, her eyes r ed wi t h weepi ng, she dr agged hersel f t o Haddo' s door .

When he opened i t , she went i n wi t hout a word. She sat down, and hewatched her i n si l ence.

' I am wi l l i ng t o mar r y you whenever you choose, ' she sai d at l ast .

' I have made al l t he necessary ar r angement s. '

' You have spoken t o me of your mot her . Wi l l you t ake me to her at once. '

The shadow of a smi l e cr ossed hi s l i ps.



' I f you wi sh i t . '

Haddo tol d her t hat t hey coul d be marr i ed bef ore the Consul ear l y enoughon t he Thur sday morni ng t o cat ch a t r ai n f or Engl and. She l ef t everyt hi ngi n hi s hands.

' I ' m desper at el y unhappy, ' she sai d dul l y.

Ol i ver l ai d hi s hands upon her shoul ders and l ooked i nt o her eyes.

' Go home, and you wi l l f orget your t ear s. I command you t o be happy. '

Then i t seemed t hat t he bi t t er st r uggl e between t he good and t he evi l i nher was done, and t he evi l had conquered. She f el t on a sudden cur i ousl yel at ed. I t seemed no l onger t o mat t er t hat she decei ved her f ai t hf ulf r i ends. She gave a bi t t er l augh, as she t hought how easy i t was t ohoodwi nk t hem.

* * * * *

Wednesday happened t o be Ar t hur ' s bi r t hday, and he asked her t o di ne wi t hhi m al one.

' We' l l do our sel ves proud, and hang t he expense, ' he sai d.

They had ar r anged t o eat at a f ashi onabl e r est aurant on t he ot her si de of t he ri ver , and soon af t er seven he f etched her. Margar et was dr essed wi t hexceedi ng car e. She st ood i n t he mi ddl e of t he room, wai t i ng f or Ar t hur ' sarr i val , and sur veyed her sel f i n t he gl ass. Susi e thought she had neverbeen more beaut i f ul .

' I t hi nk you' ve gr own more pl easi ng to l ook upon t han you ever were, ' shesai d. ' I don' t know what i t i s t hat has come over you of l at e, butt her e' s a dept h i n your eyes t hat i s qui t e new. I t gi ves you an oddmyst er i ousness whi ch i s ver y at t r act i ve. '

Knowi ng Susi e' s l ove f or Ar t hur, she wondered whet her her f r i end was notheart broken as she compared her own pl ai nness wi t h the r adi ant beaut yt hat was bef ore her . Ar t hur came i n, and Margaret di d not move. Hest opped at t he door t o l ook at her . Thei r eyes met . Hi s hear t beatqui ckl y, and yet he was sei zed wi t h awe. Hi s good f or t une was t oo gr eatt o bear, when he thought t hat t hi s pri cel ess t r easur e was hi s. He coul dhave knel t down and worshi pped as t hough a goddess of ol d Gr eece st oodbef ore hi m. And to hi m al so her eyes had changed. They had acqui r ed abur ni ng passi on whi ch di st ur bed and yet enchant ed hi m. I t seemed t hat t hel ovel y gi r l was changed al r eady i nt o a l ovel y woman. An eni gmat i c smi l e

came to her l i ps.

' Ar e you pl eased?' she asked.

Ar t hur came f orward and Margar et put her hands on hi s shoul der s.

' You have scent on, ' he sai d.

He was surpr i sed, f or she had never used i t bef or e. I t was a f ai nt ,al most acr i d per f ume t hat he di d not know. I t r emi nded hi m vaguel y of



t hose odour s whi ch he r emembered i n hi s chi l dhood i n t he East . I t wasr emot e and st r ange. I t gave Margar et a new and t r oubl i ng char m. There hadever been somet hi ng col d i n her st atuesque beaut y, but t hi s t ouch somehowcur i ousl y emphasi zed her sex. Ar t hur ' s l i ps t wi t ched, and hi s gaunt f acegr ew pal e wi t h passi on. Hi s emot i on was so gr eat t hat i t was near l y pai n.He was puzzl ed, f or her eyes expr essed t hi ngs t hat he had never seen i nt hem bef or e.

' Why don' t you ki ss me?' she sai d.

She di d not see Susi e, but knew t hat a qui ck l ook of angui sh crossed herf ace. Margar et dr ew Ar t hur t owards her . Hi s hands began t o t r embl e. Hehad never vent ured t o express t he pass i on t hat consumed hi m, and when heki ssed her i t was wi t h a r est r ai nt t hat was al most br other l y. Now t hei rl i ps met . For get t i ng t hat anyone el se was i n t he room, he f l ung hi s armsaround Margaret . She had never ki ssed hi m i n that way bef ore, and ther apt ur e was i nt ol er abl e. Her l i ps wer e l i ke l i vi ng f i r e. He coul d nott ake hi s own away. He f or got ever ythi ng. Al l hi s st r engt h, al l hi ssel f - cont r ol , desert ed hi m. I t cr ossed hi s mi nd t hat at t hi s moment hewoul d wi l l i ngl y di e. But t he del i ght of i t was so gr eat t hat he coul d

scar cel y wi t hhol d a cr y of agony. At l engt h Susi e' s voi ce r emi nded hi mof t he wor l d.

' You' d f ar bet t er go out t o di nner i nst ead of behavi ng l i ke a pai r of compl et e i di ot s. '

She t r i ed t o make her t one as f l i ppant as t he words, but her voi ce wascut by a pang of agony. Wi t h a l i t t l e l augh, Mar gar et wi t hdr ew f r omAr t hur ' s embr ace and l i ght l y l ooked at her f r i end. Susi e' s br ave smi l edi ed away as she caught t hi s gl ance, f or t here was i n i t a mal i ci oushat r ed t hat st art l ed her . I t was so unexpect ed t hat she was t er r i f i ed.What had she done? She was af r ai d, dr eadf ul l y af r ai d, t hat Margar et hadguessed her secret . Ar t hur st ood as i f hi s senses had l ef t hi m, qui ver i ngst i l l wi t h t he ext r emi t y of passi on.

' Susi e says we must go, ' smi l ed Margaret .

He coul d not speak. He coul d not r egai n the convent i onal manner of pol i t esoci et y. Very pal e, l i ke a man suddenl y awaked f r om deep sl eep, he wentout at Margaret ' s s i de. They wal ked al ong t he passage. Though t he doorwas cl osed behi nd t hem and t hey were out of ear shot , Margar et seemed notwi t hst andi ng t o hear Susi e' s passi onat e sobbi ng. I t gave her a hor r i bl edel i ght . The tavern t o whi ch t hey went was on t he Boul evard des I t al i ens,and at t hi s date t he most f r equent ed i n Par i s. I t was crowded, but Ar t hurhad r eser ved a t abl e i n t he mi ddl e of t he room. Her r adi ant l ovel i nessmade peopl e st are at Margar et as she passed, and her consci ousness of t headmi r at i on she exci t ed i ncr eased her beaut y. She was sat i sf i ed t hat ami d

t hat t hr ong of t he best - dressed women i n the wor l d she had cause t o envyno one. The gai ety was char mi ng. Shaded l i ghts gave an opul ent cosi nesst o t he scene, and t her e were f l owers everywher e. I nnumerabl e mi r r orsr ef l ect ed women of t he wor l d, admi r abl y gowned, act r esses of r enown, andf ashi onabl e cour t esans. The noi se was ver y gr eat . A Hungar i an band pl ayedi n a di st ant corner , but t he musi c was dr owned by t he l oud tal ki ng of exci t ed men and t he boi st erous l aught er of women. I t was pl ai n t hatpeopl e had come to spend t hei r money wi t h a l avi sh hand. The vi vaci ouscrowd was gi ven over wi t h al l i t s hear t t o t he pl easur e of t he f l eet i ngmoment . Ever yone had put asi de grave thought s and sor r ow.



Margaret had never been i n bet t er spi r i t s. The champagne went qui ckl y toher head, and she t al ked al l manner of charmi ng nonsense. Ar t hur wasenchant ed. He was very pr oud, ver y pl eased, and very happy. They tal kedof al l t he thi ngs t hey woul d do when t hey were mar r i ed. They t al ked of t he pl aces t hey must go t o, of t hei r home and of t he beaut i f ul t hi ngswi t h whi ch t hey woul d f i l l i t . Mar gar et ' s ani mat i on was ext r aor di nar y.Ar t hur was amused at her del i ght wi t h t he br i ght ness of t he pl ace, wi t ht he good t hi ngs t hey ate, and wi t h t he wi ne. Her l aught er was l i ke ar i ppl i ng br ook. Ever yt hi ng t ended t o take hi m out of hi s usual r eser ve.Li f e was ver y pl easi ng, at t hat moment , and he f el t si ngul ar l y j oyf ul .

' Let us dr i nk t o t he happi ness of our l i f e, ' he sai d.

They t ouched gl asses. He coul d not t ake hi s eyes away f r om her .

' You' r e si mpl y wonder f ul t oni ght , ' he sai d. ' I ' m al most af r ai d of my goodf or t une. '

' What i s t her e t o be af r ai d of ?' she cr i ed.

' I shoul d l i ke to l ose somet hi ng I val ued i n or der t o pr opi t i at e t hef ates. I am t oo happy now. Ever ythi ng goes t oo wel l wi t h me. '

She gave a sof t , l ow l augh and st r etched out her hand on t he tabl e. Noscul pt or coul d have model l ed i t s exqui si t e del i cacy. She wor e onl y oner i ng, a l arge emeral d whi ch Ar t hur had gi ven her on t hei r engagement . Hecoul d not r esi st t aki ng her hand.

' Woul d you l i ke t o go on anywher e?' he sai d, when t hey had f i ni sheddi nner and wer e dr i nki ng t hei r cof f ee.

' No, l et us st ay her e. I must go t o bed ear l y, as I have a ti r i ng daybef ore me t omor r ow. '

' What are you goi ng t o do?' he asked.

' Nothi ng of any i mport ance, ' she l aughed.

Present l y t he di ner s began t o go i n l i t t l e gr oups, and Mar gar et suggest edt hat t hey shoul d saunt er t owards t he Madel ei ne. The ni ght was f i ne, butr at her col d, and t he broad avenue was cr owded. Margar et wat ched thepeopl e. I t was no l ess amusi ng t han a pl ay. I n a l i t t l e whi l e, t hey tooka cab and dr ove t hr ough t he st r eet s, si l ent al r eady, t hat l ed t o t hequart er of t he Mont parnasse. They sat i n si l ence, and Margar et nest l edcl ose to Ar t hur . He put hi s arm ar ound her wai st . I n t he shut cab t hatf ai nt , or i ent al odour r ose agai n t o hi s nost r i l s, and hi s head r eel ed as

i t had bef or e di nner .

' You' ve made me very happy, Margaret , ' he whi sper ed. ' I f eel t hat ,however l ong I l i ve, I shal l never have a happi er day than t hi s. '

' Do you l ove me very much?' she asked, l i ght l y.

He di d not answer , but t ook her f ace i n hi s hands and ki ssed herpassi onat el y. They ar r i ved at Mar gar et ' s house, and she t r i pped upt o the door . She hel d out her hand to hi m, smi l i ng.



' Goodni ght . '

' I t ' s dr eadf ul t o t hi nk that I must spend a dozen hour s wi t hout seei ngyou. When may I come?'

' Not i n t he morni ng, because I shal l be too busy. Come at t wel ve. '

She remember ed t hat her t r ai n st ar t ed exact l y at t hat hour . The door wasopened, and wi t h a l i t t l e wave of t he hand she di sappear ed.

10

Susi e st ared wi t hout comprehensi on at t he not e that announced Margaret ' smar r i age. I t was a _pet i t bl eu_ sent of f f r omt he Gar e du Nor d, and r anas f ol l ows:

When you recei ve thi s I shal l be on my way to London. I was mar r i ed t oOl i ver Haddo thi s mor ni ng. I l ove hi m as I never l oved Ar t hur . I haveacted i n t hi s manner because I t hought I had gone t oo f ar wi t h Ar t hur t omake an expl anati on possi bl e. Pl ease t el l hi m.

MARGARET

Susi e was f i l l ed wi t h di smay. She di d not know what t o do nor what t ot hi nk. There was a knock at t he door , and she knew i t must be Ar t hur , f orhe was expected at mi dday. She deci ded qui ckl y that i t was i mpossi bl e t obr eak the news t o hi m t hen and t here. I t was needf ul f i r st t o f i nd outal l manner of t hi ngs, and besi des, i t was i ncredi bl e. Maki ng up her mi nd,she opened the door .

' Oh, I ' m so sor r y Mar gar et i sn' t her e, ' she sai d. ' A f r i end of her s i si l l and sent f or her suddenl y. '

' What a bore! ' answered Ar t hur . ' Mr s Bl oomf i el d as usual , I suppose?'

' Oh, you know she' s been i l l ?'

' Margar et has spent near l y ever y af t ernoon wi t h her f or some days. '

Susi e di d not answer . Thi s was t he f i r st she had hear d of Mr sBl oomf i el d' s i l l ness, and i t was news t hat Mar gar et was i n t he habi tof vi si t i ng her . But her chi ef obj ect at t hi s moment was t o get r i d

of Ar t hur .

' Won' t you come back at f i ve o' cl ock?' she sai d.

' But , l ook here, why shoul dn' t we l unch t ogether, you and I ?'

' I ' m ver y sor r y, but I ' m expecti ng somebody i n. '

' Oh, al l r i ght . Then I ' l l come back at f i ve. '



He nodded and went out . Susi e r ead the br i ef not e once more, andasked her sel f i f i t coul d possi bl y be t r ue. The cal l ousness of i t wasappal l i ng. She went t o Margaret ' s r oom and saw t hat everyt hi ng was i ni t s pl ace. I t di d not l ook as i f t he owner had gone on a j our ney. Butt hen she not i ced t hat a number of l et t ers had been dest r oyed. She openeda dr awer and f ound t hat Margar et ' s t r i nket s were gone. An i dea st r uckher . Margaret had bought l atel y a number of cl othes, and t hese she hadi nsi st ed shoul d be sent t o her dr essmaker , sayi ng that i t was needl esst o cumber t hei r l i t t l e apar t ment wi t h t hem. They coul d st ay t here t i l lshe r etur ned t o Engl and a f ew weeks l ater f or her marr i age, and i t woul dbe si mpl er t o despat ch t hem al l f r om one pl ace. Susi e went out . At t hedoor i t occur r ed t o her t o ask t he _conci erge_ i f she knew where Margarethad gone t hat morni ng.

' _Par f ai t ement , Mademoi sel l e_, ' answer ed t he ol d woman. ' I hear d her t el lt he coachman t o go to the Br i t i sh Consul ate. '

The l ast doubt was l eavi ng Susi e. She went t o t he dressmaker and t heredi scovered t hat by Margar et ' s order t he boxes cont ai ni ng her t hi ngs hadgone on t he pr evi ous day t o the l uggage of f i ce of t he Gare du Nord.

' I hope you di dn' t l et t hem go t i l l your bi l l was pai d, ' sai d Susi el i ght l y, as though i n j est .

The dressmaker l aughed.

' Mademoi sel l e pai d f or ever ythi ng t wo or t hr ee days ago. '

Wi t h i ndi gnat i on, Susi e r eal i sed t hat Margar et had not onl y t aken awayt he t r ousseau bought f or her marr i age wi t h Ar t hur ; but , si nce she washersel f penni l ess, had pai d f or i t wi t h t he money whi ch he had generousl ygi ven her . Susi e dr ove then t o Mr s Bl oomf i el d, who at once repr oached herf or not comi ng t o see her .

' I ' m sorr y, but I ' ve been exceedi ngl y busy, and I knew t hat Mar gar et wasl ooki ng af t er you. '

' I ' ve not seen Mar gar et f or t hr ee weeks, ' sai d t he i nval i d.

' Haven' t you? I t hought she dr opped i n qui t e of t en. '

Susi e spoke as t hough t he mat t er were of no i mpor t ance. She asked hersel f now wher e Margaret coul d have spent t hose af t ernoons. By a gr eat ef f or tshe f orced her sel f t o speak of casual t hi ngs wi t h t he gar r ul ous ol d l adyl ong enough t o make her vi si t seem natur al . On l eavi ng her , she went t ot he Consul ate, and her l ast doubt was di ssi pated. Then nothi ng remai nedbut t o go home and wai t f or Ar t hur . Her f i r st i mpul se had been t o see Dr

Por hoët and ask f or hi s advi ce; but , even i f he of f ered t o come back wi t hher t o t he st udi o, hi s presence woul d be usel ess. She must see Ar t hur byhi msel f . Her hear t was wr ung as she t hought of t he man' s agony when heknew t he t r ut h. She had conf essed t o hersel f l ong bef ore that she l ovedhi m passi onat el y, and i t seemed i nt ol er abl e t hat she of al l per sons mustbear hi m t hi s gr eat bl ow.

She sat i n the st udi o, count i ng t he mi nut es, and thought wi t h a bi t t ersmi l e that hi s eagerness t o see Margaret woul d make hi m punct ual . She hadeat en nothi ng si nce t he _pet i t déj euner_ of t he morni ng, and she was



f ai nt wi t h hunger . But she had not t he hear t t o make her sel f t ea. At l asthe came. He ent ered j oyf ul l y and l ooked ar ound.

' I s Mar gar et not her e yet ?' he asked, wi t h sur pr i se.

' Won' t you si t down?'

He di d not not i ce that her voi ce was st r ange, nor t hat she kept her eyesavert ed.

' How l azy you are, ' he cr i ed. ' You haven' t got t he t ea. '

' Mr Bur don, I have somethi ng t o say to you. I t wi l l cause you ver y gr eatpai n. '

He obser ved now t he hoar seness of her t one. He spr ang to hi s f eet , anda t housand f anci es f l ashed acr oss hi s brai n. Somethi ng hor r i bl e hadhappened t o Margaret . She was i l l . Hi s t err or was so gr eat t hat he coul dnot speak. He put out hi s hands as does a bl i nd man. Susi e had t o make anef f or t t o go on. But she coul d not . Her voi ce was choked, and she began

t o cry. Ar t hur t r embl ed as t hough he were sei zed wi t h ague. She gave hi mt he l et t er .

' What does i t mean?'

He l ooked at her vacant l y. Then she t ol d hi m al l t hat she had done t hatday and t he pl aces t o whi ch she had been.

' When you t hought she was spendi ng ever y af t ernoon wi t h Mr s Bl oomf i el d,she was wi t h t hat man. She made al l t he ar r angement s wi t h t he utmostcar e. I t was qui t e pr emedi t at ed. '

Ar t hur sat down and l eaned hi s head on hi s hand. He turned hi s backt o her , so t hat she shoul d not see hi s f ace. They r emai ned i n perf ectsi l ence. And i t was so t er r i bl e that Susi e began t o cr y qui et l y. She knewt hat t he man she l oved was suf f er i ng an agony gr eater t han the agony of deat h, and she coul d not hel p hi m. Rage f l ared up i n her hear t , andhatr ed f or Margar et .

' Oh, i t ' s i nf amous! ' she cr i ed suddenl y. ' She' s l i ed t o you, she' s beenodi ousl y decei t f ul . She must be vi l e and heart l ess. She must be rot t en t ot he ver y soul . '

He tur ned r ound sharpl y, and hi s voi ce was hard.

' I f or bi d you t o say anyt hi ng agai nst her . '

Susi e gave a l i t t l e gasp. He had never spoken t o her bef ore i n anger . Shef l ashed out bi t t er l y.

' Can you l ove her st i l l , when she' s shown hersel f capabl e of such vi l et r eacher y? For near l y a mont h t hi s man must have been maki ng l ove t o her ,and she' s l i st ened t o al l we sai d of hi m. She' s pr et ended t o hate t hesi ght of hi m, I ' ve seen her cut hi m i n t he st r eet . She' s gone on wi t h al lt he pr eparat i ons f or your marr i age. She must have l i ved i n a wor l d of l i es, and you never suspect ed anyt hi ng because you had an unal t erabl ebel i ef i n her l ove and t r ut hf ul ness. She owes ever ythi ng t o you. For f our



years she' s l i ved on your char i t y. She was onl y abl e to be here becauseyou gave her money t o car r y out a f ool i sh whi m, and the ver y cl othes onher back were pai d f or by you. '

' I can' t hel p i t i f she di dn' t l ove me, ' he cri ed desper at el y.

' You know j ust as wel l as I do that she pr etended t o l ove you. Oh, she' sbehaved shamef ul l y. There can be no excuse f or her . '

He l ooked at Susi e wi t h haggard, mi ser abl e eyes.

' How can you be so cr uel ? For God' s sake don' t make i t harder . '

There was an i ndescr i babl e agony i n hi s voi ce. And as i f hi s own wor ds of pai n over came t he l ast bar r i er of hi s sel f - cont r ol , he br oke down. He hi dhi s f ace i n hi s hands and sobbed. Susi e was hor r i bl y consci ence- st r i cken.

' Oh, I ' m so sor r y, ' she sai d. ' I di dn' t mean t o say such hat ef ul t hi ngs.I di dn' t mean t o be unki nd. I ought t o have r emember ed how pass i onat el yyou l ove her . '

I t was very pai nf ul t o see the ef f ort he made to regai n hi s sel f - command.Susi e suf f ered as much as he di d. Her i mpul se was t o t hr ow hersel f on herknees, and ki ss hi s hands, and comf or t hi m; but she knew t hat he wasi nt er ested i n her onl y because she was Mar garet ' s f r i end. At l ast hegot up and, t aki ng hi s pi pe f r om hi s pocket , f i l l ed i t si l ent l y. She wast er r i f i ed at t he l ook on hi s f ace. The f i r st t i me she had ever seen hi m,Susi e wonder ed at t he possi bi l i t y of sel f - t or t ur e whi ch was i n t hatr ough- hewn count enance; but she had never dreamed t hat i t coul d expr esssuch unut t er abl e suf f er i ng. I t s l i nes wer e suddenl y changed, and i t wast er r i bl e to l ook upon.

' I can' t bel i eve i t ' s t r ue, ' he mut t ered. ' I can' t bel i eve i t . '

There was a knock at t he door, and Ar t hur gave a st ar t l ed cr y.

' Per haps she' s come back. '

He opened i t hur r i edl y, hi s f ace suddenl y l i t up by expect at i on; but i twas Dr Porhoët .

' How do you do?' sai d t he Fr enchman. ' What i s happeni ng?'

He l ooked r ound and caught t he di smay that was on t he f aces of Ar t hur andSusi e.

' Where i s Mi ss Margar et? I t hought you must be gi vi ng a part y. '

There was somet hi ng i n hi s manner t hat made Susi e ask why.

' I r ecei ved a t el egr am f r om Mr Haddo thi s mor ni ng. '

He took i t f r om hi s pocket and handed i t t o Susi e. She read i t and passedi t t o Ar t hur . I t sai d:

Come t o t he st udi o at f i ve. Hi gh j i nks.



Ol i ver Haddo

' Mar garet was mar r i ed t o Mr Haddo t hi s mor ni ng, ' sai d Ar t hur , qui et l y. ' Iunder st and they have gone t o Engl and. '

Susi e qui ckl y t ol d t he doctor t he f ew f act s t hey knew. He was assur pr i sed, as di st r essed, as t hey.

' But what i s t he expl anat i on of i t al l ?' he asked.

Ar t hur shr ugged hi s shoul der s wear i l y.

' She car ed f or Haddo more t han she car ed f or me, I suppose. I t i snatur al enough t hat she shoul d go away i n t hi s f ashi on r ather t han of f erexpl anat i ons. I suppose she want ed t o save hersel f a scene she thoughtmi ght be rat her pai nf ul . '

' When di d you see her l ast ?'

' We spent yest erday eveni ng t ogether . '

' And di d she not show i n any way that she cont empl at ed such a st ep?'

Ar t hur shook hi s head.

' You had no quarr el ?'

' We' ve never quar r el l ed. She was i n t he best of spi r i t s. I ' ve never seenher more gay. She tal ked t he whol e t i me of our house i n London, and of t he pl aces we must vi si t when we were mar r i ed. '

Another cont r act i on of pai n passed over hi s f ace as he r emembered t hatshe had been more af f ect i onate t han she had ever been bef ore. The f i r eof her ki sses st i l l bur nt upon hi s l i ps. He had spent a ni ght of al mostsl eepl ess ecstasy because he had been cer t ai n f or t he f i r st t i me t hat t hepass i on whi ch consumed hi m bur nt i n her hear t t oo. Words were dr agged outof hi m agai nst hi s wi l l .

' Oh, I ' m sur e she l oved me. '

Meanwhi l e Susi e' s eyes were f i xed on Haddo' s cr uel t el egr am. She seemedt o hear hi s mocki ng l aught er.

' Margar et l oat hed Ol i ver Haddo wi t h a hat r ed t hat was al most unnatur al .I t was a physi cal r epul si on l i ke t hat whi ch peopl e somet i mes have f orcer t ai n ani mal s. What can have happened t o change i t i nt o so gr eat a l ovet hat i t has made her capabl e of such vi l l ai nous acts?'

' We must n' t be unf ai r t o hi m, ' sai d Ar t hur . ' He put our backs up, and wewere pr obabl y unj ust . He has done some ver y r emarkabl e t hi ngs i n hi s day,and he' s no f ool . I t ' s possi bl e that some peopl e woul dn' t mi nd t heeccent r i ci t i es whi ch i r r i t at ed us. He' s cer t ai nl y of ver y good f ami l y andhe' s r i ch. I n many ways i t ' s an excel l ent match f or Margar et . '

He was t r yi ng wi t h al l hi s mi ght t o f i nd excuses f or her . I t woul d notmake her t r eachery so i nt ol erabl e i f he coul d persuade hi msel f t hat Haddohad qual i t i es whi ch mi ght expl ai n her i nf at uat i on. But as hi s enemy st ood



bef ore hi s f ancy, monst r ousl y obese, vul gar, and overbeari ng, a shudderpassed t hr ough hi m. The t hought of Margar et i n t hat man' s ar ms t or t uredhi m as t hough hi s f l esh wer e t or n wi t h i r on hooks.

' Per haps i t ' s not t r ue. Per haps she' l l r et ur n, ' he cri ed.

' Woul d you t ake her back i f she came t o you?' asked Susi e.

' Do you thi nk anyt hi ng she can do has t he power t o make me l ove her l ess? There must be r easons of whi ch we know not hi ng t hat caused her t o do al lshe has done. I dar esay i t was i nevi t abl e f r om t he begi nni ng. '

Dr Por hoët got up and wal ked acr oss t he room.

' I f a woman had done me such an i nj ury t hat I want ed t o t ake somehor r i bl e vengeance, I t hi nk I coul d devi se not hi ng mor e subt l y cr uel t hant o l et her be mar r i ed t o Ol i ver Haddo. '

' Ah, poor t hi ng, poor t hi ng! ' sai d Ar t hur . ' I f I coul d onl y suppose shewoul d be happy! The f ut ur e t er r i f i es me. '

' I wonder i f she knew t hat Haddo had sent t hat t el egr am, ' sai d Susi e.

' What can i t mat t er? '

She tur ned t o Ar t hur gr avel y.

' Do you r emember t hat day, i n t hi s st udi o, when he ki cked Margaret ' sdog, and you t hrashed hi m? Wel l , af t erwards, when he t hought no one sawhi m, I happened t o cat ch si ght of hi s f ace. I never saw i n my l i f e suchmal i gnant hat r ed. I t was t he f ace of a f i end of wi ckedness. And whenhe t r i ed t o excuse hi msel f , t her e was a cr uel gl eam i n hi s eyes whi cht err i f i ed me. I warned you; I t ol d you t hat he had made up hi s mi nd tor evenge hi msel f , but you l aughed at me. And t hen he seemed t o go out of our l i ves and I t hought no more about i t . I wonder why he sent Dr Por hoëther e t oday. He must have known that t he doct or woul d hear of hi shumi l i at i on, and he may have wi shed t hat he shoul d be pr esent at hi st r i umph. I t hi nk that very moment he made up hi s mi nd t o be even wi t hyou, and he devi sed thi s odi ous scheme. '

' How coul d he know t hat i t was possi bl e to carr y out such a horr i bl et hi ng?' sai d Ar t hur .

' I wonder i f Mi ss Boyd i s r i ght , ' mur mur ed t he doctor. ' Af t er al l , i f you come t o t hi nk of i t , he must have t hought t hat he coul dn' t hur tyou more. The whol e thi ng i s f i endi sh. He took away f r omyou al l yourhappi ness. He must have known that you want ed not hi ng i n t he wor l d more

t han t o make Margaret your wi f e, and he has not onl y pr event ed t hat , buthe has mar r i ed her hi msel f . And he can onl y have done i t by poi soni ngher mi nd, by warpi ng her ver y charact er . Her soul must be horr i bl ybesmi r ched; he must have ent i r el y changed her personal i t y. '

' Ah, I f eel t hat , ' cr i ed Ar t hur . ' I f Mar gar et has br oken her wor d t o me,i f she' s gone t o hi m so cal l ousl y, i t ' s because i t ' s not t he Mar gar et Iknow. Some devi l must have taken possessi on of her body. '

' You use a f i gur e of speech. I wonder i f i t can possi bl y be a r eal i t y. '



Ar t hur and Dr Por hoët l ooked at Susi e wi t h ast oni shment .

' I can' t bel i eve t hat Margaret coul d have done such a thi ng, ' she wenton. ' The mor e I t hi nk of i t , t he mor e i ncredi bl e i t seems. I ' ve knownMargar et f or years , and she was i ncapabl e of decei t . She was ver yki nd- hear t ed. She was honest and t r ut hf ul . I n t he f i r st moment of hor r or , I was onl y i ndi gnant , but I don' t want t o thi nk t oo badl y of her. There i s onl y one way t o excuse her , and that i s by supposi ng sheact ed under some st r ange compul si on. '

Ar t hur cl enched hi s hands.

' I ' m not sur e i f t hat doesn' t make i t mor e awf ul t han bef or e. I f he' smar r i ed her, not because he cares, but i n or der t o hur t me, what l i f ewi l l she l ead wi t h hi m? We know how hear t l ess he i s, how vi ndi ct i ve, howhorr i bl y cruel . '

' Dr Porhoët knows more about t hese t hi ngs t han we do, ' sai d Susi e. ' I s i tposs i bl e t hat Haddo can have cast some spel l upon her t hat woul d make her

unabl e t o r esi st hi s wi l l ? I s i t possi bl e t hat he can have got such ani nf l uence over her t hat her whol e charact er was changed?'

' How can I t el l ?' cri ed t he doctor hel pl essl y. ' I have hear d t hat sucht hi ngs may happen. I have read of t hem, but I have no pr oof . I n t hesematt ers al l i s obscuri t y. The adept s i n magi c make st r ange cl ai ms. Ar t huri s a man of sci ence, and he knows what t he l i mi t s of hypnot i sm are. '

' We know t hat Haddo had power s t hat ot her men have not , ' answer ed Susi e.' Per haps t here was enough t r ut h i n hi s ext r avagant pr etensi ons t o enabl ehi m t o do somet hi ng t hat we can hardl y i magi ne. '

Ar t hur passed hi s hands wear i l y over hi s f ace.

' I ' m so br oken, so conf used, t hat I cannot t hi nk sanel y. At t hi s momentever ythi ng seems possi bl e. My f ai t h i n al l t he t r ut hs t hat have suppor t edme i s t ot t er i ng. '

For a whi l e they remai ned si l ent . Ar t hur ' s eyes r est ed on t he chai r i nwhi ch Margar et had so of t en sat . An unf i ni shed canvas st i l l st ood upont he easel . I t was Dr Por hoët who spoke at l ast .

' But even i f t her e wer e some t r ut h i n Mi ss Boyd' s supposi t i ons, I don' tsee how i t can hel p you. You cannot do anyt hi ng. You have no remedy,l egal or other wi se. Mar garet i s appar ent l y a f r ee agent , and she hasmar r i ed t hi s man. I t i s pl ai n t hat many peopl e wi l l t hi nk she has donemuch bet t er i n mar r yi ng a count r y gent l eman t han i n mar r yi ng a young

sur geon. Her l et t er i s per f ect l y l uci d. Ther e i s no t r ace of compul si on. To al l i nt ents and purposes she has mar r i ed hi m of her own f r ee- wi l l , andt her e i s not hi ng t o show t hat she desi r es t o be r el eased f r om hi m or f r omt he pass i on whi ch we may suppose ensl aves her . '

What he sai d was obvi ousl y t r ue, and no repl y was possi bl e.

' The onl y t hi ng i s t o gr i n and bear i t , ' sai d Ar t hur , r i si ng.

' Where are you goi ng?' sai d Susi e.



' I t hi nk I want t o get away f r om Par i s. Her e ever ythi ng wi l l r emi nd me of what I have l ost . I must get back t o my work. '

He had r egai ned command over hi msel f , and except f or t he hopel ess woe of hi s f ace, whi ch he coul d not pr event f r om bei ng vi si bl e, he was as cal mas ever . He hel d out hi s hand to Susi e.

' I can onl y hope t hat you' l l f or get , ' she sai d.

' I don' t wi sh t o f or get , ' he answer ed, shaki ng hi s head. ' I t ' s possi bl et hat you wi l l hear f r om Mar gar et . She' l l want t he thi ngs t hat she hasl ef t her e, and I dar esay wi l l wr i t e t o you. I shoul d l i ke you t o t el l hert hat I bear her no i l l - wi l l f or anyt hi ng she has done, and I wi l l nevervent ur e t o r epr oach her . I don' t know i f I shal l be abl e t o do anythi ngf or her, but I wi sh her t o know t hat i n any case and al ways I wi l l doeveryt hi ng t hat she want s. '

' I f she wr i t es t o me, I wi l l see t hat she i s t ol d, ' answer ed Susi egr avel y.

' And now goodbye. '

' You can' t go t o London t i l l t omor r ow. Shan' t I see you i n the mor ni ng?'

' I t hi nk i f you don' t mi nd, I won' t come her e agai n. The si ght of al lt hi s r at her di st ur bs me. '

Agai n a cont r act i on of pai n passed acr oss hi s eyes, and Susi e saw t hat hewas usi ng a superhuman ef f or t t o pr eser ve the appearance of composur e.She hesi t at ed a moment .

' Shal l I never see you agai n?' she sai d. ' I shoul d be sor r y t o l ose si ghtof you ent i r el y. '

' I shoul d be sor r y, t oo, ' he answered. ' I have l ear ned how good and ki ndyou ar e, and I shal l never f or get t hat you are Margar et' s f r i end. Whenyou come t o London, I hope t hat you wi l l l et me know. '

He went out . Dr Por hoët , hi s hands behi nd hi s back, began t o wal k up anddown t he room. At l ast he tur ned t o Susi e.

' There i s one t hi ng t hat puzzl es me, ' he sai d. ' Why di d he marr y her?'

' You hear d what Ar t hur sai d, ' answer ed Susi e bi t t er l y. ' What everhappened, he woul d have taken her back. The ot her man knew t hat he coul donl y bi nd her t o hi m secur el y by goi ng thr ough t he cer emoni es of

mar r i age. '

Dr Por hoët shrugged hi s shoul ders , and pr esent l y he l ef t her. When Susi ewas al one she began t o weep br oken- hear t edl y, not f or hersel f , butbecause Ar t hur suf f ered an agony t hat was hardl y endur abl e.

11



Ar t hur went back t o London next day.

Susi e f el t i t i mpossi bl e any l onger t o st ay i n t he deser t ed st udi o, andaccept ed a f r i end' s i nvi t at i on to spend the wi nt er i n I t al y. The good DrPor hoët r emai ned i n Par i s wi t h hi s books and hi s occul t st udi es.

Susi e t r avel l ed sl owl y t hrough Tuscany and Umbr i a. Margaret had notwr i t t en t o her , and Susi e, on l eavi ng Par i s, had sent her f r i end' sbel ongi ngs t o an address f r om whi ch she knew t hey woul d event ual l y bef or war ded. She coul d not br i ng her sel f t o wr i t e. I n answer t o a not eannounci ng her change of pl ans, Ar t hur wr ote br i ef l y t hat he had muchwork t o do and was del i ver i ng a new cour se of l ectur es at St . Luke' s; hehad l atel y been appoi nt ed vi si t i ng sur geon t o another hospi t al , and hi spr i vat e pr act i ce was i ncr easi ng. He di d not ment i on Margar et . Hi s l ett erwas abr upt , f or mal , and const r ai ned. Susi e, r eadi ng i t f or t he tent ht i me, coul d make l i t t l e of i t . She saw t hat he wr ot e onl y f r om ci vi l i t y,wi t hout i nt er est ; and t here was nothi ng t o i ndi cat e hi s st at e of mi nd.Susi e and her compani on had made up t hei r mi nds t o pass some weeks i n

Rome; and here, t o her ast oni shment , Susi e had news of Haddo and hi swi f e. I t appear ed t hat t hey had spent some t i me t her e, and t he l i t t l eEngl i sh ci rc l e was t al ki ng st i l l of t hei r eccent r i ci t i es. They t ravel l edi n some st at e, wi t h a cour i er and a sui t e of servant s; t hey had taken acar r i age and were i n t he habi t of dr i vi ng ever y af t er noon on t he Pi nci o.Haddo had exci t ed at t ent i on by t he ext r avagance of hi s cost ume, andMargar et by her beaut y; she was t o be seen i n her box at t he opera everyni ght , and her di amonds were t he envy of al l behol ders. Though peopl e hadl aughed a good deal at Haddo' s pr et ent i ousness, and been exasper ated byhi s ar r ogance, t hey coul d not f ai l t o be i mpr essed by hi s obvi ous weal t h.But f i nal l y the pai r had di sappear ed suddenl y wi t hout sayi ng a word t oanybody. A good many bi l l s r emai ned unpai d, but t hese, Susi e l ear nt , hadbeen set t l ed l ater. I t was report ed t hat t hey were now i n Mont e Carl o.

' Di d t hey seem happy?' Susi e asked t he gossi pi ng f r i end who gave her t hi sscant y i nf or mat i on.

' I t hi nk so. Af t er al l , Mr s Haddo has al most everythi ng t hat a womancan want , r i ches, beaut y, ni ce cl othes, j ewel s. She woul d be veryunr easonabl e not t o be happy. '

Susi e had meant t o pass t he l ater spri ng on the Ri vi era, but when sheheard t hat t he Haddos were t here, she hesi t at ed. She di d not want t or un t he r i sk of seei ng t hem, and yet she had a keen desi r e t o f i nd outexact l y how t hi ngs wer e goi ng. Cur i osi t y and di st ast e st r uggl ed i n hermi nd, but cur i osi t y won; and she per suaded her f r i end t o go t o Mont eCar l o i nst ead of t o Beaul i eu. At f i r st Susi e di d not see t he Haddos; but

r umour was al r eady much occupi ed wi t h t hem, and she had onl y t o keep herear s open. I n t hat st r ange pl ace, wher e al l t hat i s ext r avagant and evi l ,al l t hat i s mor bi d, i nsane, and f ant ast i c, i s gat her ed t oget her , t heHaddos were i n f i t company. They were notori ous f or t hei r assi dui t y att he tabl es and f or t hei r l uck, f or t he di nners and supper s t hey gave atpl aces f r equent ed by the ver y opul ent , and f or t hei r eccent r i cappear ance. I t was a compl ex pi ct ur e t hat Susi e put t oget her f r om t hescr aps of i nf or mat i on she col l ect ed. Af t er t wo or t hr ee days she sawt hemat t he t abl es, but t hey were so absorbed i n t hei r game t hat she f el tqui t e saf e f r om di scovery. Margaret was pl ayi ng, but Haddo st ood behi nd



her and di r ect ed her movement s. Thei r f aces were ext r aor di nari l y i nt ent .Susi e f i xed her at t ent i on on Margar et , f or i n what she had hear d of hershe had been qui t e unabl e to recogni ze t he gi r l who had been her f r i end.And what st r uck her most now was t hat t here was i n Margaret ' s expr essi ona si ngul ar l i keness t o Haddo' s. Notwi t hst andi ng her exqui si t e beaut y, shehad a cur i ousl y vi ci ous l ook, whi ch suggest ed t hat somehow she sawl i t er al l y wi t h Ol i ver ' s eyes. They had won gr eat sums t hat eveni ng, andmany persons wat ched t hem. I t appear ed t hat t hey pl ayed al ways i n thi sf ashi on, Margar et put t i ng on t he st akes and Haddo tel l i ng her what t o doand when to st op. Susi e hear d two Frenchmen t al ki ng of t hem. She l i st enedwi t h al l her ear s. She f l ushed as she hear d one of t hem make anobser vat i on about Margar et whi ch was more than coarse. The ot her l aughed.

' I t i s i ncredi bl e, ' he sai d.

' I assur e you i t ' s t r ue. They have been marr i ed si x mont hs, and she i sst i l l onl y hi s wi f e i n name. The super st i t i ous t hr ough al l t he ages havebel i eved i n t he power of vi r gi ni t y, and the Chur ch has made use of t hei dea f or i t s own ends. The man uses her si mpl y as a mascot . '

The men l aughed, and t hei r conver sat i on proceeded so gross l y t hat Susi e' scheeks bur ned. But what she had hear d made her l ook at Mar gar et morecl osel y st i l l . She was r adi ant . Susi e coul d not deny t hat somet hi ng hadcome t o her t hat gave a new, eni gmat i c savour t o her beaut y. She wasdr essed more gorgeousl y t han Susi e' s f ast i di ous t ast e woul d haveper mi t t ed; and her di amonds, spl endi d i n t hemsel ves, were t oo magni f i centf or t he occasi on. At l ast , sweepi ng up the money, Haddo t ouched her ont he shoul der , and she rose. Behi nd her was st andi ng a pai nted woman of not or i ous di sr eput abi l i t y. Susi e was ast oni shed t o see Mar gar et smi l e andnod as she passed her.

Susi e l ear nt t hat t he Haddos had a sui t e of r ooms at t he most expensi veof t he hot el s. They l i ved i n a whi r l of gai ety. They knew f ew Engl i shexcept t hose whose r eputat i ons were damaged, but seemed t o pr ef er t hesoci et y of t hose f or ei gners whose weal t h and eccent r i ci t i es made t hemt hecynosur e of t hat l i t t l e wor l d. Af t er war ds, she of t en saw t hem, i n companyof Russ i an Gr and- Dukes and t hei r mi st r esses, of Sout h Amer i can women wi t hpr odi gi ous di amonds, of nobl e gambl ers and gr eat l adi es of doubt f ul f ame,of st r ange men over dressed and scent ed. Rumour was i ncreasi ngl y busy wi t ht hem. Margar et moved among al l t hose queer peopl e wi t h a col dmyst er i ousness t hat exci t ed t he cur i osi t y of t he sat ed i dl er s. Thesuggest i on whi ch Susi e overhear d was repeat ed more ci r cumst ant i al l y. Butt o t hi s was j oi ned pr esent l y t he r epor t of orgi es t hat wer e enact ed i nt he darkened si t t i ng- r oom of t he hot el , when al l t hat was nobl e andvi ci ous i n Mont e Car l o was pr esent . Ol i ver ' s eccent r i c i magi nat i oni nvent ed whi msi cal f est i vi t i es. He had a passi on f or di sgui se, and hegave a f ancy- dr ess part y of whi ch f abul ous st ori es were t ol d. He sought

t o revi ve t he myst i cal cer emoni es of ol d r el i gi ons, and i t was r epor t edt hat hor r i bl e r i t es had been per f ormed i n t he gar den of t he vi l l a, undert he shi ni ng moon, i n i mi t at i on of t hose he had seen i n East er n pl aces. I twas sai d t hat Haddo had magi cal powers of ext r aor di nary charact er , andt he ti r ed i magi nat i on of t hose pl easur e- seeker s was t i ckl ed by hi s t al kof bl ack ar t . Some even assert ed t hat t he bl asphemous cer emoni es of t heBl ack Mass had been cel ebr ated i n the house of a Pol i sh Pr i nce. Peopl ebabbl ed of sat ani sm and of necr omancy. Haddo was t hought t o be i mmersedi n occul t st udi es f or t he perf ormance of a magi cal operat i on; and somesai d that he was occupi ed wi t h the Magnum Opus, t he great est and most



f ant ast i c of al chemi cal exper i ment s. Gr adual l y t hese st or i es werenar r owed down t o t he monst r ous asser t i on t hat he was at t empt i ng t o cr eat el i vi ng bei ngs. He had expl ai ned at l ength t o somebody t hat magi calr ecei pt s exi st ed f or t he manuf act ur e of _homuncul i _.

Haddo was known gener al l y by t he name he was pl eased to gi ve hi msel f . The Br ot her of t he Shadow; but most peopl e used i t i n der i si on, f ori t cont r ast ed absurdl y wi t h hi s ast oni shi ng bul k. They were amused orout r aged by hi s vani t y, but t hey coul d not hel p t al ki ng about hi m, andSusi e knew wel l enough by now t hat nothi ng pl eased hi m more. Hi s expl oi t sas a l i on- hunt er were wel l known, and i t was r epor t ed t hat human bl oodwas on hi s hands. I t was soon di scover ed t hat he had a queer power overani mal s, so t hat i n hi s presence t hey were sei zed wi t h unaccount abl et err or . He succeeded i n sur r oundi ng hi msel f wi t h an at mosphere of t hef abul ous, and not hi ng that was t ol d of hi m was t oo ext r avagant f orbel i ef . But unpl easant st or i es wer e ci r cul at ed al so, and someone r el at edt hat he had been t ur ned out of a cl ub i n Vi enna f or cheat i ng at car ds.He pl ayed many games, but her e, as at Oxf ord, i t was f ound t hat he wasan unscr upul ous opponent . And t hose ol d r umour s f ol l owed hi m t hat he tookst r ange dr ugs. He was supposed t o have odi ous vi ces, and peopl e whi sper ed

t o one another of scandal s t hat had been wi t h di f f i cul t y suppr essed. Noone qui t e underst ood on what t erms he was wi t h hi s wi f e, and i t wasvaguel y asser t ed t hat he was at t i mes br ut al l y cr uel t o her. Susi e' shear t sank when she hear d thi s; but on t he f ew occasi ons upon whi ch shecaught si ght of Mar gar et , she seemed i n t he hi ghest spi r i t s. One storyi nexpr essi bl y shocked her . Af t er l unchi ng at some rest aur ant , Haddo gavea bad l oui s among the money wi t h whi ch he pai d the bi l l , and ther e was adi sgr acef ul al t er cat i on wi t h t he wai t er . He ref used t o change t he coi nt i l l a pol i ceman was brought i n. Hi s guest s wer e f ur i ous, and sever alt ook t he f i r st oppor t uni t y t o cut hi m dead. One of t hose pr esent nar r at edt he scene t o Susi e, and she was t ol d t hat Margaret l aughed unconcernedl ywi t h her nei ghbour whi l e t he sordi d quarr el was pr oceedi ng. The man' sbl ood was as good as hi s f ort une was subst ant i al , but i t seemed t o pl easehi m t o behave l i ke an advent ur er . The i nci dent was soon common pr oper t y,and gr adual l y t he Haddos f ound themsel ves col d- shoul dered. The personswi t h whom t hey most l y consor t ed had r eput at i ons t oo del i cate t o st and t hegl are of publ i ci t y whi ch shone upon al l who were connect ed wi t h hi m, andt he suggest i on of pol i ce had t hrown a shudder down many a spi ne. What hadhappened i n Rome happened here agai n: t hey suddenl y di sappeared.

Susi e had not been i n London f or some t i me, and as t he spr i ng advancedshe r emember ed t hat her f r i ends woul d be gl ad t o see her . I t woul d bechar mi ng t o spend a f ew weeks t here wi t h an adequat e i ncome; f or i t spl easures had hi t hert o been cl osed to her, and she l ooked f orward to hervi si t as i f i t wer e to a f or ei gn ci t y. But t hough she woul d not conf essi t t o her sel f , her desi r e to see Ar t hur was t he str ongest of her mot i ves. Ti me and absence had deadened a l i t t l e t he i nt ensi t y of her f eel i ngs, and

she coul d af f ord t o acknowl edge that she r egarded hi m wi t h very greataf f ect i on. She knew t hat he woul d never care f or her , but she was cont entt o be hi s f r i end. She coul d t hi nk of hi m wi t hout pai n.

Susi e st ayed i n Par i s f or t hr ee weeks t o buy some of t he cl othes whi chshe asser t ed were now her onl y pl easure i n l i f e, and t hen went t o London.

She wr ot e t o Ar t hur , and he i nvi t ed her at once t o l unch wi t h hi m at ar est aur ant . She was vexed, f or she f el t t hey coul d have spoken moref r eel y i n hi s own house; but as soon as she saw hi m, she r eal i zed t hat



he had chosen t hei r meet i ng- pl ace del i berat el y. The crowd of peopl e t hatsurr ounded t hem, t he gai ety, t he pl ayi ng of t he band, pr event ed anyi nt i macy of conver sat i on. They were f orced t o t al k of commonpl aces.Susi e was posi t i vel y ter r i f i ed at t he change that had t aken pl ace i n hi m.He l ooked t en year s ol der ; he had l ost f l esh, and hi s hai r was spr i nkl edwi t h whi t e. Hi s f ace was ext r aor di nari l y dr awn, and hi s eyes were wear yf r oml ack of sl eep. But what most st r uck her was t he change i n hi sexpr essi on. The l ook of pai n whi ch she had seen on hi s f ace t hat l asteveni ng i n t he st udi o was now become set t l ed, so t hat i t al t ered t hel i nes of hi s count enance. I t was harr owi ng t o l ook at hi m. He was moresi l ent t han ever , and when he spoke i t was i n a st r ange l ow voi ce thatseemed t o come f r om a l ong way of f . To be wi t h hi m made Susi e cur i ousl yuneasy, f or t here was a st r enuousness i n hi m whi ch depr i ved hi s manner of al l r epose. One of t he thi ngs t hat had pl eased her i n hi m f or merl y wast he t r anqui l l i t y whi ch gave one t he i mpressi on t hat here was a man whocoul d be r el i ed on i n di f f i cul t i es. At f i r st she coul d not under st andexact l y what had happened, but i n a moment saw t hat he was maki ng anunceasi ng ef f or t at sel f - cont r ol . He was never f r ee f r om suf f er i ng and hewas const ant l y on t he al ert t o pr event anyone f r omseei ng i t . The st r ai ngave hi m a pecul i ar r est l essness.

But he was gent l er t han he had ever been bef ore. He seemed genui nel y gl adt o see her and asked about her t r avel s wi t h i nt er est . Susi e l ed hi m t ot al k of hi msel f , and he spoke wi l l i ngl y enough of hi s dai l y round. He wasear ni ng a good deal of money, and hi s prof essi onal r eput at i on was maki ngst eady pr ogr ess. He worked hard. Besi des hi s dut i es at t he t wo hospi t al swi t h whi ch he was now connect ed, hi s t eachi ng, and hi s pr i vat e pr act i ce,he had r ead of l ate one or t wo papers bef ore sci ent i f i c bodi es, and wasedi t i ng a l arge work on surgery.

' How on eart h can you f i nd t i me to do so much?' asked Susi e.

' I can do wi t h l ess sl eep t han I used, ' he answer ed. ' I t al most doubl esmy worki ng- day. '

He st opped abr upt l y and l ooked down. Hi s r emark had gi ven acci dent al l ysome hi nt at t he i nner l i f e whi ch he was st r i vi ng t o conceal . Susi e knewt hat her suspi ci on was wel l - f ounded. She thought of t he l ong hour s hel ay awake, t r yi ng i n vai n to dr i ve f r om hi s mi nd the agony t hat t or t ur edhi m, and t he shor t i nt erval s of t r oubl ed sl eep. She knew t hat he del ayedas l ong as possi bl e t he f atal moment of goi ng t o bed, and wel comed t hef i r st l i ght of day, whi ch gave hi m an excuse f or get t i ng up. And becausehe knew t hat he had di vul ged t he t r uth he was embar r assed. They sati n awkwar d si l ence. To Susi e, t he tr agi c f i gur e i n f r ont of her wassi ngul ar l y i mpr essi ve ami d t hat l i ght hear t ed t hr ong: al l about t hem happyper sons wer e enj oyi ng t he good t hi ngs of l i f e, t al ki ng, l aughi ng, andmaki ng mer r y. She wondered what r ef i nement of sel f - t or t ur e had dr i ven hi m

t o choose t hat pl ace t o come t o. He must hat e i t .

When t hey f i ni shed l uncheon, Susi e t ook her cour age i n bot h hands.

' Won' t you come back t o my r ooms f or hal f an hour ? We can' t t al k here. '

He made an i nst i nct i ve mot i on of wi t hdr awal , as t hough he sought t oescape. He di d not answer i mmedi at el y, and she i nsi st ed.

' You have nothi ng t o do f or an hour , and t here ar e many thi ngs I want t o



speak t o you about '

' The onl y way t o be st r ong i s never t o sur r ender t o one' s weakness, ' hesai d, al most i n a whi sper , as t hough ashamed t o t al k so i nt i matel y.

' Then you won' t come?'

' No. '

I t was not necessary t o speci f y the mat t er whi ch i t was pr oposed t odi scuss. Ar t hur knew per f ect l y that Susi e wi shed t o t al k of Mar gar et , andhe was t oo st r ai ght f orward t o pr etend otherwi se. Susi e paused f or onemoment .

' I was never abl e to gi ve Margar et your message. She di d not wr i t e t ome. '

A cer t ai n wi l dness came i nt o hi s eyes, as i f t he ef f or t he made wasal most t oo much f or hi m.

' I saw her i n Mont e Car l o, ' sai d Susi e. ' I t hought you mi ght l i ke t o hearabout her. '

' I don' t see t hat i t can do any good, ' he answered.

Susi e made a l i t t l e hopel ess gest ur e. She was beat en.

' Shal l we go?' she sai d.

' You are not angr y wi t h me?' he asked. ' I know you mean t o be ki nd. I ' mver y gr at ef ul t o you. '

' I shal l never be angr y wi t h you, ' she smi l ed.

Ar t hur pai d t he bi l l , and t hey t hr eaded t hei r way among t he t abl es. Att he door she hel d out her hand.

' I t hi nk you do wr ong i n shut t i ng your sel f away f r om al l humancomr adeshi p, ' she sai d, wi t h t hat good- humour ed smi l e of hers . ' Youmust know t hat you wi l l onl y gr ow absurdl y morbi d. '

' I go out a gr eat deal , ' he answered pat i ent l y, as though he r easonedwi t h a chi l d. ' I make a poi nt of of f er i ng mysel f di st r acti ons f r om mywork. I go to the oper a two or t hr ee t i mes a week. '

' I t hought you di dn' t car e f or musi c. '

' I don' t t hi nk I di d, ' he answer ed. ' But I f i nd i t r est s me. '

He spoke wi t h a wear i ness t hat was appal l i ng. Susi e had never behel d sopl ai nl y the t or ment of a soul i n pai n.

' Won' t you l et me come t o t he opera wi t h you one ni ght ?' she asked. ' Ordoes i t bor e you to see me?'

' I shoul d l i ke i t above al l t hi ngs, ' he smi l ed, qui t e br i ght l y. ' You' rel i ke a wonder f ul t oni c. They' r e gi vi ng Tr i st an on Thur sday. Shal l we go



t oget her ?'

' I shoul d enj oy i t enor mousl y. '

She shook hands wi t h hi m and j umped i nto a cab.

' Oh, poor t hi ng! ' she mur mur ed. ' Poor t hi ng! What can I do f or hi m?'

She cl enched, her hands when she t hought of Margar et . I t was monst r oust hat she shoul d have caused such havoc i n t hat good, st r ong man.

' Oh, I hope she' l l suf f er f or i t , ' she whi sper ed vi ndi ct i vel y. ' I hopeshe' l l suf f er al l t he agony t hat he has suf f er ed. '

Susi e dr essed her sel f f or Covent Garden as onl y she coul d do. Her gownpl eased her exceedi ngl y, not onl y because i t was admi r abl y made, butbecause i t had cost f ar more t han she coul d af f ord. To dr ess wel l was heronl y ext r avagance. I t was of t af f et a si l k, i n t hat exqui si t e gr een whi cht he l ear ned i n such matt ers cal l _Eau de Ni l _; and i t s beaut y wasenhanced by t he ol d l ace whi ch had f ormed not t he l east t r easured par t

of her i nheri t ance. I n her hai r she wore an ornament of Spani sh past e,of exqui si t e workmanshi p, and round her neck a chai n whi ch had onceadorned t hat of a madonna i n an Andal usi an chur ch. Her i ndi vi dual i t ymade even her pl ai nness at t r act i ve. She smi l ed at her sel f i n t he gl assr uef ul l y, because Ar t hur woul d never noti ce t hat she was per f ect l ydressed.

When she t r i pped down t he st ai r s and acr oss t he pavement t o the cab wi t hwhi ch he f et ched her , Susi e hel d up her ski r t wi t h a gr ace she f l at t er edher sel f was qui t e Par i si an. As t hey dr ove al ong, she f l i r t ed a l i t t l ewi t h her Spani sh f an and st ol e a gl ance at her sel f i n t he gl ass. Hergl oves were so l ong and so new and so expensi ve t hat she was r eal l yi ndi f f er ent t o Ar t hur ' s i nat t ent i on.

Her j oyous t emper ament expanded l i ke a spr i ng f l ower when she f oundher sel f i n t he Oper a House. She put up her gl asses and exami ned t he womenas t hey came i nt o the boxes of t he Gr and Ti er . Ar t hur poi nt ed out anumber of persons whose names were f ami l i ar t o her , but she f el t t heef f or t he was maki ng to be ami abl e. The wear i ness of hi s mout h thateveni ng was more not i ceabl e because of t he carel ess t hrong. But whent he musi c began he seemed t o f orget t hat any eye was upon hi m; he r el axedt he const ant t ensi on i n whi ch he hel d hi msel f ; and Susi e, wat chi ng hi msur r ept i t i ousl y, saw t he emot i ons chase one anot her acr oss hi s f ace. I twas now ver y mobi l e. The passi onate sounds at e i nt o hi s soul , mi ngl i ngwi t h hi s own l ove and hi s own sor r ow, t i l l he was taken out of hi msel f ;and somet i mes he pant ed st r angel y. Thr ough t he i nterval he r emai nedabsorbed i n hi s emot i on. He sat as qui et l y as bef ore and di d not speak a

wor d. Susi e under st ood why Ar t hur , not wi t hst andi ng hi s ol d i ndi f f er ence,now showed such eager appreci at i on of musi c; i t eased the pai n hesuf f er ed by tr ansf er r i ng i t t o an i deal wor l d, and hi s own gr i evoussor r ow made t he musi c so r eal t hat i t gave hi m an enj oyment of ext r aor di nar y vehemence. When i t was al l over and I sol de had gi ven herl ast wai l of sorr ow, Ar t hur was so exhaust ed t hat he coul d har dl y st i r .

But t hey went out wi t h t he cr owd, and whi l e they were wai t i ng i n t hevest i bul e f or space to move i n, a common f r i end came up t o t hem. Thi swas Ar but hnot , an eye- speci al i st , whom Susi e had met on t he Ri vi era and



who, she pr esent l y di scover ed, was a col l eague of Ar t hur ' s at St Luke' s.He was a pr osperous bachel or wi t h gr ey hai r and a red, cont ent ed f ace,wel l - t o- do, f or hi s pr act i ce was l ar ge, and l avi sh wi t h hi s money. Hehad t aken Susi e out t o l uncheon once or t wi ce i n Mont e Car l o; f or hel i ked women, pr et t y or pl ai n, and she at t r acted hi m by her good- humour .He rushed up t o t hem now and wr ung thei r hands. He spoke i n a j ovi alvoi ce.

' The ver y peopl e I want ed t o see! Why haven' t you been t o see me, youwi cked woman? I ' m sure your eyes ar e i n a depl orabl e condi t i on. '

' Do you t hi nk I woul d l et a bol d, bad man l i ke you st are i nt o t hem wi t han ophthal moscope?' l aughed Susi e.

' Now l ook here, I want you both t o do me a gr eat f avour . I ' m gi vi ng asupper par t y at t he Savoy, and two of my peopl e have suddenl y f ai l ed me. The t abl e i s or dered f or ei ght , and you must come and t ake t hei r pl aces. '

' I ' m af r ai d I must get home, ' sai d Ar t hur . ' I have a deuce of a l ot of work t o do. '

' Nonsense, ' answered Ar but hnot . ' You work much t oo hard, and a l i t t l er el axat i on wi l l do you good. ' He turned t o Susi e: ' I know you l i kecur i osi t i es i n human nat ur e; I ' m havi ng a man and hi s wi f e who wi l lposi t i vel y thr i l l you, t hey' r e so queer , and a l ovel y actr ess, and anawf ul l y j ol l y Amer i can gi r l . '

' I shoul d l ove to come, ' sai d Susi e, wi t h an appeal i ng l ook at Ar t hur ,' i f onl y t o show you how much more amusi ng I am t han l ovel y act r esses. '

Ar t hur , f or ci ng hi msel f t o smi l e, accept ed t he i nvi t at i on. The speci al i stpat t ed hi m cheer i l y on t he back, and t hey agreed t o meet at t he Savoy.

' I t ' s awf ul l y good of you t o come, ' sai d Susi e, as t hey dr ove al ong. ' Doyou know, I ' ve never been t her e i n my l i f e, and I ' m pal pi t at i ng wi t hexci t ement . '

' What a sel f i sh br ut e I was t o ref use!' he answer ed.

When Susi e came out of t he dr essi ng- r oom, she f ound Ar t hur wai t i ng f orher . She was i n t he best of spi r i t s.

' Now you must say you l i ke my f r ock. I ' ve seen si x women t ur n gr een wi t henvy at t he si ght of i t . They thi nk I must be French, and t hey' r e sur eI ' m not r espectabl e. '

' That i s evi dent l y a gr eat compl i ment , ' he smi l ed.

At t hat moment Ar but hnot came up t o t hem i n hi s eager way and sei zedt hei r ar ms.

' Come al ong. We' r e wai t i ng f or you. I ' l l j ust i nt r oduce you al l r ound,and t hen we' l l go i n t o supper . '

They wal ked down t he st eps i nt o t he f oyer , and he l ed t hem t o a group of peopl e. They f ound t hemsel ves f ace t o f ace wi t h Ol i ver Haddo andMargar et .



' Mr Ar t hur Bur don- - Mr s Haddo. Mr Bur don i s a col l eague of mi ne at StLuke' s; and he wi l l cut out your appendi x i n a shor t er t i me t han any manal i ve. '

Ar but hnot r at t l ed on. He di d not not i ce t hat Art hur had gr own ghast l ypal e and t hat Margar et was bl ank wi t h const ernat i on. Haddo, hi s heavyf ace wr eat hed wi t h smi l es, st epped f orward hear t i l y. He seemed t horoughl yt o enj oy the si t uat i on.

' Mr Bur don i s an ol d f r i end of our s, ' he sai d. ' I n f act , i t was he whoi nt r oduced me t o my wi f e. And Mi ss Boyd and I have di scussed Ar t and theI mmor t al i t y of t he Soul wi t h t he gr avi t y due t o such t opi cs. '

He hel d out hi s hand, and Susi e took i t . She had a horr or of scenes, and,t hough thi s encount er was as unexpect ed as i t was di sagr eeabl e, she f el ti t needf ul t o behave natur al l y. She shook hands wi t h Margar et .

' How di sappoi nt i ng! ' cri ed t hei r host . ' I was hopi ng t o gi ve Mi ss Boydsomet hi ng qui t e new i n t he way of magi ci ans, and behol d! she knows al l

about hi m. '

' I f she di d, I ' m qui t e sur e she woul dn' t speak t o me, ' sai d Ol i ver , wi t ha bant eri ng smi l e.

They went i nt o t he supper - r oom.

' Now, how shal l we si t ?' sai d Ar but hnot , gl anci ng r ound t he t abl e.

Ol i ver l ooked at Ar t hur , and hi s eyes t wi nkl ed.

' You must r eal l y l et my wi f e and Mr Bur don be t ogether . They haven' t seenone anot her f or so l ong t hat I ' m sur e t hey have no end of t hi ngs t o tal kabout . ' He chuckl ed t o hi msel f . ' And pr ay gi ve me Mi ss Boyd, so t hat shecan abuse me to her hear t ' s cont ent . '

Thi s ar r angement t horoughl y sui t ed t he gay speci al i st , f or he was abl e t oput t he beaut i f ul act r ess on one si de of hi m and the charmi ng Ameri can ont he ot her . He rubbed hi s hands.

' I f eel t hat we' r e goi ng t o have a del i ght f ul supper . '

Ol i ver l aughed boi st er ousl y. He t ook, as was hi s habi t , t he whol econver sat i on upon hi msel f , and Susi e was obl i ged t o conf ess t hat hewas at hi s best . There was a gr otesque dr ol l ery about hi m t hat was verydi ver t i ng, and i t was al most i mpossi bl e to resi st hi m. He at e and dr ankwi t h t r emendous appet i t e. Susi e thanked her st ars at t hat moment t hat she

was a woman who knew by l ong pr act i ce how t o conceal her f eel i ngs, f orAr t hur , overcome wi t h di smay at t he meet i ng, sat i n st ony si l ence. Butshe tal ked gai l y. She chaf f ed Ol i ver as t hough he wer e an ol d f r i end, andl aughed vi vaci ousl y. She not i ced meanwhi l e t hat Haddo, more ext r avagant l ydressed t han usual , had managed t o get an odd f ant asy i nt o hi s eveni ngcl ot hes: he wor e knee- br eeches, whi ch i n i t sel f was enough to exci t eat t ent i on; but hi s f r i l l ed shi rt , hi s vel vet col l ar , and oddl y- cut sat i nwai st coat gave hi m t he appearance of a comi c Fr enchman. Now t hat shewas abl e t o exami ne hi m more cl osel y, she saw t hat i n the l ast si x mont hshe was grown much bal der ; and t he shi ny whi t eness of hi s naked crown



cont r asted oddl y wi t h t he redness of hi s f ace. He was st out er , t oo, andt he f at hung i n heavy f ol ds under hi s chi n; hi s paunch was pr epost erous. The vi vaci t y of hi s movements made hi s huge cor pul ence subt l y al ar mi ng.He was gr owi ng i ndeed st r angel y t er r i bl e i n appear ance. Hi s eyes hadst i l l t hat f i xed, par al l el l ook, but t her e was i n t hem now at t i mes af er oci ous gl eam. Mar gar et was as beaut i f ul as ever , but Susi e not i cedt hat hi s i nf l uence was apparent i n her dress; f or t here coul d be no doubtt hat i t had crossed the l i ne of i ndi vi dual i t y and had degener at ed i nt ot he eccent r i c. Her gown was much t oo gorgeous. I t t ol d agai nst t hecl assi cal char acter of her beaut y. Susi e shudder ed a l i t t l e, f or i tr emi nded her of a cour t esan' s.

Margar et t al ked and l aughed as much as her husband, but Susi e coul d nott el l whet her t hi s ani mat i on was af f ect ed or due t o an ut t er cal l ousness.Her voi ce seemed natur al enough, yet i t was i nconcei vabl e t hat she shoul dbe so l i ghthear t ed. Per haps she was t r yi ng to show t hat she was happy. The supper proceeded, and t he l i ghts, t he sur r oundi ng gai et y, t hechampagne, made everyone more l i vel y. Thei r host was i n uproar i ousspi r i t s. He tol d a st or y or t wo at whi ch ever yone l aughed. Ol i ver Haddohad an amusi ng anecdot e handy. I t was a l i t t l e ri sky, but i t was so

f unni l y narr ated t hat everyone roar ed but Ar t hur , who remai ned i n per f ectsi l ence. Mar gar et had been dr i nki ng gl ass af t er gl ass of wi ne, and nosooner had her husband f i ni shed t han she capped hi s st ory wi t h another .But wher eas hi s was wi t t i l y i mmor al , hers was si mpl y gr oss. At f i r st t heot her women coul d not underst and t o what she was t endi ng, but when t heysaw, t hey l ooked down awkwardl y at t hei r pl at es. Ar but hnot , Haddo, andt he ot her man who was t here l aughed ver y hear t i l y; but Ar t hur f l ushed tot he root s of hi s hai r . He f el t hor r i bl y uncomf or t abl e. He was ashamed. Hedar ed not l ook at Mar gar et . I t was i nconcei vabl e that f r om her exqui si t emout h such i ndecency shoul d i ssue. Margar et , apparent l y qui t e unconsci ousof t he ef f ect she had pr oduced, went on t al ki ng and l aughi ng.

Soon t he l i ght s were put out , and Ar t hur ' s agony was ended. He want ed t or ush away, t o hi de hi s f ace, t o f orget t he si ght of her and her gai ety,above al l t o f or get t hat story. I t was hor r i bl e, hor r i bl e.

She shook hands wi t h hi m qui t e l i ght l y.

' You must come and see us one day. We' ve got r ooms at t he Car l t on. '

He bowed and di d not answer . Susi e had gone t o t he dr essi ng- r oom t o gether cl oak. She st ood at t he door when Margar et came out .

' Can we drop you anywher e?' sai d Margar et . ' You must come and see us whenyou have nothi ng bet t er t o do. '

Susi e t hr ew back her head. Ar t hur was st andi ng j ust i n f r ont of t hem

l ooki ng down at t he gr ound i n compl ete abst r act i on.

' Do you see hi m?' she sai d, i n a l ow voi ce qui ver i ng wi t h i ndi gnat i on.' That i s what you have made hi m. '

He l ooked up at t hat moment and t urned upon t hem hi s sunken, t orment edeyes. They saw hi s wan, pal l i d f ace wi t h i t s l ook of hopel ess woe.

' Do you know t hat he' s ki l l i ng hi msel f on your account ? He can' t sl eep atni ght . He' s suf f er ed the t or t ur es of t he damned. Oh, I hope you' l l suf f er



as he' s suf f er ed! '

' I wonder t hat you bl ame me, ' sai d Margar et . ' You ought t o be r athergratef ul . '

' Why?'

' You' r e not goi ng t o deny t hat you' ve l oved hi m passi onat el y f r om t hef i r st day you saw hi m? Do you t hi nk I di dn' t see t hat you car ed f or hi mi n Par i s? You care f or hi m now more t han ever . '

Susi e f el t suddenl y si ck at hear t . She had never dreamt t hat her secretwas di scover ed. Mar gar et gave a bi t t er l i t t l e l augh and wal ked past her .

12

Ar t hur Bur don spent t wo or t hr ee days i n a st at e of ut t er uncer t ai nt y,but at l ast t he i dea he had i n mi nd gr ew so compel l i ng as t o over come al lobj ect i ons. He went t o the Car l t on and asked f or Margar et . He had l ear ntf r om t he port er t hat Haddo was gone out and so count ed on f i ndi ng heral one. A si mpl e devi ce enabl ed hi m t o avoi d sendi ng up hi s name. When hewas shown i nt o her pr i vat e room Margaret was si t t i ng down. She nei t herr ead nor worked.

' You t ol d me I mi ght cal l upon you, ' sai d Ar t hur .

She st ood up wi t hout answer i ng, and t ur ned deathl y pal e.

' May I si t down?' he asked.

She bowed her head. For a moment t hey l ooked at one anot her i n si l ence.Ar t hur suddenl y f orgot al l he had pr epared t o say. Hi s i nt r usi on seemedi nt ol erabl e.

' Why have you come?' she sai d hoar sel y.

They bot h f el t t hat i t was usel ess t o at t empt t he convent i onal i t y of soci et y. I t was i mpossi bl e t o deal wi t h the pol i t e commonpl aces t hat easean awkward si t uat i on.

' I t hought t hat I mi ght be abl e to hel p you, ' he answered gr avel y.

' I want no hel p. I ' m per f ect l y happy. I have not hi ng t o say t o you. '

She spoke hur r i edl y, wi t h a cert ai n nervousness, and her eyes were f i xedanxi ousl y on t he door as t hough she f eared t hat someone woul d come i n.

' I f eel t hat we have much t o say t o one anot her , ' he i nsi st ed. ' I f i t i si nconveni ent f or us t o t al k here, wi l l you not come and see me?'

' He' d know, ' she cr i ed suddenl y, as i f t he words were dr agged out of her.' D' you t hi nk anythi ng can be hi dden f r om hi m?'



Ar t hur gl anced at her. He was hor r i f i ed by t he ter r or t hat was i n hereyes. I n t he f ul l l i ght of day a change was pl ai n i n her expr essi on. Herf ace was st r angel y dr awn, and pi nched, and t here was i n i t a const antl ook as of a person cowed. Ar t hur t ur ned away.

' I want you t o know t hat I do not bl ame you i n t he l east f or anythi ng youdi d. No act i on of your s can ever l essen my af f ect i on f or you. '

' Oh, why di d you come her e? Why do you t or t ure me by sayi ng such t hi ngs? '

She bur st on a sudden i nt o a f l ood of t ear s, and wal ked exci t edl y up anddown t he r oom.

' Oh, i f you want ed me to be puni shed f or t he pai n I ' ve caused you, youcan t r i umph now. Susi e sai d she hoped I ' d suf f er al l t he agony t hat I ' vemade you suf f er . I f she onl y knew! '

Margar et gave a hyst eri cal l augh. She f l ung hersel f on her knees byAr t hur ' s si de and sei zed hi s hands.

' Di d you t hi nk I di dn' t see? My hear t bl ed when I l ooked at your poor wanf ace and your t or t ur ed eyes. Oh, you' ve changed. I coul d never havebel i eved t hat a man coul d change so much i n so f ew mont hs, and i t ' s Iwho' ve caused i t al l . Oh, Ar t hur , Ar t hur , you must f orgi ve me. And youmust pi t y me. '

' But t her e' s not hi ng t o f or gi ve, dar l i ng, ' he cri ed.

She l ooked at hi m st eadi l y. Her eyes now were shi ni ng wi t h a hardbr i ght ness.

' You say t hat , but you don' t r eal l y thi nk i t . And yet i f you onl y knew,al l t hat I have endur ed i s on your account . '

She made a great ef f or t t o be cal m.

' What do you mean?' sai d Ar t hur .

' He never l oved me, he woul d never have t hought of me i f he hadn' t want edt o wound you i n what you t r easured most . He hated you, and he' s made mewhat I am so t hat you mi ght suf f er . I t i sn' t I who di d al l t hi s, but adevi l wi t hi n me; i t i sn' t I who l i ed t o you and l ef t you and caused youal l t hi s unhappi ness. '

She rose to her f eet and si ghed deepl y.

' Once, I t hought he was dyi ng, and I hel ped hi m. I t ook hi m i nt o t he

st udi o and gave hi m wat er . And he gai ned some dr eadf ul power over me sot hat I ' ve been l i ke wax i n hi s hands. Al l my wi l l has di sappear ed, and Ihave t o do hi s bi ddi ng. And i f I t r y t o r esi st . . . '

Her f ace t wi t ched wi t h pai n and f ear .

' I ' ve f ound out everyt hi ng si nce. I know t hat on t hat day when he seemedt o be at t he poi nt of deat h, he was merel y pl ayi ng a t r i ck on me, and hegot Susi e out of t he way by sendi ng a t el egr amf r oma gi r l whose name hehad seen on a phot ogr aph. I ' ve heard hi m r oar wi t h l aught er at hi s



cl ever ness. '

She st opped suddenl y, and a l ook of f r i ght f ul agony crossed her f ace.

' And at t hi s ver y mi nut e, f or al l I know, i t may be by hi s i nf l uence t hatI say t hi s t o you, so that he may cause you st i l l gr eat er suf f er i ng byal l owi ng me t o t el l you t hat he never car ed f or me. You know now t hat myl i f e i s hel l , and hi s vengeance i s compl et e. '

' Vengeance f or what ?'

' Don' t you r emember t hat you hi t hi m once, and ki cked hi m unmerci f ul l y? Iknow hi m wel l now. He coul d have ki l l ed you, but he hat ed you t oo much.I t pl eased hi m a thousand t i mes more t o devi se thi s t ort ur e f or you andme. '

Mar gar et ' s agi t at i on was t er r i bl e t o behol d. Thi s was t he f i r st t i me t hatshe had ever spoken to a soul of al l t hese t hi ngs, and now t he l ongr est r ai nt had bur st as bur st t he wat er s of a dam. Ar t hur sought t o cal mher.

' You' r e i l l and over wr ought . You must t r y t o compose your sel f . Af t er al l ,Haddo i s a human bei ng l i ke t he rest of us. '

' Yes, you al ways l aughed at hi s cl ai ms. You woul dn' t l i st en t o t he t hi ngshe sai d. But I know. Oh, I can' t expl ai n i t ; I daresay common sense andpr obabi l i t y ar e al l agai nst i t , but I ' ve seen t hi ngs wi t h my own eyest hat pass al l compr ehensi on. I t el l you, he has powers of t he most awf ulki nd. That f i r st day when I was al one wi t h hi m, he seemed t o t ake me t osome ki nd of sabbat h. I don' t know what i t was, but I saw hor r ors, vi l ehorr ors, t hat r ankl ed f or ever af t er l i ke poi son i n my mi nd; and when wewent up t o hi s house i n St af f ordshi r e, I r ecogni zed t he scene; Ir ecogni zed t he ar i d r ocks, and t he tr ees, and t he l i e of t he l and. I knewI ' d been t here bef ore on t hat f atal af t ernoon. Oh, you must bel i eve me!Somet i mes I t hi nk I shal l go mad wi t h t he t er r or of i t al l . '

Ar t hur di d not speak. Her words caused a ghast l y suspi ci on t o f l asht hr ough hi s mi nd, and he coul d hardl y cont ai n hi msel f . He t hought t hatsome dr eadf ul shock had t ur ned her br ai n. She bur i ed her f ace i n herhands.

' Look here, ' he sai d, ' you must come away at once. You can' t cont i nue t ol i ve wi t h hi m. You must never go back to Skene. '

' I can' t l eave hi m. We' r e bound t oget her i nsepar abl y. '

' But i t ' s monst r ous. There can be nothi ng to keep you to hi m. Come back

t o Susi e. She' l l be ver y ki nd t o you; she' l l hel p you t o f or get al lyou' ve endur ed. '

' I t ' s no use. You can do not hi ng f or me. '

' Why not?'

' Because, not wi t hst andi ng, I l ove hi m wi t h al l my soul . '

' Mar gar et ! '



' I hat e hi m. He f i l l s me wi t h repul si on. And yet I do not know what t her ei s i n my bl ood that dr aws me t o hi m agai nst my wi l l . My f l esh cr i es outf or hi m. '

Ar t hur l ooked away i n embar r assment . He coul d not hel p a sl i ght ,i nst i nct i ve movement of wi t hdr awal .

' Do I di sgust you?' she sai d.

He f l ushed sl i ght l y, but scar cel y knew how t o answer . He made a vaguegest ur e of deni al .

' I f you onl y knew, ' she sai d.

There was somet hi ng so ext r aor di nary i n her t one t hat he gave her a qui ckgl ance of surpr i se. He saw t hat her cheeks were f l ami ng. Her bosomwaspant i ng as t hough she were agai n on the poi nt of br eaki ng i nt o a passi onof tears.

' For God' s sake, don' t l ook at me! ' she cr i ed.

She turned away and hi d her f ace. The words she ut t ered wer e i n a shamed,unnat ur al voi ce.

' I f you' d been at Mont e Car l o, you' d have hear d t hem say, God knows howt hey knew i t , t hat i t was onl y t hr ough me he had hi s l uck at t he tabl es.He' s cont ent ed hi msel f wi t h f i l l i ng my soul wi t h vi ce. I have no pur i t yi n me. I ' m sul l i ed t hr ough and thr ough. He has made me i nt o a si nk of i ni qui t y, and I l oat he mysel f . I cannot l ook at mysel f wi t hout a shudderof di sgust . '

A col d sweat came over Ar t hur , and he grew more pal e t han ever . Her eal i zed now he was i n the pr esence of a myst ery t hat he coul d notunr avel . She went on f ever i shl y.

' The other ni ght , at supper , I t ol d a st or y, and I saw you wi nce wi t hshame. I t wasn' t I t hat t ol d i t . The i mpul se came f r om hi m, and I knew i twas vi l e, and yet I t ol d i t wi t h gusto. I enj oyed t he t el l i ng of i t ; Ienj oyed t he pai n I gave you, and t he di smay of t hose women. There seem t obe t wo per sons i n me, and my real sel f , t he ol d one that you knew andl oved, i s growi ng weaker day by day, and soon she wi l l be dead ent i r el y.And t her e wi l l r emai n onl y t he want on soul i n t he vi r gi n body. '

Ar t hur t r i ed t o gat her hi s wi t s t oget her . He f el t i t an occasi on on whi chi t was essent i al t o hol d on t o the nor mal vi ew of t hi ngs.

' But f or God' s sake l eave hi m. What you' ve t ol d me gi ves you every gr oundf or di vor ce. I t ' s al l monst r ous. The man must be so mad t hat he ought t obe put i n a l unat i c asyl um. '

' You can do nothi ng f or me, ' she sai d.

' But i f he doesn' t l ove you, what does he want you f or?'

' I don' t know, but I ' m begi nni ng t o suspect. '



She l ooked at Ar t hur st eadi l y. She was now qui t e cal m.

' I t hi nk he wi shes t o use me f or a magi cal oper at i on. I don' t know i f he' s mad or not . But I t hi nk he means t o t r y some horr i bl e exper i ment ,and I am needf ul f or i t s success. That i s my saf eguar d. '

' Your saf eguard?'

' He won' t ki l l me because he needs me f or t hat . Per haps i n t he pr ocess Ishal l r egai n my f r eedom. '

Ar t hur was shocked at t he cal l ousness wi t h whi ch she spoke. He went up toher and put hi s hands on her shoul ders.

' Look her e, you must pul l your sel f t oget her , Mar gar et . Thi s i sn' t sane.I f you don' t t ake care, your mi nd wi l l gi ve way al t ogether . You mustcome wi t h me now. When you' r e out of hi s hands, you' l l soon r egai n yourcal mness of mi nd. You need never see hi m agai n. I f you' r e af r ai d, youshal l be hi dden f r om hi m, and l awyer s shal l arr ange everyt hi ng betweenyou. '

' I daren' t . '

' But I pr omi se you that you can come t o no harm. Be reasonabl e. We' r e i nLondon now, sur r ounded by peopl e on every si de. How do you thi nk he cant ouch you whi l e we dr i ve t hr ough the crowded st r eet s? I ' l l t ake youst r ai ght t o Susi e. I n a week you' l l l augh at t he i dl e f ear s you had. '

' How do you know t hat he i s not i n t he room at t hi s moment , l i st eni ng t oal l you say?'

The quest i on was so sudden, so unexpect ed, t hat Art hur was st ar t l ed. Hel ooked r ound qui ckl y.

' You must be mad. You see t hat t he r oom i s empt y. '

' I t el l you t hat you don' t know what powers he has. Have you ever hear dt hose ol d l egends wi t h whi ch nur ses used t o f r i ght en our chi l dhood, of men who coul d t urn t hemsel ves i nto wol ves, and who scoured t he count r y atni ght ?' She l ooked at hi m wi t h st ar i ng eyes. ' Somet i mes, when he' s comei n at Skene i n t he morni ng, wi t h bl oodshot eyes, exhaust ed wi t h f at i gueand st r angel y di scomposed, I ' ve i magi ned t hat he too . . . ' She st opped andt hr ew back her head. ' You' r e r i ght , Ar t hur , I t hi nk I shal l go mad. '

He wat ched her hel pl essl y. He di d not know what t o do. Margar et went on,her voi ce qui ver i ng wi t h angui sh.

' When we were mar r i ed, I r emi nded hi m t hat he' d promi sed to take met o hi s mother. He woul d never speak of her, but I f el t I must see her .And one day, suddenl y, he t ol d me t o get r eady f or a j our ney, and wewent a l ong way, t o a pl ace I di d not know, and we dr ove i nt o t hecountr y. We seemed t o go mi l es and mi l es, and we reached at l ast al arge house, sur r ounded by a hi gh wal l , and t he wi ndows were heavi l ybar r ed. We were shown i nto a great empty r oom. I t was di smal and col dl i ke t he wai t i ng- r oomat a st ati on. A man came i n t o us, a tal l man,i n a f r ock- coat and gol d spect acl es. He was i nt r oduced t o me as Dr Tayl or , and t hen, suddenl y, I underst ood. '



Margar et spoke i n hur r i ed gasps, and her eyes were st ar i ng wi de, ast hough she saw st i l l t he scene whi ch at t he t i me had seemed t he cr owni nghor r or of her exper i ence.

' I knew i t was an asyl um, and Ol i ver hadn' t t ol d me a word. He t ook us upa br oad f l i ght of st ai r s, t hr ough a l ar ge dor mi t or y- - oh, i f you onl y knewwhat I saw t her e! I was so hor r i bl y f r i ght ened, I ' d never been i n such apl ace bef ore- - t o a cel l . And t he wal l s and t he f l oor wer e padded. '

Margar et passed her hand across her f orehead to chase away ther ecol l ect i on of t hat awf ul si ght .

' Oh, I see i t st i l l . I can never get i t out of my mi nd. '

She r emembered wi t h a mor bi d vi vi dness t he vast mi sshapen mass whi chshe had seen heaped st r angel y i n one cor ner . There was a sl i ght movementi n i t as t hey ent ered, and she percei ved t hat i t was a human bei ng. I twas a woman, dressed i n shapel ess br own f l annel ; a woman of great st at ureand of a r evol t i ng, excessi ve cor pul ence. She t ur ned upon t hem a huge,

i mpassi ve f ace; and i t s unwr i nkl ed smoot hness gave i t an appear ance of abor t ed chi l di shness. The hai r was di shevel l ed, gr ey, and scant y. Butwhat most t err i f i ed Margar et was t hat she saw i n t hi s cr eat ur e anappal l i ng l i keness to Ol i ver .

' He t ol d me i t was hi s mother, and she' d been t here f or f i ve- and- t went yyear s. '

Ar t hur coul d hardl y bear t he ter r or t hat was i n Mar gar et ' s eyes. He di dnot know what t o say t o her. I n a l i t t l e whi l e she began t o speak agai n,i n a l ow voi ce and r api dl y, as t hough t o hersel f , and she wr ung herhands.

' Oh, you don' t know what I ' ve endured! He used to spend l ong per i ods awayf r om me, and I r emai ned al one at Skene f r om mor ni ng t i l l ni ght , al onewi t h my abj ect f ear . Somet i mes, i t seemed t hat he was sei zed wi t h adevour i ng l ust f or t he gut t er, and he woul d go to Li ver pool or Manchest erand t hrow hi msel f among t he very dr egs of t he peopl e. He used to passl ong days, dr i nki ng i n f i l t hy pot - houses. Whi l e t he bout l ast ed, not hi ngwas t oo depr aved f or hi m. He l oved t he company of al l t hat was cr i mi naland l ow. He used t o smoke opi umi n f oet i d dens- - oh, you have noconcept i on of hi s passi on t o degr ade hi msel f - - and at l ast he woul d comeback, di r t y, wi t h t or n cl ot hes, begr i med, sodden st i l l wi t h hi s l ongdebauch; and hi s mout h was hot wi t h the ki sses of t he vi l e women of t hedocks. Oh, he' s so cr uel when t he f i t t akes hi m t hat I t hi nk he has af i endi sh pl easur e i n t he si ght of suf f er i ng! '

I t was more than Ar t hur coul d st and. Hi s mi nd was made up to t r y a bol dcour se. He saw on t he t abl e a whi sky bot t l e and gl asses. He pour ed someneat spi r i t i nt o a t umbl er and gave i t t o Margar et.

' Dr i nk t hi s, ' he sai d.

' What i s i t ?'

' Never mi nd! Dr i nk i t at once. '



Obedi ent l y she put i t t o her l i ps. He st ood over her as she empt i ed t hegl ass. A sudden gl ow f i l l ed her .

' Now come wi t h me. '

He took her arm and l ed her down t he st ai r s. He passed t hr ough t he hal lqui ckl y. There was a cab j ust dr awn up at t he door , and he t ol d her t oget i n. One or t wo persons st ared at seei ng a woman come out of t hathotel i n a teagown and wi t hout a hat . He di r ect ed t he dr i ver t o the housei n whi ch Susi e l i ved and l ooked r ound at Margaret . She had f ai nt edi mmedi atel y she got i nt o the cab.

When t hey arr i ved, he carr i ed Margar et upst ai r s and l ai d her on a sof a.He t ol d Susi e what had happened and what he wanted of her . The dear womanf or got ever ythi ng except t hat Mar gar et was ver y i l l , and pr omi sedwi l l i ngl y to do al l he wi shed.

* * * * *

For a week Margar et coul d not be moved. Ar t hur hi r ed a l i t t l e cot t age i n

Hampshi r e, opposi t e t he I sl e of Wi ght , hopi ng that ami d the mostcharmi ng, r est f ul scenery i n Engl and she woul d qui ckl y regai n herst r ength; and as soon as i t was possi bl e Susi e took her down. But she wasmuch al t ered. Her gai ety had di sappear ed and wi t h i t her determi nat i on.Al t hough her i l l ness had been nei t her l ong nor ser i ous, she seemed asexhaust ed, physi cal l y and ment al l y, as i f she had been f or mont hs at t hepoi nt of deat h. She t ook no i nt erest i n her sur r oundi ngs, and wasi ndi f f erent t o the shady l anes t hr ough whi ch t hey dr ove and t o thegraci ous t r ees and t he meadows. Her ol d passi on f or beaut y was gone, andshe car ed nei t her f or t he f l ower s whi ch f i l l ed t hei r l i t t l e gar den norf or t he bi r ds t hat sang cont i nual l y. But at l ast i t seemed necessar y t odi scuss t he f ut ur e. Mar garet acqui esced i n al l t hat was suggest ed t o her ,and agr eed wi l l i ngl y t hat t he needf ul st eps shoul d be t aken to procur eher r el ease f r om Ol i ver Haddo. He made apparent l y no ef f or t t o t r ace her,and nothi ng had been hear d of hi m. He di d not know where Margar et was,but he mi ght have guessed t hat Ar t hur was responsi bl e f or her f l i ght , andAr t hur was easi l y t o be f ound. I t made Susi e vaguel y uneasy t hat t herewas no si gn of hi s exi st ence. She wi shed t hat Ar t hur were not kept by hi swork i n London.

At l ast a sui t f or di vor ce was i nst i t ut ed.

Two days af t er t hi s, when Ar t hur was i n hi s consul t i ngroom, Haddo' s car dwas br ought t o hi m. Ar t hur ' s j aw set more f i r ml y.

' Show t he gent l eman i n, ' he ordered.

When Haddo ent ered, Ar t hur , st andi ng wi t h hi s back t o the f i r epl ace,mot i oned hi m t o si t down.

' What can I do f or you?' he asked col dl y.

' I have not come t o avai l mysel f of your sur gi cal ski l l , my dear Bur don, 'smi l ed Haddo, as he f el l ponderousl y i nt o an armchai r .

' So I i magi ned. '



' You per spi caci t y amazes me. I sur mi se that i t i s t o you I owe thi samusi ng ci t at i on whi ch was ser ved on me yest erday. '

' I al l owed you t o come i n so that I mi ght t el l you I wi l l have nocommuni cat i on wi t h you except t hr ough my sol i ci t ors. '

' My dear f el l ow, why do you t r eat me wi t h such di scour t esy? I t i s t r uet hat you have depr i ved me of t he wi f e of my bosom, but you mi ght at l eastso f ar r espect my mar i t al r i ght s as t o use me ci vi l l y. '

' My pati ence i s not as good as i t was, ' answer ed Ar t hur , ' I vent ur e t or emi nd you t hat once bef ore I l ost my t emper wi t h you, and t he resul t youmust have f ound unpl easant . '

' I shoul d have t hought you r egr et t ed t hat i nci dent by now, O Bur don, 'answered Haddo, ent i r el y unabashed.

' My ti me i s ver y shor t , ' sai d Ar t hur .

' Then I wi l l get t o my busi ness wi t hout del ay. I t hought i t mi ght

i nt er est you t o know t hat I pr opose t o br i ng a count er - pet i t i onagai nst my wi f e, and I shal l make you co- r espondent . '

' You i nf amous bl ackguar d! ' cr i ed Ar t hur f ur i ousl y. ' You know as wel l as Ido t hat your wi f e i s above suspi ci on. '

' I know t hat she l ef t my hotel i n your company, and has been l i vi ng si nceunder your pr ot ect i on. '

Ar t hur gr ew l i vi d wi t h r age. He coul d har dl y rest r ai n hi msel f f r omknocki ng t he man down. He gave a shor t l augh.

' You can do what you l i ke. I ' m r eal l y not f r i ght ened. '

' The i nnocent are so very i ncaut i ous. I assur e you t hat I can make a goodenough st ory t o rui n your car eer and f orce you t o resi gn yourappoi nt ment s at t he var i ous hospi t al s you honour wi t h your at t ent i on. '

' You f or get t hat t he case wi l l not be t r i ed i n open cour t , ' sai d Ar t hur .

Haddo l ooked at hi m st eadi l y. He di d not answer f or a moment .

' You' r e qui t e r i ght , ' he sai d at l ast , wi t h a l i t t l e smi l e. ' I hadf or got t en t hat . '

' Then I need not detai n you l onger . '

Ol i ver Haddo got up. He passed hi s hand r ef l ect i vel y over hi s huge f ace.Ar t hur watched hi m wi t h scornf ul eyes. He t ouched a bel l , and t he servantat once appeared.

' Show t hi s gent l eman out . '

Not i n t he l east di sconcer t ed, Haddo st r ol l ed cal ml y t o t he door.

Ar t hur gave a si gh of r el i ef , f or he concl uded t hat Haddo woul d not showf i ght . Hi s sol i ci t or i ndeed had al r eady assur ed hi m t hat Ol i ver woul d not



vent ur e to def end t he case.

Margar et seemed gr adual l y t o t ake more i nt erest i n the pr oceedi ngs, andshe was f ul l of eager ness t o be set f r ee. She di d not shr i nk f r om t heunpl easant ordeal of a t r i al . She coul d t al k of Haddo wi t h composur e. Herf r i ends were abl e t o per suade themsel ves t hat i n a l i t t l e whi l e she woul dbe her ol d sel f agai n, f or she was gr owi ng st r onger and more cheer f ul ;her char mi ng l aught er r ang t hr ough t he l i t t l e house as i t had been usedt o do i n t he Par i s s t udi o. The case was t o come on at t he end of J ul y,bef ore t he l ong vacat i on, and Susi e had agr eed t o t ake Margaret abr oad assoon as i t was done.

But pr esent l y a change came over her. As t he day of t he t r i al dr ewnear er , Margaret became exci t ed and di st ur bed; her gai ety deser t ed her,and she f el l i nt o l ong, moody si l ences. To some ext ent t hi s wascompr ehensi bl e, f or she woul d have to di scl ose t o cal l ous ear s t he mosti nt i mat e det ai l s of her mar r i ed l i f e; but at l ast her ner vousness gr ew somar ked that Susi e coul d no l onger ascr i be i t t o nat ur al causes. Shet hought i t necessar y t o wr i t e to Ar t hur about i t .

My Dear Ar t hur :

I don' t know what t o make of Margaret , and I wi sh you woul d come down andsee her . The good- humour whi ch I have not i ced i n her of l at e has gi venway to a cur i ous i r r i t abi l i t y. She i s so rest l ess t hat she cannot keepst i l l f or a moment . Even when she i s s i t t i ng down her body moves i n amanner t hat i s al most convul si ve. I am begi nni ng t o thi nk t hat t he str ai nf r omwhi ch she suf f ered i s br i ngi ng on some nervous di sease, and I amr eal l y al armed. She wal ks about t he house i n a pecul i ar l y ai ml ess manner,up and down the st ai r s, i n and out of t he garden. She has grown suddenl ymuch more si l ent , and t he l ook has come back t o her eyes whi ch t hey hadwhen f i r st we br ought her down here. When I beg her t o t el l me what i st r oubl i ng her , she says: ' I ' m af r ai d t hat somet hi ng i s goi ng t o happen. 'She wi l l not or cannot expl ai n what she means. The l ast f ew weeks haveset my own ner ves on edge, so t hat I do not know how much of what Iobser ve i s r eal , and how much i s due t o my f ancy; but I wi sh you woul dcome and put a l i t t l e cour age i nt o me. The oddness of i t al l i s maki ng meuneasy, and I amsei zed wi t h pr eposter ous t err or s. I don' t know whatt here i s i n Haddo t hat i nspi r es me wi t h t hi s unaccount abl e dr ead. He i sal ways present t o my t hought s. I seem t o see hi s dreadf ul eyes and hi scol d, sensual smi l e. I wake up at ni ght , my hear t beat i ng f ur i ousl y, wi t ht he consci ousness t hat somethi ng qui t e awf ul has happened.

Oh, I wi sh t he t r i al were over , and that we were happy i n Germany.

Yours everSUSAN BOYD

Susi e took a cert ai n pr i de i n her common sense, and i t was humi l i at i ng t of i nd t hat her ner ves coul d be so di st r aught . She was worr i ed and unhappy.I t had not been easy to t ake Margar et back t o her bosom as i f nothi ng hadhappened. Susi e was human; and, t hough she di d t en t i mes more t han coul dbe expected of her , she coul d not r esi st a f eel i ng of i r r i t at i on t hatAr t hur sacr i f i ced her so cal ml y. He had no r oom f or ot her t hought s, andi t seemed qui t e nat ur al t o hi m t hat she shoul d devot e her sel f ent i r el y toMar gar et ' s wel f ar e.



Susi e wal ked some way al ong t he r oad t o post t hi s l et t er and t hen went t oher r oom. I t was a wonder f ul ni ght , st ar r y and cal m, and t he si l ence wasl i ke bal m t o her t r oubl es. She sat at t he wi ndow f or a l ong t i me, and atl ast , f eel i ng mor e t r anqui l , went t o bed. She sl ept more soundl y t han shehad done f or many days. When she awoke t he sun was s t r eami ng i nt o herr oom, and she gave a deep si gh of del i ght . She coul d see t r ees f r om herbed, and bl ue sky. Al l her t r oubl es seemed easy t o bear when t he wor l dwas so beaut i f ul , and she was r eady t o l augh at t he f ear s t hat had soaf f ect ed her .

She got up, put on a dr essi ng- gown, and went t o Margaret ' s r oom. I t wasempt y. The bed had not been sl ept i n. On the pi l l ow was a not e.

I t ' s no good; I can' t hel p mysel f . I ' ve gone back t o hi m. Don' t t r oubl eabout me any more. I t ' s qui t e hopel ess and usel ess.

M Susi e gave a l i t t l e gasp. Her f i r st t hought was f or Ar t hur , and sheut t ered a wai l of sor r ow because he must be cast agai n i nt o the agony of

desol at i on. Once more she had t o br eak t he dr eadf ul news. She dr essedhur r i edl y and ate some br eakf ast . Ther e was no t r ai n t i l l near l y el even,and she had t o bear her i mpat i ence as best she coul d. At l ast i t was t i met o st ar t , and she put on her gl oves. At t hat moment t he door was opened,and Ar t hur came i n.

She gave a cr y of t er r or and tur ned pal e.

' I was j ust comi ng t o London t o see you, ' she f al t er ed. ' How di d you f i ndout ?'

' Haddo sent me a box of chocol ates ear l y t hi s morni ng wi t h a card onwhi ch was wr i t t en: _I t hi nk the odd t r i ck i s mi ne_. '

Thi s cr uel vi ndi ct i veness, j oi ned wi t h a school boy l ove of t aunt i ng t hevanqui shed f oe, was very charact er i st i c. Susi e gave Ar t hur Bur don t henot e whi ch she had f ound i n Margar et ' s r oom. He read i t and t hen t houghtf or a l ong t i me.

' I ' m af r ai d she' s r i ght , ' he sai d at l engt h. ' I t seems qui t e hopel ess. The man has some power over her whi ch we can' t count er act . '

Susi e wonder ed whet her hi s st r ong scept i ci sm was f ai l i ng at l ast .She coul d not wi t hst and her own f eel i ng that t here was somethi ngpr eternatur al about t he hol d t hat Ol i ver had over Margar et . She hadno shadow of a doubt t hat he was abl e to af f ect hi s wi f e even at adi st ance, and was convi nced now t hat t he rest l essness of t he l ast f ew

days was due t o t hi s myst er i ous power . He had been at work i n somest r ange way, and Margaret had been aware of i t . At l engt h she coul dnot r esi st and had gone t o hi m i nst i ncti vel y: her wi l l was as l i t t l econcerned as when a chi p of st eel f l i es t o a magnet .

' I cannot f i nd i t i n my hear t now t o bl ame her f or anyt hi ng she hasdone, ' sai d Susi e. ' I t hi nk she i s t he vi cti m of a most l ament abl e f at e.I can' t hel p i t . I must bel i eve t hat he was abl e to cast a spel l on her ;and t o that i s due al l t hat has happened. I have onl y pi t y f or her gr eatmi sf or t unes. '



' Has i t occur r ed t o you what wi l l happen when she i s back i n Haddo' shands?' cr i ed Ar t hur . ' You know as wel l as I do how r evengef ul he i s andhow hatef ul l y cruel . My hear t bl eeds when I t hi nk of t he tor t ur es, sheerphysi cal t or t ur es, whi ch she may suf f er . '

He wal ked up and down i n desperat i on.

' And yet t here' s not hi ng whatever t hat one can do. One can' t go t o t hepol i ce and say t hat a man has cast a magi c spel l on hi s wi f e. '

' Then you bel i eve i t t oo?' sai d Susi e.

' I don' t know what I bel i eve now, ' he cri ed. ' Af t er al l , we can' t doanyt hi ng i f she chooses t o go back t o her husband. She' s apparent l y herown mi st r ess. ' He wr ung hi s hands. ' And I ' m i mpr i soned i n London! I can' tl eave i t f or a day. I ought not t o be here now, and I must get back i n acoupl e of hour s. I can do not hi ng, and yet I ' m convi nced t hat Mar gar et i sut t er l y wr et ched. '

Susi e paused f or a mi nut e or t wo. She wonder ed how he woul d accept t hesuggest i on t hat was i n her mi nd.

' Do you know, i t seems t o me t hat common met hods ar e usel ess . The onl ychance i s t o f i ght hi m wi t h hi s own weapons. Woul d you mi nd i f I wentover t o Par i s t o consul t Dr Por hoët ? You know t hat he i s l ear ned i n everybr anch of t he occul t , and perhaps he mi ght hel p us. '

But Ar t hur pul l ed hi msel f t ogether .

' I t ' s absur d. We must n' t gi ve way to super st i t i on. Haddo i s mer el y ascoundrel and a char l atan. He' s worked on our nerves as he' s worked onpoor Margar et ' s. I t ' s i mpossi bl e t o suppose t hat he has any powersgreater t han t he common r un of manki nd. '

' Even af t er al l you' ve seen wi t h your own eyes?'

' I f my eyes show me what al l my t r ai ni ng assur es me i s i mpossi bl e, I canonl y concl ude t hat my eyes decei ve me. '

' Wel l , I shal l run over t o Par i s . '

13

Some weeks l ater Dr Por hoët was si t t i ng among hi s books i n the qui et , l owr oom t hat over l ooked t he Sei ne. He had gi ven hi msel f over t o a pl easi ngmel anchol y. The heat beat down upon t he noi sy st r eet s of Par i s, and thedi n of t he gr eat ci t y penet r at ed even t o hi s f ast ness i n t he Î l e Sai ntLoui s. He r emember ed t he cl oud- l aden sky of t he countr y wher e he wasborn, and t he sout h- west wi nd t hat bl ew wi t h a sal t f r eshness. The l ongst r eet s of Br est , pr esent t o hi s f ancy al ways i n a dr i zzl e of r ai n, wi t ht he l i ght s of caf és ref l ected on t he wet pavement s, had a f ami l i ar char m.Even i n f oul weat her t he sai l or - men who t r udged al ong them gave one a



cur i ous sense of comf ort . There was del i ght i n t he smel l of t he sea andi n t he f r eedom of t he gr eat At l ant i c. And t hen he thought of t he gr eenl anes and of t he wast e pl aces wi t h t hei r scent ed heat her , t he f ai r br oadr oads t hat l ed f r om one ol d sweet t own t o another , of t he _Pardons_ andt hei r gent l e, sad cr owds. Dr Por hoët gave a si gh.

' I t i s good t o be bor n i n t he l and of Br i t t any, ' he smi l ed.

But hi s _bonne_ showed Susi e i n, and he rose wi t h a smi l e to gr eet her .She had been i n Par i s f or some t i me, and t hey had seen much of oneanother . He basked i n t he gent l e sympat hy wi t h whi ch she i nt erest edher sel f i n al l t he abst r use, quai nt mat t er s on whi ch he spent hi s t i me;and, di vi ni ng her l ove f or Art hur , he admi r ed t he cour age wi t h whi ch sheef f aced hersel f . They had got i nt o the habi t of eat i ng many of t hei rmeal s t ogether i n a qui et house opposi t e the Cl uny cal l ed La Rei neBl anche, and here t hey had t al ked of so many thi ngs t hat t hei racquai nt ance was gr own i nto a charmi ng f r i endshi p.

' I ' m ashamed t o come her e so of t en, ' sai d Susi e, as she ent er ed. ' Mati l dei s begi nni ng t o l ook at me wi t h a suspi ci ous eye. '

' I t i s ver y good of you t o ent er t ai n a ti r esome ol d man, ' he smi l ed,as he hel d her hand. ' But I shoul d have been di sappoi nt ed i f you hadf orgot t en your pr omi se to come thi s af t ernoon, f or I have much t o t el lyou. '

' Tel l me at once, ' she sai d, si t t i ng down.

' I have di scover ed an MS. at t he l i br ar y of t he Ar senal t hi s morni ng t hatno one knew anyt hi ng about . '

He sai d t hi s wi t h an ai r of t r i umph, as t hough t he achi evement were of nat i onal i mport ance. Susi e had a tenderness f or hi s i nnocent mani a; and,t hough she knew t he work i n quest i on was occul t and i ncomprehensi bl e,congr at ul at ed hi m hear t i l y.

' I t i s t he or i gi nal ver si on of a book by Par acel sus. I have not r ead i tyet , f or t he wr i t i ng i s most di f f i cul t t o deci pher , but one poi nt caughtmy eye on tur ni ng over t he pages. That i s t he gr uesome f act t hatParacel sus f ed the _homuncul i _ he manuf act ured on human bl ood. Onewonder s how he came by i t . '

Susi e gave a l i t t l e st ar t , whi ch Dr Por hoët not i ced.

' What i s t he mat t er wi t h you?'

' Not hi ng, ' she sai d qui ckl y.

He l ooked at her f or a moment , t hen pr oceeded wi t h the subj ect t hatst r angel y f asci nat ed hi m.

' You must l et me take you one day t o the l i br ary of t he Ar senal . Therei s no r i cher col l ect i on i n t he wor l d of books deal i ng wi t h t he occul tsci ences. And of cour se you know t hat i t was at t he Ar senal t hat t het r i bunal sat , under t he suggest i ve name of _chambr e ar dent e_, t o dealwi t h cases of sor cery and magi c?'



' I di dn' t , ' smi l ed Susi e.

' I al ways t hi nk t hat t hese manuscr i pt s and queer ol d books, whi ch aret he pr i de of our l i br ar y, served i n many an ol d t r i al . There ar e vol umest her e of i nnocent appearance t hat have hanged wr et ched men and sentot hers t o t he st ake. You woul d not bel i eve how many persons of f or t une,r ank, and i nt el l i gence, dur i ng t he gr eat r ei gn of Loui s XI V, i mmer sedt hemsel ves i n t hese satani c under t aki ngs. '

Susi e di d not answer . She coul d not now deal wi t h t hese mat t ers i n ani ndi f f er ent spi r i t . Ever ythi ng she hear d mi ght have some bear i ng on theci r cumst ances whi ch she had di scussed wi t h Dr Por hoët t i mes out of number . She had never been abl e t o pi n hi m down to an af f i r mat i on of f ai t h. Cert ai n st r ange t hi ngs had mani f est l y happened, but what t heexpl anat i on of t hem was, no man coul d say. He of f ered anal ogi es f r omhi s wel l - st ored memory. He gave her books t o read t i l l she was satur atedwi t h occul t sci ence. At one moment , she was i ncl i ned t o thr ow t hemal lasi de i mpati ent l y, and, at another , was r eady t o bel i eve t hat ever ythi ngwas possi bl e.

Dr Por hoët st ood up and st r etched out a medi t at i ve f i nger. He spoke i nt hat agr eeabl y academi c manner whi ch, at t he begi nni ng of t hei racquai nt ance, had al ways ent er t ai ned Susi e, because i t cont r ast ed soabsur dl y wi t h hi s f ant ast i c ut t er ances.

' I t was a st r ange dr eam t hat t hese wi zards cher i shed. They sought t o maket hemsel ves bel oved of t hose t hey cared f or and to r evenge t hemsel ves ont hose they hated; but , above al l , t hey sought t o become gr eat er t han t hecommon r un of men and t o wi el d the power of t he gods. They hesi t at ed atnot hi ng t o gai n t hei r ends. But Nat ur e wi t h di f f i cul t y al l ows her secret st o be wr est ed f r om her . I n vai n t hey l i t t hei r f ur naces, and i n vai n t heyst udi ed t hei r cr abbed books, cal l ed up t he dead, and conj ur ed ghast l yspi r i t s. Thei r r eward was di sappoi nt ment and wr etchedness, povert y, t hescor n of men, t or t ur e, i mpr i sonment , and shamef ul deat h. And yet , perhapsaf t er al l , t her e may be some par t i cl e of t r ut h hi dden away i n t hese dar kpl aces. '

' You never go f ur t her t han t he caut i ous per haps, ' sai d Susi e. ' You nevergi ve me any def i ni t e opi ni on. '

' I n t hese mat t er s i t i s di screet t o have no def i ni t e opi ni on, ' he smi l ed,wi t h a shr ug of t he shoul der s. ' I f a wi se man st udi es t he sci ence of t heoccul t , hi s dut y i s not t o l augh at ever yt hi ng, but t o seek pat i ent l y,sl owl y, perseveri ngl y, t he tr ut h t hat may be conceal ed i n t he ni ght of t hese i l l usi ons. '

The wor ds wer e hardl y spoken when Mat i l de, t he anci ent _bonne_, opened

t he door t o l et a vi si t or come i n. I t was Ar t hur Bur don. Susi e gave a cr yof sur pr i se, f or she had r ecei ved a br i ef not e f r om hi m t wo days bef or e,and he had sai d nothi ng of cr ossi ng t he Channel .

' I ' m gl ad t o f i nd you bot h her e, ' sai d Ar t hur , as he shook hands wi t ht hem.

' Has anythi ng happened?' cr i ed Susi e.

Hi s manner was cur i ousl y di st r essi ng, and t her e was a nervousness about



hi s movement s t hat was very unexpect ed i n so r est r ai ned a person.

' I ' ve seen Mar gar et agai n, ' he sai d.

' Wel l ?'

He seemed unabl e t o go on, and yet bot h knew t hat he had somet hi ngi mpor t ant t o tel l t hem. He l ooked at t hem vacant l y, as t hough al l he hadt o say was suddenl y gone out of hi s mi nd.

' I ' ve come st r ai ght her e, ' he sai d, i n a dul l , bewi l der ed f ashi on. ' Iwent t o your hotel , Susi e, i n t he hope of f i ndi ng you; but when t hey t ol dme you were out , I f el t cert ai n you woul d be here. '

' You seem wor n out , _cher ami _, ' sai d Dr Por hoët , l ooki ng at hi m. ' Wi l lyou l et Mat i l de make you a cup of cof f ee?'

' I shoul d l i ke somet hi ng, ' he answer ed, wi t h a l ook of ut t er wear i ness.

' Si t st i l l f or a mi nut e or t wo, and you shal l t el l us what you want t o

when you ar e a l i t t l e r est ed. '

Dr Por hoët had not seen Ar t hur si nce that af t ernoon i n the pr evi ous yearwhen, i n answer t o Haddo' s t el egr am, he had gone t o t he st udi o i n the RueCampagne Pr emi ère. He wat ched hi m anxi ousl y whi l e Ar t hur drank hi scof f ee. The change i n hi m was ext r aor di nary; t here was a cadaverousexhaust i on about hi s f ace, and hi s eyes were sunken i n t hei r sockets. Butwhat al armed t he good doct or most was t hat Ar t hur ' s personal i t y seemedt horoughl y t hr own out of gear . Al l t hat he had endur ed dur i ng t hese ni nemont hs had r obbed hi m of t he st r engt h of pur pose, t he matt er- of - f actsur eness, whi ch had di st i ngui shed hi m. He was now unbal anced andneur ot i c.

Ar t hur di d not speak. Wi t h hi s eyes f i xed moodi l y on t he gr ound, hewondered how much he coul d br i ng hi msel f t o t el l t hem. I t r evol t ed hi mt o di scl ose hi s i nmost t hought s, yet he was come t o the end of hi s t etherand needed t he doct or ' s advi ce. He f ound hi msel f obl i ged t o deal wi t hci r cumst ances t hat mi ght have exi st ed i n a wor l d of ni ght mare, and hewas dr i ven at l ast t o t ake advant age of hi s f r i end' s pecul i ar knowl edge.

Ret ur ni ng to London af t er Mar gar et ' s f l i ght , Ar t hur Bur don had thr ownhi msel f agai n i nt o the work whi ch f or so l ong had been hi s onl y sol ace.I t had l ost i t s savour ; but he woul d not t ake t hi s i nt o account , and hesl aved away mechani cal l y, by perpet ual t oi l seeki ng t o deaden hi sangui sh. But as t he t i me passed he was sei zed on a sudden wi t h a cur i ousf eel i ng of f or ebodi ng, whi ch he coul d i n no way resi st ; i t gr ew i nst r engt h t i l l i t had al l t he power of an obsessi on, and he coul d not

r eason hi msel f out of i t . He was sur e t hat a gr eat danger t hr eat enedMar gar et . He coul d not t el l what i t was, nor why t he f ear of i t was soper si st ent , but t he i dea was t her e al ways, ni ght and day; i t haunt ed hi ml i ke a shadow and pur sued hi m l i ke r emorse. Hi s anxi et y i ncreasedcont i nual l y, and t he vagueness of hi s t err or made i t more t orment i ng. Hef el t qui t e cer t ai n t hat Mar gar et was i n i mmi nent per i l , but he di d notknow how t o hel p her . Ar t hur supposed that Haddo had t aken her back t oSkene; but , even i f he went t her e, he had no chance of seei ng her . Whatmade i t mor e di f f i cul t st i l l , was t hat hi s chi ef at St Luke' s was away,and he was obl i ged t o be i n London i n case he shoul d be suddenl y cal l ed



upon t o do some operat i on. But he coul d t hi nk of nothi ng el se. He f el ti t ur gent l y needf ul t o see Mar gar et. Ni ght af t er ni ght he dr eamed thatshe was at t he poi nt of deat h, and heavy f et t er s prevent ed hi m f r omst r etchi ng out a hand t o hel p her. At l ast he coul d st and i t no more. Het ol d a br other sur geon t hat pr i vat e busi ness f or ced hi m t o l eave London,and put t he work i nt o hi s hands. Wi t h no pl an i n hi s head, merel y ur gedby an obscure i mpul se, he set out f or t he vi l l age of Venni ng, whi ch wasabout t hr ee mi l es f r omSkene.

I t was a t i ny pl ace, wi t h one publ i c- house servi ng as a hotel t o t he r ar et r avel l er s who f ound i t needf ul t o st op t her e, and Ar t hur f el t t hat someexpl anat i on of hi s presence was necessar y. Havi ng seen at t he st at i on anadver t i sement of a l ar ge f ar m t o l et , he t ol d t he i nqui si t i ve l andl adyt hat he had come t o see i t . He arr i ved l ate at ni ght . Nothi ng coul d bedone t hen, so he occupi ed t he t i me by t r yi ng to f i nd out somethi ng aboutt he Haddos.

Ol i ver was t he l ocal magnat e, and hi s weal t h woul d have made hi m an easyt opi c of conver sat i on even wi t hout hi s eccent r i ci t y. The l andl ady roundl ycal l ed hi m i nsane, and as an i nst ance of hi s queer ness t ol d Ar t hur , t o

hi s gr eat di smay, t hat Haddo woul d have no servant s t o sl eep i n t hehouse: af t er di nner everyone was sent away t o the vari ous cot t ages i nt he park, and he remai ned al one wi t h hi s wi f e. I t was an awf ul t houghtt hat Margar et mi ght be i n the hands of a ravi ng madman, wi t h not a soult o pr ot ect her . But i f he l ear nt no mor e t han t hi s of sol i d f act , Ar t hurhear d much that was si gni f i cant . To hi s amazement t he ol d f ear of t hewi zard had gr own up agai n i n that l onel y pl ace, and the gar r ul ous womangr avel y tol d hi m of Haddo' s evi l i nf l uence on t he cr ops and cat t l e of f armers who had aroused hi s anger . He had had an al t ercat i on wi t h hi sbai l i f f , and t he man had di ed wi t hi n a year . A smal l f r eehol der i n t henei ghbour hood had ref used to sel l t he l and whi ch woul d have r ounded of f t he est ate of Skene, and a di sease had at t acked every ani mal on hi s f armso t hat he was r ui ned. Ar t hur was i mpr essed because, t hough she repor t edt hese rumour s wi t h mock scept i ci sm as t he st or i es of i gnor ant yokel s andol d women, t he i nnkeeper had evi dent l y a t er r i f i ed bel i ef i n t hei r t r ut h.No one coul d deny t hat Haddo had got possessi on of t he l and he want ed;f or , when i t was put up t o auct i on, no one woul d bi d agai nst hi m, and hebought i t f or a song.

As soon as he coul d do so natur al l y, Ar t hur asked af t er Margaret . Thewoman shrugged her shoul ders. No one knew anyt hi ng about her. She nevercame out of t he par k gat es, but somet i mes you coul d see her wander i ngabout i nsi de by hersel f . She saw no one. Haddo had l ong si nce quarr el l edwi t h the sur r oundi ng gent r y; and though one ol d l ady, t he mother of anei ghbour i ng l andowner , had cal l ed when Margar et f i r st came, she had notbeen admi t t ed, and t he vi si t was never r etur ned.

' She' l l come to no good, poor l ady, ' sai d t he host ess of t he i nn. ' Andt hey do say she' s a per f ect pi ct ur e t o l ook at . '

Ar t hur went t o hi s r oom. He l onged f or t he day t o come. There was nocert ai n means of seei ng Margar et . I t was usel ess t o go to the park gat es,si nce even t he t r adesmen were obl i ged t o l eave t hei r goods at t he l odge;but i t appear ed t hat she wal ked al one, morni ng and af t ernoon, and i tmi ght be possi bl e to see her t hen. He deci ded t o cl i mb i nt o the park andwai t t i l l he came upon her i n some spot where they were not l i kel y t obe obser ved.



Next day t he great heat of t he l ast week was gone, and the mel anchol y skywas dark wi t h l ower i ng cl ouds. Ar t hur i nqui r ed f or t he road whi ch l ed t oSkene, and set out t o wal k the three mi l es whi ch separ at ed hi m f r om i t . The count r y was grey and barr en. There was a broad wast e of heath, wi t hgi gant i c boul ders st r ewn as t hough i n pr e- hi st or i c t i mes Ti t ans had wagedt here a mi ght y bat t l e. Here and t her e were t r ees, but t hey seemed hardl yt o wi t hst and t he f i erce wi nds of wi nt er ; t hey were ol d and bowed bef oret he st or m. One of t hem at t r act ed hi s at t ent i on. I t had been st r uck byl i ght ni ng and was r i ven asunder , l eaf l ess; but t he mai med br anches werecur i ousl y set on t he t r unk so t hat t hey gave i t t he appear ance of a humanbei ng wr i t hi ng i n t he tor t ur e of i nf er nal agony. The wi nd whi st l edst r angel y. Ar t hur ' s heart sank as he wal ked on. He had never seen acount r y so desol ate.

He came to the park gates at l ast and st ood f or some t i me i n f r ont of t hem. At t he end of a l ong avenue, among the t r ees, he coul d see par t of a spl endi d house. He wal ked al ong t he wooden pal i sade t hat sur r ounded t hepark. Suddenl y he came t o a spot where a boar d had been broken down. Hel ooked up and down t he r oad. No one was i n si ght . He cl i mbed up t he l ow,

st eep bank, wr enched down a pi ece more of t he f ence, and sl i pped i n.

He f ound hi msel f i n a dense wood. There was no si gn of a pat h, and headvanced caut i ousl y. The br acken was so t hi ck and hi gh t hat i t easi l yconceal ed hi m. Dead owner s had pl ai nl y spent much care upon the pl ace,f or her e al one i n t he nei ghbour hood were t r ees i n abundance; but of l atei t had been ut t er l y negl ect ed. I t had r un so wi l d t hat t here were not r aces now of i t s ear l y f ormal ar r angement ; and i t was so hard t o makeone' s way, t he vegetat i on was so thi ck, t hat i t mi ght al most have beensome remnant of pr i meval f orest . But at l ast he came t o a gr assy pat h andwal ked al ong i t sl owl y. He st opped on a sudden, f or he hear d a sound. Buti t was onl y a pheasant t hat f l ew heavi l y t hr ough the l ow t r ees. Hewondered what he shoul d do i f he came f ace t o f ace wi t h Ol i ver . Thei nnkeeper had assur ed hi m t hat t he squi r e sel dom came out , but spent hi sdays l ocked i n the gr eat at t i cs at t he t op of t he house. Smoke came f r omt he chi mneys of t hem, even i n the hot t est days of summer, and wei r d tal eswer e tol d of t he devi l r i es t here commi t t ed.

Ar t hur went on, hopi ng i n t he end t o catch si ght of Margaret , but hesaw no one. I n t hat gr ey, chi l l y day the woods, not wi t hst andi ng t hei rgreener y, were desol at e and sad. A sombre myst ery seemed t o hang overt hem. At l ast he came t o a st one bench at a cr oss- way among the t r ees,and, si nce i t was t he onl y rest i ng- pl ace he had seen, i t st r uck hi m t hatMargaret mi ght come t here t o si t down. He hi d hi msel f i n t he br acken.He had f orgot t en hi s wat ch and di d not know how t he t i me passed; heseemed t o be ther e f or hours.

But at l engt h hi s hear t gave a gr eat beat agai nst hi s r i bs, f or al l atonce, so si l ent l y t hat he had not hear d her appr oach, Margar et came i nt ovi ew. She sat on t he st one bench. For a moment he dar ed not move i n caset he sound f r i ght ened her. He coul d not t el l how t o make hi s presenceknown. But i t was necessar y to do somethi ng t o at t r act her at t ent i on,and he coul d onl y hope t hat she woul d not cr y out .

' Mar gar et , ' he cal l ed sof t l y.

She di d not move, and he r epeat ed her name more l oudl y. But st i l l she



made no si gn t hat she had heard. He came f orward and st ood i n f r ont of her.

' Mar gar et . '

She l ooked at hi m qui et l y. He mi ght have been someone she had never seteyes on, and yet f r om her composure she mi ght have expected hi m t o best andi ng t her e.

' Margar et , don' t you know me?'

' What do you want ?' she answered pl aci dl y.

He was so t aken aback t hat he di d not know what t o say. She kept gazi ngat hi m st eadf ast l y. On a sudden her cal mness vani shed, and she spr ang toher f eet .

' I s i t you real l y? ' she cr i ed, t er r i bl y agi t at ed. ' I t hought i t was onl ya shape t hat mi mi cked you. '

' Mar garet , what do you mean? What has come over you?'

She st r et ched out her hand and touched hi m.

' I ' m f l esh and bl ood al l r i ght , ' he sai d, t r yi ng t o smi l e.

She shut her eyes f or a moment , as t hough i n an ef f ort t o col l ecther sel f .

' I ' ve had hal l uci nat i ons l at el y, ' she mut t er ed. ' I t hought i t was somet r i ck pl ayed upon me. '

Suddenl y she shook her sel f .

' But what ar e you doi ng here? You must go. How di d you come? Oh, whywon' t you l eave me al one?'

' I ' ve been haunt ed by a f eel i ng t hat somethi ng horr i bl e was goi ng t ohappen t o you. I was obl i ged t o come. '

' For God' s sake, go. You can do me no good. I f he f i nds out you' ve beenher e- - '

She st opped, and her eyes were di l ated wi t h t err or . Ar t hur sei zed herhands.

' Mar gar et , I can' t go- - I can' t l eave you l i ke t hi s. For Heaven' s sake,

t el l me what i s t he mat t er . I ' m so dr eadf ul l y f r i ght ened. '

He was aghast at t he di f f erence wr ought i n her dur i ng t he t wo mont hssi nce he had seen her l ast . Her col our was gone, and her f ace had t hegreyness of t he dead. There were st r ange l i nes on her f orehead, and hereyes had an unnat ur al gl i t t er . Her yout h had suddenl y l ef t her . Shel ooked as i f she were st r uck down by mort al i l l ness.

' What i s t hat mat t er wi t h you?' he asked.



' Nothi ng. ' She l ooked about her anxi ousl y. ' Oh, why don' t you go? How canyou be so cruel ?'

' I must do somethi ng f or you, ' he i nsi st ed.

She shook her head.

' I t ' s t oo l ate. Nothi ng can hel p me now. ' She paused; and when she spokeagai n i t was wi t h a voi ce so ghast l y t hat i t mi ght have come f r omt hel i ps of a cor pse. ' I ' ve f ound out at l ast what he' s goi ng t o do wi t h meHe want s me f or hi s great exper i ment , and the t i me i s growi ng short er . '

' What do you mean by sayi ng he want s you?'

' He want s- - my l i f e. '

Ar t hur gave a cr y of di smay, but she put up her hand.

' I t ' s no use r esi st i ng. I t can' t do any good- - I t hi nk I shal l be gl adwhen t he moment comes. I shal l at l east cease t o suf f er . '

' But you must be mad. '

' I don' t know. I know t hat he i s. '

' But i f your l i f e i s i n danger , come away f or God' s sake. Af t er al l ,you' r e f r ee. He can' t st op you. '

' I shoul d have t o go back to hi m, as I di d l ast t i me, ' she answer ed,shaki ng her head. ' I t hought I was f r ee t hen, but gr adual l y I knew t hathe was cal l i ng me. I t r i ed t o r esi st , but I coul dn' t . I si mpl y had t o got o hi m. '

' But i t ' s awf ul t o thi nk t hat you ar e al one wi t h a man who' s pr act i cal l yr avi ng mad. '

' I ' m saf e f or t oday, ' she sai d qui et l y. ' I t can onl y be done i n t he ver yhot weat her . I f t her e' s no mor e t hi s year , I shal l l i ve t i l l nextsummer . '

' Oh, Mar gar et , f or God' s sake don' t t al k l i ke t hat . I l ove you- - I want t ohave you wi t h me al ways. Won' t you come away wi t h me and l et me t ake car eof you? I pr omi se you t hat no harm shal l come to you. '

' You don' t l ove me any more; you' r e onl y sor r y f or me now. '

' I t ' s not t r ue. '

' Oh yes i t i s. I saw i t when we were i n t he count r y. Oh, I don' t bl ameyou. I ' m a di f f er ent woman f r omt he one you l oved. I ' m not t he Mar garetyou knew. '

' I can never car e f or anyone but you. '

She put her hand on hi s ar m.

' I f you l oved me, I i mpl ore you t o go. You don' t know what you expose me



t o. And when I ' m dead you must mar r y Susi e. She l oves you wi t h al l herhear t , and she deser ves your l ove. '

' Margaret , don' t go. Come wi t h me. '

' And t ake car e. He wi l l never f or gi ve you f or what you di d. I f he can, hewi l l ki l l you. '

She st art ed vi ol ent l y, as t hough she hear d a sound. Her f ace wasconvul sed wi t h sudden f ear .

' For God' s sake go, go! '

She t ur ned f r om hi m qui ckl y, and, bef or e he coul d pr event her , hadvani shed. Wi t h heavy hear t he pl unged agai n i nt o t he br acken.

When Ar t hur had gi ven hi s f r i ends some account of t hi s meet i ng, hest opped and l ooked at Dr Por hoët . The doct or went t hought f ul l y t o hi sbookcase.

' What i s i t you want me to tel l you?' he asked.

' I t hi nk the man i s mad, ' sai d Ar t hur . ' I f ound out at what asyl um hi smot her was, and by good l uck was abl e t o see t he super i ntendent on my wayt hrough London. He t ol d me t hat he had gr ave doubt s about Haddo' s sani t y,but i t was i mpossi bl e at pr esent t o take any st eps. I came st r ai ght her ebecause I want ed your advi ce. Gr ant i ng t hat t he man i s out of hi s mi nd,i s i t possi bl e t hat he may be t r yi ng some exper i ment t hat ent ai l s asacri f i ce of human l i f e?'

' Not hi ng i s mor e pr obabl e, ' sai d Dr Por hoët gr avel y.

Susi e shuddered. She r emember ed the rumour t hat had reached her ear s i nMont e Car l o.

' They sai d there that he was at t empt i ng to make l i vi ng cr eat ur es by amagi cal oper at i on. ' She gl anced at t he doct or, but spoke t o Ar t hur . ' J ustbef or e you came i n, our f r i end was t al ki ng of t hat book of Par acel sus i nwhi ch he speaks of f eedi ng t he monst er s he has made on human bl ood. '

Ar t hur gave a hor r i f i ed cr y.

' The most si gni f i cant t hi ng t o my mi nd i s t hat f act about Margar et whi chwe ar e cer t ai n of , ' sai d Dr Por hoët . ' Al l wor ks that deal wi t h t he Bl ackAr t s ar e unani mous upon the supr eme ef f i cacy of t he vi r gi nal condi t i on. '

' But what i s t o be done?' asked Ar t hur i s desper ati on. ' We can' t l eave

her i n t he hands of a r avi ng madman. ' He t urned on a sudden deat hl ywhi t e. ' For al l we know she may be dead now. '

' Have you ever hear d of Gi l l es de Rai s?' sai d Dr Por hoët , cont i nui ng hi sr ef l ecti ons. ' That i s t he cl assi c i nst ance of human sacri f i ce. I know t hecount r y i n whi ch he l i ved; and the peasant s t o thi s day dare not pass atni ght i n t he nei ghbour hood of t he rui ned cast l e whi ch was t he scene of hi s hor r i bl e cri mes. '

' I t ' s awf ul t o know t hat t hi s dreadf ul danger hangs over her , and t o be



abl e t o do not hi ng. '

' We can onl y wai t , ' sai d Dr Porhoët.

' And i f we wai t t oo l ong, we may be f aced by a t er r i bl e catast r ophe. '

' For t unat el y we l i ve i n a ci vi l i zed age. Haddo has a gr eat car e of hi sneck. I hope we ar e f r i ght ened undul y. '

I t seemed t o Susi e t hat t he chi ef t hi ng was t o di st r act Ar t hur , and shet ur ned over i n her mi nd some means of di r ect i ng hi s at t ent i on t o ot hermat t ers.

' I was t hi nki ng of goi ng down t o Chart r es f or t wo days wi t h Mr sBl oomf i el d, ' she sai d. ' Won' t you come wi t h me? I t i s t he most l ovel ycat hedr al i n t he wor l d, and I t hi nk you wi l l f i nd i t r est f ul t o wanderabout i t f or a l i t t l e whi l e. You can do no good, her e or i n London.Per haps when you are cal m, you wi l l be abl e to thi nk of somethi ngpract i cal . '

Dr Por hoët saw what her pl an was, and j oi ned hi s ent r eat i es t o hers t hatAr t hur shoul d spend a day or t wo i n a pl ace t hat had no associ at i ons f orhi m. Ar t hur was t oo exhaust ed t o argue, and f r om sheer wear i nessconsent ed. Next day Susi e took hi m t o Chart r es. Mr s Bl oomf i el d was not r oubl e to t hem, and Susi e i nduced hi m t o l i nger f or a week i n t hatpl easant , qui et t own. They passed many hour s i n t he st atel y cat hedr al ,and t hey wandered about t he sur r oundi ng countr y. Ar t hur was obl i ged t oconf ess t hat t he change had done hi m good, and a cer t ai n apathy succeededt he agi t at i on f r om whi ch he had suf f er ed so l ong. Fi nal l y Susi e per suadedhi m t o spend t hr ee or f our weeks i n Br i t t any wi t h Dr Por hoët , who waspr oposi ng t o revi si t t he scenes of hi s chi l dhood. They ret ur ned t o Par i s.When Ar t hur l ef t her at t he st at i on, pr omi si ng t o meet her agai n i n anhour at t he rest aur ant where t hey were goi ng to di ne wi t h Dr Por hoët , het hanked her f or al l she had done.

' I was i n an absur dl y hyst er i cal condi t i on, ' he sai d, hol di ng her hand.' You' ve been qui t e angel i c. I knew t hat nothi ng coul d be done, and yet Iwas t orment ed wi t h t he desi r e to do somethi ng. Now I ' ve got mysel f i nhand once mor e. I t hi nk my common sense was deser t i ng me, and I was ont he poi nt of bel i evi ng i n t he f ar r ago of nonsense whi ch t hey cal l magi c.Af t er al l , i t ' s absur d t o t hi nk t hat Haddo i s goi ng t o do any har m t oMargar et . As soon at I get back t o London, I ' l l see my l awyer s, and Idaresay somethi ng can be done. I f he' s r eal l y mad, we' l l have t o put hi munder r est r ai nt , and Mar gar et wi l l be f r ee. I shal l never f or get yourki ndness. '

Susi e smi l ed and shr ugged her shoul ders.

She was convi nced t hat he woul d f orget everyt hi ng i f Margaret came backt o hi m. But she chi d her sel f f or t he bi t t er ness of t he t hought . She l ovedhi m, and she was gl ad t o be abl e t o do anyt hi ng f or hi m.

She ret ur ned t o the hotel , changed her f r ock, and wal ked sl owl y t o theChi en Noi r . I t al ways exhi l ar ated her t o come back t o Par i s; and shel ooked wi t h happy, af f ect i onat e eyes at t he pl ane t r ees, t he yel l ow t r amst hat r umbl ed al ong i ncessant l y, and t he l oungi ng peopl e. When shearr i ved, Dr Por hoët was wai t i ng, and hi s del i ght at seei ng her agai n was



f l at t er i ng and pl easant . They t al ked of Ar t hur . They wondered why he wasl ate.

I n a moment he came i n. They saw at once t hat somet hi ng qui t eext r aor di nary had t aken pl ace.

' Thank God, I ' ve f ound you at l ast ! ' he cr i ed.

Hi s f ace was movi ng st r angel y. They had never seen hi m so di scomposed.

' I ' ve been round t o your hot el , but I j ust mi ssed you. Oh, why di d youi nsi st on my goi ng away?'

' What on ear t h' s t he mat t er ?' cr i ed Susi e.

' Somet hi ng awf ul has happened t o Margar et . '

Susi e st ar t ed t o her f eet wi t h a sudden cr y of di smay.

' How do you know?' she asked qui ckl y.

He l ooked at t hem f or a moment and f l ushed. He kept hi s eyes upon t hem,as t hough act ual l y t o f or ce hi s l i st ener s i nt o bel i evi ng what he wasabout t o say.

' I f eel i t , ' he answer ed hoar sel y.

' What do you mean?'

' I t came upon me qui t e suddenl y, I can' t expl ai n why or how. I onl y knowt hat somet hi ng has happened. '

He began agai n to wal k up and down, prey to an agi t at i on t hat wasf r i ght f ul t o behol d. Susi e and Dr Por hoët st ar ed at hi m hel pl essl y. Theyt r i ed t o thi nk of somet hi ng t o say t hat woul d cal m hi m.

' Sur el y i f anyt hi ng had occur r ed, we shoul d have been i nf ormed. '

He tur ned to Susi e angr i l y.

' How do you suppose we coul d know anyt hi ng? She was qui t e hel pl ess. Shewas i mpr i soned l i ke a r at i n a tr ap. '

' But , my dear f r i end, you must n' t gi ve way i n t hi s f ashi on, ' sai d t hedoct or . ' What woul d you say of a pat i ent who came t o you wi t h such astory?'

Ar t hur answered the quest i on wi t h a shrug of t he shoul ders .

' I shoul d say he was absur dl y hyst er i cal . '

' Wel l ?'

' I can' t hel p i t , t he f eel i ng' s there. I f you t ry al l ni ght you' l l neverbe abl e to argue me out of i t . I f eel i t i n ever y bone of my body. Icoul dn' t be mor e cer t ai n i f I saw Mar garet l yi ng dead i n f r ont of me. '



Susi e saw t hat i t was i ndeed usel ess t o reason wi t h hi m. The onl y cour sewas t o accept hi s convi ct i on and make t he best of i t .

' What do you want us t o do?' she asked.

' I want you bot h t o come t o Engl and wi t h me at once. I f we st ar t now wecan cat ch t he eveni ng t r ai n. '

Susi e di d not answer , but she got up. She t ouched t he doct or on t he arm.

' Pl ease come, ' she whi sper ed.

He nodded and unt ucked t he napki n he had al r eady arr anged over hi swai st coat .

' I ' ve got a cab at t he door , ' sai d Ar t hur .

' And what about cl ot hes f or Mi ss Susi e?' sai d t he doct or .

' Oh, we can' t wai t f or t hat , ' cri ed Ar t hur . ' For God' s sake, come

qui ckl y. '

Susi e knew t hat t here was pl ent y of t i me t o f etch a f ew necessar y t hi ngsbef or e t he t r ai n st art ed, but Ar t hur ' s i mpat i ence was t oo gr eat t o bewi t hst ood.

' I t doesn' t mat t er , ' she sai d. ' I can get al l I want i n Engl and. '

He hur r i ed t hem t o t he door and t ol d t he cabman t o dr i ve t o t he st at i onas qui ckl y as ever he coul d.

' For Heaven' s sake, cal m down a l i t t l e, ' sai d Susi e. ' You' l l be no goodt o anyone i n t hat st at e. '

' I f eel cert ai n we' r e t oo l at e. '

' Nonsense! I ' m convi nced t hat you' l l f i nd Margar et saf e and sound. '

He di d not answer. He gave a si gh of r el i ef as they dr ove i nt o thecour t yar d of t he st at i on.

14

Susi e never f or got t he horr or of t hat j our ney t o Engl and. They ar r i ved i nLondon ear l y i n the morni ng and, wi t hout st oppi ng, dr ove t o Eust on. Fort hr ee or f our days t here had been unusual heat , and even at t hat hour t hest r eet s were sul t r y and ai r l ess. The t r ai n nor t h was cr owded, and i tseemed i mpossi bl e t o get a br eat h of ai r . Her head ached, but she wasobl i ged t o keep a cheer f ul demeanour i n t he ef f or t t o al l ay Ar t hur ' si ncreasi ng anxi et y. Dr Por hoët sat i n f r ont of her . Af t er t he sl eepl essni ght hi s eyes were heavy and hi s f ace deepl y l i ned. He was exhaust ed.At l engt h, af t er much t i r esome changi ng, t hey r eached Venni ng. She hadexpect ed a gr eat er cool ness i n that nort hern count r y; but t here was a hot



bl i ght over t he pl ace, and, as t hey wal ked t o t he i nn f r om t he l i t t l est at i on, t hey coul d har dl y dr ag t hei r l i mbs al ong.

Ar t hur had t el egr aphed f r om London t hat t hey must have r ooms r eady, andt he l andl ady expect ed t hem. She r ecogni zed Ar t hur . He passi onatel ydesi r ed to ask her whet her anyt hi ng had happened si nce he went away,but f or ced hi msel f t o be si l ent f or a whi l e. He gr eet ed her wi t hcheer f ul ness.

' Wel l , Mr s Smi t her s, what has been goi ng on si nce I l ef t you?' he cr i ed.

' Of cour se you woul dn' t have hear d, si r , ' she answered gr avel y.

He began t o t r embl e, but wi t h an al most superhuman ef f ort cont r ol l ed hi svoi ce.

' Has t he squi r e hanged hi msel f ?' he asked l i ght l y.

' No si r - - but t he poor l ady' s dead. '

He di d not answer . He seemed t ur ned t o st one. He st ared wi t h ghast l yeyes.

' Poor t hi ng! ' sai d Susi e, f or ci ng her sel f t o speak. ' Was i t - - ver ysudden?'

The woman t urned t o Susi e, gl ad t o have someone wi t h whom t o di scuss t heevent . She took no not i ce of Ar t hur ' s agony.

' Yes, mum; no one expected i t . She di ed qui t e sudden l i ke. She was onl ybur i ed t hi s mor ni ng. '

' What di d she di e of ?' asked Susi e, her eyes on Ar t hur .

She f ear ed t hat he woul d f ai nt . She want ed enormousl y t o get hi m away,but di d not know how t o manage i t .

' They say i t was hear t di sease, ' answer ed t he l andl ady. ' Poor t hi ng! I t ' sa happy rel ease f or her . '

' Won' t you get us some tea, Mr s Smi t hers? We' r e very t i r ed, and we shoul dl i ke somethi ng i mmedi atel y. '

' Yes , mi ss. I ' l l get i t a t once. '

The good woman bust l ed away. Susi e qui ckl y l ocked t he door . She sei zedAr t hur ' s ar m.

' Art hur, Art hur . '

She expect ed hi m t o br eak down. She l ooked wi t h agony at Dr Por hoët , whost ood hel pl essl y by.

' You coul dn' t have done anyt hi ng i f you' d been here. You heard what t hewoman sai d. I f Margar et di ed of hear t di sease, your suspi ci ons were qui t ewi t hout gr ound. '



He shook her away, al most vi ol ent l y.

' For God' s sake, speak to us, ' cri ed Susi e.

Hi s si l ence terr i f i ed her more t han woul d have done any out bur st of gr i ef . Dr Por hoët went up to hi m gent l y.

' Don' t t r y t o be br ave, my f r i end. You wi l l not suf f er as much i f youal l ow your sel f a l i t t l e weakness. '

' For Heaven' s sake l eave me al one! ' sai d Ar t hur , hoar sel y.

They drew back and wat ched hi m si l ent l y. Susi e heard t hei r host ess comeal ong t o t he si t t i ng- r oom wi t h t ea, and she unl ocked t he door . Thel andl ady br ought i n t he thi ngs. She was on t he poi nt of l eavi ng t hem whenAr t hur st opped her .

' How do you know t hat Mr s Haddo di ed of hear t di sease?' he askedsuddenl y.

Hi s voi ce was hard and st ern. He spoke wi t h a pecul i ar abr upt ness t hatmade the poor woman l ook at hi m i n amazement .

' Dr Ri chardson t ol d me so. '

' Had he been at t endi ng her ?'

' Yes, si r . Mr Haddo had cal l ed hi m i n sever al t i mes t o see hi s l ady. '

' Where does Dr Ri chardson l i ve?'

' Why, si r , he l i ves at t he whi t e house near t he st at i on. '

She coul d not make out why Ar t hur asked t hese quest i ons.

' Di d Mr Haddo go to the f uneral ?'

' Oh yes, si r . I ' ve never seen anyone so upset . '

' That ' l l do. You can go. '

Susi e pour ed out t he tea and handed a cup t o Ar t hur . To her surpr i se, hedrank t he t ea and at e some br ead and but t er . She coul d not under st andhi m. The expr essi on of st r ai n, and t he rest l essness whi ch had been sopai nf ul , wer e bot h gone f r om hi s f ace, and i t was set now t o a l ook of gr i m det er mi nat i on. At l ast he spoke to t hem.

' I ' m goi ng t o see t hi s doct or . Mar gar et ' s hear t was as sound as mi ne. '

' What are you goi ng t o do?'

' Do?'

He t ur ned on her wi t h a pecul i ar f i erceness.

' I ' m goi ng t o put a rope round t hat man' s neck, and i f t he l aw won' t hel pme, by God, I ' l l ki l l hi m mysel f . '



' _Mai s, mon ami , vous êtes f ou_, ' cr i ed Dr Por hoët, spr i ngi ng up.

Ar t hur put out hi s hand angr i l y, as t hough t o keep hi m back. The f r own onhi s f ace gr ew darker .

' You _must _ l eave me al one. Good Heavens, t he t i me has gone by f or t ear sand l ament at i on. Af t er al l I ' ve gone t hr ough f or mont hs, I can' t weepbecause Margaret i s dead. My hear t i s dr i ed up. But I know t hat shedi dn' t di e nat ur al l y, and I ' l l never r est so l ong as that f el l ow l i ves. '

He st r etched out hi s hands and wi t h cl enched j aws pr ayed t hat one day hemi ght hol d the man' s neck between them, and see hi s f ace t ur n l i vi d andpur pl e as he di ed.

' I am goi ng t o thi s f ool of a doctor, and t hen I shal l go to Skene. '

' You must l et us come wi t h you, ' sai d Susi e.

' You need not be f r i ght ened, ' he answer ed. ' I shal l not t ake any st eps of

my own t i l l I f i nd t he l aw i s power l ess. '

' I want t o come wi t h you al l t he same. '

' As you l i ke. '

Susi e went out and ordered a t r ap t o be got r eady. But si nce Ar t hur woul dnot wai t , she ar r anged t hat i t shoul d be sent f or t hem t o the doct or ' sdoor . They went t here at once, on f oot .

Dr Ri char dson was a l i t t l e man of f i ve- and- f i f t y, wi t h a f ai r bear d t hatwas now near l y whi t e, and pr omi nent bl ue eyes. He spoke wi t h a br oadSt af f ordshi r e accent . There was i n hi m somet hi ng of t he f armer , somethi ngof t he wel l - t o- do tr adesman, and at t he f i r st gl ance hi s i nt el l i gence di dnot i mpress one.

Ar t hur was shewn wi t h hi s t wo f r i ends i nt o t he consul t i ng- r oom, and af t era short i nt erval t he doct or came i n. He was dr essed i n f l annel s and hadan ol d- f ashi oned r acket i n hi s hand.

' I ' m sorr y to have kept you wai t i ng, but Mr s Ri char dson has got a f ewl ady- f r i ends t o t ea, and I was j ust i n t he mi ddl e of a set . '

Hi s ef f usi veness j ar r ed upon Ar t hur , whose manner by cont r ast became moret han usual l y abr upt .

' I have j ust l ear nt of t he deat h of Mr s Haddo. I was her guardi an and her

ol dest f r i end. I came t o you i n t he hope t hat you woul d be abl e to t el lme somethi ng about i t . '

Dr Ri chardson gave hi m at once, t he suspi ci ous gl ance of a st upi d man.

' I don' t know why you come to me i nst ead of t o her husband. He wi l l beabl e t o t el l you al l t hat you wi sh t o know. '

' I came t o you as a f el l ow- pr acti t i oner , ' answer ed Ar t hur . ' I am at StLuke' s Hospi t al . ' He poi nt ed t o hi s car d, whi ch Dr Ri char dson st i l l hel d.



' And my f r i end i s Dr Por hoët , whose name wi l l be f ami l i ar t o you wi t hr espect t o hi s st udi es i n Mal t a Fever . '

' I t hi nk I r ead an ar t i c l e of your s i n t he _B. M. J . _ ' sai d t he count r ydoctor.

Hi s manner assumed a si ngul ar host i l i t y. He had no sympat hy wi t h Londonspeci al i st s, whose at t i t ude towar ds t he gener al pr act i t i oner he resent ed.He was pl eased t o sneer at t hei r pr etensi ons t o omni sci ence, and qui t ewi l l i ng t o pi t hi msel f agai nst t hem.

' What can I do f or you, Mr Bur don?'

' I shoul d be very much obl i ged i f you woul d t el l me as exact l y asposs i bl e how Mr s Haddo di ed. '

' I t was a ver y si mpl e case of endocar di t i s. '

' May I ask how l ong bef ore deat h you were cal l ed i n?'

The doct or hesi t at ed. He r eddened a l i t t l e.

' I ' m not i ncl i ned t o be cr oss- exami ned, ' he bur st out , suddenl y maki ng uphi s mi nd t o be angr y. ' As a sur geon I dar esay your knowl edge of cardi acdi seases i s nei t her ext ensi ve nor pecul i ar . But t hi s was a ver y si mpl ecase, and ever ythi ng was done that was possi bl e. I don' t t hi nk t her e' sanyt hi ng I can t el l you. '

Ar t hur t ook no not i ce of t he out bur st .

' How many t i mes di d you see her ?'

' Real l y, si r , I don' t under st and your at t i t ude. I can' t see t hat you haveany ri ght t o quest i on me. '

' Di d you have a post - mor t em?'

' Cer t ai nl y not . I n t he f i r st pl ace t her e was no need, as t he cause of death was per f ect l y cl ear , and secondl y you must know as wel l as I dot hat t he rel at i ves are very aver se t o anythi ng of t he sor t . You gent l emeni n Har l ey St r eet don' t under st and t he condi t i ons of pr i vat e pr act i ce. Wehaven' t t he t i me t o do post - mort ems t o gr at i f y a needl ess cur i osi t y. '

Ar t hur was si l ent f or a moment . The l i t t l e man was evi dent l y convi ncedt hat t here was nothi ng odd about Margar et ' s deat h, but hi s f ool i shnesswas as gr eat as hi s obst i nacy. I t was cl ear t hat sever al mot i ves woul di nduce hi m t o put ever y obst acl e i n Ar t hur ' s way, and chi ef of t hese

was t he harm i t woul d do hi m i f i t wer e di scover ed t hat he had gi ven acer t i f i cat e of deat h car el essl y. He woul d nat ur al l y do anythi ng t o avoi dsoci al scandal . St i l l Ar t hur was obl i ged t o speak.

' I t hi nk I ' d bet t er t el l you f rankl y t hat I ' m not sat i sf i ed, DrRi char dson. I can' t per suade mysel f t hat t hi s l ady' s deat h was duet o nat ur al causes. '

' St uf f and nonsense! ' cri ed t he ot her angr i l y. ' I ' ve been i n pr acti ce f orhar d upon t hi r t y- f i ve year s, and I ' m wi l l i ng t o st ake my pr of essi onal



r eput at i on on i t . '

' I have r eason t o t hi nk you ar e mi st aken. '

' And to what do you ascr i be deat h, pr ay?' asked the doctor .

' I don' t know yet . '

' Upon my soul , I t hi nk you must be out of your senses. Real l y, si r , yourbehavi our i s chi l di sh. You t el l me that you are a surgeon of someemi nence . . . '

' I sur el y t ol d you not hi ng of t he sor t . '

' Anyhow, you r ead papers bef ore l ear ned bodi es and have them pr i nt ed.And you come wi t h as si l l y a st ory as a St af f ordshi r e peasant who thi nkssomeone has been t r yi ng t o poi son hi m because he' s got a st omach- ache. You may be a ver y admi r abl e surgeon, but I vent ure t o t hi nk I am mor ecapabl e t han you of j udgi ng i n a case whi ch I at t ended and you knownothi ng about . '

' I mean t o take the st eps necessar y to get an order f or exhumat i on, DrRi char dson, and I cannot hel p t hi nki ng i t wi l l be wor t h your whi l e toassi st me i n ever y possi bl e way. '

' I shal l do not hi ng of t he ki nd. I t hi nk you ver y i mper t i nent , si r . Ther ei s no need f or exhumat i on, and I shal l do everyt hi ng i n my power t opr event i t . And I t el l you as chai r man of t he board of magi st r ates, myopi ni on wi l l have as gr eat val ue as any speci al i st ' s i n Har l ey St r eet . '

He f l ounced t o the door and hel d i t open. Susi e and Dr Por hoët wal kedout ; and Ar t hur , l ooki ng down t hought f ul l y, f ol l owed on t hei r heel s. DrRi chardson sl ammed t he st r eet - door angr i l y.

Dr Por hoët sl i pped hi s ar m i n Ar t hur ' s.

' You must be r easonabl e, my f r i end, ' he sai d. ' Fr om hi s own poi nt of vi ewt hi s doctor has al l t he r i ght s on hi s si de. You have not hi ng t o j ust i f yyour demands. I t i s monst r ous t o expect t hat f or a vague suspi ci on youwi l l be abl e to get an or der f or exhumati on. '

Ar t hur di d not answer . The t r ap was wai t i ng f or t hem.

' Why do you want t o see Haddo?' i nsi st ed t he doct or . ' You wi l l do no moregood t han you have wi t h Dr Ri char dson. '

' I have made up my mi nd t o see hi m, ' answered Ar t hur shor t l y. ' But t here

i s no need that ei t her of you shoul d accompany me. '

' I f you go, we wi l l come wi t h you, ' sai d Susi e.

Wi t hout a word Ar t hur j umped i nt o the dog- car t , and Susi e took a seat byhi s si de. Dr Por hoët , wi t h a shrug of t he shoul ders, mount ed behi nd.Ar t hur whi pped up the pony, and at a smart t r ot t hey t r aversed t he t hr eemi l es across t he bar r en heat h t hat l ay bet ween Venni ng and Skene.

When t hey reached the park gat es, t he l odgekeeper , as l uck woul d have i t ,



was st andi ng j ust i nsi de, and she hel d one of t hem open f or her l i t t l eboy to come i n. He was pl ayi ng i n t he road and showed no i ncl i nat i on t odo so. Ar t hur j umped down.

' I want t o see Mr Haddo, ' he sai d.

' Mr Haddo' s not i n, ' she answered r oughl y.

She t r i ed t o cl ose t he gat e, but Ar t hur qui ckl y put hi s f oot i nsi de.

' Nonsense! I have to see hi m on a matt er of gr eat i mport ance. '

' Mr Haddo' s orders are that no one i s t o be admi t t ed. '

' I can' t hel p t hat , I ' m pr oposi ng t o come i n, al l t he same. '

Susi e and Dr Por hoët came f orward. They pr omi sed t he smal l boy a shi l l i ngt o hol d t hei r hor se.

' Now t hen, get out of here, ' cr i ed t he woman. ' You' r e not comi ng i n,

what ever you say. '

She tr i ed t o push t he gat e to, but Ar t hur ' s f oot pr event ed her . Payi ng noheed t o her angr y expost ul at i ons, he f orced hi s way i n. He wal ked qui ckl yup t he dr i ve. The l odgekeeper accompani ed hi m, wi t h shr i l l abuse. Thegate was l ef t unguarded, and t he ot hers were abl e t o f ol l ow wi t houtdi f f i cul t y.

' You can go t o t he door , but you won' t see Mr Haddo, ' t he woman cr i edangr i l y. ' You' l l get me sacked f or l et t i ng you come. '

Susi e saw t he house. I t was a f i ne ol d bui l di ng i n t he El i zabet han st yl e,but much i n need of r epai r ; and i t had t he desol ate l ook of a pl ace thathas been uni nhabi t ed. The garden t hat sur r ounded i t had been al l owed t or un wi l d, and t he avenue up whi ch t hey wal ked was gr een wi t h rank weeds.Here and t here a f al l en t r ee, whi ch none had t r oubl ed t o remove, markedt he owner' s negl i gence. Ar t hur went t o the door and r ang a bel l . Theyheard i t cl ang t hr ough t he house as t hough not a soul l i ved t here. A mancame to the door , and as soon as he opened i t , Ar t hur , expect i ng t o ber ef used admi ssi on, pushed i n. The f el l ow was as angr y as t he vi r ago, hi swi f e, who expl ai ned noi si l y how t he thr ee st r angers had got i nt o thepark.

' You can' t see t he squi r e, so you' d bet t er be of f . He' s up i n t he at t i cs,and no one' s al l owed t o go to hi m. '

The man t r i ed t o push Ar t hur away.

' Be of f wi t h you, or I ' l l send f or t he pol i ce. '

' Don' t be a f ool , ' sai d Ar t hur . ' I mean t o f i nd Mr Haddo. '

The housekeeper and hi s wi f e broke out wi t h abuse, t o whi ch Ar t hurl i st ened i n si l ence. Susi e and Dr Por hoët st ood by anxi ousl y. They di dnot know what t o do. Suddenl y a voi ce at t hei r el bows made them st ar t ,and the t wo servant s were i mmedi atel y si l ent .



' What can I do f or you?'

Ol i ver Haddo was st andi ng mot i onl ess behi nd t hem. I t st art l ed Susi e thathe shoul d have come upon them so suddenl y, wi t hout a sound. Dr Por hoët ,who had not seen hi m f or some t i me, was ast ounded at t he change whi ch hadt aken pl ace i n hi m. The corpul ence whi ch had been hi s bef ore was becomenow a posi t i ve di sease. He was enormous. Hi s chi n was a mass of heavyf ol ds di st ended wi t h f at , and hi s cheeks were puf f ed up so that hi s eyeswere pr eternatur al l y smal l . He peer ed at you f r om between t he swol l enl i ds. Al l hi s f eat ur es had sunk i nt o t hat hi deous obesi t y. Hi s ear s wer ehorr i bl y bl oat ed, and t he l obes were l arge and swel l ed. He had apparent l ya di f f i cul t y i n br eat hi ng, f or hi s l ar ge mout h, wi t h i t s scar l et , shi ni ngl i ps, was const ant l y open. He had gr own much bal der and now t her e wasonl y a crescent of l ong hai r st r et chi ng across the back of hi s head f r omear t o ear . There was somet hi ng t err i bl e about t hat gr eat shi ni ng scal p.Hi s paunch was huge; he was a ver y t al l man and hel d hi msel f erect , sot hat i t pr ot r uded l i ke a vast bar r el . Hi s hands wer e i nf i ni t el yr epul si ve; t hey were r ed and sof t and moi st . He was sweat i ng f r eel y, andbeads of perspi r at i on st ood on hi s f orehead and on hi s shaven l i p.

For a moment t hey al l l ooked at one anot her i n si l ence. Then Haddo t ur nedt o hi s ser vant s.

' Go, ' he sai d.

As t hough f r i ght ened out of t hei r wi t s, t hey made f or t he door and wi t h abust l i ng hur r y f l ung t hemsel ves out . A t or pi d smi l e cr ossed hi s f ace ashe wat ched t hem go. Then he moved a st ep near er hi s vi si t ors. Hi s mannerhad st i l l t he i nsol ent ur bani t y whi ch was cust omary t o hi m.

' And now, my f r i ends, wi l l you t el l me how I can be of servi ce t o you?'

' I have come about Margar et ' s deat h, ' sai d Ar t hur .

Haddo, as was hi s habi t , di d not i mmedi atel y answer. He l ooked sl owl yf r om Ar t hur t o Dr Por hoët , and f r om Dr Por hoët t o Susi e. Hi s eyes r est edon her hat , and she f el t uncomf ort abl y t hat he was i nvent i ng some gi beabout i t .

' I shoul d have t hought t hi s har dl y t he moment t o i nt r ude upon my sor r ow, 'he sai d at l ast . ' I f you have condol ences t o of f er , I vent ur e t o suggestt hat you mi ght conveni ent l y send t hem by means of t he penny post . '

Ar t hur f r owned.

' Why di d you not l et me know t hat she was i l l ?' he asked.

' St r ange as i t may seem t o you, my wort hy f r i end, i t never occur r ed t o met hat my wi f e' s heal t h coul d be any busi ness of your s. '

A f ai nt smi l e f l i cker ed once mor e on Haddo' s l i ps, but hi s eyes had st i l lt he pecul i ar hardness whi ch was so uncanny. Ar t hur l ooked at hi mst eadi l y.

' I have ever y r eason t o bel i eve t hat you ki l l ed her , ' he sai d.

Haddo' s f ace di d not f or an i nst ant change i t s expr essi on.



' And have you communi cated your suspi ci ons t o t he pol i ce?'

' I pr opose t o. '

' And, i f I amnot i ndi scr eet , may I i nqui r e upon what you base t hem?'

' I saw Margaret t hr ee weeks ago, and she t ol d me t hat she went i n t er r orof her l i f e. '

' Poor Margar et ! She had al ways t he romant i c t emperament . I t hi nk i t wast hat whi ch f i r st br ought us t oget her . '

' You damned scoundr el ! ' cr i ed Ar t hur .

' My dear f el l ow, pr ay moderat e your l anguage. Thi s i s surel y not anoccasi on when you shoul d gi ve way to your l ament abl e t ast e f or abuse. Youout r age al l Mi ss Boyd' s suscept i bi l i t i es. ' He t ur ned t o her wi t h an ai r ywave of hi s f at hand. ' You must f orgi ve me i f I do not of f er you t hehospi t al i t y of Skene, but t he l oss I have so l at el y sust ai ned does not

per mi t me t o i ndul ge i n t he l evi t y of ent er t ai ni ng. '

He gave her an i r oni cal , l ow bow; t hen l ooked once more at Ar t hur .

' I f I can be of no f ur t her use t o you, perhaps you woul d l eave me to myown r ef l ect i ons. The l odgekeeper wi l l gi ve you t he exact addr ess of t hevi l l age constabl e. '

Ar t hur di d not answer . He st ared i nt o vacancy, as i f he were tur ni ng overt hi ngs i n hi s mi nd. Then he turned shar pl y on hi s heel and wal ked t owardst he gat e. Susi e and Dr Por hoët , t aken compl et el y aback, di d not know whatt o do; and Haddo' s l i t t l e eyes t wi nkl ed as he wat ched t hei r di scomf i t ur e.

' I al ways t hought t hat your f r i end had depl orabl e manner s, ' he mur mured.

Susi e, f eel i ng ver y r i di cul ous, f l ushed, and Dr Por hoët awkwar dl y t ookof f hi s hat . As t hey wal ked away, t hey f el t Haddo' s mocki ng gaze f i xedupon t hem, and t hey were hear t i l y thankf ul t o r each t he gat e. They f oundAr t hur wai t i ng f or t hem.

' I beg your par don, ' he sai d, ' I f or got t hat I was not al one. '

The t hree of t hem drove sl owl y back t o t he i nn.

' What are you goi ng t o do now?' asked Susi e.

For a l ong t i me Ar t hur made no r epl y, and Susi e t hought he coul d not have

hear d her . At l ast he br oke t he si l ence.

' I see t hat I can do not hi ng by or di nar y met hods. I r eal i ze t hat i t i susel ess t o make a publ i c out cr y. There i s onl y my own convi ct i on t hatMargar et came t o a vi ol ent end, and I cannot expect anyone t o pay heed t ot hat . '

' Af t er al l , i t ' s j ust possi bl e t hat she real l y di ed of heart di sease. '

Ar t hur gave Susi e a l ong l ook. He seemed t o consi der her words



del i ber at el y.

' Per haps t her e ar e means t o deci de that concl usi vel y, ' he repl i ed atl engt h, t hought f ul l y, as t hough he wer e t al ki ng t o hi msel f .

' What are t hey?'

Ar t hur di d not answer . When they came t o t he door of t he i nn, he st opped.

' Wi l l you go i n? I wi sh t o t ake a wal k by mysel f , ' he sai d.

Susi e l ooked at hi m anxi ousl y.

' You' r e not goi ng to do anythi ng rash?'

' I wi l l do not hi ng t i l l I have made qui t e sur e t hat Mar gar et was f oul l ymurder ed. '

He tur ned on hi s heel and wal ked qui ckl y away. I t was l ate now, and theyf ound a f r ugal meal wai t i ng f or t hem i n t he l i t t l e si t t i ng- r oom. I t

seemed no use t o del ay i t t i l l Ar t hur came back, and si l ent l y,sor r owf ul l y, t hey at e. Af t er war ds, t he doct or smoked ci gar et t es, whi l eSusi e sat at t he open wi ndow and l ooked at t he st ars. She t hought of Margar et , of her beaut y and her charmi ng f r ankness, of her f al l and of her mi ser abl e end; and she began t o cr y qui et l y. She knew enough of t hef act s now t o be aware that t he wr et ched gi r l was not t o bl ame f oranyt hi ng t hat had happened. A cr uel f at e had f al l en upon her , and she hadbeen as powerl ess as i n t he ol d t al es Phaedr a, t he daught er of Mi nos, orMyr r ha of t he beaut i f ul hai r . The hour s passed, and st i l l Ar t hur di d notr et ur n. Susi e t hought now onl y of hi m, and she was f r i ght f ul l y anxi ous.

But at l ast he came i n. The ni ght was f ar advanced. He put down hi s hatand sat down. For a l ong whi l e he l ooked si l ent l y at Dr . Por hoët.

' What i s i t , my f r i end?' asked t he good doct or at l engt h.

' Do you r emember t hat you t ol d us once of an exper i ment you made i nAl exandr i a?' he sai d, af t er some hesi t at i on.

He spoke i n a cur i ous voi ce.

' You tol d us t hat you took a boy, and when he l ooked i n a magi c mi r r or ,he saw t hi ngs whi ch he coul d not possi bl y have known. '

' I r emember ver y wel l , ' sai d t he doct or .

' I was much i ncl i ned t o l augh at you at t he t i me. I was convi nced t hat

t he boy was a knave who decei ved you. '

' Yes?'

' Of l ate I ' ve t hought of t hat st or y of t en. Some hi dden r ecess of mymemory has been opened, and I seem t o r emember st r ange thi ngs. Was It he boy who l ooked i n t he i nk?'

' Yes, ' sai d t he doctor qui et l y.



Ar t hur di d not say anythi ng. A pr of ound si l ence f el l upon t hem, whi l eSusi e and t he doct or watched hi m i nt ent l y. They wondered what was i n hi smi nd.

' Ther e i s a si de of my char act er whi ch I di d not know t i l l l at el y, 'Ar t hur sai d at l ast . ' When f i r st i t dawned upon me, I f ought agai nst i t .I sai d t o mysel f t hat deep down i n al l of us, a r el i c f r om t he l ong past ,i s t he remai ns of t he super st i t i on t hat bl i nded our f at her s; and i t i sneedf ul f or t he man of sci ence t o f i ght agai nst i t wi t h al l hi s mi ght .And yet i t was st r onger t han I . Perhaps my bi r t h, my ear l y year s, i nt hose East er n l ands wher e ever yone bel i eves i n the super natural , af f ect edme al t hough I di d not know i t . I began to remember vague, myst er i oust hi ngs, whi ch I never knew had been par t of my knowl edge. And at l ast oneday i t seemed that a new wi ndow was opened on t o my soul , and I saw wi t hext r aordi nar y cl ear ness t he i nci dent whi ch you had descr i bed. I knewsuddenl y i t was part of my own exper i ence. I saw you t ake me by t he handand pour t he i nk on my pal m and bi d me l ook at i t . I f el t agai n t hest r ange gl ow t hat t hr i l l ed me, and wi t h an i ndescr i babl e bi t t er ness I sawt hi ngs i n t he mi r r or whi ch were not t here bef ore. I saw peopl e whom I hadnever seen. I saw t hem perf or m cer t ai n act i ons. And some f or ce I knew

not , obl i ged me t o speak. And at l engt h ever yt hi ng gr ew di m, and I was asexhaust ed as i f I had not eat en al l day. '

He went over t o t he open wi ndow and l ooked out . Nei t her of t he othersspoke. The l ook on Ar t hur ' s f ace, cur i ousl y out l i ned by t he l i ght of t hel amp, was ver y st ern. He seemed t o under go some ment al st r uggl e of ext r aordi nar y vi ol ence. He br eat h came qui ckl y. At l ast he t ur ned andf aced t hem. He spoke hoar sel y, qui ckl y.

' I must see Margaret agai n. '

' Ar t hur , you' r e mad! ' cri ed Susi e.

He went up to Dr Por hoët and, put t i ng hi s hands on hi s shoul ders, l ookedf i xedl y i nt o hi s eyes.

' You have st udi ed t hi s sci ence. You know al l t hat can be known of i t . Iwant you t o show her t o me. '

The doct or gave an excl amat i on of al ar m.

' My dear f el l ow, how can I ? I have r ead many books, but I have neverpract i sed anyt hi ng. I have onl y st udi ed t hese mat t ers f or my amusement . '

' Do you bel i eve i t can be done?'

' I don' t unders t and what you want . '

' I want you t o br i ng her t o me so that I may speak wi t h her , so t hat Imay f i nd out t he tr ut h. '

' Do you t hi nk I amGod t hat I can r ai se men f r om t he dead?'

Ar t hur ' s hands pr essed hi m down i n t he chai r f r om whi ch he sought t or i se. Hi s f i ngers were cl enched on the ol d man' s shoul der s so t hat hecoul d hardl y bear t he pai n.



' You t ol d us how once El i phas Levi r ai sed a spi r i t . Do you bel i eve t hatwas t r ue?'

' I don' t know. I have al ways kept an open mi nd. There was much t o be sai don bot h si des. '

' Wel l , now you must bel i eve. You must do what he di d. '

' You must be mad, Ar t hur . '

' I want you t o come t o t hat spot wher e I saw her l ast . I f her spi r i t canbe br ought back anywhere, i t must be i n t hat pl ace where she sat andwept . You know al l t he ceremoni es and al l t he words t hat are necessary. '

But Susi e came f orward and l ai d her hand on hi s ar m. He l ooked at herwi t h a f r own.

' Ar t hur , you know i n your hear t t hat nothi ng can come of i t . You' r e onl yi ncreasi ng your unhappi ness. And even i f you coul d br i ng her f r om t hegrave f or a moment , why can you not l et her t r oubl ed soul r est i n peace?'

' I f she di ed a nat ur al deat h we shal l have no power over her , but i f herdeat h was vi ol ent per haps her spi r i t i s ear t hbound st i l l . I t el l you Imust be cer t ai n. I want t o see her once more, and af t erwards I shal l knowwhat t o do. '

' I cannot , I cannot , ' sai d t he doctor.

' Gi ve me t he books and I wi l l do i t al one. '

' You know t hat I have nothi ng here. '

' Then you must hel p me, ' sai d Ar t hur . ' Af t er al l , why shoul d you mi nd? Weperf orm a cert ai n operat i on, and i f nothi ng happens we ar e no worse of f t hen bef or e. On the ot her hand, i f we succeed. . . . Oh, f or God' s sake,hel p me! I f you have any care f or my happi ness do thi s one t hi ng f or me. '

He st epped back and l ooked at t he doct or . The Frenchman' s eyes were f i xedupon t he ground.

' I t ' s madness, ' he mut t er ed.

He was i nt ensel y moved by Ar t hur ' s appeal . At l ast he shr ugged hi sshoul der s.

' Af t er al l , i f i t i s but a f ool i sh mummer y i t can do no har m. '

' You wi l l hel p me?' cri ed Ar t hur .

' I f i t can gi ve you any peace or any sat i sf acti on, I am wi l l i ng t o dowhat I can. But I warn you t o be pr epared f or a gr eat di sappoi nt ment . '

15



Ar t hur wi shed t o set about t he i nvocat i on t hen and t here, but Dr Por hoëtsai d i t was i mpossi bl e. They wer e al l exhaust ed af t er t he l ong j our ney,and i t was necessary t o get cer t ai n t hi ngs t ogether wi t hout whi ch nothi ngcoul d be done. I n hi s heart he thought t hat a ni ght ' s r est woul d br i ngAr t hur t o a more reasonabl e mi nd. When the l i ght of day shone upon t heear t h he woul d be ashamed of t he desi r e whi ch r an counter t o al l hi sprepossessi ons. But Ar t hur r emembered t hat on t he next day i t woul d beexact l y a week si nce Margar et ' s death, and i t seemed t o hi m t hat t hent hei r spel l s mi ght have a gr eat er ef f i cacy.

When t hey came down i n t he morni ng and gr eet ed one anot her , i t was pl ai nt hat none of t hem had sl ept .

' Ar e you st i l l of t he same pur pose as l ast ni ght ?' asked Dr Por hoëtgr avel y.

' I am. '

The doct or hesi t at ed nervousl y.

' I t wi l l be necessar y, i f you wi sh t o f ol l ow out t he r ul es of t he ol dnecr omancers, t o f ast t hr ough t he whol e day. '

' I am r eady t o do anyt hi ng. '

' I t wi l l be no har dshi p t o me, ' sai d Susi e, wi t h a l i t t l e hysteri call augh. ' I f eel I coul dn' t eat a thi ng i f I t r i ed. '

' I t hi nk t he whol e af f ai r i s sheer f ol l y, ' sai d Dr Por hoët .

' You pr omi sed me you woul d t r y. '

The day, t he l ong summer day, passed sl owl y. There was a hard br i l l i ancyi n the sky t hat r emi nded t he Fr enchman of t hose Egypt i an heavens whent he ear t h seemed cr ushed beneat h a bowl of mol t en f i r e. Ar t hur was t oor est l ess t o r emai n i ndoor s and l ef t t he ot hers t o t hei r own devi ces. Hewal ked wi t hout ai m, as f ast as he coul d go; he f el t no wear i ness. Thebur ni ng sun beat down upon hi m, but he di d not know i t . The hour s passedwi t h l aggi ng f eet . Susi e l ay on her bed and t r i ed t o read. Her ner veswere so t aut t hat , when t here was a sound i n t he cour t yar d of a pai lf al l i ng on t he cobbl es, she cr i ed out i n t er r or . The sun r ose, andpr esent l y her wi ndow was f l ooded wi t h qui ver i ng r ays of gol d. I t wasmi dday. The day passed, and i t was af t ernoon. The eveni ng came, but i tbr ought no f r eshness. Meanwhi l e Dr Por hoët sat i n t he l i t t l e parl our ,wi t h hi s head bet ween hi s hands, t r yi ng by a gr eat ment al ef f or t t o br i ngback t o hi s memory al l t hat he had r ead. Hi s hear t began t o beat more

qui ckl y. Then t he ni ght f el l , and one by one t he st ar s shone out . Ther ewas no wi nd. The ai r was heavy. Susi e came downst ai r s and began to t al kwi t h Dr Porhoët . But t hey spoke i n a l ow t one, as i f t hey wer e af r ai dt hat someone woul d over hear . They were f ai nt now wi t h want of f ood. Thehour s went one by one, and t he st r i ki ng of a cl ock f i l l ed t hem each t i mewi t h a myst er i ous appr ehensi on. The l i ght s i n t he vi l l age wer e put outl i t t l e by l i t t l e, and ever ybody sl ept . Susi e had l i ght ed t he l amp, andt hey watched besi de i t . A col d shi ver passed thr ough her.

' I f eel as t hough someone were l yi ng dead i n the room, ' she sai d.



' Why does not Ar t hur come?'

They spoke i nconsequent l y, and nei t her heeded what t he ot her sai d. Thewi ndow was wi de open, but t he ai r was di f f i cul t t o br eat he. And now t hesi l ence was so unusual t hat Susi e gr ew st r angel y nervous. She t r i ed t ot hi nk of t he noi sy st r eet s i n Par i s, t he constant r oar of t r af f i c , andt he shuf f l i ng of t he crowds t oward eveni ng as t he work peopl e retur ned t ot hei r homes. She st ood up.

' Ther e' s no ai r t oni ght . Look at t he t r ees. Not a l eaf i s movi ng. '

' Why does not Ar t hur come?' r epeat ed t he doct or .

' Ther e' s no moon t oni ght . I t wi l l be ver y dark at Skene. '

' He' s wal ked al l day. He shoul d be here by now. '

Susi e f el t an ext r aordi nary oppr essi on, and she pant ed f or br eath. Atl ast t hey hear d a st ep on t he road out si de, and Ar t hur st ood at t he

wi ndow.

' Ar e you r eady t o come?' he sai d.

' We' ve been wai t i ng f or you. '

They j oi ned hi m, br i ngi ng t he f ew t hi ngs t hat Dr Porhoët had sai d wer enecessary, and t hey wal ked al ong t he sol i t ary road t hat l ed t o Skene.On each si de t he heat her st r etched i nt o t he dark ni ght , and there wasa bl ackness about i t t hat was omi nous. There was no sound save that of t hei r own st eps. Di ml y, under t he star s, t hey saw t he desol at i on wi t hwhi ch t hey were sur r ounded. The way seemed very l ong. They were ut t er l yexhaust ed, and t hey coul d hardl y dr ag one f oot af t er t he ot her.

' You must l et me r est f or a mi nut e, ' sai d Susi e.

They di d not answer , but st opped, and she sat on a boul der by t hewaysi de. They st ood mot i onl ess i n f r ont of her , wai t i ng pat i ent l y t i l lshe was r eady. Af t er a l i t t l e whi l e she f or ced her sel f t o get up.

' Now I can go, ' she sai d.

St i l l t hey di d not speak, but wal ked on. They moved l i ke f i gur es i na dr eam, wi t h a st eal t hy di r ectness, as t hough t hey acted under t hei nf l uence of anot her ' s wi l l . Suddenl y t he road st opped, and t hey f oundt hemsel ves at t he gat es of Skene.

' Fol l ow me ver y cl osel y, ' sai d Ar t hur .

He t ur ned on one si de, and t hey f ol l owed a pal i ng. Susi e coul d f eel t hatt hey wal ked al ong a narr ow pat h. She coul d see hardl y t wo st eps i n f r ontof her . At l ast he stood st i l l .

' I came here ear l i er i n t he ni ght and made t he openi ng easi er t o gett hr ough. '

He turned back a br oken pi ece of r ai l i ng and sl i pped i n. Susi e f ol l owed,



and Dr Por hoët ent ered af t er her.

' I can see not hi ng, ' sai d Susi e.

' Gi ve my your hand, and I wi l l l ead you. '

They wal ked wi t h di f f i cul t y t hrough t he t angl ed bracken, among cl osel ypl ant ed t r ees. They st umbl ed, and once Dr Por hoët f el l . I t seemed t hatt hey went a l ong way. Susi e' s hear t beat f ast wi t h anxi et y. Al l herwear i ness was f orgot t en.

Then Art hur st opped t hem, and he poi nt ed i n f r ont of hi m. Through anopeni ng i n t he t r ees, t hey saw t he house. Al l t he wi ndows were darkexcept t hose j ust under t he r oof , and f r om t hem came br i ght l i ght s.

' Those ar e the at t i cs whi ch he uses as a l abor at ory. You see, he i sworki ng now. There i s no one el se i n the house. '

Susi e was cur i ousl y f asci nated by the f l ami ng l i ght s. There was an awf ulmyst ery i n t hose unknown l abour s whi ch absor bed Ol i ver Haddo ni ght af t er

ni ght t i l l t he sun r ose. What hor r i bl e t hi ngs wer e done t her e, hi ddenf r om t he eyes of men? By hi msel f i n that vast house t he madman per f ormedghast l y exper i ment s; and who coul d tel l what dar k secr et s he t r af f i ckedi n?

' Ther e i s no danger t hat he wi l l come out , ' sai d Ar t hur . ' He r emai nst her e t i l l t he br eak of day. '

He t ook her hand agai n and l ed her on. Back t hey went among t he t r ees,and present l y t hey were on a pat hway. They wal ked al ong wi t h great ersaf et y.

' Ar e you al l r i ght , Por hoët ?' asked Ar t hur .

' Yes . '

But t he t r ees gr ew t hi cker and t he ni ght more sombr e. Now t he st ars wereshut out , and t hey coul d hardl y see i n f r ont of t hem.

' Her e we ar e, ' sai d Ar t hur .

They st opped, and f ound t hat t here was i n f r ont of t hem a green spacef ormed by f our cr oss- ways. I n t he mi ddl e a st one bench gl eamed vaguel yagai nst t he darkness.

' Thi s i s wher e Mar garet sat when l ast I saw her . '

' I can see to do not hi ng her e, ' sai d t he doct or .

They had brought t wo f l at bowl s of brass t o ser ve as censer s, and t heseAr t hur gave to Dr Por hoët . He st ood by Susi e' s si de whi l e the doct orbusi ed hi msel f wi t h hi s preparat i ons. They saw hi m move t o and f r o. Theysaw hi m bend to t he gr ound. Present l y t here was a crackl i ng of wood, andf r om t he br azen bowl s r ed f l ames shot up. They di d not know what hebur nt , but t here were heavy cl ouds of smoke, and a st r ong, aromat i codour f i l l ed t he ai r . Now and agai n t he doct or was sharpl y si l houet t edagai nst t he l i ght . Hi s sl i ght , bowed f i gur e was si ngul ar l y myst er i ous.



When Susi e caught si ght of hi s f ace, she saw t hat i t was t ouched wi t h ast r ong emot i on. The work he was at af f ected hi m so that hi s doubt s, hi sf ear s, had vani shed. He l ooked l i ke some ol d al chemi st busi ed wi t hunnat ur al t hi ngs. Susi e' s hear t began t o beat pai nf ul l y. She was gr owi ngdesperatel y f r i ght ened and st r etched out her hand so that she mi ght t ouchAr t hur . Si l ent l y he put hi s arm t hr ough hers . And now t he doct or wast r aci ng st r ange si gns upon t he gr ound. The f l ames di ed down and onl y agl ow r emai ned, but he seemed t o have no di f f i cul t y i n seei ng what he wasabout . Susi e coul d not di scer n what f i gur es he dr ew. Then he put moret wi gs upon t he br azi ers , and t he f l ames sprang up once more, cut t i ng t hedar kness sharpl y as wi t h a sword.

' Now come, ' he sai d.

But , i nexpl i cabl y, a sudden t er r or sei zed Susi e. She f el t t hat t he hai r sof her head st ood up, and a col d sweat br oke out on her body. Her l i mbshad grown on an i nst ant i nconcei vabl y heavy so that she coul d not move.A pani c such as she had never known came upon her , and, except t hat herl egs woul d not car r y her, she woul d have f l ed bl i ndl y. She began t ot r embl e. She t r i ed t o speak, but her t ongue cl ave t o her t hr oat .

' I can' t , I ' m af r ai d, ' she mut t er ed hoar sel y.

' You must . Wi t hout you we can do nothi ng, ' sai d Ar t hur .

She coul d not r eason wi t h hersel f . She had f orgot t en everyt hi ng exceptt hat she was f r i ght ened t o deat h. Her heart was beat i ng so qui ckl y t hatshe al most f ai nt ed. And now Ar t hur hel d her, so f i r ml y t hat she wi nced.

' Let me go, ' she whi sper ed. ' I won' t hel p you. I ' m af r ai d. '

' You must , ' he sai d. ' You must . '

' No. '

' I t el l you, you must come. '

' Why?'

Her deadl y f ear expr essed i t sel f i n a passi on of sudden anger.

' Because you l ove me, and i t ' s t he onl y way to gi ve me peace. '

She ut t ered a l ow wai l of pai n, and her t er r or gave way t o shame. Shebl ushed to t he r oot s of her hai r because he t oo knew her secret . And thenshe was sei zed agai n wi t h anger because he had the cr uel t y t o t aunt herwi t h i t . She had r ecover ed her cour age now, and she st epped f orward. Dr .

Por hoët t ol d her where t o st and. Ar t hur t ook hi s pl ace i n f r ont of her .

' You must not move t i l l I gi ve you l eave. I f you go out si de t he f i gur e Ihave dr awn, I cannot pr otect you. '

For a moment Dr Por hoët st ood i n per f ect si l ence. Then he began t o r eci t est r ange words i n Lat i n. Susi e hear d hi m but vaguel y. She di d not know t hesense, and hi s voi ce was so l ow t hat she coul d not have di st i ngui shed t hewor ds. But hi s i nt onat i on had l ost t hat gent l e i r ony whi ch was habi t ualt o hi m, and he spoke wi t h a t r embl i ng gr avi t y t hat was ext r aor di nar i l y



i mpr essi ve. Ar t hur st ood i mmobi l e as a rock. The f l ames di ed away, andt hey saw one another onl y by t he gl ow of t he ashes, di ml y, l i ke personsi n a vi si on of deat h. There was si l ence. Then t he necr omancer spokeagai n, and now hi s voi ce was l ouder . He seemed t o ut t er wei r di nvocat i ons, but t hey were i n a t ongue t hat t he ot hers knew not . Andwhi l e he spoke t he l i ght f r om t he bur ni ng ci nders on a sudden went out .

I t di d not di e, but was shar pl y exti ngui shed, as t hough by i nvi si bl ehands. And now t he darkness was mor e sombre t han that of t he bl ackestni ght . The t r ees t hat sur r ounded t hem wer e hi dden f r om t hei r eyes, andt he whi t eness of t he st one bench was seen no l onger . They st ood but al i t t l e way one f r om t he other , but each mi ght have st ood al one. Susi est r ai ned her eyes, but she coul d see nothi ng. She l ooked up qui ckl y;t he st ars were gone out , and she coul d see no f ur t her over her head thanr ound about . The dar kness was t er r i f yi ng. And f r om i t , Dr Por hoët ' s voi cehad a ghast l y ef f ect . I t seemed t o come, wonderf ul l y changed, f r omt hevoi d of bot t oml ess chaos. Susi e cl enched her hands so that she mi ght notf ai nt .

Al l at once she st ar t ed, f or t he ol d man' s voi ce was cut by a sudden gust

of wi nd. A moment bef ore, t he ut t er si l ence had been al most i nt ol erabl e,and now a st orm seemed t o have f al l en upon t hem. The t r ees al l aroundt hem r ocked i n t he wi nd; t hey hear d t he br anches creak; and t hey hear dt he hi ssi ng of t he l eaves. They were i n t he mi dst of a hur r i cane. Andt hey f el t t he ear t h sway as i t r esi st ed t he st r ai ni ng r oot s of gr eatt r ees, whi ch seemed t o be dr agged up by t he f orce of t he f ur i ous gal e.Whi st l i ng and r oar i ng, t he wi nd st ormed al l about t hem, and t he doct or,r ai si ng hi s voi ce, t r i ed i n vai n t o command i t . But t he st r angest t hi ngof al l was t hat , where t hey st ood, t her e was no si gn of t he ragi ng bl ast . The ai r i mmedi at el y about t hem was as st i l l as i t had been bef or e, andnot a hai r on Susi e' s head was moved. And i t was t err i bl e t o hear t het umul t , and yet t o be i n a cal m t hat was al most unnatur al .

On a sudden, Dr Por hoët r ai sed hi s voi ce, and wi t h a st ernness t hey hadnever hear d i n i t bef ore, cr i ed out i n that unknown l anguage. Then hecal l ed upon Margaret . He cal l ed her name thr ee t i mes. I n t he upr oar Susi ecoul d scar cel y hear . Ter r or had sei zed her agai n, but i n her conf usi onshe r emember ed hi s command, and she dar ed not move.

' Mar garet , Mar gar et , Mar gar et . '

Wi t hout a pause between, as qui ckl y as a st one f al l s t o t he gr ound, t hedi n whi ch was al l about t hem ceased. There was no gr adual di mi nut i on. Butat one moment t here was a r oar i ng hur r i cane and at t he next a si l ence socompl ete t hat i t mi ght have been the si l ence of deat h.

And t hen, seemi ng t o come out of nothi ngness, ext r aor di nar i l y, t hey hear d

wi t h a cur i ous di st i nct ness t he sound of a woman weepi ng. Susi e' s heartst ood st i l l . They hear d the sound of a woman weepi ng, and they recogni zedt he voi ce of Mar gar et . A gr oan of angui sh bur st f r om Ar t hur ' s l i ps, andhe was on t he poi nt of st art i ng f orward. But qui ckl y Dr Por hoët put outhi s hand t o pr event hi m. The sound was hear t r endi ng, t he sobbi ng of awoman who had l ost al l hope, t he sobbi ng of a woman t err i f i ed. I f Susi ehad been abl e to st i r , she woul d have put her hands t o her ear s t o shutout t he ghast l y agony of i t .

And i n a moment , not wi t hst andi ng t he heavy dar kness of t he st ar l ess



ni ght , Ar t hur saw her . She was seat ed on t he st one bench as when l ast hehad spoken wi t h her. I n her angui sh she sought not t o hi de her f ace. Shel ooked at t he gr ound, and the t ear s f el l down her cheeks. Her bosomheaved wi t h t he pai n of her weepi ng.

Then Art hur knew t hat al l hi s suspi ci ons wer e j ust i f i ed.

16

Ar t hur woul d not l eave t he l i t t l e vi l l age of Venni ng. Nei t her Susi e nort he doctor coul d get hi m t o make any deci si on. None of t hem spoke of t heni ght whi ch t hey had spent i n the woods of Skene; but i t col our ed al lt hei r t hought s, and t hey were not f r ee f or a si ngl e moment f r om t heghast l y memory of i t . They seemed st i l l t o hear t he sound of t hatpassi onat e weepi ng. Ar t hur was moody. When he was wi t h t hem, he spokel i t t l e; he opposed a st ubbor n r esi st ance t o t hei r ef f or t s at di ver t i ng

hi s mi nd. He spent l ong hour s by hi msel f , i n the count r y, and they had noi dea what he di d. Susi e was t err i bl y anxi ous. He had l ost hi s bal ance socompl etel y t hat she was pr epared f or any rashness. She di vi ned t hat hi shat r ed of Haddo was no l onger wi t hi n t he bounds of r eason. The desi r e f orvengeance f i l l ed hi m ent i r el y, so t hat he was capabl e of any vi ol ence.

Several days went by.

At l ast , i n concert wi t h Dr Por hoët , she det ermi ned t o make one moreat t empt . I t was l ate at ni ght , and t hey sat wi t h open wi ndows i n t hesi t t i ng- r oom of t he i nn. Ther e was a si ngul ar oppr essi veness i n t he ai rwhi ch suggest ed that a t hunder st or m was at hand. Susi e pr ayed f or i t ; f orshe ascr i bed t o t he pecul i ar heat of t he l ast f ew days much of Ar t hur ' ssul l en i r r i t abi l i t y.

' Ar t hur , you _must _ t el l us what you ar e goi ng t o do, ' she sai d. ' I ti s usel ess t o st ay her e. We ar e al l so i l l and nervous t hat we cannotconsi der anyt hi ng rat i onal l y. We want you to come away wi t h us t omor r ow. '

' You can go i f you choose, ' he sai d. ' I shal l r emai n t i l l t hat man i sdead. '

' I t i s madness t o tal k l i ke t hat . You can do not hi ng. You ar e onl y maki ngyour sel f wor se by st ayi ng her e. '

' I have qui t e made up my mi nd. '

' The l aw can of f er you no hel p, and what el se can you do?'

She asked the quest i on, meani ng i f possi bl e t o get f r omhi m some hi nt of hi s i nt ent i ons; but t he gr i mness of hi s answer , t hough i t onl y conf i r medher vague suspi ci ons, st ar t l ed her .

' I f I can do not hi ng el se, I shal l shoot hi m l i ke a dog. '

She coul d t hi nk of nothi ng t o say, and f or a whi l e t hey r emai ned i nsi l ence. Then he got up.



' I t hi nk I shoul d pr ef er i t i f you went , ' he sai d. ' You can onl y hamperme. '

' I shal l st ay her e as l ong as you do. '

' Why?'

' Because i f you do anythi ng, I shal l be compr omi sed. I may be ar r est ed. It hi nk the f ear of t hat may r est r ai n you. '

He l ooked at her st eadi l y. She met hi s eyes wi t h a cal mness whi chshowed t hat she meant exact l y what she sai d, and he t urned uneasi l yaway. A si l ence even gr eat er t han bef ore f el l upon t hem. They di d notmove. I t was so st i l l i n the r oom t hat i t mi ght have been empt y. Thebr eat hl essness of t he ai r i ncreased, so t hat i t was hor r i bl y oppr essi ve.Suddenl y t her e was a l oud r at t l e of t hunder , and a f l ash of l i ght ni ngt ore across t he heavy cl ouds. Susi e thanked Heaven f or t he st orm whi chwoul d gi ve pr esent l y a wel come f r eshness. She f el t excessi vel y i l l atease, and i t was a r el i ef t o ascri be her sensat i on t o a st at e of t he

atmosphere. Agai n t he t hunder r ol l ed. I t was so l oud t hat i t seemed t obe i mmedi at el y above t hei r heads. And t he wi nd r ose suddenl y and sweptwi t h a l ong moan t hr ough the t r ees t hat sur r ounded t he house. I t was asound so human that i t mi ght have come f r om t he soul s of dead mensuf f er i ng hopel ess t or ment s of r egr et .

The l amp went out , so suddenl y t hat Susi e was vaguel y f r i ghtened. I t gaveone f l i cker , and they were i n t otal darkness. I t seemed as t hough someonehad l eaned over t he chi mney and bl own i t out . The ni ght was very bl ack,and they coul d not see t he wi ndow whi ch opened on t o t he countr y. Thedar kness was so pecul i ar t hat f or a moment no one st i r r ed.

Then Susi e heard Dr Porhoët sl i p hi s hand acr oss t he t abl e t o f i ndmatches, but i t seemed t hat t hey were not t her e. Agai n a l oud peal of t hunder st ar t l ed t hem, but t he r ai n woul d not f al l . They pant ed f or f r eshai r . On a sudden Susi e' s hear t gave a bound, and she spr ang up.

' There' s someone i n the room. '

The wor ds wer e no sooner out of her mout h t han she heard Art hur f l i nghi msel f upon the i nt r uder . She knew at once, wi t h the cer t ai nt y of ani nt ui t i on, t hat i t was Haddo. But how had he come i n? What di d he want ?She t r i ed t o cr y out , but no sound came f r om her t hr oat . Dr Por hoëtseemed bound t o hi s chai r . He di d not move. He made no sound. She knewt hat an awf ul st r uggl e was pr oceedi ng. I t was a st r uggl e t o t he deat hbet ween two men who hated one anot her , but t he most t er r i bl e par t of i twas t hat not hi ng was hear d. They wer e per f ect l y noi sel ess. She t r i ed to

do somet hi ng, but she coul d not st i r . And Ar t hur ' s hear t exul t ed, f or hi senemy was i n hi s grasp, under hi s hands, and he woul d not l et hi m gowhi l e l i f e was i n hi m. He cl enched hi s t eet h and t i ght ened hi s st r ai ni ngmuscl es. Susi e hear d hi s l abour ed br eat hi ng, but she onl y hear d t hebreat hi ng of one man. She wonder ed i n abj ect t er r or what t hat coul d mean. They st r uggl ed si l ent l y, hand t o hand, and Art hur knew t hat hi s st r engt hwas great er . He had made up hi s mi nd what t o do and di r ect ed al l hi senergy t o a def i ni t e end. Hi s enemy was ext r aor di nari l y powerf ul , butAr t hur appear ed t o cr eat e some st r engt h f r om t he sheer f or ce of hi s wi l l .I t seemed f or hour s t hat t hey st r uggl ed. He coul d not bear hi m down.



Suddenl y, he knew t hat t he other was f r i ght ened and sought t o escape f r omhi m. Ar t hur t i ght ened hi s grasp; f or not hi ng i n t he wor l d now woul d heever l oosen hi s hol d. He took a deep, qui ck br eat h, and t hen put out al lhi s st r engt h i n a tr emendous ef f or t . They swayed f r om si de to si de.Ar t hur f el t as i f hi s muscl es wer e bei ng t or n f r om t he bones, he coul dnot cont i nue f or more t han a moment l onger ; but t he agony t hat f l ashedacross hi s mi nd at t he t hought of f ai l ur e br aced hi m t o a sudden angr y j er k. Al l at once Haddo col l apsed, and t hey f el l heavi l y t o t he ground.Ar t hur was br eat hi ng more qui ckl y now. He thought t hat i f he coul d keepon f or one i nst ant l onger , he woul d be saf e. He t hr ew al l hi s wei ght ont he f orm t hat r ol l ed beneat h hi m, and bore down f ur i ousl y on t he man' sar m. He t wi st ed i t shar pl y, wi t h al l hi s mi ght , and f el t i t gi ve way. Hegave a l ow cr y of t r i umph; t he ar m was br oken. And now hi s enemy wassei zed wi t h pani c; he st r uggl ed madl y, he want ed onl y t o get away f r omt hose l ong hands t hat were ki l l i ng hi m. They seemed t o be of i r on. Ar t hursei zed t he huge bul l ock t hr oat and dug hi s f i nger s i nt o i t , and t hey sunki nt o t he heavy r ol l s of f at ; and he f l ung t he whol e wei ght of hi s bodyi nt o t hem. He exul t ed, f or he knew t hat hi s enemy was i n hi s power atl ast ; he was st r angl i ng hi m, st r angl i ng t he l i f e out of hi m. He want ed

l i ght so t hat he mi ght see t he hor r or of t hat vast f ace, and t he deadl yf ear , and t he st ar i ng eyes. And st i l l he pr essed wi t h t hose i r on hands.And now t he movement s were st r angel y convul si ve. Hi s vi ct i m wr i t hed i nt he agony of deat h. Hi s st r uggl es were desperate, but t he avengi ng handshel d hi m as i n a vi ce. And t hen t he movement s grew spasmodi c, and t hent hey gr ew weaker . St i l l t he hands pr essed upon t he gi gant i c t hr oat , andAr t hur f orgot everyt hi ng. He was mad wi t h rage and f ur y and hat e andsorr ow. He t hought of Mar gar et ' s angui sh and of her f i endi sh tor t ur e, andhe wi shed t he man had ten l i ves so t hat he mi ght t ake t hem one by one.And at l ast al l was st i l l , and t hat vast mass of f l esh was mot i onl ess,and he knew t hat hi s enemy was dead. He l oosened hi s grasp and sl i ppedone hand over t he hear t . I t woul d never beat agai n. The man was st onedead. Ar t hur got up and st r ai ght ened hi msel f . The darkness was i nt ensest i l l , and he coul d see nothi ng. Susi e hear d hi m, and at l engt h she wasabl e t o speak.

' Ar t hur what have you done?'

' I ' ve ki l l ed hi m, ' he sai d hoar sel y.

' O God, what shal l we do?'

Ar t hur began t o l augh al oud, hysteri cal l y, and i n t he dar kness hi shi l ar i t y was terr i f yi ng.

' For God' s sake l et us have some l i ght . '

' I ' ve f ound t he mat ches, ' sai d Dr Por hoët .

He seemed t o awake suddenl y f r om hi s l ong st upor . He st r uck one, and i twoul d not l i ght . He st r uck another , and Susi e took of f t he gl obe and thechi mney as he ki ndl ed t he wi ck. Then he hel d up the l amp, and they sawAr t hur l ooki ng at t hem. Hi s f ace was ghast l y. The sweat r an of f hi sf orehead i n gr eat beads, and hi s eyes were bl oodshot . He t r embl ed i nevery l i mb. Then Dr Por hoët advanced wi t h the l amp and hel d i t f orward. They l ooked down on t he f l oor f or t he man who l ay t here dead. Susi e gavea sudden cr y of horr or.



There was no one t here.

Ar t hur st epped back i n t er r i f i ed surpr i se. There was no one i n t he r oom,l i vi ng or dead, but t he thr ee f r i ends. The gr ound sank under Susi e' sf eet , she f el t hor r i bl y i l l , and she f ai nt ed. When she awoke, seemi ngdi f f i cul t l y t o emer ge f r oman et er nal ni ght , Ar t hur was hol di ng down herhead.

' Bend down, ' he sai d. ' Bend down. '

Al l t hat had happened came back to her , and she bur st i nt o t ear s. Hersel f - cont r ol deser t ed her , and, c l i ngi ng t o hi m f or pr ot ecti on, shesobbed as t hough her hear t woul d break. She was shaki ng f r om head t of oot . The st r angeness of t hi s l ast horr or had overcome her , and she coul dhave shr i eked wi t h f r i ght .

' I t ' s al l r i ght , ' he sai d. ' You need not be af ra i d. '

' Oh, what does i t mean?'

' You must pl uck up courage. We' r e goi ng now t o Skene. '

She spr ang to her f eet , as t hough to get away f r om hi m; her hear t beatwi l dl y.

' No, I can' t ; I ' m f r i ghtened. '

' We must see what i t means. We have no t i me t o l ose, or t he morni ng wi l lbe upon us bef ore we get back. '

Then she sought t o prevent hi m.

' Oh, f or God' s sake, don' t go, Ar t hur . Somethi ng awf ul may awai t yout here. Don' t r i sk your l i f e. '

' Ther e i s no danger . I t el l you t he man i s dead. '

' I f anyt hi ng happened t o you . . . '

She st opped, t r yi ng t o r est r ai n her sobs; she dared not go on. But heseemed t o know what was i n her mi nd.

' I wi l l t ake no ri sks, because of you. I know t hat whet her I l i ve or di ei s not a- - mat t er of i ndi f f er ence t o you. '

She l ooked up and saw t hat hi s eyes were f i xed upon her gr avel y. She

r eddened. A cur i ous f eel i ng came i nt o her heart .

' I wi l l go wi t h you wherever you choose, ' she sai d humbl y.

' Come, t hen. '

They st epped out i nt o t he ni ght . And now, wi t hout r ai n, t he st or m hadpassed away, and the st ars were shi ni ng. They wal ked qui ckl y. Ar t hurwent i n f r ont of t hem. Dr Por hoët and Susi e f ol l owed hi m, si de by si de,and t hey had t o hast en t hei r st eps i n order not t o be l ef t behi nd. I t



seemed t o t hem t hat t he horr or of t he ni ght was passed, and t here wasa f r agr ancy i n t he ai r whi ch was wonder f ul l y ref r eshi ng. The sky wasbeaut i f ul . And at l ast t hey came to Skene. Ar t hur l ed t hem agai n t o theopeni ng i n the pal i sade, and he took Susi e' s hand. Pr esent l y t hey st oodi n t he pl ace f r om whi ch a f ew days bef ore they had seen t he house. Ast hen, i t st ood i n massi ve bl ackness agai nst t he ni ght and, as t hen, t heat t i c wi ndows shone out wi t h br i l l i ant l i ght s. Susi e st ar t ed, f or shehad expect ed t hat t he whol e pl ace woul d be i n dar kness.

' Ther e i s no danger , I pr omi se you, ' sai d Ar t hur gent l y. ' We ar e goi ng t of i nd out t he meani ng of al l t hi s myster y. '

He began t o wal k t owards t he house.

' Have you a weapon of some sor t ?' asked t he doct or .

Ar t hur handed hi m a r evol ver .

' Take t hi s. I t wi l l r eassur e you, but you wi l l have no need of i t . Ibought i t t he other day when- - I had other pl ans. '

Susi e gave a l i t t l e shudder. They r eached t he dr i ve and wal ked t o thegr eat por t i co whi ch ador ned the f acade of t he house. Ar t hur t r i ed thehandl e, but i t woul d not open.

' Wi l l you wai t her e?' he sai d. ' I can get t hr ough one of t he wi ndows, andI wi l l l et you i n. '

He l ef t t hem. They st ood qui et l y ther e, wi t h anxi ous hear t s; t hey coul dnot guess what t hey woul d see. They were af r ai d t hat somet hi ng woul dhappen t o Ar t hur , and Susi e regr et t ed t hat she had not i nsi st ed on goi ngwi t h hi m. Suddenl y she r emember ed that awf ul moment when t he l i ght of t hel amp had been thrown wher e al l expect ed t o see a body, and ther e wasnothi ng.

' What do you t hi nk i t meant ?' she cr i ed suddenl y. ' What i s t heexpl anat i on?'

' Per haps we shal l see now, ' answered t he doctor.

Ar t hur st i l l l i ngered, and she coul d not i magi ne what had become of hi m.Al l sort s of horr i bl e f anci es passed t hr ough her mi nd, and she dr eadedshe knew not what . At l ast t hey hear d a f oot st ep i nsi de the house, andt he door was opened.

' I was convi nced t hat nobody sl ept here, but I was obl i ged t o make sur e.I had some di f f i cul t y i n get t i ng i n. '

Susi e hesi t ated t o ent er. She di d not know what horr ors awai t ed her, andt he darkness was t er r i f yi ng.

' I cannot see, ' she sai d.

' I ' ve br ought a t or ch, ' sai d Ar t hur .

He pr essed a but t on, and a narr ow r ay of br i ght l i ght was cast upon t hef l oor . Dr Por hoët and Susi e went i n. Ar t hur car ef ul l y cl osed t he door ,



and f l ashed t he l i ght of hi s t or ch al l r ound t hem. They st ood i n a l ar gehal l , t he f l oor of whi ch was scat t er ed wi t h t he ski ns of l i ons t hat Haddoon hi s cel ebr at ed expedi t i on had ki l l ed i n Af r i ca. There wer e per hapsa dozen, and thei r number gave a wi l d, barbar i c not e. A gr eat oakst ai r case l ed t o t he upper f l oor s.

' We must go thr ough al l t he rooms, ' sai d Ar t hur .

He di d not expect t o f i nd Haddo t i l l t hey came t o the l i ght ed att i cs, buti t seemed needf ul nevert hel ess t o pass r i ght t hr ough t he house on t hei rway. A f l ash of hi s t or ch had shown hi m t hat t he wal l s of t he hal l wer edecorat ed wi t h al l manner of armour , anci ent swords of East ern handi work,barbar i c weapons f r om cent r al Af r i ca, savage i mpl ement s of medi evalwar f are; and an i dea came t o hi m. He t ook down a huge bat t l e- axe andswung i t i n hi s hand.

' Now come. '

Si l ent l y, hol di ng thei r br eat h as t hough they f eared t o wake t he dead,t hey went i nt o the f i r st r oom. They saw i t di f f i cul t l y wi t h t hei r scant

l i ght , si nce t he t hi n shaf t of br i l l i ancy, emphasi si ng acut el y t hesur r oundi ng dar kness, r eveal ed i t onl y pi ece by pi ece. I t was a l ar ger oom, evi dent l y unused, f or t he f ur ni t ur e was cover ed wi t h hol l and, andt her e was a must i ness about i t whi ch suggest ed t hat t he wi ndows weresel dom opened. As i n many ol d houses, t he rooms l ed not f r om a passagebut i nto one anot her , and t hey wal ked t hr ough many t i l l t hey came backi nt o t he hal l . They had al l a desol at e, uni nhabi t ed ai r . Thei r sombr enesswas i ncreased by t he oak wi t h whi ch they were panel l ed. There waspanel l i ng i n t he hal l t oo, and on t he st ai r s t hat l ed br oadl y t o t het op of t he house. As t hey ascended, Ar t hur st opped f or one moment andpassed hi s hand over t he pol i shed wood.

' I t woul d bur n l i ke t i nder , ' he sai d.

They went t hrough t he r ooms on t he f i r st f l oor , and t hey wer e as empt yand as cheer l ess. Present l y they came to that whi ch had been Margaret ' s.I n a bowl wer e dead f l owers. Her br ushes wer e st i l l on t he t oi l et t abl e.But i t was a gl oomy chamber, wi t h i t s dar k oak, and, so comf ort l ess t hatSusi e shudder ed. Ar t hur st ood f or a ti me and l ooked at i t , but he sai dnot hi ng. They f ound t hemsel ves agai n on t he st ai r s and t hey went t o thesecond st orey. But her e t hey seemed t o be at t he t op of t he house.

' How does one get up t o t he at t i cs?' sai d Ar t hur , l ooki ng about hi m wi t hsur pr i se.

He paused f or a whi l e t o t hi nk. Then he nodded hi s head.

' There must be some st eps l eadi ng out of one of t he r ooms. '

They went on. And now t he cei l i ngs wer e much l ower , wi t h heavy beams,and ther e was no f ur ni t ur e at al l . The empt i ness seemed t o makeever ythi ng mor e t er r i f yi ng. They f el t t hat t hey wer e on t he t hr eshol dof a gr eat myst er y, and Susi e' s hear t began to beat f ast . Ar t hurconduct ed hi s exami nat i on wi t h t he gr eat est method; he wal ked roundeach r oom car ef ul l y, l ooki ng f or a door t hat mi ght l ead t o a st ai r case;but t her e was no si gn of one.



' What wi l l you do i f you can' t f i nd t he way up?' asked Susi e.

' I shal l f i nd t he way up, ' he answer ed.

They came t o t he st ai r case once mor e and had di scover ed not hi ng. Theyl ooked at one anot her hel pl essl y.

' I t ' s qui t e cl ear t her e i s a way, ' sai d Ar t hur , wi t h i mpat i ence. ' Ther emust be somet hi ng i n the nat ure of a hi dden door somewher e or ot her . '

He l eaned agai nst t he bal ust r ade and medi t at ed. The l i ght of hi s l ant er nt hr ew a nar r ow r ay upon t he opposi t e wal l .

' I f eel cer t ai n i t must be i n one of t he rooms at t he end of t he house. That seems t he most natural pl ace t o put a means of ascent t o t heat t i cs . '

They went back, and agai n he exami ned t he panel l i ng of a smal l r oom t hathad out si de wal l s on t hr ee si des of i t . I t was t he onl y room t hat di d notl ead i nt o anot her .

' I t must be her e, ' he sai d.

Present l y he gave a l i t t l e l augh, f or he saw t hat a smal l door wasconceal ed by t he woodwork. He pr essed i t wher e he t hought t her e mi ght bea spr i ng, and i t f l ew open. Thei r t orch showed t hema narr ow woodenst ai r case. They wal ked up and f ound t hemsel ves i n f r ont of a door . Ar t hurt r i ed i t , but i t was l ocked. He smi l ed gr i ml y.

' Wi l l you get back a l i t t l e, ' he sai d.

He l i f t ed hi s axe and swung i t down upon t he l at ch. The handl e wasshat t ered, but t he l ock di d not yi el d. He shook hi s head. As he pausedf or a moment , an t here was a compl ete si l ence, Susi e di st i nct l y hear d asl i ght noi se. She put her hand on Ar t hur ' s ar m t o cal l hi s at t ent i on t oi t , and wi t h st r ai ned ear s t hey l i st ened. Ther e was somet hi ng al i ve ont he ot her si de of t he door. They hear d i t s cur i ous sound: i t was not t hatof a human voi ce, i t was not t he cryi ng of an ani mal , i t wasext r aor di nar y.

I t was t he sor t of gi bber , hoar se and r api d, and i t f i l l ed t hem wi t h ani cy t er r or because i t was so wei r d and so unnatur al .

' Come away, Ar t hur , ' sai d Susi e. ' Come away. '

' Ther e' s some l i vi ng t hi ng i n t her e, ' he answer ed.

He di d not know why t he sound hor r i f i ed hi m. The sweat broke out on hi sf orehead.

' Somet hi ng awf ul wi l l happen t o us, ' whi sper ed Susi e, shaki ng wi t huncont r ol l abl e f ear .

' The onl y thi ng i s t o br eak the door down. '

The hor r i d gi bber i ng was drowned by t he noi se he made. Qui ckl y, wi t houtpausi ng, he began t o hack at t he oak door wi t h al l hi s mi ght . I n r api d



success i on hi s heavy bl ows r ai ned down, and the sound echoed t hrough t heempty house. Ther e was a cr ash, and t he door swung back. They had been sol ong i n al most t ot al dar kness t hat t hey wer e bl i nded f or an i nst ant byt he dazzl i ng l i ght . And t hen i nst i ncti vel y t hey st ar t ed back, f or , as t hedoor opened, a wave of heat came out upon t hem so t hat t hey coul d har dl ybreat he. The pl ace was l i ke an oven.

They ent er ed. I t was l i t by enormous l amps, t he l i ght of whi ch wasi ncr eased by ref l ect ors, and warmed by a gr eat f urnace. They coul d notunder st and why so i nt ense a heat was necessar y. The narr ow wi ndows werecl osed. Dr Por hoët caught si ght of a t her mometer and was ast ounded at t het emper at ur e i t i ndi cat ed. The room was used evi dent l y as a l aborat or y. Onbr oad t abl es were t est - t ubes, basi ns and bat hs of whi t e porcel ai n,measur i ng- gl asses, and ut ensi l s of al l sor t s; but t he sur pr i si ng t hi ngwas t he gr eat scal e upon whi ch everyt hi ng was. Nei t her Ar t hur nor DrPor hoët had ever seen such gi gant i c measures nor such l arge t est - t ubes. There wer e r ows of bot t l es, l i ke t hose i n t he di spensar y of a hospi t al ,each cont ai ni ng gr eat quant i t i es of a di f f er ent chemi cal . The t hr eef r i ends st ood i n si l ence. The empt i ness of t he r oom cont r asted so oddl ywi t h i t s appear ance of bei ng i n i mmedi ate use t hat i t was uncanny. Susi e

f el t t hat he who worked there was i n the mi dst of hi s l abour s, and mi ghtr etur n at any moment ; he coul d have onl y gone f or an i nst ant i nto anot herchamber i n order t o see t he pr ogr ess of some exper i ment . I t was qui t esi l ent . What ever had made those vague, unear t hl y noi ses was hushed byt hei r appr oach.

The door was cl osed between t hi s r oom and t he next . Ar t hur opened i t , andt hey f ound t hemsel ves i n a l ong, l ow at t i c, cei l ed wi t h gr eat r af t er s, asbr i l l i ant l y l i t and as hot as t he f i r st . Her e t oo wer e br oad t abl es l adenwi t h r et or t s, i nst r ument s f or heat i ng, huge t est - t ubes, and al l manner of vessel s. The f ur nace that warmed i t gave a st eady heat . Ar t hur ' s gazet r avel l ed sl owl y f r om t abl e t o t abl e, and he wondered what Haddo' sexperi ment s had real l y been. The ai r was heavy wi t h an ext r aor di naryodour : i t was not must y, l i ke t hat of t he cl osed r ooms t hr ough whi ch t heyhad passed, but si ngul arl y pungent , di sagr eeabl e and si ckl y. He askedhi msel f what i t coul d spr i ng f r om. Then hi s eyes f el l upon a huger ecept acl e that st ood on t he tabl e near est t o the f ur nace. I t was cover edwi t h a whi t e cl ot h. He t ook i t of f . The vessel was about f our f eet hi gh,r ound, and shaped somewhat l i ke a washi ng t ub, but i t was made of gl assmor e t han an i nch t hi ck. I n i t a spher i cal mass, a l i t t l e l ar ger t han af oot bal l , of a pecul i ar , l i vi d col our . The sur f ace was smoot h, but r at hercoar sel y gr ai ned, and over i t r an a dense system of bl ood- vessel s. I tr emi nded t he t wo medi cal men of t hose huge t umour s whi ch are pr eserved i nspi r i t i n hospi t al museums. Susi e l ooked at i t wi t h an i ncompr ehensi bl edi sgust . Suddenl y she gave a cr y.

' Good God, i t ' s movi ng! '

Ar t hur put hi s hand on her arm qui ckl y to qui eten her and bent down wi t hi r r esi st i bl e cur i osi t y. They saw t hat i t was a mass of f l esh unl i ke thatof any human bei ng; and i t pul sat ed r egul ar l y. The movement was qui t edi st i nct , up and down, l i ke t he del i cat e heavi ng of a woman' s breast whenshe i s asl eep. Ar t hur t ouched t he thi ng wi t h one f i nger and i t shr anks l i ght l y.

' I t s qui t e war m, ' he sai d.



He t ur ned i t over, and i t r emai ned i n t he posi t i on i n whi ch he had pl acedi t , as i f t her e wer e nei t her t op nor bot t om t o i t . But t hey coul d seenow, i r r egul ar l y pl aced on one si de, a f ew shor t hai r s. They were j ustl i ke human hai r s.

' I s i t al i ve?' whi sper ed Susi e, st r uck wi t h hor r or and amazement .

' Yes! '

Ar t hur seemed f asci nated. He coul d not t ake hi s eyes of f t he l oat hsomet hi ng. He watched i t sl owl y heave wi t h even mot i on.

' What can i t mean?' he asked.

He l ooked at Dr Por hoët wi t h pal e st art l ed f ace. A t hought was comi ng tohi m, but a t hought so unnatur al , ext r avagant , and t err i bl e t hat he pushedi t f r om hi m wi t h a movement of both hands, as t hough i t were a mater i alt hi ng. Then al l t hr ee turned ar ound abr upt l y wi t h a st ar t , f or t hey hear dagai n t he wi l d gi bber i ng whi ch had f i r st shocked t hei r ear s. I n t hewonder of t hi s r evol t i ng obj ect t hey had f or got t en al l t he rest . The

sound seemed ext r aor di nar i l y near , and Susi e dr ew back i nst i nct i vel y, f ori t appear ed t o come f r om her very si de.

' Ther e' s not hi ng her e, ' sai d Ar t hur . ' I t must be i n t he next r oom. '

' Oh, Ar t hur , l et us go, ' cri ed Susi e. ' I ' m af r ai d t o see what may be i nst ore f or us. I t i s not hi ng t o us; and what we see may poi son our sl eepf or ever . '

She l ooked appeal i ngl y at Dr Por hoët . He was whi t e and anxi ous. The heatof t hat pl ace had made the sweat break out on hi s f orehead.

' I have seen enough. I want t o see no more, ' he sai d.

' Then you may go, both of you, ' answered Ar t hur . ' I do not wi sh to f orceyou t o see anyt hi ng. But I shal l go on. What ever i t i s, I wi sh t o f i ndout . '

' But Haddo? Supposi ng he i s t here, wai t i ng? Per haps you are onl y wal ki ngi nt o a t r ap t hat he has set f or you. '

' I am convi nced that Haddo i s dead. '

Agai n t hat uni nt el l i gi bl e j ar gon, unhuman and shr i l l , f el l upon t hei rear s, and Ar t hur st epped f orward. Susi e di d not hesi t ate. She wasprepared t o f ol l ow hi m anywhere. He opened t he door , and there was asudden qui et . Whatever made t hose sounds was t here. I t was a l arger r oom

t han any on the ot hers and much hi gher, f or i t r an al ong the whol e f r ontof t he house. The powerf ul l amps showed every cor ner of i t at once, but ,above, t he beams of t he open cei l i ng were dark wi t h shadow. And her e t henauseous odour , whi ch had st r uck t hem bef ore, was so overpower i ng t hatf or a whi l e they coul d not go i n. I t was i ndescri babl y f oul . Even Ar t hurt hought i t woul d make hi m si ck, and he l ooked at t he wi ndows t o see i f i twas possi bl e to open t hem; but i t seemed t hey were hermet i cal l y cl osed. The ext r eme war mt h made t he ai r mor e over power i ng. There wer e f ourf ur naces her e, and t hey wer e al l al i ght . I n or der t o gi ve out mor e heatand t o bur n sl owl y, t he f r ont s of t hem were open, and one coul d see t hat



t hey wer e f i l l ed wi t h gl owi ng coke.

The r oom was f urni shed no di f f er ent l y f r om t he ot hers, but t o t he var i ousi nst r ument s f or chemi cal operat i ons on a l arge scal e were added al lmanner of el ect r i cal appl i ances. Several books were l yi ng about , and onehad been l ef t open f ace downwards on t he edge of a t abl e. But whati mmedi at el y at t r act ed t hei r at t ent i on was a r ow of t hose l ar ge gl assvessel s l i ke t hat whi ch t hey had seen i n t he adj oi ni ng room. Each wascovered wi t h a whi t e cl ot h. They hesi t at ed a moment , f or t hey knew t hather e t hey wer e f ace to f ace wi t h t he gr eat eni gma. At l ast Ar t hur pul l edaway t he cl oth f r om one. None of t hemspoke. They st ared wi t h ast oni shedeyes. For her e, t oo, was a st r ange mass of f l esh, al most as l ar ge as anew- born chi l d, but t her e was i n i t t he begi nni ngs of somethi ng ghast l yhuman. I t was shaped vaguel y l i ke an i nf ant , but t he l egs were j oi nedt oget her so t hat i t l ooked l i ke a mummy rol l ed up i n i t s cover i ngs. There wer e nei t her f eet nor knees. The t r unk was f or ml ess , but t herewas a cur i ous t hi ckeni ng on each si de; i t was as i f a model l er had meantt o make a f i gur e wi t h t he ar ms l oosel y bent , but had l ef t t he workunf i ni shed so t hat t hey were st i l l one wi t h t he body. There was somethi ngt hat r esembl ed a human head, covered wi t h l ong gol den hai r , but i t was

hor r i bl e; i t was an uncout h mass, wi t hout eyes or nose or mout h. Thecol our was a ki nd of si ckl y pi nk, and i t was al most t r anspar ent . Therewas a ver y sl i ght movement i n i t , r hythmi cal and sl ow. I t was l i vi ng t oo.

Then qui ckl y Ar t hur r emoved t he cover i ng f r om al l t he ot her j ar s but one;and i n a f l ash of t he eyes t hey saw abomi nat i ons so awf ul t hat Susi e hadt o cl ench her f i st s i n order not t o scream. There was one monst r ous t hi ngi n whi ch t he l i mbs appr oached near l y to the human. I t was ext r aor di nari l yheaped up, wi t h f at t i ny ar ms, l i t t l e bl oat ed l egs, and an absur d squatbody, so that i t l ooked l i ke a Chi nese mandari n i n por cel ai n. I n anothert he t r unk was al most l i ke t hat of a human chi l d, except t hat i t waspat ched st r angel y wi t h r ed and gr ey. But t he ter r or of i t was t hatat t he neck i t br anched hi deousl y, and t here were t wo di st i nct heads,monst r ousl y l ar ge, but dul y pr ovi ded wi t h al l t hei r f eat ur es. Thef eat ur es were a car i cat ur e of humani t y so shamef ul t hat one coul d hardl ybear t o l ook. And as t he l i ght f el l on i t , t he eyes of each head openedsl owl y. They had no pi gment i n t hem, but were pi nk, l i ke t he eyes of whi t e rabbi t s; and t hey st ared f or a moment wi t h an odd, unseei ng gl ance. Then t hey wer e shut agai n, and what was cur i ousl y t er r i f yi ng was t hat t hemovement s were not qui t e si mul t aneous; t he eyel i ds of one head f el lsl owl y j ust bef or e those of t he ot her . And i n another pl ace was a ghast l ymonst er i n whi ch i t seemed t hat t wo bodi es had been dr eadf ul l y ent angl edwi t h one another . I t was a cr eat ur e of ni ght mare, wi t h f our arms and f ourl egs, and t hi s one act ual l y moved. Wi t h a pecul i ar mot i on i t cr awl edal ong t he bot t omof t he gr eat r ecept acl e i n whi ch i t was kept , t owar dst he three persons who l ooked at i t . I t seemed t o wonder what t hey di d.Susi e start ed back wi t h f r i ght , as i t r ai sed i t sel f on i t s f our l egs and

t r i ed t o r each up to t hem.

Susi e t ur ned away and hi d her f ace. She coul d not l ook at t hose ghast l ycount er f ei t s of humani t y. She was t err i f i ed and ashamed.

' Do you unders t and what t hi s means?' sai d Dr Por hoët t o Ar t hur , i n anawed voi ce. ' I t means t hat he has di scover ed t he secr et of l i f e. '

' Was i t f or t hese vi l e monst r osi t i es t hat Mar gar et was sacr i f i ced i n al lher l ovel i ness?'



The t wo men l ooked at one another wi t h sad, wonder i ng eyes.

' Don' t you r emember t hat he t al ked of t he manuf act ure of human bei ngs?I t ' s t hese mi sshapen t hi ngs t hat he' s succeedi ng i n pr oduci ng, ' sai d t hedoctor.

' There i s one more t hat we haven' t seen, ' sai d Ar t hur .

He poi nt ed t o the cover i ng whi ch st i l l hi d t he l ar gest of t he vases. Hehad a f eel i ng t hat i t cont ai ned t he most f earf ul of al l t hese monst ers;and i t was not wi t hout an ef f or t t hat he dr ew t he cl oth away. But nosooner had he done t hi s t han somethi ng sprang up, so t hat i nst i nct i vel yhe st ar t ed back, and i t began t o gi bber i n pi erci ng t ones. These were t heunear t hl y sounds t hat t hey had hear d. I t was not a voi ce, i t was a ki ndof r aucous cr yi ng, hoar se yet shr i l l , uneven l i ke t he bar ki ng of a dog,and appal l i ng. The sounds came f or t h i n r api d successi on, angr i l y, ast hough t he bei ng t hat ut t er ed t hem sought t o expr ess i t sel f i n f ur i ouswor ds. I t was mad wi t h passi on and beat agai nst t he gl ass wal l s of i t spr i son wi t h cl enched f i st s. For t he hands were human hands, and t he

body, t hough much l arger , was of t he shape of a newborn chi l d. Thecr eat ur e must have st ood about f our f eet hi gh. The head was horr i bl ymi sshapen. The skul l was enormous, smoot h and di st ended l i ke t hat of ahydr ocephal i c, and t he f orehead pr ot r uded over t he f ace hi deousl y. Thef eat ur es were al most unf ormed, pr eternat ur al l y smal l under t he gr eat ,overhangi ng br ow; and they had an expr essi on of f i endi sh mal i gni t y.

The t i ny, mi sshapen count enance wr i t hed wi t h convul si ve f ur y, and f r omt he mout h pour ed out a f oami ng spume. I t r ai sed i t s voi ce hi gher andhi gher , shr i eki ng sensel ess gi bber i sh i n i t s r age. Then i t began t o hur li t s whol e body madl y agai nst t he gl ass wal l s and t o beat i t s head. I tappear ed t o have a sudden i ncompr ehensi bl e hat r ed f or t he t hr eest r angers . I t was t r yi ng t o f l y at t hem. The toot hl ess gums movedspasmodi cal l y, and i t t hr ew i t s f ace i nt o hor r i bl e gr i maces. Thatnamel ess, l oat hsome abort i on was t he near est t hat Ol i ver Haddo hadcome t o t he human f or m.

' Come away, ' sai d Ar t hur . ' We must not l ook at t hi s. '

He qui ckl y f l ung t he cover i ng over t he j ar .

' Yes, f or God' s sake l et us go, ' sai d Susi e.

' We haven' t done yet , ' answered Ar t hur . ' We haven' t f ound t he aut hor of a l l t h i s . '

He l ooked at t he r oom i n whi ch they were, but t here was no door except

t hat by whi ch t hey had ent ered. Then he ut t ered a st ar t l ed cr y, andst eppi ng f or war d f el l on hi s knee.

On t he ot her si de of t he l ong tabl es heaped up wi t h i nst r ument s, hi ddenso that at f i r st t hey had not seen hi m, Ol i ver Haddo l ay on t he f l oor,dead. Hi s bl ue eyes were st ar i ng wi de, and t hey seemed l arger t han t heyhad ever been. They kept st i l l t he expr essi on of t er r or whi ch t hey hadworn i n the moment of hi s agony, and hi s heavy f ace was di st or t ed wi t hdeadl y f ear . I t was pur pl e and dark, and t he eyes were i nj ect ed wi t hbl ood.



' He di ed of suf f ocat i on, ' whi sper ed Dr Por hoët .

Ar t hur poi nt ed t o t he neck. Ther e coul d be seen on i t di st i nct l y t hemar ks of t he avengi ng f i nger s t hat had st r angl ed t he l i f e out of hi m. I twas i mpossi bl e t o hesi t at e.

' I t ol d you t hat I had ki l l ed hi m, ' sai d Ar t hur .

Then he r emembered somet hi ng mor e. He t ook hol d of t he r i ght ar m. He wasconvi nced t hat i t had been br oken dur i ng t hat desperat e st r uggl e i n t hedar kness. He f el t i t car ef ul l y and l i st ened. He hear d pl ai nl y t he t wopar t s of t he bone rub agai nst one another . The dead man' s arm was broken j ust i n t he pl ace where he had broken i t . Ar t hur st ood up. He t ook onel ast l ook at hi s enemy. That vast mass of f l esh l ay heaped up on thef l oor i n horr i bl e di sorder.

' Now t hat you have seen, wi l l you come away?' sai d Susi e, i nt err upt i nghi m.

The wor ds seemed t o br i ng hi m suddenl y t o hi msel f .

' Yes, we must go qui ckl y. '

They t urned away and wi t h hur r i ed st eps wal ked t hrough t hose br i ghtat t i cs t i l l t hey came t o t he st ai r s.

' Now go down and wai t f or me at t he door , ' sai d Ar t hur . ' I wi l l f ol l owyou i mmedi atel y. '

' What are you goi ng to do?' asked Susi e.

' Never mi nd. Do as I t el l you. I have not f i ni shed her e yet . '

They went down t he great oak st ai r case and wai t ed i n t he hal l . Theywonder ed what Ar t hur was about . Pr esent l y he came runni ng down.

' Be qui ck! ' he cr i ed. ' We have no ti me to l ose. '

' What have you done, Ar t hur ?'

There' s no t i me t o t el l you now. '

He hurr i ed t hem out and sl ammed t he door behi nd hi m. He took Susi e' shand.

' Now we must r un. Come. '

She di d not know what hi s hast e si gni f i ed, but her heart beat f ur i ousl y.He dr agged her al ong. Dr Por hoët hur r i ed on behi nd t hem. Ar t hur pl ungedi nt o the wood. He woul d not l eave t hem t i me to br eat he.

' You must be qui ck, ' he sai d.

At l ast t hey came to the openi ng i n t he f ence, and he hel ped t hem t o gett hr ough. Then he car ef ul l y r epl aced t he wooden pal i ng and, t aki ng Susi e' sarm began t o wal k rapi dl y towards t hei r i nn.



' I ' m f r i ght f ul l y t i red, ' she sai d. ' I s i mpl y can' t go so f ast . '

' You must . Pr esent l y you can r est as l ong as you l i ke. '

They wal ked ver y qui ckl y f or a whi l e. Now and t hen Ar t hur l ooked back. The ni ght was st i l l qui t e dark, and t he st ar s shone out i n t hei r myr i ads.At l ast he sl ackened t hei r pace.

' Now you can go more sl owl y, ' he sai d.

Susi e saw t he smi l i ng gl ance t hat he gave her . Hi s eyes were f ul l of t ender ness. He put hi s arm af f ect i onat el y round her shoul der s t o suppor ther.

' I ' m af rai d you' re qui t e exhausted, poor t hi ng, ' he sai d. ' I ' m sorr y tohave had t o hust l e you so much. '

' I t doesn' t mat t er at al l . '

She l eaned agai nst hi m comf or t abl y. Wi t h t hat pr otect i ng arm about her ,she f el t capabl e of any f at i gue. Dr Por hoët st opped.

' You must r eal l y l et me r ol l mysel f a ci gar et t e, ' he sai d.

' You may do what ever you l i ke, ' answered Ar t hur .

There was a di f f er ent r i ng i n hi s voi ce now, and i t was sof t wi t h agood- humour t hat t hey had not heard i n i t f or many mont hs. He appearedsi ngul ar l y r el i eved. Susi e was r eady t o f or get t he t er r i bl e past andgi ve her sel f over t o the happi ness t hat seemed at l ast i n st or e f or her . They began t o saunt er sl owl y on. And now t hey coul d t ake pl easur e i n t heexqui si t e ni ght . The ai r was very suave, odorous wi t h t he heat her t hatwas al l about t hem, and t her e was an enchant i ng peace i n t hat scene whi chwonder f ul l y soot hed thei r wear i ness. I t was dar k st i l l , but t hey knew t hedawn was at hand, and Susi e rej oi ced i n t he appr oachi ng day. I n t he eastt he azure of t he ni ght began t o t hi n away i nt o pal e amethyst , and thet r ees seemed gr adual l y t o st and out f r om t he darkness i n a ghost l ybeaut y. Suddenl y bi r ds began t o si ng al l ar ound t hem i n a spl endi dchor us. Fr om t hei r f eet a l ar k spr ang up wi t h a r ust l e of wi ngs and,mount i ng pr oudl y upon t he ai r , chant ed bl i t he cant i cl es t o gr eet t hemor ni ng. They st ood upon a l i t t l e hi l l .

' Let us wai t her e and see the sun r i se, ' sai d Susi e.

' As you wi l l . '

They st ood al l t hree of t hem, and Susi e t ook i n deep, j oyf ul breat hs of t he sweet ai r of dawn. The whol e l and, spread at her f eet , was cl othed i nt he pur pl e di mness t hat her al ds day, and she exul t ed i n i t s beaut y. Butshe not i ced t hat Ar t hur , unl i ke her sel f and Dr Por hoët , di d not l ookt owar d the east . Hi s eyes wer e f i xed st eadi l y upon t he pl ace f r om whi cht hey had come. What di d he l ook f or i n t he darkness of t he west ? Shet ur ned r ound, and a cr y br oke f r om her l i ps, f or t he shadows t here werel ur i d wi t h a deep r ed gl ow.

' I t l ooks l i ke a f i re, ' she sai d.



' I t i s . Skene i s bur ni ng l i ke t i nder. '

And as he spoke i t seemed that t he roof f el l i n, f or suddenl y vast f l amesspr ang up, r i si ng hi gh i nt o t he st i l l ni ght ai r ; and t hey saw t hat t hehouse they had j ust l ef t was bl azi ng f ur i ousl y. I t was a magni f i centsi ght f r om t he di st ant hi l l on whi ch t hey st ood t o wat ch t he f i r e as i tsoar ed and sank, as i t shot scar l et t ongues al ong l i ke st r ange Ti t ani cmonst ers, as i t r aged f r om r oom t o room. Skene was bur ni ng. I t was beyondt he r each of human hel p. I n a l i t t l e whi l e t her e woul d be no t r ace of al lt hose cr i mes and al l t hose horr ors . Now i t was one mass of f l ame. I tl ooked l i ke some pr i meval f ur nace, where t he gods mi ght work unhear d- of mi r acl es.

' Ar t hur , what have you done?' asked Susi e, i n a t one t hat was hardl yaudi bl e.

He di d not answer di r ect l y. He put hi s arm about her shoul der agai n, sot hat she was obl i ged t o t ur n round.

' Look, t he sun i s r i si ng. '

I n t he east , a l ong r ay of l i ght cl i mbed up t he sky, and t he sun, yel l owand round, appear ed upon t he f ace of t he ear t h.

End of t he Pr oj ect Gutenber g EBook of The Magi ci an, by Somerset Maugham *** END OF THI S PROJ ECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MAGI CI AN ***

*** ** Thi s f i l e shoul d be named 14257- 8. t xt or 14257- 8. zi p ***** Thi s and al l associ at ed f i l es of var i ous f or mat s wi l l be f ound i n:

ht t p: / / www. gut enber g. net / 1/ 4/ 2/ 5/ 14257/

Produced by Suzanne Shel l , Mary Meehan and t he PG Onl i ne Di st r i but edProof r eadi ng Team.

Updat ed edi t i ons wi l l r epl ace t he pr evi ous one- - t he ol d edi t i onswi l l be r enamed.

Cr eat i ng t he works f r ompubl i c domai n pr i nt edi t i ons means t hat noone owns a Uni t ed St ates copyr i ght i n t hese works, so t he Foundat i on

( and you! ) can copy and di st r i but e i t i n t he Uni t ed St at es wi t houtper mi ssi on and wi t hout payi ng copyri ght r oyal t i es. Speci al r ul es,set f or t h i n t he Gener al Ter ms of Use par t of t hi s l i cense, appl y tocopyi ng and di st r i but i ng Pr oj ect Gut enber g- t m el ect r oni c wor ks t oprot ect t he PROJ ECT GUTENBERG- t m concept and t r ademark. Proj ectGut enber g i s a r egi st ered t r ademark, and may not be used i f youchar ge f or t he eBooks, unl ess you r ecei ve speci f i c per mi ssi on. I f youdo not charge anythi ng f or copi es of t hi s eBook, compl yi ng wi t h t her ul es i s ver y easy. You may use thi s eBook f or nearl y any pur posesuch as creat i on of der i vat i ve wor ks, r epor t s, perf or mances and



r esear ch. They may be modi f i ed and pr i nted and gi ven away- - you may dopr act i cal l y ANYTHI NG wi t h publ i c domai n eBooks. Redi st r i but i on i ssubj ect t o t he t r ademar k l i cense, especi al l y commer ci alr edi str i but i on.

*** START: FULL LI CENSE ***

THE FULL PROJ ECT GUTENBERG LI CENSEPLEASE READ THI S BEFORE YOU DI STRI BUTE OR USE THI S WORK

To prot ect t he Pr oj ect Gut enber g- t m mi ssi on of promot i ng t he f r eedi st r i but i on of el ectr oni c wor ks, by usi ng or di st r i but i ng t hi s wor k( or any ot her work associ ated i n any way wi t h the phr ase "Proj ectGut enber g" ) , you agr ee to compl y wi t h al l t he ter ms of t he Ful l Pr oj ectGut enber g- t m Li cense ( avai l abl e wi t h t hi s f i l e or onl i ne atht t p: / / gut enber g. net / l i cense) .

Sect i on 1. General Ter ms of Use and Redi st r i but i ng Proj ect Gut enberg- t mel ect r oni c wor ks

1. A. By r eadi ng or usi ng any par t of t hi s Pr oj ect Gut enberg- t mel ect r oni c wor k, you i ndi cat e t hat you have r ead, underst and, agr ee t oand accept al l t he t er ms of t hi s l i cense and i nt el l ect ual pr oper t y( t r ademark/ copyr i ght ) agr eement . I f you do not agr ee t o abi de by al lt he terms of t hi s agr eement , you must cease usi ng and r eturn or dest r oyal l copi es of Pr oj ect Gut enber g- t m el ect r oni c wor ks i n your possessi on.I f you pai d a f ee f or obt ai ni ng a copy of or access t o a Proj ectGut enber g- t m el ect r oni c work and you do not agr ee to be bound by t het erms of t hi s agr eement , you may obt ai n a ref und f r om t he person orent i t y t o whom you pai d t he f ee as set f or t h i n par agr aph 1. E. 8.

1. B. "Pr oj ect Gut enber g" i s a r egi st er ed t r ademark. I t may onl y beused on or associ ated i n any way wi t h an el ect r oni c work by peopl e whoagr ee t o be bound by the terms of t hi s agr eement . There are a f ewt hi ngs t hat you can do wi t h most Proj ect Gut enberg- t m el ect r oni c workseven wi t hout compl yi ng wi t h t he f ul l t erms of t hi s agr eement . Seeparagr aph 1. C bel ow. There are a l ot of t hi ngs you can do wi t h Proj ectGut enber g- t m el ect r oni c wor ks i f you f ol l ow t he t er ms of t hi s agr eementand hel p pr eserve f r ee f ut ur e access t o Pr oj ect Gut enber g- t m el ect r oni cworks. See par agr aph 1. E bel ow.

1. C. The Proj ect Gut enberg Li t erar y Ar chi ve Foundat i on ( " t he Foundat i on"or PGLAF) , owns a compi l ati on copyri ght i n t he col l ect i on of Pr oj ectGut enber g- t m el ect r oni c wor ks. Near l y al l t he i ndi vi dual wor ks i n t he

col l ect i on ar e i n t he publ i c domai n i n t he Uni t ed St at es. I f ani ndi vi dual wor k i s i n t he publ i c domai n i n t he Uni t ed St at es and you ar el ocat ed i n t he Uni t ed St ates, we do not cl ai m a r i ght t o pr event you f r omcopyi ng, di st r i but i ng, per f or mi ng, di spl ayi ng or creat i ng der i vat i veworks based on t he work as l ong as al l r ef erences t o Pr oj ect Gut enbergare r emoved. Of cour se, we hope t hat you wi l l support t he Proj ectGut enberg- t m mi ssi on of pr omot i ng f r ee access t o el ect r oni c works byf r eel y shari ng Pr oj ect Gut enberg- t m wor ks i n compl i ance wi t h the ter ms of t hi s agr eement f or keepi ng t he Pr oj ect Gut enberg- t m name associ ated wi t ht he work. You can easi l y compl y wi t h t he t erms of t hi s agr eement by



keepi ng t hi s work i n t he same f or mat wi t h i t s att ached f ul l Pr oj ectGut enberg- t m Li cense when you share i t wi t hout charge wi t h ot hers.

1. D. The copyr i ght l aws of t he pl ace where you are l ocat ed al so governwhat you can do wi t h t hi s work. Copyr i ght l aws i n most count r i es are i na const ant st at e of change. I f you ar e out si de t he Uni t ed St at es, checkt he l aws of your count r y i n addi t i on t o the terms of t hi s agr eementbef or e downl oadi ng, copyi ng, di spl ayi ng, per f or mi ng, di st r i but i ng orcr eat i ng deri vat i ve works based on t hi s work or any other Pr oj ectGut enber g- t m work. The Foundat i on makes no r epr esent at i ons concer ni ngt he copyr i ght st atus of any work i n any count r y out si de t he Uni t edStates.

1. E. Unl ess you have r emoved al l r ef erences t o Proj ect Gut enberg:

1. E. 1. The f ol l owi ng sent ence, wi t h act i ve l i nks t o, or ot her i mmedi at eaccess t o, t he f ul l Pr oj ect Gut enber g- t m Li cense must appear pr omi nent l ywhenever any copy of a Pr oj ect Gutenber g- t m work ( any work on whi ch thephr ase "Proj ect Gut enberg" appear s, or wi t h whi ch t he phr ase "Proj ectGut enber g" i s associ at ed) i s accessed, di spl ayed, per f or med, vi ewed,

copi ed or di st r i but ed:

Thi s eBook i s f or t he use of anyone anywhere at no cost and wi t hal most no r est r i ct i ons whatsoever . You may copy i t , gi ve i t away orr e- use i t under t he t er ms of t he Pr oj ect Gut enber g Li cense i ncl udedwi t h t hi s eBook or onl i ne at www. gut enber g. net

1. E. 2. I f an i ndi vi dual Pr oj ect Gut enber g- t m el ectr oni c wor k i s der i vedf r om t he publ i c domai n ( does not cont ai n a not i ce i ndi cat i ng t hat i t i spost ed wi t h permi ssi on of t he copyr i ght hol der) , t he work can be copi edand di st r i but ed t o anyone i n t he Uni t ed St ates wi t hout payi ng any f eesor char ges. I f you ar e r edi st r i but i ng or provi di ng access t o a wor kwi t h t he phr ase "Proj ect Gut enberg" associ ated wi t h or appear i ng on t hework, you must compl y ei t her wi t h t he r equi r ement s of paragr aphs 1. E. 1t hr ough 1. E. 7 or obt ai n permi ssi on f or t he use of t he work and t heProj ect Gut enberg- t m t r ademar k as set f or t h i n paragr aphs 1. E. 8 or1. E. 9.

1. E. 3. I f an i ndi vi dual Pr oj ect Gut enber g- t m el ectr oni c wor k i s post edwi t h t he per mi ssi on of t he copyri ght hol der , your use and di st r i but i onmust compl y wi t h bot h paragr aphs 1. E. 1 t hr ough 1. E. 7 and any addi t i onalt er ms i mposed by t he copyri ght hol der . Addi t i onal t er ms wi l l be l i nkedt o the Pr oj ect Gut enber g- t m Li cense f or al l wor ks post ed wi t h t heper mi ssi on of t he copyri ght hol der f ound at t he begi nni ng of t hi s work.

1. E. 4. Do not unl i nk or det ach or r emove t he f ul l Pr oj ect Gut enber g- t mLi cense t er ms f r om t hi s wor k, or any f i l es cont ai ni ng a par t of t hi s

work or any ot her work associ at ed wi t h Proj ect Gutenberg- t m.

1. E. 5. Do not copy, di spl ay, per f or m, di st r i but e or r edi st r i but e t hi sel ect r oni c wor k, or any par t of t hi s el ect r oni c wor k, wi t houtpr omi nent l y di spl ayi ng t he sent ence set f or t h i n par agr aph 1. E. 1 wi t hact i ve l i nks or i mmedi at e access t o the f ul l t er ms of t he Pr oj ectGut enber g- t m Li cense.

1. E. 6. You may conver t t o and di st r i but e t hi s work i n any bi nary,compr essed, marked up, nonpr opr i etary or pr opr i etary f orm, i ncl udi ng any



word pr ocessi ng or hypert ext f orm. However, i f you pr ovi de access t o ordi st r i but e copi es of a Pr oj ect Gut enber g- t m wor k i n a f or mat ot her t han"Pl ai n Vani l l a ASCI I " or ot her f or mat used i n t he of f i ci al ver si onpost ed on t he of f i ci al Pr oj ect Gut enber g- t m web si t e (www. gut enber g. net ) ,you must , at no addi t i onal cost , f ee or expense t o the user, pr ovi de acopy, a means of expor t i ng a copy, or a means of obt ai ni ng a copy uponr equest , of t he wor k i n i t s or i gi nal "Pl ai n Vani l l a ASCI I " or ot herf or m. Any al t ernat e f or mat must i ncl ude t he f ul l Pr oj ect Gut enber g- t mLi cense as speci f i ed i n par agr aph 1. E. 1.

1. E. 7. Do not char ge a f ee f or access to, vi ewi ng, di spl ayi ng,per f or mi ng, copyi ng or di st r i but i ng any Pr oj ect Gut enber g- t m worksunl ess you compl y wi t h paragr aph 1. E. 8 or 1. E. 9.

1. E. 8. You may charge a r easonabl e f ee f or copi es of or pr ovi di ngaccess t o or di st r i but i ng Pr oj ect Gut enber g- t m el ect r oni c wor ks pr ovi dedt hat

- You pay a r oyal t y f ee of 20% of t he gr oss pr of i t s you der i ve f r omt he use of Proj ect Gut enberg- t m works cal cul ated usi ng t he method

you al r eady use t o cal cul at e your appl i cabl e t axes. The f ee i sowed t o t he owner of t he Pr oj ect Gut enber g- t m t r ademark, but hehas agr eed t o donate royal t i es under t hi s paragr aph t o t heProj ect Gut enberg Li t erar y Ar chi ve Foundat i on. Royal t y payment smust be pai d wi t hi n 60 days f ol l owi ng each dat e on whi ch youpr epar e ( or ar e l egal l y requi r ed t o pr epar e) your per i odi c t axr etur ns. Royal t y payment s shoul d be cl ear l y marked as such andsent t o the Pr oj ect Gut enber g Li t erary Ar chi ve Foundati on at t headdr ess speci f i ed i n Sect i on 4, "I nf or mat i on about donat i ons t ot he Pr oj ect Gut enber g Li t er ar y Ar chi ve Foundat i on. "

- You pr ovi de a f ul l r ef und of any money pai d by a user who not i f i esyou i n wr i t i ng ( or by e- mai l ) wi t hi n 30 days of r ecei pt t hat s/ hedoes not agr ee to the t er ms of t he f ul l Pr oj ect Gut enber g- t mLi cense. You must r equi r e such a user t o r etur n ordest r oy al l copi es of t he works possessed i n a physi cal medi umand di scont i nue al l use of and al l access t o ot her copi es of Proj ect Gut enberg- t m wor ks.

- You pr ovi de, i n accor dance wi t h par agr aph 1. F. 3, a f ul l r ef und of anymoney pai d f or a work or a repl acement copy, i f a def ect i n theel ect r oni c work i s di scovered and r eport ed t o you wi t hi n 90 daysof r ecei pt of t he wor k.

- You compl y wi t h al l ot her t erms of t hi s agr eement f or f r eedi st r i but i on of Pr oj ect Gut enber g- t m wor ks.

1. E. 9. I f you wi sh t o char ge a f ee or di st r i but e a Pr oj ect Gut enber g- t mel ect r oni c work or group of works on di f f erent t erms t han are setf or t h i n t hi s agr eement , you must obt ai n per mi ssi on i n wr i t i ng f r omboth t he Pr oj ect Gut enberg Li t erar y Ar chi ve Foundat i on and Mi chaelHart , t he owner of t he Proj ect Gut enberg- t m t r ademark. Cont act t heFoundati on as set f ort h i n Sect i on 3 bel ow.

1. F.

1. F. 1. Proj ect Gut enberg vol unt eer s and empl oyees expend consi derabl e



ef f or t t o i dent i f y, do copyr i ght r esear ch on, t r anscri be and pr oof r eadpubl i c domai n works i n cr eat i ng t he Proj ect Gut enberg- t mcol l ecti on. Despi t e t hese ef f or t s, Pr oj ect Gut enber g- t m el ectr oni cworks, and t he medi um on whi ch t hey may be st ored, may cont ai n"Def ect s, " such as, but not l i mi t ed t o, i ncompl et e, i naccur at e orcor r upt dat a, t r anscri pt i on er r or s, a copyr i ght or ot her i nt el l ectualproper t y i nf r i ngement , a def ect i ve or damaged di sk or other medi um, acomput er vi r us, or comput er codes t hat damage or cannot be r ead byyour equi pment .

1. F. 2. LI MI TED WARRANTY, DI SCLAI MER OF DAMAGES - Except f or t he "Ri ghtof Repl acement or Ref und" descr i bed i n paragr aph 1. F. 3, t he Pr oj ectGut enberg Li t erary Ar chi ve Foundat i on, t he owner of t he Proj ectGut enber g- t m t r ademark, and any ot her par t y di st r i but i ng a Pr oj ectGut enber g- t m el ect r oni c wor k under t hi s agr eement , di scl ai m al ll i abi l i t y t o you f or damages, cost s and expenses, i ncl udi ng l egalf ees . YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDI ES FOR NEGLI GENCE, STRI CTLI ABI LI TY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSEPROVI DED I N PARAGRAPH F3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATI ON, THE TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DI STRI BUTOR UNDER THI S AGREEMENT WI LL NOT BE

LI ABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DI RECT, I NDI RECT, CONSEQUENTI AL, PUNI TI VE ORI NCI DENTAL DAMAGES EVEN I F YOU GI VE NOTI CE OF THE POSSI BI LI TY OF SUCHDAMAGE.

1. F. 3. LI MI TED RI GHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - I f you di scover adef ect i n t hi s el ect r oni c wor k wi t hi n 90 days of r ecei vi ng i t , you canr ecei ve a ref und of t he money ( i f any) you pai d f or i t by sendi ng awr i t t en expl anat i on t o t he person you r ecei ved t he work f r om. I f your ecei ved t he work on a physi cal medi um, you must r etur n t he medi um wi t hyour wr i t t en expl anati on. The per son or ent i t y t hat pr ovi ded you wi t ht he def ect i ve work may el ect t o pr ovi de a r epl acement copy i n l i eu of ar ef und. I f you r ecei ved t he wor k el ect r oni cal l y, t he per son or ent i t yprovi di ng i t t o you may choose t o gi ve you a second opport uni t y tor ecei ve t he wor k el ect r oni cal l y i n l i eu of a r ef und. I f t he second copyi s al so def ect i ve, you may demand a r ef und i n wr i t i ng wi t hout f ur t heroppor t uni t i es t o f i x t he pr obl em.

1. F. 4. Except f or t he l i mi t ed r i ght of r epl acement or r ef und set f or t hi n paragr aph 1. F. 3, t hi s work i s provi ded t o you ' AS- I S' WI TH NO OTHERWARRANTI ES OF ANY KI ND, EXPRESS OR I MPLI ED, I NCLUDI NG BUT NOT LI MI TED TOWARRANTI ES OF MERCHANTI BI LI TY OR FI TNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.

1. F. 5. Some st at es do not al l ow di scl ai mer s of cer t ai n i mpl i edwar r ant i es or t he excl usi on or l i mi t at i on of cer t ai n t ypes of damages.I f any di scl ai mer or l i mi t at i on set f or t h i n t hi s agr eement vi ol at es t hel aw of t he st at e appl i cabl e to t hi s agr eement , t he agr eement shal l bei nt erpr eted t o make t he maxi mum di scl ai mer or l i mi t at i on permi t t ed by

t he appl i cabl e st at e l aw. The i nval i di t y or unenf or ceabi l i t y of anypr ovi si on of t hi s agr eement shal l not voi d t he r emai ni ng pr ovi si ons.

1. F. 6. I NDEMNI TY - You agr ee t o i ndemni f y and hol d t he Foundat i on, t het r ademark owner , any agent or empl oyee of t he Foundat i on, anyonepr ovi di ng copi es of Pr oj ect Gut enber g- t m el ect r oni c works i n accor dancewi t h t hi s agr eement , and any vol unt eer s associ ated wi t h t he pr oduct i on,pr omot i on and di st r i but i on of Pr oj ect Gut enber g- t m el ect r oni c wor ks,har ml ess f r om al l l i abi l i t y, cost s and expenses, i ncl udi ng l egal f ees,t hat ar i se di r ectl y or i ndi r ectl y f r om any of t he f ol l owi ng whi ch you do



or cause t o occur : ( a) di st r i but i on of t hi s or any Pr oj ect Gut enber g- t mwor k, ( b) al t er at i on, modi f i cat i on, or addi t i ons or del et i ons t o anyProj ect Gut enberg- t m work, and ( c) any Def ect you cause.

Sect i on 2. I nf or mati on about t he Mi ssi on of Pr oj ect Gut enber g- t m Proj ect Gut enberg- t m i s synonymous wi t h t he f r ee di st r i but i on of el ect r oni c works i n f ormats r eadabl e by the wi dest var i ety of comput ersi ncl udi ng obsol et e, ol d, mi ddl e- aged and new comput er s. I t exi st sbecause of t he ef f or t s of hundr eds of vol unt eer s and donat i ons f r ompeopl e i n al l wal ks of l i f e.

Vol unt eer s and f i nanci al support t o pr ovi de vol unt eer s wi t h t heassi st ance t hey need, i s cr i t i cal t o r eachi ng Pr oj ect Gut enber g- t m' sgoal s and ensur i ng t hat t he Pr oj ect Gut enber g- t m col l ect i on wi l lr emai n f r eel y avai l abl e f or gener ati ons t o come. I n 2001, t he Pr oj ectGut enberg Li t erary Ar chi ve Foundat i on was cr eat ed t o pr ovi de a secur eand permanent f ut ur e f or Pr oj ect Gut enberg- t m and f ut ur e generat i ons. To l ear n mor e about t he Pr oj ect Gut enber g Li t er ar y Ar chi ve Foundat i on

and how your ef f or t s and donat i ons can hel p, see Sect i ons 3 and 4and t he Foundat i on web page at ht t p: / / www. pgl af . org.

Sect i on 3. I nf or mat i on about t he Pr oj ect Gut enberg Li t er ary Ar chi veFoundat i on

The Pr oj ect Gut enber g Li t er ar y Ar chi ve Foundat i on i s a non prof i t501( c) ( 3) educat i onal cor por at i on or gani zed under t he l aws of t hest at e of Mi ssi ssi ppi and gr ant ed t ax exempt st at us by t he I nt er nalRevenue Ser vi ce. The Foundat i on' s EI N or f eder al t ax i dent i f i cat i onnumber i s 64- 6221541. I t s 501( c) ( 3) l ett er i s posted atht t p: / / pgl af . or g/ f undr ai si ng. Cont r i but i ons t o t he Pr oj ect Gut enber gLi t er ar y Ar chi ve Foundat i on ar e tax deduct i bl e to t he f ul l ext entper mi t t ed by U. S. f eder al l aws and your st at e' s l aws.

The Foundat i on' s pr i nci pal of f i ce i s l ocat ed at 4557 Mel an Dr . S.Fai r banks, AK, 99712. , but i t s vol unt eers and empl oyees ar e scat t er edt hr oughout numer ous l ocat i ons. I t s busi ness of f i ce i s l ocat ed at809 Nor t h 1500 West , Sal t Lake Ci t y, UT 84116, ( 801) 596- 1887 ( 801) 596- 1887 ,emai lbusi ness@pgl af . org. Emai l cont act l i nks and up t o date cont acti nf or mat i on can be f ound at t he Foundat i on' s web si t e and of f i ci alpage at ht t p: / / pgl af . or g

For addi t i onal cont act i nf or mat i on:Dr . Gr egor y B. Newby

Chi ef Execut i ve and Di r ectorgbnewby@pgl af . or g

Sect i on 4. I nf ormat i on about Donat i ons to t he Proj ect Gut enbergLi t er ar y Ar chi ve Foundat i on

Proj ect Gutenberg- t m depends upon and cannot survi ve wi t hout wi despr ead publ i c suppor t and donati ons t o car r y out i t s mi ssi on of i ncr easi ng the number of publ i c domai n and l i censed works t hat can be



f r eel y di st r i but ed i n machi ne r eadabl e f or m accessi bl e by t he wi destar r ay of equi pment i ncl udi ng out dat ed equi pment . Many smal l donat i ons( $1 t o $5, 000) are part i cul arl y i mport ant t o mai nt ai ni ng t ax exemptst at us wi t h t he I RS.

The Foundat i on i s commi t t ed t o compl yi ng wi t h t he l aws r egul at i ngchar i t i es and char i t abl e donat i ons i n al l 50 st at es of t he Uni t edSt at es. Compl i ance r equi r ement s ar e not uni f or m and i t t akes aconsi der abl e ef f or t , much paper work and many f ees t o meet and keep upwi t h t hese r equi r ement s. We do not sol i ci t donat i ons i n l ocat i onswhere we have not r ecei ved wr i t t en conf i r mat i on of compl i ance. ToSEND DONATI ONS or determi ne t he st at us of compl i ance f or anypart i cul ar s tat e vi s i t ht tp: / / pgl af . org

Whi l e we cannot and do not sol i ci t cont r i but i ons f r om st at es wher e wehave not met t he sol i ci t ati on requi r ement s, we know of no pr ohi bi t i onagai nst accept i ng unsol i ci t ed donati ons f r om donors i n such st ates whoappr oach us wi t h of f ers t o donate.

I nt ernat i onal donat i ons are gr atef ul l y accept ed, but we cannot make

any st atement s concerni ng tax t r eat ment of donat i ons r ecei ved f r omout si de t he Uni t ed St at es. U. S. l aws al one swamp our smal l st af f .

Pl ease check t he Proj ect Gut enberg Web pages f or cur r ent donat i onmet hods and addresses. Donat i ons are accept ed i n a number of ot herways i ncl udi ng i ncl udi ng checks, onl i ne payment s and cr edi t car ddonat i ons. To donat e, pl ease vi si t : ht t p: / / pgl af . or g/ donat e

Sect i on 5. Gener al I nf or mat i on About Proj ect Gut enber g- t m el ect r oni cworks

Documents

William Somerset Maugham - The Magician