I AIN'T TERRIBLE BACKWARD WITH THE TRIGGER FINGER JOHN MARK NOT THAT I FIGURE ON BRAGGING BUT I WANT YOU TO PICK GOOD MEN FOR MY TRAIL AND TELL EM TO STEP SOFT IS THAT SQUARE


SUPPOSE WE SHAKE HANDS TO BIND THE BARGAIN SAID RONICKY YOU SEND FOR CAROLINE SMITH I'M TO DO THE PERSUADING TO GET HER OUT OF THE HOUSE WE'RE SAFE TO THE DOORS OF THE HOUSE THE MINUTE WE STEP INTO THE STREET


YOU'RE FREE TO DO ANYTHING YOU WANT TO GET EITHER OF US WILL YOU SHAKE ON THAT FOR A MOMENT THE LEADER HESITATED THEN HIS FINGERS CLOSED OVER THE EXTENDED HAND OF RONICKY DOONE AND CLAMPED DOWN ON THEM LIKE SO MANY STEEL WIRES CONTRACTING


AT THE SAME TIME A FLUSH OF EXCITEMENT AND FIERCENESS PASSED OVER THE FACE OF JOHN MARK RONICKY DOONE TAKEN UTTERLY BY SURPRISE WAS AT A GREAT DISADVANTAGE


A GREAT RAGE CAME IN THE EYES OF JOHN MARK A GREAT WONDER CAME IN THE EYES OF THE WESTERNER WHERE DID JOHN MARK GET HIS SUDDEN STRENGTH WELL SAID RONICKY WE'VE SHAKEN HANDS AND NOW YOU CAN DO WHAT YOU PLEASE


SIT DOWN LEAVE THE ROOM ANYTHING


THAT BROUGHT A START FROM JOHN MARK AND A FLASH OF EAGERNESS BUT HE REPRESSED THE IDEA AFTER A SINGLE GLANCE AT THE GIRL WE'VE SHAKEN HANDS HE ADMITTED SLOWLY AS THOUGH JUST REALIZING THE FULL EXTENT OF THE MEANING OF THAT ACT


CHAPTER EIGHT TWO APPARITIONS


FOUND A BIG DOUBLE ROOM THAT RAN ACROSS THE WHOLE LENGTH OF THE HOUSE FROM THE BACK IT LOOKED DOWN ON THE LIGHTS GLIMMERING ON THE BLACK EAST RIVER AND ACROSS TO THE FLARE OF BROOKLYN TO THE LEFT THE WHOLE ARC OF THE FIFTY NINTH STREET BRIDGE WAS EXPOSED


HERE THEY TOOK UP THE VIGIL


BILL GREGG SHOOK HIS HEAD THAT'S NOT THE ONE SHE'S ALL DIFFERENT A PILE DIFFERENT RONICKY RONICKY SIGHED


GO ON BACK TO SLEEP I'LL CALL YOU AGAIN IF ANYTHING HAPPENS


GHOST HOURS OF THE EARLY MORNING THEY DID NOT RELAX THEIR VIGIL


APPARENTLY THE PLACE WAS A HARMLESS ROOMING HOUSE OF FAIRLY GOOD QUALITY NOT A SIGN OF CAROLINE SMITH APPEARED EVEN DURING THE SECOND DAY


BY THIS TIME THE NERVES OF THE TWO WATCHERS WERE SHATTERED BY THE CONSTANT STRAIN AND THE MONOTONOUS VIEW FROM THE FRONT WINDOW WAS BEGINNING TO MADDEN THEM IT'S PROOF THAT SHE AIN'T YONDER SAID BILL GREGG


AND HE GREW PALE AT THE THOUGHT PARTNER SAID RONICKY DOONE IF THEY ARE TRYING TO KEEP HER AWAY FROM US THEY SURE HAVE THE SENSE TO KEEP HER UNDER COVER FOR AS LONG AS TWO DAYS AIN'T THAT RIGHT


IT'S JUST ABOUT OUR LAST CHANCE BILL WE'VE DONE OUR HUNTING PRETTY NEAR AS WELL AS WE COULD IF WE DON'T LAND HER THIS TRIP I'M ABOUT READY TO GIVE UP


ONE WEEK WAS DECIDED ON AS A FAIR TEST IF AT THE END OF THAT TIME CAROLINE SMITH DID NOT COME OUT OF THE HOUSE ACROSS THE STREET THEY COULD CONCLUDE THAT SHE DID NOT STAY THERE


PEERING THROUGH THE SLIT BETWEEN THE DRAWN CURTAINS WHICH SHELTERED HIM FROM BEING OBSERVED AT HIS SPYING WHEN HE CALLED OUT SOFTLY THE SOUND BROUGHT GREGG WITH ONE LONG LEAP OUT OF THE CHAIR WHERE HE WAS SLEEPING TO THE WINDOW THERE COULD BE NO SHADOW OF A DOUBT ABOUT IT


THERE STOOD CAROLINE SMITH IN THE DOOR OF THE HOUSE SHE CLOSED THE DOOR BEHIND HER AND WALKING TO THE TOP OF THE STEPS PAUSED THERE AND LOOKED UP AND DOWN THE STREET BILL GREGG GROANED


SNATCHED HIS HAT AND PLUNGED THROUGH THE DOOR AND RONICKY HEARD THE BRIEF THUNDER OF HIS FEET DOWN THE FIRST FLIGHT OF STAIRS THEN THE HEAVY THUMPS AS HE RACED AROUND THE LANDING


AND SO SWIFT WAS THAT DESCENT THAT WHEN THE GIRL IDLING DOWN THE STEPS ACROSS THE STREET CAME ONTO THE SIDEWALK BILL GREGG RUSHED OUT FROM THE OTHER SIDE AND RAN TOWARD HER


FOR NEVER HAD THE MINER SEEMED SO CLUMSILY BIG AND GAUNT NEVER HAD HIS CLOTHES SEEMED SO UNPRESSED AND SHAPELESS WHILE HIS SOFT GRAY HAT TO WHICH HE STILL CLUNG RELIGIOUSLY APPEARED HOPELESSLY OUT OF PLACE IN CONTRAST WITH THE SLIM PRETTINESS OF THE GIRL


SHE WORE A BLACK STRAW HAT TURNED BACK FROM HER FACE WITH A SINGLE BIG RED FLOWER AT THE SIDE OF IT


THE SAME DISTINCTION BETWEEN THEIR CLOTHES WAS IN THEIR FACES THE FINELY MODELED PRETTINESS OF HER FEATURES AND THE BIG CARELESS CHISELING OF THE FEATURES OF BILL GREGG RONICKY DOONE DID NOT WONDER THAT AFTER HER FIRST FEAR HER GESTURE WAS ONE OF DISDAIN AND SURPRISE


HE WENT A LONG SLOW STEP CLOSER TO HER WITH BOTH HIS HANDS OUTSTRETCHED


RONICKY DOONE FOLLOWED THAT GLANCE AND HE SAW ALL HIDDEN SAVE THE PROFILE OF THE FACE


WHAT A FACE IT WAS NEVER IN HIS LIFE HAD RONICKY DOONE SEEN A MAN WHO IN ONE INSTANT FILLED HIM WITH SUCH FEAR AND HATRED SUCH LOATHING AND SUCH DREAD SUCH SCORN AND SUCH TERROR


THE NOSE WAS HOOKED LIKE THE NOSE OF A BIRD OF PREY THE EYES WERE LONG AND SLANTING LIKE THOSE OF AN ORIENTAL THE FACE WAS THIN ALMOST FLESHLESS SO THAT THE BONY JAW STOOD OUT LIKE THE JAW OF A DEATH'S HEAD


THE GIRL HESITATED A MOMENT


FOR SHE MADE A SLIGHT OUTWARD GESTURE WITH ONE HAND IF THIS WERE IN HER MIND HOWEVER IT VANISHED INSTANTLY SHE TURNED WITH A SHUDDER AND HURRIED AWAY DOWN THE STREET


AS FOR BILL GREGG HE BORE HIMSELF STRAIGHT AS A SOLDIER AND CAME BACK ACROSS THE PAVEMENT BUT IT WAS THE ERECTNESS OF A SOLDIER WHO HAS MET WITH A CRUSHING DEFEAT AND ONLY PRESERVES AN OUTWARD RESOLUTION WHILE ALL THE SPIRIT WITHIN IS CRUSHED


WHAT A CONTRAST BETWEEN THE ASCENT AND THE DESCENT HE HAD LITERALLY FLOWN DOWN NOW HIS HEELS CLUMPED OUT A SLOW AND REGULAR DEATH MARCH AS HE CAME BACK TO THE ROOM WHEN GREGG OPENED THE DOOR


RONICKY DOONE BLINKED AND DREW IN A DEEP BREATH AT THE SIGHT OF THE POOR FELLOW'S FACE GREGG HAD KNOWN BEFORE THAT HE TRULY LOVED THIS GIRL WHOM HE HAD NEVER SEEN


NOW IN THE VERY MOMENT OF SEEING HIS DREAM OF THE GIRL TURNED INTO FLESH AND BLOOD HE HAD LOST HER AND THERE WAS SOMETHING LIKE DEATH IN THE FACE OF THE BIG MINER AS HE DROPPED HIS HAT ON THE FLOOR AND SANK INTO A CHAIR


AFTER THAT HE DID NOT MOVE SO MUCH AS A FINGER FROM THE POSITION INTO WHICH HE HAD FALLEN LIMPLY HIS LEGS WERE TWISTED AWKWARDLY SPRAWLING ACROSS THE FLOOR IN FRONT OF HIM ONE LONG ARM DRAGGED DOWN TOWARD THE FLOOR


AS IF THERE WAS NO STRENGTH IN IT TO SUPPORT THE WEIGHT OF THE LABOR HARDENED HANDS HIS CHIN WAS FALLEN AGAINST HIS BREAST WHEN RONICKY DOONE CROSSED TO HIM AND LAID A KIND HAND ON HIS SHOULDER HE DID NOT LOOK UP IT'S ENDED


SAID BILL GREGG FAINTLY NOW WE HIT THE BACK TRAIL AND FORGET ALL ABOUT THIS HE ADDED WITH A FAINT ATTEMPT AT CYNICISM I'VE JUST WASTED A PILE OF GOOD MONEY MAKING TIME FROM THE MINE THAT'S ALL


SAID RONICKY DOONE BILL LOOK ME IN THE EYE AND TELL ME MAN TO MAN THAT YOU'RE A LIAR HE ADDED CAN YOU EVER BE HAPPY WITHOUT HER MAN THE CRUELTY OF THAT SPEECH MADE GREGG FLUSH


SAID GREGG HUSKILY AIN'T THERE THAT'S WHERE YOU AND ME DON'T AGREE


LOOK AT THE WAY THINGS HAVE GONE YOU START OUT WITH A PHOTOGRAPH OF A GIRL NOW YOU'VE FOLLOWED HER FOUND HER NAME


AIN'T THAT SOMETHING DONE AFTER YOU'VE DONE ALL THAT


NOT YOU BILL YOU'RE GOING TO BUCK UP AND GO AHEAD FULL STEAM


BILL GREGG SMILED SOURLY


D'YOU KNOW WHAT SHE SAID WELL BILL GREGG SHE SAYS I DON'T REMEMBER ANY SUCH NAME THAT TOOK THE WIND OUT OF ME I ONLY HAD ENOUGH LEFT TO SAY


THE GENT THAT WAS WRITING THOSE PAPERS TO THE CORRESPONDENCE SCHOOL TO YOU FROM THE WEST THE ONE YOU SENT YOUR PICTURE TO AND SENT MY PICTURE TO SHE SAYS AND LOOKS AS IF THE GROUND HAD OPENED UNDER HER FEET YOU'RE MAD SHE SAYS


AND THEN SHE LOOKS BACK OVER HER SHOULDER AS MUCH AS TO WISH SHE WAS SAFE BACK IN HER HOUSE D'YOU KNOW WHY SHE LOOKED BACK OVER HER SHOULDER JUST FOR THE REASON I TOLD YOU NO BILL THERE WAS A GENT STANDING UP THERE AT A WINDOW WATCHING HER AND HOW SHE ACTED


HE'S THE ONE WHO'S KEPT HER IN THAT HOUSE


THAT SENT OUT THE GIRL WITH EXACT ORDERS HOW SHE SHOULD ACT IF YOU WAS TO COME OUT AND SPEAK TO HER WHEN YOU SEEN HER BILL WHAT THAT GIRL TOLD YOU DIDN'T COME OUT OF HER OWN HEAD IT COME OUT OF THE HEAD OF THE GENT ACROSS THE WAY WHEN YOU TURNED YOUR BACK ON HER


SHE LOOKED LIKE SHE'D RUN AFTER YOU AND TRY TO EXPLAIN BUT THE FEAR OF THAT FELLOW UP IN THE WINDOW WAS TOO MUCH FOR HER AND SHE DIDN'T DARE BILL


YOU GOT TO GET THAT GENT I SEEN GRINNING FROM THE WINDOW GRINNING ASKED BILL GREGG GRINDING HIS TEETH AND STARTING FROM HIS CHAIR WAS THE SKUNK LAUGHING AT ME SURE EVERY MINUTE BILL GREGG GROANED I'LL SMASH EVERY BONE IN HIS UGLY HEAD


SHAKE SAID RONICKY DOONE THAT'S THE SORT OF TALK I WANTED TO HEAR


CHAPTER TWELVE THE FIRST DAY MILE AFTER MILE OF THE ROUGH TRAIL FELL BEHIND HIM AND STILL THE PONY SHAMBLED ALONG AT A LOOSE TROT OR A SWINGING CANTER THE STEEP UPGRADES IT TOOK AT A STEADY JOG


AND WHERE THE SLOPES PITCHED SHARPLY DOWN IT WOUND AMONG THE ROCKS WITH A FAULTLESS SURENESS OF FOOT CERTAINLY THE CHOICE OF NASH WAS WELL MADE AN EASTERN HORSE OF BLOOD OVER A LEVEL COURSE


BUT IT WOULD HAVE BROKEN DOWN AFTER TEN MILES OF THAT HARD TRAIL DAWN CAME WHILE THEY WOUND OVER THE CREST OF THE RANGE AND WITH THE SUN IN THEIR FACES THEY TOOK THE DOWNGRADE IT WAS WELL INTO THE MORNING BEFORE NASH REACHED LOGAN


I S'POSE YOU'RE HERE ASKIN AFTER BARD


BARD WHO'S HE LOGAN CONSIDERED THE OTHER WITH A SARDONIC SMILE


YOU'LL WEAR OUT THE SNAPPER ON IT I'M ON MY WAY TO THE A CIRCLE Y LISTEN I'M ALL FOR OLD MAN DREW YOU KNOW THAT TELL ME WHAT BARD HAS ON HIM NEVER HEARD THE NAME BEFORE DID HE RUSTLE A COUPLE OF YOUR SHEEP


D'YOU THINK I'M ON SOMEBODY'S TRAIL DON'T YOU KNOW I'VE BEEN THROUGH WITH THAT SORT OF GAME FOR A HELL OF A WHILE WHEN ROCKS TURN INTO HAM AND EGGS I'LL TRUST YOU STEVE I'LL TELL YOU WHAT I DONE TO BARD ANYWAY YESTERDAY


THEN HE HINTED AROUND ABOUT LEARNIN THE WAY TO ELDARA BECAUSE HE KNOWS THAT TOWN IS PRETTY CLOSE TO DREW'S PLACE I GUESS I TOLD HIM SURE I DID HE SHOULD OF GONE DUE WEST BUT I SENT HIM SOUTH THERE IS A SOUTH TRAIL


ONLY IT TAKES ABOUT THREE DAYS TO GET TO ELDARA MAYBE YOU THINK THAT INTERESTS ME IT DON'T LOGAN OVERLOOKED THIS REJOINDER SAYING IS IT HIS SCALP YOU'RE AFTER YOUR IDEAS ARE LIKE NEST EGGS LOGAN


AN YOU SET OVER EM LIKE A HEN THEY LOOK LIKE EGGS THEY FEEL LIKE EGGS BUT THEY DON'T NEVER HATCH THAT'S THE WAY WITH YOUR IDEAS THEY LOOK ALL RIGHT THEY SOUND ALL RIGHT BUT THEY DON'T MEAN NOTHIN SO LONG


WHAT YOU SAY CUTS BOTH WAYS STEVE THIS FELLER BARD


HE SOUNDS LIKE A TENDERFOOT BUT HE AIN'T A TENDERFOOT FEELING THAT THIS PARTING SHOT GAVE HIM THE HONOURS OF THE MEETING HE TURNED AWAY WHISTLING WITH SUCH SPIRIT THAT ONE OF HIS DOGS OVERHEARING STOOD STILL AND GAZED AT HIS MASTER


HIS EASTERN COURSE NASH PURSUED FOR A MILE OR MORE


HE WAS WEARY LIKE HIS HORSE AND HE MADE NO ATTEMPT TO START A SUDDEN BURST OF SPEED HE LET THE PONY GO ON AT THE SAME TIRELESS JOG CLINGING LIKE A BULLDOG TO THE TRAIL ABOUT MIDDAY


HELLO YOUNG FELLER LO STRANGER WHAT'S THE CHANCE OF BUNKING HERE FOR THREE OR FOUR HOURS AND GETTIN A GOOD FEED FOR THE HOSS NEVER BETTER GIMME THE HOSS


FEED HIM GRAIN NO YOU WON'T PUT HIM UP I'LL TEND TO THAT LOOKS LIKE A BAD UN THAT'S IT


UNSADDLED HIM AND GAVE HIM A SMALL FEED THE HORSE FIRST ROLLED ON THE DIRT FLOOR AND THEN STARTED METHODICALLY ON HIS FODDER HAVING MADE SURE THAT HIS MOUNT WAS NOT OFF HIS FEED NASH ROLLED A CIGARETTE AND STROLLED BACK TO THE HOUSE WITH THE BOY


WHERE'S THE FOLKS HE ASKED MA'S SICK A LITTLE AND DIDN'T GET UP TO DAY PA'S DOWN TO THE CORRAL CUSSING MAD BUT I CAN COOK YOU UP SOME CHOW ALL RIGHT SON I GOT A DOLLAR HERE THAT'LL BUY YOU A PRETTY GOOD STORE KNIFE


THE BOY FLUSHED SO RED THAT BY CONTRAST HIS STRAW COLOURED HAIR SEEMED POSITIVELY WHITE MAYBE YOU WANT TO PAY ME HE SUGGESTED FIERCELY MAYBE YOU THINK WE'RE SQUATTERS THAT RUN A HOTEL


RECOGNIZING THE TRUE WESTERN BREED EVEN IN THIS SMALL EDITION NASH GRINNED SPEAKIN MAN TO MAN SON I DIDN'T THINK THAT BUT I THOUGHT I'D SORT OF FEEL MY WAY WHICH I'LL SAY YOU'RE LUCKY YOU DIDN'T TRY TO FEEL YOUR WAY WITH PA


AND SET ABOUT FRYING HAM AND MAKING COFFEE THIS WITH CRACKERS FORMED THE MEAL HE WATCHED NASH EAT FOR A MOMENT OF SOLEMN SILENCE AND THEN THE FOREMAN LOOKED UP TO CATCH A MEDITATIVE CHUCKLE FROM THE YOUNGSTER LET ME IN ON THE JOKE SON NOTHIN


I WAS JUST THINKIN OF PA WHAT'S HE SORE ABOUT COME OUT SHORT AT POKER LATELY NO HE LOST A HOSS HA HA HA HE EXPLAINED


NASH SIPPED HIS COFFEE AND WAITED ON THE MOUNTAIN DESERT ONE DOES NOT DRAW OUT A NARRATOR WITH QUESTIONS


HE WAS A SURE ENOUGH TENDERFOOT LEASTWAYS HE LOOKED IT AN HE TALKED IT BUT HE WASN'T THE FAMILIARITY OF THIS DESCRIPTION MADE STEVE SIT UP A TRIFLE STRAIGHTER WAS HE A RINGER MAYBE I DUNNO


PA MEETS HIM AT THE DOOR AND ASKS HIM IN


THE BOY PAUSED TO REMEMBER AND THEN WITH TWINKLING EYES HE MIMICKED THAT'S VERY GOOD OF YOU SIR BUT I'LL ONLY STOP TO MAKE A TRADE WITH YOU THIS HORSE AND SOME CASH TO BOOT FOR A DURABLE MOUNT OUT OF YOUR CORRAL


THE BRUTE HAS GONE LAME YOU SEE


AN I WON'T ASK MUCH CASH TO BOOT I BEGIN WONDERIN WHAT PA WAS DRIVIN AT BUT I DIDN'T SAY NOTHIN' JEST HELD MYSELF TOGETHER AND WAITED LOOK OVER THERE TO THE CORRAL SAYS PA AND POINTED


IT'S THE BEST HOSS I'VE EVER HAD IT WAS THE BEST HORSE PA EVER HAD TOO IT WAS A PIEBALD PINTO CALLED JO AFTER MY COUSIN JOSIAH WHO'S JEST A PLAIN BAD UN AND RAISES HELL WHEN THERE'S ANY EXCUSE THE PIEBALD


HE DIDN'T EVEN NEED AN EXCUSE YOU SEE


WHEN HE LEAVES THE CORRAL HE LIKES TO HAVE ANOTHER HOSS FOR A RUNNIN MATE AND HE WAS JEST AS TAME AS ANYTHING I COULD RIDE HIM ANYBODY COULD RIDE HIM BUT IF YOU TOOK HIM OUTSIDE THE BARS OF THE CORRAL WITHOUT COMPANY FIRST THING HE DONE


WHEN HE SEEN THAT HE WAS ALL LAID OUT TO MAKE A TRIP BY HIMSELF


WHICH JO CAN RAISE MORE HELL FOR HIS SIZE THAN ANY HOSS I EVER SEEN HE'S WHAT YOU CALL AN EDDICATED BUCKER HE DON'T FOOL AROUND WITH NO PAUSES HE JEST STARTS IN AND FIGGERS OUT A SITUATION


AN HE ALWAYS USED TO WIN OUT IN FACT HE WAS KNOWN FOR IT ALL AROUND THESE PARTS HE BEGUN NICE AND EASY


AND THE END WAS THE RIDER LYIN ON THE GROUND WHENEVER THE BOYS AROUND HERE WANTED ANY EXCITEMENT THEY USED TO COME OVER AND TRY THEIR HANDS WITH JO


AND TAME DOWN THE BRUISES AFTER JO LAID EM COLD ON THE GROUND


WELL THIS TENDERFOOT HE LOOKS OVER THE HOSS IN THE CORRAL AND SAYS


AW TWENTY FIVE DOLLARS IS ENOUGH SAYS PA ALL RIGHT SAYS THE TENDERFOOT HERE'S THE MONEY AND HE COUNTS IT OUT IN PA'S HAND HE SAYS WHAT A LITTLE BEAUTY IT WOULD BE A TREAT TO SEE HIM WORK ON A POLO FIELD PA SAYS


THEN HE STEPS ON MY FOOT TO MAKE ME WIPE THE GRIN OFF'N MY FACE DOWN GOES THE TENDERFOOT AND TAKES HIS SADDLE AND FLOPS IT ON THE PIEBALD PINTO AND THE PIEBALD WAS JEST AS NICE AS MILK THEN HE LEADS HIM OUT'N THE CORRAL AND GETS ON


BUT HE DIDN'T SEE NONE THEN THE CIRCUS STARTED AN B'LIEVE ME IT WAS SOME CIRCUS JO HADN'T HAD MUCH ACTION FOR SOME TIME


THINKIN UP NEW WAYS OF RAISIN HELL


WHICH MAYBE YOU SORT OF GATHER THAT HE HAD TO KEEP ON PERFORMIN BECAUSE THE TENDERFOOT WAS STILL IN THE SADDLE HE WAS AN HE NEVER PULLED LEATHER NO SIR HE NEVER TOUCHED THE BUCKIN STRAP BUT JEST SAT THERE WITH HIS TEETH SET


AND HIS LIPS TWISTIN BACK THE SAME SMILE HE HAD WHEN HE GOT INTO THE SADDLE BUT PRETTY SOON I S'POSE JO HAD A CHANCE TO FIGURE OUT THAT IT DIDN'T DO HIM NO PARTICULAR HARM TO BE ALONE THE MINUTE HE SEEN THAT HE STOPPED FIGHTIN


AND STARTED OFF AT A GALLOP THE WAY THE TENDERFOOT WANTED HIM TO GO WHICH WAS OVER THERE DAMN MY EYES SAYS PA


THERE WOULDN'T BE NO DRAWIN CARD TO GET THE BOYS AROUND THE HOUSE NO MORE BUT YOU'RE LOOKIN SORT OF SLEEPY STRANGER I AM ANSWERED NASH WELL IF YOU'D SEEN THAT SHOW YOU WOULDN'T BE THINKIN OF SLEEP NOT FOR SOME TIME MAYBE NOT


BUT THE POINT IS I DIDN'T SEE IT D'YOU MIND IF I TURN IN ON THAT BUNK OVER THERE HELP YOURSELF SAID THE BOY WHAT TIME D'YOU WANT ME TO WAKE YOU UP NEVER MIND I WAKE UP AUTOMATIC S'LONG BUD


THE CHILDREN ARE JUSTIFIED WHEN THEY PEEP SO CURIOUSLY AND TIMIDLY AT A COMPANY OF UNKNOWN FACES EACH INDIVIDUAL ATOM OF EVERLASTING TIME IS CAPABLE OF COMPRISING A WORLD OF JOY


AND AT THE SAME TIME OF OPENING UP A FATHOMLESS ABYSS OF PAIN AND SUFFERING


I UNDERSTAND NOW THE OLD FAIRY TALE ABOUT THE MAN WHOM THE SORCERER ALLOWED TO LIVE A GREAT MANY YEARS IN A FEW MOMENTS FOR I KNOW BY MY OWN EXPERIENCE THE TERRIBLE OMNIPOTENCE OF THE FANTASY


SINCE THE LAST LETTER FROM YOUR SISTER IT IS THREE DAYS NOW I HAVE UNDERGONE THE SUFFERINGS OF AN ENTIRE LIFE FROM THE BRIGHT SUNLIGHT OF GLOWING YOUTH TO THE PALE MOONLIGHT OF SAGACIOUS OLD AGE


EVERY LITTLE DETAIL SHE WROTE ABOUT YOUR SICKNESS TAKEN WITH WHAT I HAD ALREADY GLEANED FROM THE DOCTOR AND HAD OBSERVED MYSELF CONFIRMED MY SUSPICION THAT IT WAS FAR MORE DANGEROUS THAN YOU THOUGHT


INDEED NO LONGER DANGEROUS BUT DECIDED PAST HOPE LOST IN THIS THOUGHT AND MY STRENGTH ENTIRELY EXHAUSTED ON ACCOUNT OF THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF HURRYING TO YOUR SIDE


MY STATE OF MIND WAS REALLY VERY DISCONSOLATE NOW FOR THE FIRST TIME I UNDERSTAND WHAT IT REALLY WAS BEING NEW BORN BY THE JOYFUL NEWS THAT YOU ARE WELL AGAIN


I DID NOT THINK OF IT AS ABOUT TO HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE OR EVEN IN THE PRESENT EVERYTHING WAS ALREADY PAST FOR A LONG TIME YOU HAD BEEN WRAPT IN THE BOSOM OF THE COLD EARTH


FLOWERS HAD STARTED TO GROW ON THE BELOVED GRAVE AND MY TEARS HAD ALREADY BEGUN TO FLOW MORE GENTLY MUTE AND ALONE I STOOD AND SAW NOTHING BUT THE FEATURES I HAD LOVED AND THE SWEET GLANCES OF THE EXPRESSIVE EYES


NOW AND THEN THE PALE FACE SMILED AND SEEMED ASLEEP JUST AS IT HAD LOOKED THE LAST TIME I SAW IT THEN OF A SUDDEN THE DIFFERENT MEMORIES ALL BECAME CONFUSED


WITH UNBELIEVABLE RAPIDITY THE OUTLINES CHANGED REASSUMED THEIR FIRST FORM AND TRANSFORMED THEMSELVES AGAIN AND AGAIN UNTIL THE WILD VISION VANISHED


ONLY YOUR HOLY EYES REMAINED IN THE EMPTY SPACE AND HUNG THERE MOTIONLESS EVEN AS THE FRIENDLY STARS SHINE ETERNALLY OVER OUR POVERTY


NOW A PIERCING PAIN FROM DARK SUNS BURNED ME WITH AN INSUPPORTABLE GLARE NOW A BEAUTIFUL RADIANCE HOVERED ABOUT AS IF TO ENTICE ME THEN I SEEMED TO FEEL A FRESH BREATH OF MORNING AIR FAN ME


I HELD MY HEAD UP AND CRIED ALOUD


WHY SHOULD YOU TORMENT YOURSELF IN A FEW MINUTES YOU CAN BE WITH HER


I WAS ALREADY HASTENING TO YOU WHEN SUDDENLY A NEW THOUGHT HELD ME BACK AND I SAID TO MY SPIRIT


UNWORTHY MAN YOU CANNOT EVEN ENDURE THE TRIFLING DISSONANCES OF THIS ORDINARY LIFE AND YET YOU REGARD YOURSELF AS READY FOR AND WORTHY OF A HIGHER LIFE GO AWAY AND DO AND SUFFER AS YOUR CALLING IS


AND THEN PRESENT YOURSELF AGAIN WHEN YOUR ORDERS HAVE BEEN EXECUTED


IS IT NOT TO YOU ALSO REMARKABLE HOW EVERYTHING ON THIS EARTH MOVES TOWARD THE CENTRE HOW ORDERLY EVERYTHING IS HOW INSIGNIFICANT AND TRIVIAL SO IT HAS ALWAYS SEEMED TO ME


AND FOR THAT REASON I SUSPECT IF I AM NOT MISTAKEN I HAVE ALREADY IMPARTED MY SUSPICION TO YOU THAT THE NEXT LIFE WILL BE LARGER AND IN THE GOOD AS WELL AS IN THE BAD STRONGER WILDER BOLDER AND MORE TREMENDOUS


AS WHEN A PERSON SUDDENLY FINDS HIMSELF ALONE IN THE MIDST OF IMMEASURABLE MOUNTAINS OF ICE EVERYTHING ABOUT ME AND IN ME WAS COLD AND STRANGE AND EVEN MY TEARS FROZE


WONDERFUL WORLDS APPEARED AND VANISHED BEFORE ME IN MY UNEASY DREAM I WAS SICK AND SUFFERED GREAT PAIN BUT I LOVED MY SICKNESS AND WELCOMED THE SUFFERING


I HATED EVERYTHING EARTHLY AND WAS GLAD TO SEE IT ALL PUNISHED AND DESTROYED I FELT SO ALONE AND SO STRANGELY


AND AS A DELICATE SPIRIT OFTEN GROWS MELANCHOLY IN THE VERY LAP OF HAPPINESS OVER ITS OWN JOY AND AT THE VERY ACME OF ITS EXISTENCE BECOMES CONSCIOUS OF THE FUTILITY OF IT ALL


SO DID I REGARD MY SUFFERING WITH MYSTERIOUS PLEASURE I REGARDED IT AS THE SYMBOL OF LIFE IN GENERAL I BELIEVED THAT I WAS SEEING AND FEELING THE EVERLASTING DISCORD


AND THE LOVELY FORMS OF REFINED CULTURE SEEMED DEAD AND TRIVIAL TO ME IN COMPARISON WITH THIS MONSTROUS WORLD OF INFINITE STRENGTH AND OF UNENDING STRUGGLE AND WARFARE


EVEN INTO THE MOST HIDDEN DEPTHS OF EXISTENCE ON ACCOUNT OF THIS REMARKABLE FEELING SICKNESS ACQUIRED THE CHARACTER OF A PECULIAR WORLD COMPLETE IN ITSELF


I FELT THAT ITS MYSTERIOUS LIFE WAS RICHER AND DEEPER THAN THE VULGAR HEALTH OF THE DREAMING SLEEP WALKERS ALL AROUND ME AND WITH THE SICKLINESS WHICH WAS NOT AT ALL UNPLEASANT


THIS FEELING ALSO CLUNG TO ME AND COMPLETELY SEPARATED ME FROM OTHER MEN JUST AS I WAS SUNDERED FROM THE EARTH BY THE THOUGHT THAT YOUR NATURE AND MY LOVE HAD BEEN TOO SACRED


IT SEEMED TO ME THAT ALL WAS RIGHT SO AND THAT YOUR UNAVOIDABLE DEATH WAS NOTHING MORE THAN A GENTLE AWAKENING AFTER A LIGHT SLEEP I TOO THOUGHT THAT I WAS AWAKE WHEN I SAW YOUR PICTURE


WHICH EVERMORE TRANSFIGURED ITSELF INTO A CHEERFUL DIFFUSED PURITY SERIOUS AND YET CHARMING QUITE YOU AND YET NO LONGER YOU THE DIVINE FORM IRRADIATED BY A WONDERFUL LIGHT


NOW IT WAS LIKE THE TERRIBLE GLEAM OF VISIBLE OMNIPOTENCE NOW LIKE A SOFT RAY OF GOLDEN CHILDHOOD


BECAUSE EVERY EARTHLY SENTIMENT WAS ENTIRELY STRANGE TO ME AND THE FEELING NEVER LEFT ME THAT I WAS CONSECRATED TO DEATH


THE YEARS PASSED SLOWLY BY AND DEEDS AND WORKS ADVANCED LABORIOUSLY TO THEIR GOAL ONE AFTER THE OTHER A GOAL THAT SEEMED AS LITTLE MINE AS THE DEEDS AND WORKS SEEMED TO BE WHAT THEY ARE CALLED


TO ME THEY WERE MERELY HOLY SYMBOLS AND EVERYTHING BROUGHT ME BACK TO MY ONE BELOVED


AND THE ONE ETERNAL AND INDIVISIBLE HUMANITY ALL EXISTENCE WAS AN UNINTERRUPTED DIVINE SERVICE OF SOLITARY LOVE


FINALLY I BECAME CONSCIOUS THAT IT WAS NOW NEARLY OVER THE BROW WAS NO LONGER SMOOTH AND THE LOCKS WERE BECOMING GRAY MY CAREER WAS ENDED BUT NOT COMPLETED


THE BEST STRENGTH OF LIFE WAS GONE AND STILL ART AND VIRTUE


STOOD EVER UNATTAINABLE BEFORE ME I SHOULD HAVE DESPAIRED HAD I NOT PERCEIVED AND IDOLIZED BOTH IN YOU GRACIOUS MADONNA AND YOU AND YOUR GENTLE GODLINESS IN MYSELF


THEN YOU APPEARED TO ME BECKONING WITH THE SUMMONS OF DEATH


AN EARNEST LONGING FOR YOU AND FOR FREEDOM SEIZED ME I YEARNED FOR MY DEAR OLD FATHERLAND AND WAS ABOUT TO SHAKE OFF THE DUST OF TRAVEL WHEN I WAS SUDDENLY CALLED BACK TO LIFE BY THE PROMISE AND REASSURANCE OF YOUR RECOVERY


AND ONLY IN THAT WAY DOES A HUMAN BEING BECOME ONE AND A COMPLETE ENTITY THAT IS BY REGARDING AND POETICALLY CONCEIVING HIMSELF AS THE CENTRE OF EVERYTHING AND THE SPIRIT OF THE WORLD


BUT WHY POETICALLY CONCEIVE SINCE WE FIND THE GERM OF EVERYTHING IN OURSELVES AND YET REMAIN FOREVER ONLY A FRAGMENT OF OURSELVES


IT LOOKS AT ME JOYOUSLY OUT OF ITS DEEP EYES AND OPENS ITS ARMS TO EMBRACE MY SPIRIT


THE HOLIEST AND MOST EVANESCENT OF THOSE DELICATE TRAITS AND UTTERANCES OF THE SOUL WHICH TO ONE WHO DOES NOT KNOW THE HIGHEST SEEM LIKE BLISS ITSELF


ARE MERELY THE COMMON ATMOSPHERE OF OUR SPIRITUAL BREATH AND LIFE THE WORDS ARE WEAK AND VAGUE


FURTHERMORE IN THIS THRONG OF IMPRESSIONS I COULD ONLY REPEAT ANEW THE ONE INEXHAUSTIBLE FEELING OF OUR ORIGINAL HARMONY A GREAT FUTURE BECKONS ME ON INTO THE IMMEASURABLE


EACH IDEA DEVELOPS A COUNTLESS PROGENY


I REMEMBER EVERYTHING EVEN THE GRIEFS AND ALL MY THOUGHTS THAT HAVE BEEN AND ARE TO BE


THE BLOOD RUSHES WILDLY THROUGH MY SWOLLEN VEINS MY MOUTH THIRSTS FOR THE CONTACT OF YOUR LIPS AND MY FANCY SEEKS VAINLY AMONG THE MANY FORMS OF JOY FOR ONE


WHICH MIGHT AT LAST GRATIFY MY DESIRE AND GIVE IT REST AND THEN AGAIN I SUDDENLY AND SADLY BETHINK ME OF THE GLOOMY TIME WHEN I WAS ALWAYS WAITING WITHOUT HOPE


AND MADLY LOVING WITHOUT KNOWING IT WHEN MY INNERMOST BEING OVERFLOWED WITH A VAGUE LONGING WHICH IT BREATHED FORTH BUT RARELY IN HALF SUPPRESSED SIGHS


OH I SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT IT ALL A FAIRY TALE THAT THERE COULD BE SUCH JOY SUCH LOVE AS I NOW FEEL AND SUCH A WOMAN WHO COULD BE MY MOST TENDER BELOVED MY BEST COMPANION AND AT THE SAME TIME


A PERFECT FRIEND FOR IT WAS IN FRIENDSHIP ESPECIALLY THAT I SOUGHT FOR WHAT I WANTED AND FOR WHAT I NEVER HOPED TO FIND IN ANY WOMAN IN YOU I FOUND IT ALL AND MORE THAN I COULD WISH FOR


YOU KNOW NOTHING THE WOMANLINESS OF YOUR SOUL ASIDE FROM MINOR PECULIARITIES CONSISTS IN ITS REGARDING LIFE AND LOVE AS THE SAME THING FOR YOU ALL FEELING IS INFINITE AND ETERNAL


YOU RECOGNIZE NO SEPARATIONS YOUR BEING IS AN INDIVISIBLE UNITY THAT IS WHY YOU ARE SO SERIOUS AND SO JOYOUS WHY YOU REGARD EVERYTHING IN SUCH A LARGE AND INDIFFERENT WAY


THAT IS WHY YOU LOVE ME ALL OF ME AND WILL SURRENDER NO PART OF ME TO THE STATE TO POSTERITY OR TO MANLY PLEASURES I AM ALL YOURS WE ARE CLOSEST TO EACH OTHER


AND WE UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER YOU ACCOMPANY ME THROUGH ALL THE STAGES OF MANHOOD FROM THE UTMOST WANTONNESS TO THE MOST REFINED SPIRITUALITY IN YOU ALONE I FIRST SAW TRUE PRIDE


AND TRUE FEMININE HUMILITY THE MOST EXTREME SUFFERING IF IT IS ONLY SURROUNDED WITHOUT SEPARATING US


WOULD SEEM TO ME NOTHING BUT A CHARMING ANTITHESIS TO THE SUBLIME FRIVOLITY OF OUR MARRIAGE WHY SHOULD WE NOT TAKE THE HARSHEST WHIM OF CHANCE FOR AN EXCELLENT JEST AND A MOST FROLICSOME CAPRICE SINCE WE


LIKE OUR LOVE ARE IMMORTAL I CAN NO LONGER SAY MY LOVE AND YOUR LOVE THEY ARE BOTH ALIKE IN THEIR PERFECT MUTUALITY MARRIAGE IS THE EVERLASTING UNITY AND ALLIANCE OF OUR SPIRITS


AS THAT LAST GLASS OF CHAMPAGNE WE DRANK TOGETHER WHEN I SAID AND SO LET US DRINK OUT THE REST OF OUR LIVES


AND SO I SAY AGAIN LET US LIVE AND LOVE I KNOW YOU WOULD NOT WISH TO SURVIVE ME YOU WOULD RATHER FOLLOW YOUR DYING HUSBAND INTO HIS COFFIN GLADLY AND LOVINGLY WOULD YOU DESCEND INTO THE BURNING ABYSS


EVEN AS THE WOMEN OF INDIA DO IMPELLED BY A MAD LAW THE CRUEL CONSTRAINING PURPOSE OF WHICH DESECRATES AND DESTROYS THE MOST DELICATE SANCTITIES OF THE WILL


ON THE OTHER SIDE PERHAPS LONGING WILL BE MORE COMPLETELY REALIZED I OFTEN WONDER OVER IT EVERY THOUGHT AND WHATEVER ELSE IS FASHIONED WITHIN US


SEEMS TO BE COMPLETE IN ITSELF AS SINGLE AND INDIVISIBLE AS A PERSON ONE THING CROWDS OUT ANOTHER AND THAT WHICH JUST NOW WAS NEAR AND PRESENT SOON SINKS BACK INTO OBSCURITY


AND THEN AGAIN COME MOMENTS OF SUDDEN AND UNIVERSAL CLARITY WHEN SEVERAL SUCH SPIRITS OF THE INNER WORLD COMPLETELY FUSE TOGETHER INTO A WONDERFUL WEDLOCK AND MANY A FORGOTTEN BIT OF OUR EGO SHINES FORTH IN A NEW LIGHT


AND EVEN ILLUMINATES THE DARKNESS OF THE FUTURE WITH ITS BRIGHT LUSTRE AS IT IS IN A SMALL WAY


I THINK IN A LARGE WAY THAT WHICH WE CALL A LIFE IS FOR THE COMPLETE INNER IMMORTAL MAN ONLY A SINGLE IDEA AN INDIVISIBLE FEELING


AND FOR HIM THERE COME TOO MOMENTS OF THE PROFOUNDEST AND FULLEST CONSCIOUSNESS WHEN ALL LIVES FALL TOGETHER AND MINGLE AND SEPARATE IN A DIFFERENT WAY


THE TIME IS COMING WHEN WE TWO SHALL BEHOLD IN ONE SPIRIT THAT WE ARE BLOSSOMS OF ONE PLANT OR PETALS OF ONE FLOWER WE SHALL THEN KNOW WITH A SMILE


THAT WHAT WE NOW CALL MERELY HOPE WAS REALLY MEMORY DO YOU KNOW HOW THE FIRST SEED OF THIS IDEA GERMINATED IN MY SOUL BEFORE YOU AND TOOK ROOT IN YOURS


WEAVE OUR LOVE EVER AND EVER MORE CLOSELY AND FIRMLY TOGETHER JUST AS A CHILD LIKE AN ECHO DOUBLES THE HAPPINESS OF ITS GENTLE PARENTS NOTHING CAN PART US


AND CERTAINLY ANY SEPARATION WOULD ONLY DRAW ME MORE POWERFULLY TO YOU I BETHINK ME HOW AT OUR LAST EMBRACE YOU VEHEMENTLY RESISTING I BURST INTO SIMULTANEOUS TEARS AND LAUGHTER


I TRIED TO CALM MYSELF AND IN A SORT OF BEWILDERMENT I WOULD NOT BELIEVE THAT I WAS SEPARATED FROM YOU UNTIL THE SURROUNDING OBJECTS CONVINCED ME OF IT AGAINST MY WILL


BUT THEN MY LONGING GREW AGAIN IRRESISTIBLE UNTIL ON ITS WINGS I SANK BACK INTO YOUR ARMS SUPPOSE WORDS OR A HUMAN BEING TO CREATE A MISUNDERSTANDING BETWEEN US


THE POIGNANT GRIEF WOULD BE TRANSIENT AND QUICKLY RESOLVE ITSELF INTO COMPLETE HARMONY HOW COULD SEPARATION SEPARATE US WHEN PRESENCE ITSELF IS TO US AS IT WERE TOO PRESENT


WE HAVE TO COOL AND MITIGATE THE CONSUMING FIRE WITH JESTS AND THUS FOR US THE MOST WITTY OF THE FORMS AND SITUATIONS OF JOY IS ALSO THE MOST BEAUTIFUL


IT IS NOT MERELY THE DELIGHT OF EXHAUSTION OR THE ANTICIPATION OF REVENGE I SEE IN IT A WONDERFUL AND PROFOUNDLY SIGNIFICANT ALLEGORY OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF MAN AND WOMAN


INTO COMPLETE HUMANITY THAT WAS MY DITHYRAMBIC FANTASY ON THE LOVELIEST SITUATION IN THE LOVELIEST OF WORLDS I KNOW RIGHT WELL WHAT YOU THOUGHT OF IT


AND HOW YOU TOOK IT AT THAT TIME AND I THINK I KNOW JUST AS WELL WHAT YOU WILL THINK OF IT AND HOW YOU WILL TAKE IT HERE HERE IN THIS LITTLE BOOK IN WHICH YOU EXPECT TO FIND GENUINE HISTORY PLAIN TRUTH AND CALM REASON


YES EVEN MORALITY THE CHARMING MORALITY OF LOVE


HOW CAN A MAN WISH TO WRITE ANYTHING WHICH IT IS SCARCELY PERMISSIBLE TO TALK ABOUT WHICH OUGHT ONLY TO BE FELT


I REPLIED


A MAN FEELS IT HE MUST WISH TO TALK ABOUT IT AND WHAT A MAN WISHES TO TALK ABOUT HE MAY WRITE


I WANTED FIRST TO DEMONSTRATE TO YOU THAT THERE EXISTS IN THE ORIGINAL AND ESSENTIAL NATURE OF MAN A CERTAIN AWKWARD ENTHUSIASM WHICH LIKES TO UTTER BOLDLY THAT WHICH IS DELICATE AND HOLY


AND SOMETIMES FALLS HEADLONG OVER ITS OWN HONEST ZEAL AND SPEAKS A WORD THAT IS DIVINE TO THE POINT OF COARSENESS THIS APOLOGY WOULD INDEED SAVE ME


BUT PERHAPS ONLY AT THE ENORMOUS EXPENSE OF MY MANHOOD ITSELF FOR WHATEVER YOU MAY THINK OF MY MANHOOD IN PARTICULAR YOU HAVE NEVERTHELESS A GREAT DEAL AGAINST THE SEX IN GENERAL


MEANTIME I WILL BY NO MEANS MAKE COMMON CAUSE WITH THEM BUT WILL RATHER EXCUSE AND DEFEND MY LIBERTY AND AUDACITY BY MEANS OF THE EXAMPLE OF THE LITTLE INNOCENT WILHELMINA


SINCE SHE TOO IS A LADY WHOM I LOVE MOST TENDERLY


AN OLD MAN IN AGONY BUT STILL GENIAL AND FULL OF DELICATE WIT DRAPES THE MOTLEY SPECTACLE OF HIS LIFELIKE WRITINGS WITH THE COSTLY TAPESTRY OF A PREFACE WHICH IN ITSELF IS A BEAUTIFUL AND ROMANTIC PAINTING


BUT WHAT SHALL MY SPIRIT BESTOW UPON ITS OFFSPRING WHICH LIKE ITS PARENT IS AS POOR IN POESY AS IT IS RICH IN LOVE JUST ONE WORD A PARTING TROPE


IT IS NOT ALONE THE ROYAL EAGLE WHO MAY DESPISE THE CROAKING OF THE RAVEN THE SWAN TOO IS PROUD AND TAKES NO NOTE OF IT


HUMAN BEINGS AND WHAT THEY WANT AND DO


A FRESH WARM BREATH OF LIFE AND LOVE FANNED ME RUSTLING AND STIRRING IN ALL THE BRANCHES OF THE VERDANT GROVE I GAZED AND ENJOYED IT ALL THE RICH GREEN THE WHITE BLOSSOMS AND THE GOLDEN FRUIT


AND IN MY MIND'S EYE I SAW TOO IN MANY FORMS MY ONE AND ONLY BELOVED NOW AS A LITTLE GIRL NOW AS A YOUNG LADY IN THE FULL BLOOM AND ENERGY OF LOVE AND WOMANHOOD


AND NOW AS A DIGNIFIED MOTHER WITH HER DEMURE BABE IN HER ARMS I BREATHED THE SPRING AND I SAW CLEARLY ALL ABOUT ME EVERLASTING YOUTH SMILING I SAID TO MYSELF


FROM THIS FEELING OR THOUGHT NOTHING COULD HAVE TURNED ME NEITHER GENERAL DESPAIR NOR PERSONAL FEAR FOR I BELIEVED


BUT I GLADLY LOST MYSELF IN ALL THOSE BLENDINGS AND INTERTWININGS OF JOY AND PAIN FROM WHICH SPRING THE SPICE OF LIFE AND THE FLOWER OF FEELING SPIRITUAL PLEASURE AS WELL AS SENSUAL BLISS


A SUBTLE FIRE FLOWED THROUGH MY VEINS


IT WAS NOT ONLY THE WISH TO RELIEVE THE TORMENTING STING OF MY DESIRE AND TO COOL THE SWEET FIRE BY GRATIFICATION IT WAS NOT FOR YOUR LIPS THAT I LONGED OR FOR YOUR EYES OR FOR YOUR BODY


A MARVELOUS MINGLING OF MEMORIES AND DESIRES ALL THE MYSTERIES OF CAPRICE IN MAN AND WOMAN SEEMED TO HOVER ABOUT ME WHEN SUDDENLY IN MY SOLITUDE


AND YET WITH CALM PRESENCE OF MIND I WATCHED FOR THE SLIGHTEST SIGN OF JOY IN YOU SO THAT NOT ONE SHOULD ESCAPE ME TO IMPAIR THE HARMONY I NOT ONLY ENJOYED BUT I FELT AND ENJOYED


THE ENJOYMENT YOU ARE SO EXTRAORDINARILY CLEVER DEAREST LUCINDA THAT YOU HAVE DOUBTLESS LONG ERE THIS BEGUN TO SUSPECT THAT THIS IS ALL NOTHING BUT A BEAUTIFUL DREAM


NOT LONG AGO I WAS STANDING BY THE WINDOW HOW LONG I DO NOT KNOW FOR ALONG WITH THE OTHER RULES OF REASON AND MORALITY I COMPLETELY FORGOT ABOUT THE LAPSE OF TIME WELL I WAS STANDING BY THE WINDOW AND LOOKING OUT INTO THE OPEN


THE MORNING CERTAINLY DESERVES TO BE CALLED BEAUTIFUL THE AIR IS STILL AND QUITE WARM AND THE VERDURE HERE BEFORE ME IS FRESH AND EVEN AS THE WIDE LAND UNDULATES IN HILLS AND DALES


SO THE CALM BROAD SILVERY RIVER WINDS ALONG IN GREAT BENDS AND SWEEPS UNTIL IT AND THE LOVER'S FANTASY CRADLED UPON IT LIKE THE SWAN PASS AWAY INTO THE DISTANCE AND LOSE THEMSELVES IN THE IMMEASURABLE


MY VISION DOUBTLESS OWES THE GROVE AND ITS SOUTHERN COLOR EFFECT TO THE HUGE MASS OF FLOWERS HERE BESIDE ME


ALL THE REST IS READILY EXPLAINED BY PSYCHOLOGY


ALL EXCEPT THAT NOT LONG AGO I WAS STANDING BY THE WINDOW AND DOING NOTHING AND THAT I AM NOW SITTING HERE AND DOING SOMETHING SOMETHING WHICH IS PERHAPS LITTLE MORE THAN NOTHING PERHAPS EVEN LESS


I WAS JUST ON THE POINT OF UNFOLDING TO YOU IN CLEAR AND PRECISE PERIODS THE EXACT AND STRAIGHTFORWARD HISTORY OF OUR FRIVOLITIES AND OF MY DULNESS I WAS GOING TO EXPOUND TO YOU STEP BY STEP


IN ACCORDANCE WITH NATURAL LAWS THE MISUNDERSTANDINGS THAT ATTACK THE HIDDEN CENTRE OF THE LOVELIEST EXISTENCE AND TO CONFESS TO YOU THE MANIFOLD EFFECTS OF MY AWKWARDNESS


I WAS ABOUT TO DESCRIBE THE APPRENTICESHIP OF MY MANHOOD


A PERIOD WHICH TAKEN AS A WHOLE OR IN PARTS I CAN NEVER LOOK BACK UPON WITHOUT A GREAT DEAL OF INWARD AMUSEMENT A LITTLE MELANCHOLY AND CONSIDERABLE SELF SATISFACTION


STILL AS A REFINED LOVER AND WRITER I WILL ENDEAVOR TO REFASHION THE COARSE OCCURRENCE AND ADAPT IT TO MY PURPOSE FOR ME AND FOR THIS BOOK HOWEVER FOR MY LOVE OF IT AND FOR ITS INNER DEVELOPMENT


THERE IS NO BETTER ADAPTATION OF MEANS TO ENDS THAN THIS NAMELY THAT RIGHT AT THE START I BEGIN BY ABOLISHING WHAT WE CALL ORDERLY ARRANGEMENT KEEP MYSELF ENTIRELY ALOOF FROM IT


FRANKLY CLAIMING AND ASSERTING THE RIGHT TO A CHARMING CONFUSION THIS IS ALL THE MORE NECESSARY INASMUCH AS THE MATERIAL WHICH OUR LIFE AND LOVE OFFERS TO MY SPIRIT AND TO MY PEN IS SO INCESSANTLY PROGRESSIVE


AND SO INFLEXIBLY SYSTEMATIC IF THE FORM WERE ALSO OF THAT CHARACTER THIS IN ITS WAY UNIQUE LETTER WOULD THEN ACQUIRE AN INTOLERABLE UNITY AND MONOTONY


SO I USE MY INCONTESTABLE RIGHT TO A CONFUSED STYLE BY INSERTING HERE IN THE WRONG PLACE ONE OF THE MANY INCOHERENT SHEETS WHICH I ONCE FILLED WITH RUBBISH


IT WAS WRITTEN IN A MOOD OF IMPATIENT LONGING DUE TO MY NOT FINDING YOU WHERE I MOST SURELY EXPECTED TO FIND YOU IN YOUR ROOM ON OUR SOFA IN THE HAPHAZARD WORDS SUGGESTED BY THE PEN YOU HAD LATELY BEEN USING


THE SELECTION IS NOT DIFFICULT FOR SINCE AMONG THE DREAMY FANCIES WHICH ARE HERE CONFIDED TO YOU IN PERMANENT LETTERS THE RECOLLECTION OF THIS MOST BEAUTIFUL WORLD


IS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT AND HAS A CERTAIN SORT OF RESEMBLANCE TO WHAT THEY CALL THOUGHT I CHOOSE IN PREFERENCE TO ANYTHING ELSE A DITHYRAMBIC FANTASY ON THE MOST LOVELY OF SITUATIONS


FOR ONCE WE KNOW TO A CERTAINTY THAT WE LIVE IN A MOST BEAUTIFUL WORLD THE NEXT NEED IS OBVIOUS


MY LOYALTY TOWARDS THE AFFLICTED MAN WHOSE FRIENDLY ADVANCES I HAD SEEN GOOD REASON TO RETURN WAS IN NO SENSE SHAKEN HIS UNDESERVED MISFORTUNES HIS MANLY APPEAL TO ME AT THE SPRING


STILL WHILE CRISTEL'S ENTREATIES AND CRISTEL'S INFLUENCE HAD FAILED TO SHAKE ME GLOODY'S STRANGE LANGUAGE AND GLOODY'S INCOMPREHENSIBLE CONDUCT HAD TROUBLED MY MIND I FELT VAGUELY UNEASY IRRITATED BY MY OWN DEPRESSION OF SPIRITS


IF I HAD BEEN A PHILOSOPHER I SHOULD HAVE RECOGNIZED THE SYMPTOMS OF A VERY COMMON ATTACK OF A VERY WIDELY SPREAD MORAL MALADY THE MEANEST OF ALL HUMAN INFIRMITIES IS ALSO THE MOST UNIVERSAL AND THE NAME OF IT IS SELF ESTEEM


IT IS PERHAPS ONLY RIGHT TO ADD THAT MY PATIENCE HAD BEEN TRIED BY THE PROGRESS OF DOMESTIC EVENTS WHICH AFFECTED LADY LENA AND MYSELF VIEWED AS VICTIMS CALLING WITH MY STEPMOTHER AT LORD UPPERCLIFF'S HOUSE LATER IN THE DAY


OR MADE AN OPPORTUNITY OF TALKING TOGETHER CONFIDENTIALLY IN A CORNER AND ONCE OR TWICE I CAUGHT THEM LOOKING AT LADY LENA AND AT ME EVEN LORD UPPERCLIFF PERHAPS NOT YET TAKEN INTO THEIR CONFIDENCE


NOTICED THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE TWO LADIES AND SEEMED TO BE AT A LOSS TO UNDERSTAND THEM WHEN MISSUS ROYLAKE AND I WERE TOGETHER AGAIN ON OUR WAY HOME I WAS PREPARED TO HEAR THE PRAISE OF LADY LENA FOLLOWED BY A DELICATE EXAMINATION INTO THE STATE OF MY HEART


NEITHER OF THESE ANTICIPATIONS WAS REALIZED ONCE MORE MY CLEVER STEPMOTHER HAD PUZZLED ME MISSUS ROYLAKE TALKED AS FLUENTLY AS EVER EXHAUSTING ONE COMMON PLACE SUBJECT AFTER ANOTHER


WITHOUT THE SLIGHTEST ALLUSION TO MY LORD'S DAUGHTER TO MY MATRIMONIAL PROSPECTS OR TO MY VISITS AT THE MILL I WAS SECRETLY ANNOYED FEELING THAT MY STEPMOTHER'S SINGULAR INDIFFERENCE TO DOMESTIC INTERESTS OF PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE


RETURNING TO THE HOUSE I TRIED TO OCCUPY MYSELF WITH MY COLLECTION OF INSECTS SADLY NEGLECTED OF LATE USELESS MY OWN MOTHS FAILED TO INTEREST ME I WENT BACK TO THE GARDEN PASSING THE OPEN WINDOW OF ONE OF THE LOWER ROOMS WHICH LOOKED OUT ON THE TERRACE


I SAW MISSUS ROYLAKE READING A BOOK IN SAD COLORED BINDING SHE WAS YAWNING OVER IT FEARFULLY WHEN SHE DISCOVERED THAT I WAS LOOKING AT HER EQUAL TO ANY EMERGENCY THIS REMARKABLE WOMAN INSTANTLY HANDED TO ME A SECOND AND SIMILAR VOLUME


I LOOKED AT THE BOOK I OPENED THE BOOK I RECOVERED MY PRESENCE OF MIND AND HANDED IT BACK IF A FEMALE HUMBUG WAS ON ONE SIDE OF THE WINDOW A MALE HUMBUG WAS ON THE OTHER


WHICH WAY DID I TURN MY STEPS MEN WILL WONDER WHAT POSSESSED ME WOMEN WILL THINK IT A PROCEEDING THAT DID ME CREDIT I TOOK THE FAMILIAR ROAD WHICH LED TO THE GLOOMY WOOD AND THE GUILTY RIVER THE LONGING IN ME TO SEE CRISTEL AGAIN WAS MORE THAN I COULD RESIST


NOT BECAUSE I WAS IN LOVE WITH HER ONLY BECAUSE I HAD LEFT HER IN DISTRESS BEYOND THE SPRING AND WITHIN A SHORT DISTANCE OF THE RIVER I SAW A LADY ADVANCING TOWARDS ME ON THE PATH WHICH LED FROM THE MILL BRISK SMILING TRIPPING ALONG LIKE A YOUNG GIRL


BEHOLD THE MOCK REPUBLICAN KNOWN IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AS LADY RACHEL SHE HELD OUT BOTH HANDS TO ME BUT FOR HER PETTICOATS I SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT I HAD MET WITH A JOLLY YOUNG MAN


PATRONIZING PIETY ON THE WAY TO AFTERNOON CHURCH I MUST POSITIVELY MAKE A SKETCH OF THE COTTAGE BY THE MILL I MEAN OF COURSE THE PICTURESQUE SIDE OF IT THAT FINE GIRL OF TOLLER'S WAS STANDING AT THE DOOR SHE IS REALLY HANDSOMER THAN EVER ARE YOU GOING TO SEE HER YOU WICKED MAN


WHEN WE HAD LEFT EACH OTHER I THOUGHT OF THE ABSENT CAPTAIN IN THE NAVY WHO WAS LADY RACHEL'S HUSBAND HE WAS A PERFECT STRANGER BUT I PUT MYSELF IN HIS PLACE AND FELT THAT I TOO SHOULD HAVE GONE TO SEA


OLD TOLLER WAS ALONE IN HIS KITCHEN EVIDENTLY ANNOYED AND ANGRY WE ARE ALL AT SIXES AND SEVENS MISTER GERARD I'VE HAD ANOTHER ROW WITH THAT DEAF DEVIL MY NEW NAME FOR HIM AND I THINK IT'S RATHER CLEVER


HE SWEARS SIR THAT HE WON'T GO AT THE END OF HIS WEEK'S NOTICE


AND SHOOT THE MAN AND SHOOT HIMSELF AHA


I'LL BE EVEN WITH HIM YOU MARK MY WORDS I'LL BE EVEN WITH HIM THAT OLD TOLLER THE MOST EXASPERATING OF MEN JUDGED BY A QUICK TEMPER HAD IRRITATED MY FRIEND INTO SPEAKING RASHLY WAS PLAIN ENOUGH NEVERTHELESS I FELT SOME ANXIETY


ABOUT CRISTEL AFTER LOOKING ROUND THE KITCHEN AGAIN I ASKED WHERE SHE WAS SITTING FORLORN IN HER BEDROOM CRYING HER FATHER TOLD ME I WENT OUT FOR A WALK BY THE RIVER AND I SAT DOWN AND BEING SUNDAY I FELL ASLEEP WHEN I WOKE AND GOT HOME AGAIN JUST NOW THAT


WAS HOW I FOUND HER I DON'T LIKE TO HEAR MY GIRL CRYING SHE'S AS GOOD AS GOLD AND BETTER NO SIR OUR DEAF DEVIL IS NOT TO BLAME FOR THIS HE HAS GIVEN CRISTY NO REASON TO COMPLAIN OF HIM SHE SAYS SO HERSELF AND SHE NEVER TOLD A LIE YET


BUT MISTER TOLLER I OBJECTED SOMETHING MUST HAVE HAPPENED TO DISTRESS HER HAS SHE NOT TOLD YOU WHAT IT IS NOT SHE OBSTINATE ABOUT IT LEAVES ME TO GUESS IT'S CLEAR TO MY MIND MISTER GERARD THAT SOMEBODY HAS GOT AT HER IN MY ABSENCE


YOU WILL ASK ME WHO THE PERSON IS


BUT YOU MEAN TO TRY YES I MEAN TO TRY HE ANSWERED ME WITH LITTLE OF THE ENERGY WHICH GENERALLY DISTINGUISHED HIM PERHAPS HE WAS FATIGUED OR PERHAPS HE HAD SOMETHING ELSE TO THINK OF I OFFERED A SUGGESTION WHEN WE ARE


IN WANT OF HELP I SAID WE SOMETIMES FIND IT NEARER THAN WE HAD VENTURED TO EXPECT AT OUR OWN DOORS THE ANCIENT MILLER ROSE AT THAT HINT LIKE A FISH AT A FLY GLOODY HE CRIED FIND HIM AT ONCE MISTER TOLLER


I'VE GOT BURDENS ON MY MIND HE EXPLAINED OR I SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT OF IT TOO HAVING DONE JUSTICE TO HIS OWN ABILITIES HE BUSTLED OUT IN LESS THAN A MINUTE HE WAS BACK AGAIN IN A STATE OF BREATHLESS TRIUMPH GLOODY HAS SEEN THE PERSON HE ANNOUNCED AND


I BECKONED TO GLOODY WAITING MODESTLY AT THE DOOR TO COME IN AND TELL ME WHAT HE HAD DISCOVERED I SAW HER OUTSIDE SIR RAPPING AT THE DOOR HERE WITH HER PARASOL THAT WAS THE SERVANT'S REPORT HER PARASOL


MISS CRISTEL LOOKED LIKE A PERSON SURPRISED AT SEEING A STRANGER WHAT I SHOULD CALL A FREE AND EASY STRANGER SHE WALKED IN SIR AS IF THE PLACE BELONGED TO HER I AM NOT SUSPICIOUS BY NATURE AS I HOPE AND BELIEVE


THE HAT I HAD SEEN ON THE HEAD OF THAT HATEFUL WOMAN WAS NOW SUFFICIENTLY DESCRIBED FOR A MAN SLY OLD TOLLER LEAVING GLOODY UNNOTICED AND KEEPING HIS EYE ON ME SAW THE SIGNS OF CONVICTION IN MY FACE AND SAID WITH HIS CUSTOMARY AUDACITY


WHO IS SHE I FOLLOWED AT MY HUMBLE DISTANCE THE EXAMPLE OF SIR WALTER SCOTT WHEN INQUISITIVE PEOPLE ASKED HIM IF HE WAS THE AUTHOR OF THE WAVERLEY NOVELS IN PLAIN ENGLISH I DENIED ALL KNOWLEDGE OF THE STRANGER WEARING THE GREEN HAT


BUT I WAS NATURALLY DESIROUS OF DISCOVERING NEXT WHAT LADY RACHEL HAD SAID AND I ASKED TO SPEAK WITH CRISTEL HER FAR SEEING FATHER MIGHT OR MIGHT NOT HAVE PERCEIVED A CHANCE OF LISTENING TO OUR CONVERSATION


HE LED ME TO THE DOOR OF HIS DAUGHTER'S ROOM AND STOOD CLOSE BY WHEN I KNOCKED SOFTLY AND BEGGED THAT SHE WOULD COME OUT THE TONE OF THE POOR GIRL'S VOICE ANSWERING FORGIVE ME SIR I CAN'T DO IT CONVICTED THE SHE SOCIALIST AS I THOUGHT


OF MERCILESS CONDUCT OF SOME SORT ASSUMING THIS CONCLUSION TO BE THE RIGHT ONE I DETERMINED THEN AND THERE THAT LADY RACHEL SHOULD NOT PASS THE DOORS OF TRIMLEY DEEN AGAIN IF HER BOSOM FRIEND RESENTED THAT WISE ACT OF SEVERITY BY LEAVING THE HOUSE I SHOULD SUBMIT WITH RESIGNATION


AND SHOULD REMEMBER THE CIRCUMSTANCE WITH PLEASURE I AM AFRAID YOU ARE ILL CRISTEL WAS ALL I COULD FIND TO SAY UNDER THE DOUBLE DISADVANTAGE OF SPEAKING THROUGH A DOOR AND HAVING A FATHER LISTENING AT MY SIDE OH NO MISTER GERARD NOT ILL


PRAY BE KINDER TO ME THAN EVER PRAY LET ME BE I SAID I WOULD RETURN ON THE NEXT DAY AND LEFT THE ROOM WITH A SORE HEART OLD TOLLER HIGHLY APPROVED OF MY CONDUCT HE RUBBED HIS FLESHLESS HANDS AND WHISPERED


YOU'LL GET IT OUT OF CRISTY TO MORROW AND I'LL HELP YOU I FOUND GLOODY WAITING FOR ME OUTSIDE THE COTTAGE HE WAS ANXIOUS ABOUT MISS CRISTEL HIS ONLY EXCUSE HE TOLD ME BEING THE FEAR THAT SHE MIGHT BE ILL HAVING SET HIM AT EASE IN THAT PARTICULAR I SAID


YOU SEEM TO BE INTERESTED IN MISS CRISTEL HIS ANSWER RAISED HIM A STEP HIGHER IN MY ESTIMATION HOW CAN I HELP IT SIR AN ODD MAN WITH A PERSONAL APPEARANCE THAT MIGHT EXCITE A PREJUDICE AGAINST HIM IN SOME MINDS


I FAILED TO SEE IT MYSELF IN THAT LIGHT IT STRUCK ME AS I WALKED HOME THAT CRISTEL MIGHT HAVE MADE MANY A WORSE FRIEND THAN THE RETIRED PRIZE FIGHTER A CHANGE IN MY MANNER WAS OF COURSE REMARKED BY MISSUS ROYLAKE'S READY OBSERVATION


I TOLD HER THAT I HAD BEEN ANNOYED AND OFFERED NO OTHER EXPLANATION WONDERFUL TO RELATE SHE SHOWED NO CURIOSITY AND NO SURPRISE MORE WONDERFUL STILL AT EVERY FAIR OPPORTUNITY THAT OFFERED SHE KEPT OUT OF MY WAY


MY NEXT DAY'S ENGAGEMENT BEING FOR SEVEN O'CLOCK IN THE EVENING I PUT MISSUS ROYLAKE'S SELF CONTROL TO A NEW TEST WITH PREFATORY EXCUSES I INFORMED HER THAT I SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DINE AT HOME AS USUAL IMPOSSIBLE AS IT WAS THAT SHE COULD HAVE BEEN PREPARED TO HEAR THIS


ON THE RIVER MARGIN OF THE WOOD I WAS CONFRONTED BY A WILD GLEAM OF BEAUTY IN THE FAMILIAR VIEW FOR WHICH PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE HAD NOT PREPARED ME AM I WRONG IN BELIEVING THAT ALL SCENERY NO MATTER HOW MAGNIFICENT OR HOW HOMELY IT MAY BE


DERIVES A SPLENDOR NOT ITS OWN FROM FAVOURING CONDITIONS OF LIGHT AND SHADE OUR GLOOMY TREES AND OUR REPELLENT RIVER PRESENTED AN ASPECT SUPERBLY TRANSFIGURED UNDER THE SHADOWS OF THE TOWERING CLOUDS THE FANTASTIC WREATHS OF THE MIST


AND THE LURID REDDENING OF THE SUN AS IT STOOPED TO ITS SETTING LOVELY INTERFUSIONS OF SOBERED COLOR RESTED FADED RETURNED AGAIN ON THE UPPER LEAVES OF THE FOLIAGE AS THEY LIGHTLY MOVED THE MIST ROLLING CAPRICIOUSLY OVER THE WATERS


WHILE IT DIMMED THE TURBID EARTHY YELLOW THAT DISCOLORED AND DEGRADED THE STREAM UNDER THE FULL GLARE OF DAY WHILE MY EYES FOLLOWED THE SUCCESSIVE TRANSFORMATIONS OF THE VIEW AS THE HOUR ADVANCED TENDER AND SOLEMN INFLUENCES BREATHED THEIR BALM OVER MY MIND


DAYS HAPPY DAYS THAT WERE PAST REVIVED AGAIN I WALKED HAND IN HAND WITH MY MOTHER AMONG THE SCENES THAT WERE ROUND ME AND LEARNT FROM HER TO BE GRATEFUL FOR THE BEAUTY OF THE EARTH WITH A HEART THAT FELT IT


WE WERE TRACING OUR WAY ALONG OUR FAVORITE WOODLAND PATH AND WE FOUND A COMPANION OF TENDER YEARS HIDING FROM US SHE SHOWED HERSELF BLUSHING HESITATING OFFERING A NOSEGAY OF WILD FLOWERS MY MOTHER WHISPERED TO ME


I THANKED THE LITTLE MILL GIRL AND GAVE HER A KISS DID I FEEL THE CHILD'S BREATH IN MY DAY DREAM STILL FLUTTERING ON MY CHEEK WAS I CONSCIOUS OF HER TOUCH I STARTED TREMBLED RETURNED RELUCTANTLY TO MY PRESENT SELF


A VISIBLE HAND TOUCHED MY ARM AS I TURNED SUDDENLY A LIVING BREATH PLAYED ON MY FACE THE CHILD HAD FADED INTO A VANISHING SHADE THE PERFECTED WOMAN WHO HAD GROWN FROM HER HAD STOLEN ON ME UNAWARES AND WAS ASKING ME TO PARDON HER


MISTER GERARD YOU WERE LOST IN YOUR THOUGHTS I SPOKE AND YOU NEVER HEARD ME I LOOKED AT HER IN SILENCE WAS THIS THE DEAR CRISTEL SO WELL KNOWN TO ME OR WAS IT A MOCKERY OF HER THAT HAD TAKEN HER PLACE


YOU HAVE SURPRISED ME I ANSWERED SOMETHING MUST HAVE HAPPENED SINCE I SAW YOU LAST WHAT IS IT NOTHING I ADVANCED A STEP AND DREW HER CLOSER TO ME A DARK FLUSH DISCOLORED HER FACE AN OVERPOWERING BRILLIANCY FLASHED FROM HER EYES


THERE WAS AN HYSTERICAL DEFIANCE IN HER MANNER ARE YOU EXCITED ARE YOU ANGRY ARE YOU TRYING TO STARTLE ME BY ACTING A PART I URGED THOSE QUESTIONS ON HER ONE AFTER ANOTHER AND I WAS LOUDLY AND CONFIDENTLY ANSWERED


THE DEAF GENTLEMAN SUBMITTED WHY DID YOU INVITE YOURSELF BECAUSE A TEA PARTY IS NOT COMPLETE WITHOUT A WOMAN HER MANNER WAS AS STRANGELY ALTERED AS HER LOOKS THAT SHE WAS BESIDE HERSELF FOR THE MOMENT I CLEARLY SAW


I KNOW THAT SHE HAS VISITED YOU AND SPOKEN TO YOU DO YOU KNOW WHAT SHE HAS SAID I CAN GUESS


HER MANNER HAD BECOME QUIETER HER FACE WAS MORE COMPOSED HER EXPRESSION ALMOST RECOVERED ITS NATURAL CHARM WHILE SHE SPOKE OF LADY RACHEL I WAS STUPEFIED TRY SIR TO FORGET IT AND FORGIVE IT SHE RESUMED GENTLY


IF I HAVE MISBEHAVED MYSELF I DON'T RIGHTLY KNOW WHAT I AM SAYING OR DOING I POINTED TO THE NEW SIDE OF THE COTTAGE BEHIND US IS THE CAUSE THERE I ASKED NO NO INDEED


IN THAT SHORT TIME I TOLD HER THAT HE HAD BEEN FOUND IN MY GARDEN LOOKING AT THE FLOWERS AS HE HAD DONE NO HARM I SAID


AND FELT I DON'T DOUBT IT I HAD INTENDED TO SAY NO MORE THAN THIS BUT THE REMEMBRANCE OF GLOODY'S MYSTERIOUS PREVARICATION AND OF THE UNEASINESS WHICH I HAD UNDOUBTEDLY FELT WHEN I THOUGHT OF IT AFTERWARDS LED ME I CANNOT PRETEND TO SAY HOW


INTO ASSOCIATING CRISTEL'S AGITATION WITH SOMETHING WHICH THIS MAN MIGHT HAVE SAID TO HER I WAS ON THE POINT OF PUTTING THE QUESTION WHEN SHE HELD UP HER HAND AND SAID HUSH THE WIND WAS BLOWING TOWARDS US FROM THE RIVER SIDE VILLAGE TO WHICH I HAVE ALREADY ALLUDED


I AM NOT SURE WHETHER I HAVE MENTIONED THAT THE NAME OF THE PLACE WAS KYLAM IT WAS SITUATED BEHIND A PROMONTORY OF THE RIVER BANK CLOTHED THICKLY WITH TREES AND WAS NOT VISIBLE FROM THE MILL IN THE PRESENT DIRECTION OF THE WIND WE COULD HEAR THE STRIKING OF THE CHURCH CLOCK


CRISTEL COUNTED THE STROKES SEVEN SHE SAID ARE YOU DETERMINED TO KEEP YOUR ENGAGEMENT SHE HAD REPEATED IN AN UNSTEADY VOICE AND WITH A SUDDEN CHANGE IN HER COLOR TO PALENESS THE STRANGE QUESTION PUT TO ME BY GLOODY


IN HIS CASE I HAD FAILED TO TRACE THE MOTIVE I TRIED TO DISCOVER IT NOW TELL ME WHY I OUGHT TO BREAK MY ENGAGEMENT I SAID REMEMBER WHAT I TOLD YOU AT THE SPRING SHE ANSWERED


YOU ARE DECEIVED BY A FALSE FRIEND WHO LIES TO YOU AND HATES YOU THE MAN SHE WAS SPEAKING OF TURNED THE CORNER OF THE NEW COTTAGE


IT'S TOO LATE NOW INSTEAD OF LETTING ME PRECEDE HER AS I HAD ANTICIPATED SHE RAN ON BEFORE ME MADE A SIGN TO THE DEAF MAN AS SHE PASSED HIM NOT TO STOP HER AND DISAPPEARED THROUGH THE OPEN DOOR OF HER FATHER'S SIDE OF THE COTTAGE


I WAS LEFT TO DECIDE FOR MYSELF WHAT SHOULD I HAVE DONE IF I HAD BEEN TWENTY YEARS OLDER


THE FEAR OF APPEARING TO BE AFRAID AND THAT I SHOULD HAVE MADE MY EXCUSES TO MY HOST OF THE EVENING HOW WOULD MY MORAL COURAGE HAVE ANSWERED HIM IF HE HAD ASKED FOR AN EXPLANATION USELESS TO SPECULATE ON IT HAD I POSSESSED THE WISDOM OF MIDDLE LIFE


HIS BOOK OF LEAVES WOULD NOT HAVE TOLD HIM IN MY OWN HANDWRITING THAT I BELIEVED IN HIS BETTER NATURE


EXPLAIN IT WHO CAN I KNEW THAT I WAS GOING TO DRINK TEA WITH HIM AND YET I WAS UNWILLING TO ADVANCE A FEW STEPS AND MEET HIM ON THE ROAD I FIND A NEW BOND OF UNION BETWEEN US HE SAID AS HE JOINED ME WE BOTH FEEL THAT


HE POINTED TO THE GRANDLY DARKENING VIEW THE TWO MEN WHO COULD HAVE PAINTED THE MYSTERY OF THOSE GROWING SHADOWS AND FADING LIGHTS LIE IN THE GRAVES OF REMBRANDT AND TURNER SHALL WE GO TO TEA ON OUR WAY TO HIS ROOM WE STOPPED AT THE MILLER'S DOOR


WILL YOU INQUIRE HE SAID IF MISS CRISTEL IS READY I WENT IN OLD TOLLER WAS IN THE KITCHEN SMOKING HIS PIPE WITHOUT APPEARING TO ENJOY IT WHAT'S COME TO MY GIRL HE ASKED THE MOMENT HE SAW ME


TO DAY SHE'S IN HER ROOM PRAYING THE WARNINGS WHICH I HAD NEGLECTED ROSE IN JUDGMENT AGAINST ME I WAS SILENT I WAS AWED BEFORE I RECOVERED MYSELF CRISTEL ENTERED THE KITCHEN HER FATHER WHISPERED


TIME HAS PASSED SINCE I FIRST READ IT AND CHANGES HAVE OCCURRED IN THE INTERVAL WHICH LEAVE ME FREE TO EXERCISE MY OWN DISCRETION AND TO LET THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY SPEAK FOR ITSELF IF I AM ASKED WHAT IMPRESSION OF THE WRITER THOSE EXTRAORDINARY PAGES PRODUCED ON ME


I FEEL AT A LOSS HOW TO REPLY NOT ONE IMPRESSION BUT MANY IMPRESSIONS TROUBLED AND CONFUSED MY MIND CERTAIN PASSAGES IN THE CONFESSION INCLINED ME TO BELIEVE THAT THE WRITER WAS MAD BUT I ALTERED MY OPINION AT THE NEXT LEAF


AND SET HIM DOWN AS A MAN WITH A BITTER HUMOR


AT ONE TIME HIS TONE IN WRITING OF HIS EARLY LIFE AND HIS ALLUSIONS TO HIS MOTHER WON MY SYMPATHY AND RESPECT AT ANOTHER TIME THE PICTURE OF HIMSELF IN HIS LATER YEARS AND THE DEFIANT MANNER IN WHICH HE PRESENTED IT


ALMOST MADE ME REGRET THAT HE HAD NOT DIED OF THE ILLNESS WHICH HAD STRUCK HIM DEAF


AT ONE POSITIVE CONCLUSION AS STRANGERS HE AND I HAD FIRST MET AS STRANGERS I WAS DETERMINED WE SHOULD REMAIN HAVING MADE UP MY MIND SO FAR THE NEXT THING TO DO WITH THE CLOCK ON THE MANTEL PIECE STRIKING MIDNIGHT WAS TO GO TO BED


I SLEPT BADLY THE EVENTS THAT HAD HAPPENED SINCE MY ARRIVAL IN ENGLAND HAD EXCITED ME I SUPPOSE NOW AND THEN IN THE WAKEFUL HOURS OF THE NIGHT I THOUGHT OF CRISTEL WITH SOME ANXIETY


THE POOR GIRL AS I WAS STILL INCLINED TO FEAR MIGHT HAVE SERIOUS REASON TO REGRET THAT HE HAD EVER ENTERED HER FATHER'S COTTAGE AT THE BREAKFAST TABLE MY STEPMOTHER AND I MET AGAIN MISSUS ROYLAKE IN AN EXQUISITE MORNING DRESS WITH HER SMILE IN PERFECT ORDER


INFORMED ME THAT SHE WAS DYING WITH CURIOSITY SHE HAD HEARD FROM THE SERVANTS THAT I HAD NOT RETURNED TO THE HOUSE UNTIL PAST TEN O'CLOCK ON THE PREVIOUS NIGHT AND SHE WAS ABSOLUTELY BEWILDERED BY THE DISCOVERY WHAT COULD HER DEAR GERARD HAVE BEEN DOING OUT IN THE DARK BY HIMSELF


FOR ALL THAT TIME FOR SOME PART OF THE TIME I ANSWERED I WAS CATCHING MOTHS IN FORDWITCH WOOD


MISSUS ROYLAKE'S FASCINATING SMILE DISAPPEARED WHEN I MENTIONED THE MILL SHE SUDDENLY BECAME A COLD LADY I MIGHT EVEN SAY A STIFF LADY


OF COURSE THAT BOLD GIRL CONTRIVED TO ATTRACT YOUR NOTICE I REPLIED THAT I HAD MET WITH THE BOLD GIRL PURELY BY ACCIDENT ON HER SIDE AS WELL AS ON MINE AND THEN I STARTED A NEW TOPIC


WAS IT A PLEASANT DINNER PARTY LAST NIGHT I ASKED AS IF THE SUBJECT REALLY INTERESTED ME I HAD NOT BEEN QUITE FOUR AND TWENTY HOURS IN ENGLAND YET AND I WAS BECOMING A HUMBUG ALREADY


MY STEPMOTHER WAS HER CHARMING SELF AGAIN THE MOMENT MY QUESTION HAD PASSED MY LIPS SOCIETY PROVIDED IT WAS NOT SOCIETY AT THE MILL WAS ALWAYS ATTRACTIVE AS A TOPIC OF CONVERSATION YOUR ABSENCE WAS THE ONLY DRAWBACK SHE ANSWERED


I HAVE ASKED THE TWO LADIES MY LORD HAS AN ENGAGEMENT TO DINE HERE TO DAY WITHOUT CEREMONY THEY ARE MOST ANXIOUS TO MEET YOU MY DEAR GERARD YOU LOOK SURPRISED


I WAS OBLIGED TO ACKNOWLEDGE MY IGNORANCE MISSUS ROYLAKE WAS SHOCKED AT ANY RATE SHE RESUMED YOU HAVE HEARD OF THEIR FATHER LORD UPPERCLIFF I MADE ANOTHER SHAMEFUL CONFESSION


EITHER I HAD FORGOTTEN LORD UPPERCLIFF DURING MY LONG ABSENCE ABROAD OR I HAD NEVER HEARD OF HIM


WE WILL DRIVE OUT AFTER LUNCHEON AND PAY A ROUND OF VISITS WHEN THIS PROSPECT WAS PLACED BEFORE ME I REMEMBERED HAVING READ IN BOOKS OF SENSITIVE PERSONS RECEIVING IMPRESSIONS WHICH MADE THEIR BLOOD RUN COLD


I MUST TELL YOU THAT LADY RACHEL IS THE ELDEST SHE IS MARRIED TO THE HONORABLE CAPTAIN MILLBAY OF THE NAVY NOW AWAY IN HIS SHIP A PERSON OF EXTRAORDINARY STRENGTH OF MIND I DON'T MEAN THE CAPTAIN I MEAN LADY RACHEL


I ADMIRE HER INTELLECT BUT HER POLITICAL AND SOCIAL OPINIONS I MUST ALWAYS VIEW WITH REGRET


IS SIMPLY THE MOST CHARMING GIRL IN ENGLAND IF YOU DON'T FALL IN LOVE WITH HER


POOR SIR GEORGE SHE REFUSED HIM LAST WEEK YOU REALLY MUST HAVE HEARD OF SIR GEORGE OUR MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT CONSERVATIVE OF COURSE QUITE BROKEN HEARTED ABOUT LADY LENA GONE AWAY TO AMERICA TO SHOOT BEARS


YOU WANT TO SMOKE AFTER BREAKFAST WELL I WON'T BE IN YOUR WAY GO OUT ON THE TERRACE YOUR POOR FATHER ALWAYS TOOK HIS CIGAR ON THE TERRACE THEY SAY SMOKING LEADS TO MEDITATION I LEAVE YOU TO MEDITATE ON LADY LENA DON'T FORGET


SHE SMILED AND KISSED HER HAND AND FLUTTERED OUT OF THE ROOM CHARMING PERFECTLY CHARMING AND YET I WAS UNGRATEFUL ENOUGH TO WISH MYSELF BACK IN GERMANY AGAIN I LIT MY CIGAR BUT NOT ON THE TERRACE


LEAVING THE HOUSE I TOOK THE WAY ONCE MORE THAT LED TO FORDWITCH WOOD WHAT WOULD MISSUS ROYLAKE HAVE SAID IF SHE HAD DISCOVERED THAT I WAS GOING BACK TO THE MILL THERE WAS NO OTHER ALTERNATIVE THE PORTFOLIO WAS A TRUST CONFIDED TO ME


THE SOONER I RETURNED IT TO THE WRITER OF THE CONFESSION THE SOONER I TOLD HIM PLAINLY THE CONCLUSION AT WHICH I HAD ARRIVED THE MORE AT EASE MY MIND WOULD BE THE SLUGGISH RIVER LOOKED MUDDIER THAN EVER THE NEW COTTAGE LOOKED UGLIER THAN EVER


I KNOCKED AT THE DOOR ON THE ANCIENT SIDE OF THE BUILDING


HE STARED AT ME IN MOMENTARY PERPLEXITY AND SUDDENLY RECOVERING HIMSELF ASKED ME TO WALK IN ARE YOU THE YOUNG MASTER SIR AH YES YES I THOUGHT SO MY GIRL CRISTY SAID SHE SAW THE YOUNG MASTER LAST NIGHT THANK YOU KINDLY SIR I'M PRETTY WELL


MY MEALS DON'T SHOW ON ME YOU WILL EXCUSE MY RECEIVING YOU IN THE KITCHEN SIR IT'S THE BEST ROOM WE HAVE DID CRISTY TELL YOU HOW BADLY WE ARE OFF HERE FOR REPAIRS YOU BEING OUR LANDLORD WE LOOK TO YOU TO HELP US WE ARE FALLING TO PIECES AS IT WERE


ON THIS OLD SIDE OF THE HOUSE THERE'S FIRST DRAINS HE PROCEEDED TO RECKON UP THE REPAIRS COUNTING WITH HIS FLESHLESS THUMB ON HIS SKINNY FINGERS WHEN HE WAS INTERRUPTED BY A CURIOUS SUCCESSION OF SOUNDS WHICH BEGAN WITH WHINING AND ENDED WITH SCRATCHING AT THE COTTAGE DOOR


IN A MINUTE AFTER THE DOOR WAS OPENED FROM WITHOUT A BROWN DOG OF THE COMPANIONABLE RETRIEVER BREED RAN IN AND FAWNED UPON OLD TOLLER CRISTEL FOLLOWED FROM THE KITCHEN GARDEN WITH A BASKET OF VEGETABLES ON HER ARM


I NOW SAW IN THEIR FULL BEAUTY THE LUSTER OF HER BROWN EYES THE WARM ROSINESS OF HER DARK COMPLEXION THE DELIGHTFUL VIVACITY OF EXPRESSION WHICH WAS THE CROWNING CHARM OF HER FACE SHE PAUSED CONFUSEDLY IN THE DOORWAY


AND TRIED TO RESIST ME WHEN I INSISTED ON RELIEVING HER OF THE BASKET MISTER GERARD SHE PROTESTED


MY ANSWER WOULD NO DOUBT HAVE ASSUMED THE FORM OF A FOOLISH COMPLIMENT IF HER FATHER HAD NOT SPARED HER THAT INFLICTION


HE SAYS ALL RIGHT AND HE DOES NOTHING THERE'S FIRST AS I TOLD YOU JUST NOW THE TRULY DREADFUL STATE OF THE DRAINS I TRIED TO STOP HIM BY PROMISING TO SPEAK TO THE BAILIFF MYSELF ON HEARING THIS GOOD NEWS MISTER TOLLER'S GRATITUDE BECAME UNGOVERNABLE


HE WAS MORE EAGER THAN EVER AND MORE ELOQUENT THAN EVER IN RETURNING TO THE REPAIRS AND THEN SIR THERE'S THE OVEN THEY DO CALL BREAD THE STAFF OF LIFE IT'S A BURNT STAFF AT ONE TIME AND A CLAMMY STAFF AT ANOTHER


HIS DAUGHTER INTERFERED AND STOPPED HIM AT THE CRITICAL MOMENT WHEN HE WAS ACTUALLY OFFERING HIS ARM TO CONDUCT ME IN STATE ACROSS THE KITCHEN CRISTEL HAD JUST PUT HER PRETTY BROWN HAND OVER HIS MOUTH AND SAID OH FATHER DO PRAY BE QUIET


WHEN WE WERE ALL THREE DISTURBED BY ANOTHER INTERRUPTION A SECOND DOOR COMMUNICATING AS I CONCLUDED FROM ITS POSITION WITH THE NEW COTTAGE WAS SUDDENLY OPENED IN THE INSTANT BEFORE THE PERSON BEHIND IT APPEARED THE DOG LOOKED THAT WAY


STARTED UP FRIGHTENED AND TOOK REFUGE UNDER THE TABLE AT THE NEXT MOMENT THE DEAF LODGER WALKED INTO THE ROOM IT WAS HE BEYOND ALL DOUBT WHO HAD FRIGHTENED THE DOG FOREWARNED BY INSTINCT OF HIS APPEARANCE


WHAT I HAD READ OF HIS WRITING DISPOSED ME NOW THAT I SAW THE MAN BY DAYLIGHT TO FIND SOMETHING DEVILISH IN THE EXPRESSION OF HIS FACE NO STRONG AS IT WAS MY PREJUDICE FAILED TO MAKE ANY DISCOVERIES THAT PRESENTED HIM AT A DISADVANTAGE


HIS PERSONAL ATTRACTIONS TRIUMPHED IN THE CLEAR SEARCHING LIGHT I NOW PERCEIVED THAT HIS EYES WERE OF THAT DEEPLY DARK BLUE WHICH IS COMMONLY AND FALSELY DESCRIBED AS RESEMBLING THE COLOR OF THE VIOLET TO MY THINKING THEY WERE SO ENTIRELY BEAUTIFUL


THAT THEY HAD NO RIGHT TO BE IN A MAN'S FACE


TO THE SOFT PROFUSION OF HIS REDDISH BROWN HAIR TO HIS FINELY SHAPED SENSITIVE LIPS BUT FOR TWO MARKED PECULIARITIES IN HIM WHICH WOULD HAVE SHOWN ME TO BE WRONG THAT IS TO SAY THE EXPRESSION OF POWER ABOUT HIS HEAD


AND THE SIGNS OF MASCULINE RESOLUTION PRESENTED BY HIS MOUTH AND CHIN ON ENTERING THE ROOM THE FIRST PERSON AND THE ONLY PERSON WHO ATTRACTED HIS ATTENTION WAS CRISTEL HE BOWED SMILED POSSESSED HIMSELF ABRUPTLY OF HER HAND AND KISSED IT


JASON HAD PERSUADED ORPHEUS TO ACCOMPANY THE ARGONAUTS WHEN THEY WENT TO FETCH BACK THE GOLDEN FLEECE FOR HE KNEW THAT THE PERILS OF THE WAY WOULD BE LIGHTENED BY SONG TO THE SOUND OF HIS LYRE THE ARGO HAD FLOATED DOWN TO THE SEA


AND HE PLAYED SO SWEETLY WHEN THEY PASSED THE ROCKS OF THE SIRENS THAT THE DREADFUL MONSTERS SANG THEIR MOST ALLURING STRAINS IN VAIN


WHOM HE LOVED DEARLY AND WHO RETURNED HIS LOVE BUT AT THEIR MARRIAGE THE OMENS WERE NOT FAVORABLE HYMEN THE MARRIAGE GOD CAME TO IT WITH A GLOOMY COUNTENANCE AND THE WEDDING TORCHES SMOKED


AND WOULD NOT GIVE FORTH A CHEERFUL FLAME


WAS TO BE BUT SHORT LIVED FOR AS THE NEW MADE BRIDE WANDERED THROUGH THE WOODS WITH THE OTHER NYMPHS A POISONOUS SERPENT STUNG HER HEEL AND NO REMEDY AVAILED TO SAVE HER ORPHEUS WAS THROWN


INTO MOST PASSIONATE GRIEF AT HIS WIFE'S DEATH HE COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT HE HAD LOST HER FOR EVER BUT PRAYED DAY AND NIGHT WITHOUT CEASING TO THE GODS ABOVE TO RESTORE HER TO HIM WHEN THEY WOULD NOT LISTEN


HE RESOLVED TO MAKE ONE LAST EFFORT TO WIN HER BACK HE WOULD GO DOWN TO THE LOWER WORLD AND SEEK HER AMONG THE DEAD AND TRY WHETHER ANY PRAYER OR PERSUASION COULD MOVE PLUTO TO RESTORE HIS BELOVED NEAR TAENARUM


IN LACONIA WAS A CAVE AMONG DARK AND GLOOMY ROCKS THROUGH WHICH LED ONE OF THE ENTRANCES TO THE LOWER WORLD THIS WAS THE ROAD BY WHICH HERCULES DESCENDED WHEN HE WENT TO CARRY OFF CERBERUS


THE THREE HEADED DOG THAT GUARDS THE THRESHOLD OF PLUTO UNDAUNTED BY THE TERRORS OF THE PLACE ORPHEUS PASSED THROUGH THIS GATE AND DOWN A DARK AND DISMAL ROAD TO THE KINGDOM OF THE DEAD


HERE HE CAME IN SAFETY THROUGH THE CROWD OF GHOSTS AND PHANTOMS AND STOOD AT LAST BEFORE THE THRONE OF PLUTO AND PROSERPINA THEN HE TOUCHED THE CHORDS OF HIS LYRE AND CHANTED THESE WORDS


GREAT LORDS OF THE WORLD BELOW THE EARTH TO WHICH ALL WE MORTALS MUST ONE DAY COME GRANT ME TO TELL A SIMPLE TALE


THE LIFELESS GHOSTS CAME FLOCKING AND AS THEY HEARD THEY WEPT TANTALUS FORGOT HIS HUNGER AND THIRST


SAT ON HIS STONE TO LISTEN NEVER YET HAD SUCH SWEET STRAINS BEEN HEARD IN THE WORLD OF GLOOM THEN FOR THE FIRST TIME TEARS MOISTENED THE CHEEKS OF THE FURIES AND EVEN THE KING AND QUEEN OF THE DEAD WERE MOVED TO PITY


AND SHE CAME YET HALTING FROM HER RECENT WOUND TAKE HER SAYS PLUTO AND LEAD HER BACK TO THE LIGHT


NOR MUST YOU ONCE TURN ROUND TO LOOK UPON HER


ELSE THE BOON WE GRANT YOU WILL BE BUT VAIN A STEEP PATH LED UPWARD FROM THE REALM OF DARKNESS AND THE WAY WAS HARD TO FIND THROUGH THE GLOOM IN SILENCE ORPHEUS LED ON TILL THE GOAL WAS CLOSE AT HAND


AND THE WELCOMING LIGHT OF THE UPPER AIR BEGAN TO PENETRATE THE DARKNESS THEN A SUDDEN FEAR STRUCK HIS HEART


HE TURNED TO GAZE ON HIS BELOVED DIMLY HE SAW HER BUT FOR THE LAST TIME FOR A POWER SHE COULD NOT RESIST DREW HER BACK ORPHEUS STRETCHED OUT HIS ARMS AND TRIED TO SEIZE HER BUT HE ONLY CLASPED THE EMPTY AIR


HE SAT ON THE FURTHER BANK WITHOUT FOOD OR DRINK


THEN AT LAST HE KNEW THAT THE GODS BELOW WERE PITILESS AND FULL OF SORROW HE RETURNED TO THE UPPER EARTH FOR THREE YEARS


FINDING HIS ONLY CONSOLATION IN THE MUSIC OF HIS LYRE FOR HE SHUNNED ALL MEN AND WOMEN


ONE DAY HE SAT DOWN TO REST ON A GRASSY HILL IN THE SUNSHINE AND PLAYED AND SANG TO BEGUILE HIS SORROW AS HE PLAYED THE COOLNESS OF SHADY BRANCHES SEEMED ALL ABOUT HIM AND LOOKING UP HE FOUND HIMSELF IN THE MIDST OF A WOOD


OAK POPLAR LIME BEECH LAUREL ASH PINE PLANE AND MAPLE AND MANY ANOTHER TREE HAD GATHERED TOGETHER HERE DRAWN FROM THEIR DISTANT FOREST HOMES BY THE SOUNDS OF ORPHEUS'S LYRE


YES AND THE BEASTS AND THE BIRDS OF THE FIELD CAME TOO AND ORPHEUS SAT IN THEIR MIDST AND SANG AND PLAYED THE TUNES OF SORROW SUDDENLY A GREAT NOISE WAS HEARD OF LAUGHTER AND SHOUTING AND MERRY MAKING


FOR THIS WAS ONE OF THE FEASTS OF BACCHUS AND THE WOMEN WERE CELEBRATING HIS RITES WANDERING OVER THE MOUNTAINS WITH DANCE AND REVEL WHEN THEY SAW ORPHEUS THEY SET UP A SHOUT OF DERISION SEE THEY CRIED


THE WRETCHED SINGER WHO MOCKS AT WOMEN AND WILL HAVE NO BRIDE BUT THE DEAD COME LET US KILL HIM AND SHOW THAT NO MAN SHALL DESPISE US UNPUNISHED WITH THESE WORDS THEY BEGAN TO THROW WANDS AND STONES AT HIM


AND FELL HARMLESSLY TO THE GROUND THEN THE WOMEN RAISED A WILD SHOUT AND MADE SUCH A CLAMOR WITH TRUMPETS AND CYMBALS THAT THE SOFT TONES OF THE HARP WERE DROWNED BY THE NOISE NOW AT LAST THE SHOTS TOOK EFFECT


AND IN THEIR FURY THE WOMEN FELL UPON HIM DEALING BLOW ON BLOW ORPHEUS FELL LIFELESS TO THE GROUND BUT HE WAS NOT TO DIE UNWEPT THE LITTLE BIRDS OF THE FOREST MOURNED FOR HIM EVEN THE STONY ROCKS WEPT


THE TREES SHED THEIR LEAVES WITH GRIEF AND THE DRYADS AND NAIADS TORE THEIR HAIR AND PUT ON THE GARB OF SORROW ONLY THE PITILESS REVELERS KNEW NO REMORSE THEY SEIZED THE SINGER'S HEAD


AND THREW IT WITH HIS LYRE INTO THE RIVER HEBRUS THERE IT FLOATED DOWN STREAM AND STRANGE TO TELL THE CHORDS GAVE FORTH A LAMENT AND THE LIFELESS TONGUE UTTERED WORDS


IT CRIED TILL HEAD AND LYRE WERE CARRIED DOWN TO THE SEA AND ON TO LESBOS THE ISLE OF SWEET SONG WHERE IN AFTER YEARS


AND SAPPHO TUNED AFRESH THE LYRE OF ORPHEUS


FOR THE FUTURE HE MUST BEND ALL HIS CUNNING AND VIGILANCE TO THE TASK OF HIDING HIMSELF FROM THE GAZE OF THOSE WHOM HE HAD SO INJURED AND ESCAPING THE JUST PUNISHMENT HE HAD BROUGHT UPON HIMSELF


THE WORLD IS LARGE AND I AM VERY CLEVER SAID LOKI TO HIMSELF AS HE TURNED HIS BACK UPON ASGARD AND WANDERED OUT INTO MANHEIM


AND NO MEASURE FOR THE DEEP WATERS NEITHER IS THERE ANY POSSIBILITY OF COUNTING THE VARIOUS FORMS UNDER WHICH I SHALL DISGUISE MYSELF ODIN WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO FIND ME


I HAVE NO CAUSE TO FEAR BUT THOUGH LOKI REPEATED THIS OVER AND OVER AGAIN TO HIMSELF HE WAS AFRAID HE WANDERED FAR INTO THE THICK WOODS AND COVERED HIMSELF WITH THE DEEP WATERS


HE CLIMBED TO THE TOPS OF MISTY HILLS AND CROUCHED IN THE DARK OF HOLLOW CAVES BUT ABOVE THE WOOD AND THROUGH THE WATER AND DOWN INTO THE DARKNESS A SINGLE RAY OF CALM CLEAR LIGHT SEEMED ALWAYS TO FOLLOW HIM


AND HE KNEW THAT IT CAME FROM THE EYE OF ODIN WHO WAS WATCHING HIM FROM AIR THRONE THEN HE TRIED TO ESCAPE THE WATCHFUL EYE BY DISGUISING HIMSELF UNDER VARIOUS SHAPES SOMETIMES HE WAS AN EAGLE ON A LONELY MOUNTAIN CRAG


SOMETIMES HE HID HIMSELF AS ONE AMONG A TROOP OF TIMID REINDEER SOMETIMES HE LAY IN THE NEST OF A WOOD PIGEON SOMETIMES HE SWAM A BRIGHT SPOTTED FISH IN THE SEA BUT WHEREVER HE WAS AMONG LIVING CREATURES


OR ALONE WITH DEAD NATURE EVERYTHING SEEMED TO KNOW HIM AND TO FIND A VOICE IN WHICH TO SAY TO HIM


AIR EARTH OR WATER THERE WAS NO REST FOR HIM ANYWHERE TIRED AT LAST OF SEEKING WHAT HE COULD NOWHERE FIND LOKI BUILT HIMSELF A HOUSE NEAR A NARROW GLITTERING RIVER WHICH LOWER DOWN FLASHED FROM A HIGH ROCK INTO THE SEA BELOW


HE TOOK CARE THAT HIS HOUSE SHOULD HAVE FOUR DOORS IN IT THAT HE MIGHT LOOK OUT ON EVERY SIDE AND CATCH THE FIRST GLIMPSE OF THE GODS WHEN THEY CAME AS HE KNEW THEY WOULD COME TO TAKE HIM AWAY HERE HIS WIFE SIGUNA AND HIS TWO SONS


ALI AND NARI CAME TO LIVE WITH HIM SIGUNA WAS A KIND WOMAN FAR TOO GOOD AND KIND FOR LOKI SHE FELT SORRY FOR HIM NOW THAT SHE SAW HE WAS IN GREAT FEAR AND THAT EVERY LIVING THING HAD TURNED AGAINST HIM


AND SHE WOULD HAVE HIDDEN HIM FROM THE JUST ANGER OF THE GODS IF SHE COULD BUT THE TWO SONS CARED LITTLE ABOUT THEIR FATHER'S DREAD AND DANGER THEY SPENT ALL THEIR TIME IN QUARRELING WITH EACH OTHER AND THEIR LOUD ANGRY VOICES SOUNDING ABOVE THE WATERFALL


WOULD SPEEDILY HAVE BETRAYED THE HIDING PLACE EVEN IF ODIN'S PIERCING EYE HAD NOT ALREADY FOUND IT OUT AT LAST ONE DAY WHEN HE WAS SITTING IN THE MIDDLE OF HIS HOUSE LOOKING ALTERNATELY OUT OF ALL THE FOUR DOORS AND AMUSING HIMSELF AS WELL AS HE COULD


BY MAKING A FISHING NET HE SPIED IN THE DISTANCE THE WHOLE COMPANY OF THE GODS APPROACHING HIS HOUSE THE SIGHT OF THEM COMING ALL TOGETHER BEAUTIFUL AND NOBLE AND FREE PIERCED LOKI WITH A PANG THAT WAS WORSE THAN DEATH


HE ROSE WITHOUT DARING TO LOOK AGAIN THREW HIS NET ON A FIRE THAT BURNED ON THE FLOOR AND RUSHING TO THE SIDE OF THE LITTLE RIVER HE TURNED HIMSELF INTO A SALMON SWAM DOWN TO THE DEEPEST STILLEST POOL AT THE BOTTOM


AND HID HIMSELF BETWEEN TWO STONES THE GODS ENTERED THE HOUSE AND LOOKED ALL ROUND IN VAIN FOR LOKI


FAMOUS FOR HIS KEEN SIGHT SPIED OUT THE REMAINS OF THE FISHING NET IN THE FIRE THEN ODIN KNEW AT ONCE THAT THERE WAS A RIVER NEAR AND THAT IT WAS THERE WHERE LOKI HAD HIDDEN HIMSELF HE ORDERED HIS SONS TO MAKE A NEW NET AND TO CAST IT INTO THE WATER


AND DRAG OUT WHATEVER LIVING THING THEY COULD FIND THERE IT WAS DONE AS HE DESIRED THOR HELD ONE END OF THE NET AND ALL THE REST OF THE GODS DREW THE OTHER THROUGH THE WATER WHEN THEY PULLED IT UP THE FIRST TIME HOWEVER IT WAS EMPTY AND THEY WOULD HAVE GONE AWAY DISAPPOINTED


SAW THAT SOMETHING LIVING HAD CERTAINLY TOUCHED THEM THEY THEN ADDED A WEIGHT TO THE NET AND THREW IT WITH SUCH FORCE THAT IT REACHED THE BOTTOM OF THE RIVER AND DRAGGED UP THE STONES IN THE POOL LOKI NOW SAW THE DANGER HE WAS IN OF BEING CAUGHT IN THE NET AND


BUT NOT SO QUICKLY BUT THAT THE GODS SAW HIM KNEW HIM THROUGH HIS DISGUISE AND RESOLVED THAT HE SHOULD NO LONGER ESCAPE THEY THEMSELVES DIVIDED INTO TWO BANDS THOR WADED DOWN THE RIVER TO THE WATERFALL


THE OTHER GODS STOOD IN A GROUP BELOW LOKI SWAM BACKWARDS AND FORWARDS BETWEEN THEM FIRST HE THOUGHT HE WOULD DART OUT INTO THE SEA AND THEN THAT HE WOULD SPRING OVER THE NET BACK AGAIN INTO THE RIVER THIS LAST SEEMED THE EASIEST WAY OF ESCAPE


AND WITH THE GREATEST SPEED HE ATTEMPTED IT THOR HOWEVER WAS WATCHING FOR HIM AND AS SOON AS LOKI LEAPED OUT OF THE WATER HE STRETCHED OUT HIS HAND AND CAUGHT HIM WHILE HE WAS YET TURNING IN THE AIR


LOKI WRIGGLED HIS SLIPPERY SLIMY LENGTH THROUGH THOR'S FINGERS BUT THE THUNDERER GRASPED HIM TIGHTLY BY THE TAIL AND HOLDING HIM IN THIS MANNER IN THIS HAND WADED TO THE SHORE THERE FATHER ODIN AND THE OTHER GODS MET HIM AND


AT ODIN'S FIRST SEARCHING LOOK LOKI WAS OBLIGED TO DROP HIS DISGUISE AND COWERING AND FRIGHTENED TO ASSUME HIS PROPER SHAPE BEFORE THE ASSEMBLED LORDS ONE BY ONE THEY TURNED THEIR FACES FROM HIM FOR IN LOOKING AT HIM


THEY SEEMED TO SEE OVER AGAIN THE DEATH OF BALDUR THE BELOVED YOU WERE TOLD THAT THERE WERE HIGH ROCKS LOOKING OVER THE SEA NEAR LOKI'S HOUSE ONE OF THESE HIGHER THAN THE REST HAD MIDWAY FOUR PROJECTING STONES AND TO THESE THE GODS RESOLVED TO BIND LOKI


BE ABLE TO TORMENT THE INHABITANTS OF MANHEIM OR ASGARD BY HIS EVIL DOINGS THOR PROPOSED TO RETURN TO ASGARD TO BRING A CHAIN WITH WHICH TO BIND THE PRISONER BUT ODIN ASSURED HIM THAT HE HAD NO NEED TO TAKE SUCH A JOURNEY


LOKI HE SAID HAS ALREADY FORGED FOR HIMSELF A CHAIN STRONGER THAN ANY YOU CAN MAKE WHILE WE HAVE BEEN OCCUPIED IN CATCHING HIM HIS TWO SONS ALI AND NARI TRANSFORMED INTO WOLVES


BY THEIR EVIL PASSIONS HAVE FOUGHT WITH AND DESTROYED EACH OTHER WITH THEIR SINEWS WE MUST MAKE A CHAIN TO BIND THEIR FATHER AND FROM THAT HE CAN NEVER ESCAPE IT WAS DONE AS ASA ODIN SAID


A ROPE WAS MADE OF THE DEAD WOLVES SINEWS AND AS SOON AS IT TOUCHED LOKI'S BODY IT TURNED INTO BANDS OF IRON


IT ALL SEEMED SO RAPID AND UNCALCULATED AFTER THAT THE EVENTS THAT TOOK PLACE IN THIS LITTLE MODERN ROOM AT THE TOP OF PUTNEY HILL BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AND SUNRISE THAT DOCTOR SILENCE WAS HARDLY ABLE TO FOLLOW AND REMEMBER IT ALL


IT CAME ABOUT WITH SUCH UNCANNY SWIFTNESS AND TERROR THE LIGHT WAS SO UNCERTAIN THE MOVEMENTS OF THE BLACK CAT SO DIFFICULT TO FOLLOW ON THE DARK CARPET AND THE DOCTOR HIMSELF SO WEARY AND TAKEN BY SURPRISE THAT HE FOUND IT ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE


TO OBSERVE ACCURATELY OR TO RECALL AFTERWARDS PRECISELY WHAT IT WAS HE HAD SEEN OR IN WHAT ORDER THE INCIDENTS HAD TAKEN PLACE HE NEVER COULD UNDERSTAND WHAT DEFECT OF VISION ON HIS PART MADE IT SEEM AS THOUGH THE CAT HAD DUPLICATED ITSELF AT FIRST


AND THEN INCREASED INDEFINITELY SO THAT THERE WERE AT LEAST A DOZEN OF THEM DARTING SILENTLY ABOUT THE FLOOR LEAPING SOFTLY ON TO CHAIRS AND TABLES PASSING LIKE SHADOWS FROM THE OPEN DOOR TO THE END OF THE ROOM ALL BLACK AS SIN


WITH BRILLIANT GREEN EYES FLASHING FIRE IN ALL DIRECTIONS IT WAS LIKE THE REFLECTIONS FROM A SCORE OF MIRRORS PLACED ROUND THE WALLS AT DIFFERENT ANGLES NOR COULD HE MAKE OUT AT THE TIME WHY THE SIZE OF THE ROOM SEEMED TO HAVE ALTERED


THE SNARLING OF THE ENRAGED AND TERRIFIED COLLIE SOUNDED SOMETIMES SO FAR AWAY THE CEILING SEEMED TO HAVE RAISED ITSELF SO MUCH HIGHER THAN BEFORE AND MUCH OF THE FURNITURE HAD CHANGED IN APPEARANCE AND SHIFTED MARVELLOUSLY IT WAS ALL SO CONFUSED AND CONFUSING


INTO THE DIMENSIONS OF QUITE ANOTHER CHAMBER THAT CAME TO HIM WITH ITS HOST OF CATS AND ITS STRANGE DISTANCES IN A SORT OF VISION BUT THESE CHANGES CAME ABOUT A LITTLE LATER AND AT A TIME WHEN HIS ATTENTION WAS SO CONCENTRATED


UPON THE PROCEEDINGS OF SMOKE AND THE COLLIE THAT HE ONLY OBSERVED THEM AS IT WERE SUBCONSCIOUSLY AND THE EXCITEMENT THE FLICKERING CANDLELIGHT THE DISTRESS HE FELT FOR THE COLLIE


WERE THE POOREST POSSIBLE ALLIES TO CAREFUL OBSERVATION AT FIRST HE WAS ONLY AWARE THAT THE DOG WAS REPEATING HIS SHORT DANGEROUS BARK FROM TIME TO TIME SNAPPING VICIOUSLY AT THE EMPTY AIR A FOOT OR SO FROM THE GROUND ONCE INDEED


HE SPRANG UPWARDS AND FORWARDS WORKING FURIOUSLY WITH TEETH AND PAWS AND WITH A NOISE LIKE WOLVES FIGHTING BUT ONLY TO DASH BACK THE NEXT MINUTE AGAINST THE WALL BEHIND HIM THEN AFTER LYING STILL FOR A BIT HE ROSE TO A CROUCHING POSITION


AS THOUGH TO SPRING AGAIN SNARLING HORRIBLY AND MAKING SHORT HALF CIRCLES WITH LOWERED HEAD AND SMOKE ALL THE WHILE MEOWED PITEOUSLY BY THE WINDOW AS THOUGH TRYING TO DRAW THE ATTACK UPON HIMSELF THEN IT WAS THAT THE RUSH OF THE WHOLE DREADFUL BUSINESS


SEEMED TO TURN ASIDE FROM THE DOG AND DIRECT ITSELF UPON HIS OWN PERSON THE COLLIE HAD MADE ANOTHER SPRING AND FALLEN BACK WITH A CRASH INTO THE CORNER WHERE HE MADE NOISE ENOUGH IN HIS SAVAGE RAGE TO WAKEN THE DEAD BEFORE HE FELL TO WHINING


AND DIRECTLY AFTERWARDS THE DOCTOR'S OWN DISTRESS BECAME INTOLERABLY ACUTE HE HAD MADE A HALF MOVEMENT FORWARD TO COME TO THE RESCUE WHEN A VEIL THAT WAS DENSER THAN MERE FOG SEEMED TO DROP DOWN OVER THE SCENE DRAPING ROOM


WALLS ANIMALS AND FIRE IN A MIST OF DARKNESS AND FOLDING ALSO ABOUT HIS OWN MIND OTHER FORMS MOVED SILENTLY ACROSS THE FIELD OF VISION FORMS THAT HE RECOGNISED FROM PREVIOUS EXPERIMENTS AND WELCOMED NOT


UNHOLY THOUGHTS BEGAN TO CROWD INTO HIS BRAIN SINISTER SUGGESTIONS OF EVIL PRESENTED THEMSELVES SEDUCTIVELY ICE SEEMED TO SETTLE ABOUT HIS HEART AND HIS MIND TREMBLED HE BEGAN TO LOSE MEMORY


MEMORY OF HIS IDENTITY OF WHERE HE WAS OF WHAT HE OUGHT TO DO THE VERY FOUNDATIONS OF HIS STRENGTH WERE SHAKEN


AND IT WAS THEN THAT THE ROOM FILLED WITH THIS HORDE OF CATS ALL DARK AS THE NIGHT ALL SILENT ALL WITH LAMPING EYES OF GREEN FIRE THE DIMENSIONS OF THE PLACE ALTERED AND SHIFTED HE WAS IN A MUCH LARGER SPACE


THE WHINING OF THE DOG SOUNDED FAR AWAY AND ALL ABOUT HIM THE CATS FLEW BUSILY TO AND FRO SILENTLY PLAYING THEIR TEARING RUSHING GAME OF EVIL WEAVING THE PATTERN OF THEIR DARK PURPOSE UPON THE FLOOR


HE STROVE HARD TO COLLECT HIMSELF AND REMEMBER THE WORDS OF POWER HE HAD MADE USE OF BEFORE IN SIMILAR DREAD POSITIONS WHERE HIS DANGEROUS PRACTICE HAD SOMETIMES LED BUT HE COULD RECALL NOTHING CONSECUTIVELY


A MIST LAY OVER HIS MIND AND MEMORY HE FELT DAZED AND HIS FORCES SCATTERED THE DEEPS WITHIN WERE TOO TROUBLED FOR HEALING POWER TO COME OUT OF THEM IT WAS GLAMOUR OF COURSE HE REALISED AFTERWARDS


THE STRONG GLAMOUR THROWN UPON HIS IMAGINATION BY SOME POWERFUL PERSONALITY BEHIND THE VEIL BUT AT THE TIME HE WAS NOT SUFFICIENTLY AWARE OF THIS AND AS WITH ALL TRUE GLAMOUR WAS UNABLE TO GRASP


BEHIND HIM LIKE WIND BOOMING AND TEARING ITS WAY DOWN THE WINDOWS RATTLED THE CANDLE FLICKERED AND WENT OUT THE GLACIAL ATMOSPHERE CLOSED ROUND HIM WITH THE COLD OF DEATH AND A GREAT RUSHING SOUND SWEPT BY OVERHEAD


SOMETHING FROM THE REGION OF UTTER COLD WAS UPON HIM AND THEN QUITE SUDDENLY THROUGH THE CONFUSED MISTS ABOUT HIM THERE SLOWLY ROSE UP THE PERSONALITY THAT HAD BEEN ALL THE TIME DIRECTING THE BATTLE SOME FORCE ENTERED HIS BEING


THAT SHOOK HIM AS THE TEMPEST SHAKES A LEAF AND CLOSE AGAINST HIS EYES CLEAN LEVEL WITH HIS FACE HE FOUND HIMSELF STARING INTO THE WRECK OF A VAST DARK COUNTENANCE A COUNTENANCE THAT WAS TERRIBLE EVEN IN ITS RUIN


AND THE MARK OF SPIRITUAL EVIL WAS BRANDED EVERYWHERE UPON ITS BROKEN FEATURES EYES FACE AND HAIR ROSE LEVEL WITH HIS OWN


HE NEVER COULD PROPERLY MEASURE OR DETERMINE THESE TWO A MAN AND A WOMAN LOOKED STRAIGHT INTO EACH OTHER'S VISAGES AND DOWN INTO EACH OTHER'S HEARTS AND JOHN SILENCE THE SOUL WITH THE GOOD UNSELFISH MOTIVE


HELD HIS OWN AGAINST THE DARK DISCARNATE WOMAN WHOSE MOTIVE WAS PURE EVIL AND WHOSE SOUL WAS ON THE SIDE OF THE DARK POWERS IT WAS THE CLIMAX THAT TOUCHED THE DEPTH OF POWER WITHIN HIM AND BEGAN TO RESTORE HIM SLOWLY TO HIS OWN


HE WAS CONSCIOUS OF COURSE OF EFFORT AND YET IT SEEMED NO SUPERHUMAN ONE FOR HE HAD RECOGNISED THE CHARACTER OF HIS OPPONENT'S POWER AND HE CALLED UPON THE GOOD WITHIN HIM TO MEET AND OVERCOME IT


THE INNER FORCES STIRRED AND TREMBLED IN RESPONSE TO HIS CALL THEY DID NOT AT FIRST COME READILY AS WAS THEIR HABIT FOR UNDER THE SPELL OF GLAMOUR THEY HAD ALREADY BEEN DIABOLICALLY LULLED INTO INACTIVITY BUT COME THEY EVENTUALLY DID


AND POWER AND CONFIDENCE CAME WITH THEM HE BEGAN TO BREATHE DEEPLY AND REGULARLY AND AT THE SAME TIME TO ABSORB INTO HIMSELF THE FORCES OPPOSED TO HIM AND TO TURN THEM TO HIS OWN ACCOUNT


BY CEASING TO RESIST AND ALLOWING THE DEADLY STREAM TO POUR INTO HIM UNOPPOSED HE USED THE VERY POWER SUPPLIED BY HIS ADVERSARY AND THUS ENORMOUSLY INCREASED HIS OWN FOR THIS SPIRITUAL ALCHEMY HE HAD LEARNED HE UNDERSTOOD THAT FORCE


ULTIMATELY IS EVERYWHERE ONE AND THE SAME IT IS THE MOTIVE BEHIND THAT MAKES IT GOOD OR EVIL AND HIS MOTIVE WAS ENTIRELY UNSELFISH HE KNEW PROVIDED HE WAS NOT FIRST ROBBED OF SELF CONTROL


HOW VICARIOUSLY TO ABSORB THESE EVIL RADIATIONS INTO HIMSELF AND CHANGE THEM MAGICALLY INTO HIS OWN GOOD PURPOSES AND SINCE HIS MOTIVE WAS PURE AND HIS SOUL FEARLESS THEY COULD NOT WORK HIM HARM


THUS HE STOOD IN THE MAIN STREAM OF EVIL UNWITTINGLY ATTRACTED BY PENDER DEFLECTING ITS COURSE UPON HIMSELF AND AFTER PASSING THROUGH THE PURIFYING FILTER OF HIS OWN UNSELFISHNESS THESE ENERGIES COULD ONLY ADD TO HIS STORE OF EXPERIENCE OF KNOWLEDGE


AND THEREFORE OF POWER AND AS HIS SELF CONTROL RETURNED TO HIM HE GRADUALLY ACCOMPLISHED THIS PURPOSE EVEN THOUGH TREMBLING WHILE HE DID SO YET THE STRUGGLE WAS SEVERE AND IN SPITE OF THE FREEZING CHILL OF THE AIR


THE PERSPIRATION POURED DOWN HIS FACE THEN BY SLOW DEGREES THE DARK AND DREADFUL COUNTENANCE FADED THE GLAMOUR PASSED FROM HIS SOUL THE NORMAL PROPORTIONS RETURNED TO WALLS AND CEILING THE FORMS MELTED BACK INTO THE FOG


AND THE WHIRL OF RUSHING SHADOW CATS DISAPPEARED WHENCE THEY CAME AND WITH THE RETURN OF THE CONSCIOUSNESS OF HIS OWN IDENTITY JOHN SILENCE WAS RESTORED TO THE FULL CONTROL OF HIS OWN WILL POWER IN A DEEP MODULATED VOICE


HE MADE CERTAIN SIGILS GESTURES AND MOVEMENTS AT THE SAME TIME FOR SEVERAL MINUTES HE CONTINUED TO UTTER THESE WORDS UNTIL AT LENGTH THE GROWING VOLUME DOMINATED THE WHOLE ROOM AND MASTERED THE MANIFESTATION OF ALL THAT OPPOSED IT


FOR JUST AS HE UNDERSTOOD THE SPIRITUAL ALCHEMY THAT CAN TRANSMUTE EVIL FORCES BY RAISING THEM INTO HIGHER CHANNELS SO HE KNEW FROM LONG STUDY THE OCCULT USE OF SOUND AND ITS DIRECT EFFECT UPON THE PLASTIC REGION


WHEREIN THE POWERS OF SPIRITUAL EVIL WORK THEIR FELL PURPOSES HARMONY WAS RESTORED FIRST OF ALL TO HIS OWN SOUL AND THENCE TO THE ROOM AND ALL ITS OCCUPANTS AND AFTER HIMSELF THE FIRST TO RECOGNISE IT WAS THE OLD DOG LYING IN HIS CORNER


FLAME BEGAN SUDDENLY UTTERING SOUNDS OF PLEASURE THAT SOMETHING BETWEEN A GROWL AND A GRUNT THAT DOGS MAKE UPON BEING RESTORED TO THEIR MASTER'S CONFIDENCE DOCTOR SILENCE HEARD THE THUMPING OF THE COLLIE'S TAIL AGAINST THE FLOOR AND THE GRUNT


AND THE THUMPING TOUCHED THE DEPTH OF AFFECTION IN THE MAN'S HEART AND GAVE HIM SOME INKLING OF WHAT AGONIES THE DUMB CREATURE HAD SUFFERED NEXT FROM THE SHADOWS BY THE WINDOW A SOMEWHAT SHRILL PURRING ANNOUNCED THE RESTORATION OF THE CAT TO ITS NORMAL STATE


SMOKE WAS ADVANCING ACROSS THE CARPET HE SEEMED VERY PLEASED WITH HIMSELF AND SMILED WITH AN EXPRESSION OF SUPREME INNOCENCE HE WAS NO SHADOW CAT BUT REAL AND FULL OF HIS USUAL AND PERFECT SELF POSSESSION HE MARCHED ALONG PICKING HIS WAY DELICATELY


CLEARLY HE WAS ANXIOUS TO MAKE AMENDS FOR THE MISCHIEF TO WHICH HE HAD UNWITTINGLY LENT HIMSELF OWING TO HIS SUBTLE AND ELECTRIC CONSTITUTION STILL UTTERING HIS SHARP HIGH PURRINGS HE MARCHED UP TO HIS MASTER AND RUBBED VIGOROUSLY AGAINST HIS LEGS


AND PAWED HIS KNEES AND STARED BESEECHINGLY UP INTO HIS FACE HE TURNED HIS HEAD TOWARDS THE CORNER WHERE THE COLLIE STILL LAY THUMPING HIS TAIL FEEBLY AND PATHETICALLY JOHN SILENCE UNDERSTOOD HE BENT DOWN AND STROKED THE CREATURE'S LIVING FUR


NOTING THE LINE OF BRIGHT BLUE SPARKS THAT FOLLOWED THE MOTION OF HIS HAND DOWN ITS BACK AND THEN THEY ADVANCED TOGETHER TOWARDS THE CORNER WHERE THE DOG WAS SMOKE WENT FIRST AND PUT HIS NOSE GENTLY AGAINST HIS FRIEND'S MUZZLE PURRING WHILE HE RUBBED


AND UTTERING LITTLE SOFT SOUNDS OF AFFECTION IN HIS THROAT THE DOCTOR LIT THE CANDLE AND BROUGHT IT OVER HE SAW THE COLLIE LYING ON ITS SIDE AGAINST THE WALL IT WAS UTTERLY EXHAUSTED AND FOAM STILL HUNG ABOUT ITS JAWS ITS TAIL AND EYES RESPONDED TO THE SOUND OF ITS NAME


BUT IT WAS EVIDENTLY VERY WEAK AND OVERCOME SMOKE CONTINUED TO RUB AGAINST ITS CHEEK AND NOSE AND EYES SOMETIMES EVEN STANDING ON ITS BODY AND KNEADING INTO THE THICK YELLOW HAIR FLAME REPLIED FROM TIME TO TIME BY LITTLE LICKS OF THE TONGUE


MOST OF THEM CURIOUSLY MISDIRECTED BUT DOCTOR SILENCE FELT INTUITIVELY THAT SOMETHING DISASTROUS HAD HAPPENED AND HIS HEART WAS WRUNG HE STROKED THE DEAR BODY FEELING IT OVER FOR BRUISES OR BROKEN BONES BUT FINDING NONE


WHEN A MYSTERIOUS CRIME HAS BEEN PERPETRATED OR A GREAT CATASTROPHE HAS HAPPENED AND THE IDENTITY OF THE VICTIMS HAS NOT BEEN ESTABLISHED A GREAT DAY INVARIABLY FOLLOWS AT THE MORGUE


THE ATTENDANTS ARE SO ACCUSTOMED TO THE HORRORS OF THE PLACE THAT THE MOST SICKLY SIGHT FAILS TO IMPRESS THEM AND EVEN UNDER THE MOST DISTRESSING CIRCUMSTANCES THEY HASTEN GAILY TO AND FRO


EXCHANGING JESTS WELL CALCULATED TO MAKE AN ORDINARY MORTAL'S FLESH CREEP AS A RULE THEY ARE FAR LESS INTERESTED IN THE CORPSES LAID OUT FOR PUBLIC VIEW ON THE MARBLE SLABS IN THE PRINCIPAL HALL


AS THE VEHICLE CONVEYING LECOQ REACHED THE QUAY


THE NEWSPAPERS HAD REPORTED THE TRAGEDY AT THE WIDOW CHUPIN'S DRINKING DEN OF COURSE MORE OR LESS CORRECTLY AND EVERYBODY WISHED TO SEE THE VICTIMS


I PREFER TO ALIGHT HERE RATHER THAN IN FRONT OF THE MORGUE HE SAID SPRINGING TO THE GROUND THEN PRODUCING FIRST HIS WATCH AND NEXT HIS PURSE HE ADDED


WE HAVE BEEN AN HOUR AND FORTY MINUTES MY GOOD FELLOW CONSEQUENTLY I OWE YOU NOTHING AT ALL REPLIED THE DRIVER DECIDEDLY BUT NO NOT A SOU


I AM TOO WORRIED ALREADY TO THINK THAT I TOOK THE MONEY THESE HUSSIES OFFERED ME IT WOULD ONLY HAVE SERVED ME RIGHT IF THE LIQUOR I BOUGHT WITH IT HAD GIVEN ME THE GRIPES DON'T BE UNEASY ABOUT THE SCORE AND IF YOU NEED A TRAP USE MINE FOR NOTHING


TILL YOU HAVE CAUGHT THE JADES AS LECOQ'S PURSE WAS LOW HE DID NOT INSIST YOU WILL AT LEAST TAKE MY NAME AND ADDRESS CONTINUED THE DRIVER CERTAINLY


THE MAGISTRATE WILL WANT YOUR EVIDENCE AND A SUMMONS WILL BE SENT YOU ALL RIGHT THEN ADDRESS IT TO PAPILLON EUGENE DRIVER


I LODGE AT HIS PLACE BECAUSE I HAVE SOME SMALL INTEREST IN THE BUSINESS YOU SEE THE YOUNG DETECTIVE WAS HASTENING AWAY WHEN PAPILLON CALLED HIM BACK WHEN YOU LEAVE THE MORGUE YOU WILL WANT TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE HE SAID


YOU TOLD ME THAT YOU HAD ANOTHER APPOINTMENT AND THAT YOU WERE ALREADY LATE YES I OUGHT TO BE AT THE PALAIS DE JUSTICE BUT IT IS ONLY A FEW STEPS FROM HERE NO MATTER


I WILL WAIT FOR YOU AT THE CORNER OF THE BRIDGE IT'S USELESS TO SAY NO I'VE MADE UP MY MIND AND I'M A BRETON YOU KNOW


ACCORDINGLY LECOQ MADE A GESTURE OF ASSENT AND THEN HURRIED TOWARD THE MORGUE IF THERE WAS A CROWD ON THE ROADWAY OUTSIDE IT WAS BECAUSE THE GLOOMY BUILDING ITSELF WAS CRAMMED FULL OF PEOPLE INDEED THE SIGHTSEERS


MOST OF WHOM COULD SEE NOTHING AT ALL WERE PACKED AS CLOSELY AS SARDINES


THAT LECOQ MANAGED TO EFFECT AN ENTRANCE AS USUAL HE FOUND AMONG THE MOB A LARGE NUMBER OF GIRLS AND WOMEN FOR STRANGE TO SAY


TO THE DISGUSTING SIGHTS AND HORRIBLE EMOTIONS THAT REPAY A VISIT TO THE MORGUE THE SHOP AND WORK GIRLS WHO RESIDE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD READILY GO OUT OF THEIR WAY TO CATCH A GLIMPSE OF THE CORPSES


WHICH CRIME ACCIDENT AND SUICIDE BRING TO THIS HORRIBLE PLACE A FEW


MAY COME NO FURTHER THAN THE DOOR BUT THE OTHERS ENTER AND AFTER A LONG STARE RETURN AND RECOUNT THEIR IMPRESSIONS TO THEIR LESS COURAGEOUS COMPANIONS IF THERE SHOULD BE NO CORPSE EXHIBITED


IF ALL THE MARBLE SLABS ARE UNOCCUPIED STRANGE AS IT MAY SEEM THE VISITORS TURN HASTILY AWAY WITH AN EXPRESSION OF DISAPPOINTMENT OR DISCONTENT THERE WAS NO FEAR OF THEIR DOING SO HOWEVER


FOR THE MYSTERIOUS MURDERER WHOSE IDENTITY LECOQ WAS TRYING TO ESTABLISH HAD FURNISHED THREE VICTIMS FOR THEIR DELECTATION


AND YET A DAMP CHILL CAME FROM BEYOND THE IRON RAILINGS WHILE FROM THE CROWD ITSELF ROSE AN INFECTIOUS VAPOR IMPREGNATED WITH THE STENCH OF THE CHLORIDE OF LIME USED AS A DISINFECTANT


AS A CONTINUOUS ACCOMPANIMENT TO THE EXCLAMATIONS SIGHS AND WHISPERED COMMENTS OF THE BYSTANDERS CAME THE MURMUR OF THE WATER TRICKLING FROM A SPIGOT AT THE HEAD OF EACH SLAB A TINY STREAM THAT FLOWED FORTH


ONLY TO FALL IN FINE SPRAY UPON THE MARBLE THROUGH THE SMALL ARCHED WINDOWS A GRAY LIGHT STOLE IN ON THE EXPOSED BODIES BRINGING EACH MUSCLE INTO BOLD RELIEF


REVEALING THE GHASTLY TINTS OF THE LIFELESS FLESH AND IMPARTING A SINISTER ASPECT TO THE TATTERED CLOTHING HUNG AROUND THE ROOM TO AID IN THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE CORPSES THIS CLOTHING AFTER A CERTAIN TIME IS SOLD


FOR NOTHING IS WASTED AT THE MORGUE HOWEVER LECOQ WAS TOO OCCUPIED WITH HIS OWN THOUGHTS TO REMARK THE HORRORS OF THE SCENE HE SCARCELY BESTOWED A GLANCE ON THE THREE VICTIMS


WHOM HE COULD NOT PERCEIVE HAD GEVROL INTENTIONALLY OR UNINTENTIONALLY FAILED TO FULFIL HIS PROMISE


UNABLE TO EXPLAIN THE CAUSE OF HIS COMRADE'S ABSENCE LECOQ ADDRESSED HIMSELF TO THE HEAD KEEPER IT WOULD SEEM THAT NO ONE HAS RECOGNIZED THE VICTIMS HE REMARKED NO ONE AND YET


EVER SINCE OPENING WE HAVE HAD AN IMMENSE CROWD IF I WERE MASTER HERE ON DAYS LIKE THIS I WOULD CHARGE AN ADMISSION FEE OF TWO SOUS A HEAD


IT WOULD BRING IN A ROUND SUM MORE THAN ENOUGH TO COVER THE EXPENSES THE KEEPER'S REPLY SEEMED TO OFFER AN INDUCEMENT TO CONVERSATION BUT LECOQ DID NOT SEIZE IT


BUT AFTER A MOMENT'S HESITATION HE VENTURED TO INQUIRE ARE YOU ONE OF THEM YES I AM REPLIED LECOQ EXHIBITING HIS CARD IN SUPPORT OF HIS ASSERTION AND YOUR NAME


THE KEEPER'S FACE BRIGHTENED UP IN THAT CASE SAID HE I HAVE A LETTER FOR YOU WRITTEN BY YOUR COMRADE WHO WAS OBLIGED TO GO AWAY HERE IT IS THE YOUNG DETECTIVE AT ONCE TORE OPEN THE ENVELOPE AND READ


MONSIEUR LECOQ MONSIEUR THIS SIMPLE FORMULA OF POLITENESS BROUGHT A FAINT SMILE TO HIS LIPS


WHEN AT ABOUT NINE O'CLOCK THREE YOUNG MEN ENTERED ARM IN ARM FROM THEIR MANNER AND APPEARANCE I JUDGED THEM TO BE CLERKS IN SOME STORE OR WAREHOUSE


SUDDENLY I NOTICED THAT ONE OF THEM TURNED AS WHITE AS HIS SHIRT AND CALLING THE ATTENTION OF HIS COMPANIONS TO ONE OF THE UNKNOWN VICTIMS HE WHISPERED GUSTAVE


HIS COMRADES PUT THEIR HANDS OVER HIS MOUTH AND ONE OF THEM EXCLAIMED WHAT ARE YOU ABOUT YOU FOOL TO MIX YOURSELF UP WITH THIS AFFAIR DO YOU WANT TO GET US INTO TROUBLE THEREUPON THEY WENT OUT AND I FOLLOWED THEM


BUT THE PERSON WHO HAD FIRST SPOKEN WAS SO OVERCOME THAT HE COULD SCARCELY DRAG HIMSELF ALONG AND HIS COMPANIONS WERE OBLIGED TO TAKE HIM TO A LITTLE RESTAURANT CLOSE BY I ENTERED IT MYSELF AND IT IS THERE I WRITE THIS LETTER


IN THE MEAN TIME WATCHING THEM OUT OF THE CORNER OF MY EYE I SEND THIS NOTE EXPLAINING MY ABSENCE TO THE HEAD KEEPER WHO WILL GIVE IT YOU YOU WILL UNDERSTAND THAT I AM GOING TO FOLLOW THESE MEN A B


S THE HANDWRITING OF THIS LETTER WAS ALMOST ILLEGIBLE AND THERE WERE MISTAKES IN SPELLING IN WELL NIGH EVERY LINE STILL ITS MEANING WAS CLEAR AND EXACT AND COULD NOT FAIL TO EXCITE THE MOST FLATTERING HOPES


AS THE OLD COACHMAN URGED ON HIS HORSE HE COULD NOT REFRAIN FROM SAYING THINGS ARE GOING ON TO SUIT YOU A FRIENDLY HUSH WAS THE ONLY RESPONSE


WHO INSISTED UPON REMAINING AT HIS ORDERS HE SUCCEEDED AT LAST HOWEVER BUT EVEN WHEN HE HAD REACHED THE PORTICO ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE BUILDING


LECOQ HAD ENTERED THE LEFT WING OF THE PALAIS HE CLIMBED THE STAIRS TILL HE HAD REACHED THE THIRD FLOOR AND WAS ABOUT TO ENTER THE LONG NARROW BADLY LIGHTED CORRIDOR


WHEN FINDING A DOORKEEPER INSTALLED BEHIND A HEAVY OAKEN DESK HE REMARKED


THE MAN SHOOK HIS HEAD NO SAID HE


HENCE THE DRIVER'S HOPE OF FINDING THEM IN THE RUE DE BOURGOGNE


AND YET HE DID NOT HESITATE TO JUMP ON TO THE BOX AND GIVE THE SIGNAL FOR STARTING IN SO DOING HE OBEYED A MAXIM WHICH HE HAD


A MAXIM INTENDED TO ASSURE HIS AFTER FAME AND WHICH RAN AS FOLLOWS ALWAYS SUSPECT THAT WHICH SEEMS PROBABLE AND BEGIN BY BELIEVING WHAT APPEARS INCREDIBLE


AS SOON AS THE VEHICLE WAS WELL UNDER WAY THE YOUNG DETECTIVE PROCEEDED TO INGRATIATE HIMSELF INTO THE DRIVER'S GOOD GRACES BEING ANXIOUS TO OBTAIN ALL THE INFORMATION THAT THIS WORTHY WAS ABLE TO IMPART


IN A TONE THAT IMPLIED THAT ALL TRIFLING WOULD BE USELESS THE CABMAN CRIED HEY UP HEY UP COCOTTE AND HIS MARE PRICKED UP HER EARS AND QUICKENED HER PACE SO THAT THE RUE DE CHOISY


WAS SPEEDILY REACHED THEN IT WAS THAT LECOQ RESUMED HIS INQUIRIES WELL MY GOOD FELLOW HE BEGAN YOU HAVE TOLD ME THE PRINCIPAL FACTS NOW I SHOULD LIKE THE DETAILS


HOW DID THESE TWO WOMEN ATTRACT YOUR ATTENTION


I HAD BEEN HAVING A MOST UNFORTUNATE DAY SIX HOURS ON A STAND ON THE BOULEVARDS WITH THE RAIN POURING ALL THE TIME IT WAS SIMPLY AWFUL AT MIDNIGHT I HAD NOT MADE MORE THAN A FRANC AND A


HALF FOR MYSELF BUT I WAS SO WET AND MISERABLE AND THE HORSE SEEMED SO DONE UP THAT I DECIDED TO GO HOME I DID GRUMBLE I CAN TELL YOU WELL I HAD JUST PASSED THE CORNER OF THE RUE PICARD


WHEN I SAW TWO WOMEN STANDING UNDER A LAMP SOME LITTLE DISTANCE OFF I DID NOT PAY ANY ATTENTION TO THEM FOR WHEN A MAN IS AS OLD AS I AM WOMEN GO ON SAID LECOQ WHO COULD NOT RESTRAIN HIS IMPATIENCE


I HAD ALREADY PASSED THEM WHEN THEY BEGAN TO CALL AFTER ME I PRETENDED I DID NOT HEAR THEM BUT ONE OF THEM RAN AFTER THE CAB CRYING


A LOUIS FOR YOURSELF I HESITATED FOR A MOMENT WHEN THE WOMAN ADDED AND TEN FRANCS FOR THE FARE I THEN DREW UP LECOQ WAS BOILING OVER WITH IMPATIENCE BUT HE FELT THAT THE WISEST COURSE WAS NOT TO INTERRUPT THE DRIVER WITH QUESTIONS


BUT TO LISTEN TO ALL HE HAD TO SAY AS YOU MAY SUPPOSE CONTINUED THE COACHMAN I WASN'T INCLINED TO TRUST TWO SUCH SUSPICIOUS CHARACTERS ALONE AT THAT HOUR AND IN THAT PART OF THE CITY


SO JUST AS THEY WERE ABOUT TO GET INTO THE CAB I CALLED TO THEM WAIT A BIT MY LITTLE FRIENDS YOU HAVE PROMISED PAPA SOME SOUS WHERE ARE THEY THE ONE WHO HAD CALLED AFTER THE CAB AT ONCE HANDED ME THIRTY FRANCS


SAYING ABOVE ALL MAKE HASTE YOUR RECITAL COULD NOT BE MORE MINUTE EXCLAIMED LECOQ APPROVINGLY NOW HOW ABOUT THESE TWO WOMEN


WHICH RAN AFTER YOU THE GIRL WHO WAS NEATLY DRESSED THE ONE WHO THE DRIVER SUDDENLY PAUSED SOME VIVID REMEMBRANCE PASSED THROUGH HIS BRAIN AND ABRUPTLY JERKING THE RAINS


I DID NOTICE SOMETHING STRANGE ONE OF THE TWO WOMEN CALLED THE OTHER MADAME AS LARGE AS LIFE WHILE THE OTHER SAID THEE AND THOU AND SPOKE AS IF SHE WERE SOMEBODY


AND WHICH WAS IT THAT SAID THEE AND THOU


SHE WITH SHABBY DRESS AND SHOES AS BIG AS A GOUTY MAN'S YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN HER SHAKE THE PRIM LOOKING GIRL AS IF SHE HAD BEEN A PLUM TREE YOU LITTLE FOOL SAID SHE DO YOU WANT TO RUIN US


YOU WILL HAVE TIME TO FAINT WHEN WE GET HOME NOW COME ALONG AND THEN SHE BEGAN TO SOB INDEED MADAME INDEED I CAN'T SHE SAID AND REALLY SHE SEEMED QUITE UNABLE TO MOVE IN FACT


SHE APPEARED TO BE SO ILL THAT I SAID TO MYSELF HERE IS A YOUNG WOMAN WHO HAS DRUNK MORE THAN IS GOOD FOR HER THESE FACTS CONFIRMED EVEN IF THEY CORRECTED


LECOQ'S FIRST SUPPOSITIONS AS HE HAD SUSPECTED THE SOCIAL POSITION OF THE TWO WOMEN WAS NOT THE SAME HE HAD BEEN MISTAKEN HOWEVER


IN ATTRIBUTING THE HIGHER STANDING TO THE WOMAN WEARING THE SHOES WITH THE HIGH HEELS THE MARKS OF WHICH HE HAD SO PARTICULARLY NOTICED IN THE SNOW WITH ALL THE ATTENDANT SIGNS OF PRECIPITATION TERROR AND WEAKNESS


IN REALITY SOCIAL PREEMINENCE BELONGED TO THE WOMAN WHO HAD LEFT THE LARGE BROAD FOOTPRINTS BEHIND HER AND NOT MERELY WAS SHE OF A SUPERIOR RANK BUT SHE HAD ALSO SHOWN SUPERIOR ENERGY


CONTRARY TO LECOQ'S ORIGINAL IDEA IT NOW SEEMED EVIDENT THAT SHE WAS THE MISTRESS AND HER COMPANION THE SERVANT IS THAT ALL MY GOOD FELLOW HE ASKED THE DRIVER


HAD A HAND AS SMALL AS A CHILD'S AND IN SPITE OF HER ANGER HER VOICE WAS AS SWEET AS MUSIC DID YOU SEE HER FACE I JUST CAUGHT A GLIMPSE OF IT


WHETHER SHE WAS A BLONDE OR BRUNETTE SO MANY QUESTIONS AT A TIME CONFUSED THE DRIVER STOP A MINUTE HE REPLIED IN MY OPINION SHE WASN'T PRETTY AND I DON'T BELIEVE SHE WAS YOUNG


BUT SHE CERTAINLY WAS A BLONDE AND WITH PLENTY OF HAIR TOO WAS SHE TALL OR SHORT STOUT OR SLENDER BETWEEN THE TWO THIS WAS VERY VAGUE AND THE OTHER


ASKED LECOQ THE NEATLY DRESSED ONE THE DEUCE AS FOR HER I DID NOT NOTICE HER AT ALL ALL I KNOW ABOUT HER IS THAT SHE WAS VERY SMALL WOULD YOU RECOGNIZE HER IF YOU MET HER AGAIN GOOD HEAVENS NO


THE VEHICLE WAS NOW ROLLING ALONG THE RUE DE BOURGOGNE HALF WAY DOWN THE STREET THE DRIVER PULLED UP AND TURNING TO LECOQ EXCLAIMED HERE WE ARE THAT'S THE HOUSE THE HUSSIES WENT INTO


TO DRAW OFF THE SILK HANDKERCHIEF THAT SERVED HIM AS A MUFFLER TO FOLD IT AND SLIP IT INTO HIS POCKET TO SPRING TO THE GROUND AND ENTER THE HOUSE INDICATED WAS ONLY THE WORK OF AN INSTANT FOR THE YOUNG DETECTIVE


IN THE CONCIERGE'S LITTLE ROOM HE FOUND AN OLD WOMAN KNITTING LECOQ BOWED TO HER POLITELY AND DISPLAYING THE SILK HANDKERCHIEF EXCLAIMED MADAME I HAVE COME TO RETURN THIS ARTICLE TO ONE OF YOUR LODGERS


TO WHICH ONE REALLY I DON'T EXACTLY KNOW IN A MOMENT THE WORTHY DAME IMAGINED THAT THIS POLITE YOUNG MAN WAS MAKING FUN OF HER YOU SCAMP SHE BEGAN


EXCUSE ME INTERRUPTED LECOQ ALLOW ME TO FINISH I MUST TELL YOU THAT AT ABOUT THREE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING OF THE DAY BEFORE YESTERDAY I WAS QUIETLY RETURNING HOME WHEN TWO LADIES WHO WERE SEEMINGLY IN A GREAT HURRY


OVERTOOK ME AND PASSED ON ONE OF THEM DROPPED THIS HANDKERCHIEF WHICH I PICKED UP I HASTENED AFTER HER TO RESTORE IT BUT BEFORE I COULD OVERTAKE THEM THEY HAD RUNG THE BELL AT YOUR DOOR AND WERE ALREADY IN THE HOUSE


FOR FEAR OF DISTURBING YOU YESTERDAY I WAS SO BUSY I COULDN'T COME HOWEVER HERE I AM AT LAST AND HERE'S THE HANDKERCHIEF SO SAYING


I SLIPPED ON MY DRESS AND WENT OUT INTO THE HALL WHERE I SAW TWO WOMEN HASTENING TOWARD THE DOOR BEFORE I COULD REACH THEM THEY SLAMMED THE DOOR IN MY FACE I OPENED IT AGAIN AS QUICKLY AS I COULD AND LOOKED OUT INTO THE STREET


BUT THEY WERE HURRYING AWAY AS FAST AS THEY COULD IN WHAT DIRECTION OH THEY WERE RUNNING TOWARD THE RUE DE VARENNES


HOWEVER HE BOWED CIVILLY TO THE CONCIERGE WHOM HE MIGHT POSSIBLY HAVE NEED OF AT ANOTHER TIME AND THEN WENT BACK TO THE CAB AS I HAD SUPPOSED THEY DO NOT LIVE HERE HE REMARKED TO THE DRIVER


HE FIRST OF ALL PROCEEDED TO THE PREFECTURE OF POLICE GOING THE LONGEST WAY ROUND AS A MATTER OF COURSE BUT ON REACHING HIS DESTINATION HE COULD FIND NO ONE WHO HAD SEEN THE YOUNG DETECTIVE ACCORDINGLY


AND DEPENDENT ON THE CUSTOMERS IT BROUGHT THEM BEING OF A CONSCIENTIOUS TURN OF MIND HE ENTERED EACH ESTABLISHMENT IN SUCCESSION AND MEETING NOW AND AGAIN VARIOUS ACQUAINTANCES HE FELT COMPELLED TO PROFFER AND ACCEPT


NUMEROUS GLASSES OF THE FAVORITE MORNING BEVERAGE WHITE WINE TURN WHICH WAY HE WOULD HOWEVER LOITER AS LONG AS HE MIGHT


HE WAS RETURNING IN HASTE A TRIFLE UNEASY ON ACCOUNT OF THE LENGTH OF HIS ABSENCE WHEN HE PERCEIVED A CAB PULL UP IN FRONT OF THE PALAIS GATEWAY A SECOND GLANCE AND OH GREAT GOOD FORTUNE HE SAW LECOQ


FATHER ABSINTHE AND THE VIRTUOUS TOINON ALIGHT FROM THIS VERY VEHICLE HIS PEACE OF MIND AT ONCE RETURNED AND IT WAS IN A VERY IMPORTANT AND SOMEWHAT HUSKY TONE


THAT HE DELIVERED THE ORDER FOR LECOQ TO FOLLOW HIM WITHOUT A MINUTE'S DELAY


HAS ASKED FOR YOU A NUMBER OF TIMES SAID HE HE HAS BEEN EXTREMELY IMPATIENT AND HE IS IN A VERY BAD HUMOR SO YOU MAY EXPECT TO HAVE YOUR HEAD SNAPPED OFF IN THE MOST EXPEDITIOUS MANNER LECOQ SMILED AS HE WENT UP THE STAIRS


WAS HE NOT BRINGING WITH HIM THE MOST POTENT OF JUSTIFICATIONS HE THOUGHT OF THE AGREEABLE SURPRISE HE HAD IN STORE FOR THE MAGISTRATE AND FANCIED HE COULD PICTURE THE SUDDEN BRIGHTENING OF THAT FUNCTIONARY'S GLOOMY FACE


AND YET FATE SO WILLED IT THAT THE DOORKEEPER'S MESSAGE AND HIS URGENT APPEAL THAT LECOQ SHOULD NOT LOITER ON THE WAY PRODUCED THE MOST UNFORTUNATE RESULTS


WHEN HE SAW HOWEVER THAT THE MAGISTRATE WAS NOT ALONE AND WHEN HE RECOGNIZED POLYTE CHUPIN THE ORIGINAL OF THE PHOTOGRAPH


HE INSTANTLY PERCEIVED HIS MISTAKE AND UNDERSTOOD ITS CONSEQUENCES THERE WAS ONLY ONE THING TO BE DONE HE MUST PREVENT ANY EXCHANGE OF WORDS BETWEEN THE TWO


HE ORDERED HER TO LEAVE THE ROOM AT ONCE BUT THE POOR CREATURE WAS QUITE OVERCOME AND TREMBLED LIKE A LEAF HER EYES WERE FIXED UPON HER UNWORTHY HUSBAND AND THE HAPPINESS SHE FELT AT SEEING HIM AGAIN SHONE PLAINLY IN HER ANXIOUS GAZE


JUST FOR ONE SECOND AND THEN SHE CAUGHT HIS WITHERING GLANCE AND HEARD HIS WORDS OF MENACE TERROR STRICKEN SHE STAGGERED BACK AND THEN LECOQ SEIZED HER AROUND THE WAIST


AND LIFTING HER WITH HIS STRONG ARMS CARRIED HER OUT INTO THE PASSAGE THE WHOLE SCENE HAD BEEN SO BRIEF


WAS STILL FORMING THE ORDER FOR TOINON TO BE REMOVED FROM THE ROOM WHEN HE FOUND THE DOOR CLOSED AGAIN


AH AH THOUGHT THE SMILING CLERK IN A FLUTTER OF DELIGHT THIS IS SOMETHING NEW BUT AS THESE LITTLE DIVERSIONS NEVER MADE HIM FORGET HIS DUTIES HE LEANED TOWARD THE MAGISTRATE AND ASKED


AND WORD FOR WORD IF YOU PLEASE HE PAUSED THE DOOR OPENED AGAIN THIS TIME TO ADMIT THE MAGISTRATE'S MESSENGER WHO TIMIDLY AND WITH A RATHER GUILTY AIR


AT THE SAME TIME CASTING THE BLAME ON HIS OWN IMPATIENCE AND LACK OF CAUTION


YET OBTAINING THE INFORMATION HE DESIRED LET US PROCEED HE SAID TO POLYTE WHO HAD NOT MOVED SINCE HIS WIFE HAD BEEN TAKEN FROM THE ROOM


BEING TO ALL APPEARANCES SUBLIMELY INDIFFERENT TO EVERYTHING PASSING AROUND HIM TO THE MAGISTRATE'S PROPOSAL HE CARELESSLY NODDED ASSENT WAS THAT YOUR WIFE WHO CAME IN JUST NOW


WHY DID YOU BEHAVE IN THAT MANNER IT WASN'T THE TIME FOR SENTIMENT YOU ARE NOT TELLING THE TRUTH YOU SIMPLY DESIRED TO ATTRACT HER ATTENTION TO INFLUENCE HER EVIDENCE I


I INFLUENCE HER EVIDENCE I DON'T UNDERSTAND YOU BUT FOR THAT SUPPOSITION YOUR WORDS WOULD HAVE BEEN MEANINGLESS WHAT WORDS THE MAGISTRATE TURNED TO HIS CLERK


READ THE LAST REMARK YOU TOOK DOWN IN A MONOTONOUS VOICE THE SMILING CLERK REPEATED I SHOULD LIKE TO KILL THE PERSON WHO DARED TO SAY THAT I KNEW LACHENEUR


WHAT DID YOU MEAN BY THAT IT'S VERY EASY TO UNDERSTAND SIR


DON'T PREVARICATE ANY LONGER HE SAID YOU CERTAINLY ORDERED YOUR WIFE NOT TO SAY ANYTHING ABOUT LACHENEUR THAT'S EVIDENT WHY DID YOU DO SO WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF HER TELLING US


DO YOU SUPPOSE THE POLICE ARE IGNORANT OF YOUR ACQUAINTANCE WITH LACHENEUR OF YOUR CONVERSATION WITH HIM WHEN HE CAME IN A CAB TO THE CORNER OF THE WASTE GROUND NEAR YOUR MOTHER'S WINE SHOP AND OF THE HOPES OF FORTUNE YOU BASED UPON HIS PROMISES


BE GUIDED BY ME CONFESS EVERYTHING WHILE THERE IS YET TIME AND ABANDON THE PRESENT COURSE WHICH MAY LEAD YOU INTO SERIOUS DANGER ONE MAY BE AN ACCOMPLICE IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE


AS THESE WORDS FELL ON POLYTE'S EARS IT WAS EVIDENT HIS IMPUDENCE AND INDIFFERENCE HAD RECEIVED A SEVERE SHOCK HE SEEMED CONFOUNDED AND HUNG HIS HEAD AS IF THOROUGHLY ABASHED STILL HE PRESERVED AN OBSTINATE SILENCE


AND THE MAGISTRATE FINDING THAT THIS LAST THRUST HAD FAILED TO PRODUCE ANY EFFECT GAVE UP THE FIGHT IN DESPAIR HE RANG THE BELL AND ORDERED THE GUARD TO CONDUCT THE WITNESS BACK TO PRISON


AND TO TAKE EVERY PRECAUTION TO PREVENT HIM SEEING HIS WIFE AGAIN WHEN POLYTE HAD DEPARTED LECOQ REENTERED THE ROOM


BUT I THOUGHT YOU WOULD BE WAITING FOR ME AND MADE HASTE TO BRING HER HERE I THOUGHT I WAS ACTING FOR THE BEST NEVER MIND THE MISFORTUNE CAN BE REPAIRED NO SIR NO SINCE SHE HAS SEEN HER HUSBAND


IT IS QUITE IMPOSSIBLE TO GET HER TO SPEAK SHE LOVES THAT RASCAL INTENSELY AND HE HAS A WONDERFUL INFLUENCE OVER HER YOU HEARD WHAT HE SAID HE THREATENED HER WITH DEATH IF SHE BREATHED A WORD ABOUT LACHENEUR


AND SHE IS SO TERRIFIED THAT THERE IS NO HOPE OF MAKING HER SPEAK


AGAIN SET FOOT IN HIS OFFICE THE POOR CREATURE SEEMED NEARLY HEARTBROKEN


POLYTE'S THREAT HAD AROUSED THE MOST SINISTER APPREHENSIONS IN HER MIND NOT UNDERSTANDING HIS CONNECTION WITH THE AFFAIR SHE ASKED HERSELF IF HER TESTIMONY MIGHT NOT PROVE HIS DEATH WARRANT


NO OR I DON'T KNOW AND RETRACTED EVERYTHING SHE HAD PREVIOUSLY STATED TO LECOQ SHE SWORE THAT SHE HAD BEEN MISUNDERSTOOD THAT HER WORDS HAD BEEN MISCONSTRUED


AT LAST SHE BURST INTO WILD DESPAIRING SOBS AND PRESSED HER FRIGHTENED CHILD AGAINST HER BREAST WHAT COULD BE DONE TO OVERCOME THIS FOOLISH OBSTINACY AS BLIND AND UNREASONING AS A BRUTE'S


BUT REMEMBER THAT YOUR STRANGE SILENCE INJURES YOUR HUSBAND FAR MORE THAN ANYTHING YOU COULD SAY SHE LEFT THE ROOM OR RATHER SHE RUSHED WILDLY FROM IT AS THOUGH ONLY TOO EAGER TO ESCAPE


NO SOONER HAD CHARLES TAKEN INTO HIS HANDS THE REINS OF GOVERNMENT THAN HE SHOWED AN IMPATIENCE TO ASSEMBLE THE GREAT COUNCIL OF THE NATION AND HE WOULD GLADLY FOR THE SAKE OF DESPATCH HAVE CALLED TOGETHER THE SAME PARLIAMENT WHICH HAD SITTEN UNDER HIS FATHER


AND WHICH LAY AT THAT TIME UNDER PROROGATION BUT BEING TOLD THAT THIS MEASURE WOULD APPEAR UNUSUAL HE ISSUED WRITS FOR SUMMONING A NEW PARLIAMENT ON THE SEVENTH OF MAY AND IT WAS NOT WITHOUT REGRET THAT THE ARRIVAL OF THE PRINCESS HENRIETTA


UNEXPERIENCED AND IMPOLITIC REGARDED AS SINCERE ALL THE PRAISES AND CARESSES WITH WHICH HE HAD BEEN LOADED WHILE ACTIVE IN PROCURING THE RUPTURE WITH THE HOUSE OF AUSTRIA AND BESIDES THAT HE LABORED UNDER GREAT NECESSITIES