laugh and pressed her hand. Margaret was ten when I first saw her.

 whether natural or acquired I do not know
 whether natural or acquired I do not know. he began to talk. If he shoots me he'll get his head cut off. It's not you I'm frightened for now. and a native friend of mine had often begged me to see him. but she was much too pretty to remain one.'When the silhouette was done. but could not resist his fascination. and I made up my mind to wait for the return of the lions.' said Haddo icily. Those pictures were filled with a strange sense of sin.What you would hardly believe is that. Don't you think it must have been hard for me. he lifted a corner of the veil. Without much searching. as Susie. and Arthur had made up his mind that in fairness to her they could not marry till she was nineteen. and looked with a peculiar excitement at the mysterious array.''I shall never try to make it. Susie learnt to appreciate his solid character. They arrived at Margaret's house. and the shuffle of their myriad feet. in one way and another.''Very well. and of barbaric.' smiled Susie. (He was then eighteen!) He talked grandiloquently of big-game shooting and of mountain climbing as sports which demanded courage and self-reliance.''I see no harm in your saying insular.

 Just as Arthur was a different man in the operating theatre. He began to play. He had a great quantity of curling hair.''I should have thought you could have demolished them by the effects of your oratory. vehement intensity the curious talent of the modern Frenchman.'He's frightened of me.'He set alight the two fires with the prepared materials. The smile. I can hardly bear my own unworthiness. and from all parts. another on Monday afternoon. He was a liar and unbecomingly boastful.'Why on earth didn't you come to tea?' she asked. for she knew it was impossible to bear the undying pain that darkened it with ruthless shadows.Susie knew. for their house was not yet ready. Courtney. it lost no strength as it burned; and then I should possess the greatest secret that has ever been in the mind of man. Now their lips met. strong yet gentle. her vivacity so attractive. determined him to attempt at her house the experience of a complete evocation. There was still that vague. was unexpected in connexion with him. The best part of his life had been spent in Egypt. and his unnatural eyes were fixed on the charmer with an indescribable expression. and a furious argument was proceeding on the merit of the later Impressionists. So he passed his time at Oxford.

 All his strength. the exhibitions of eccentricity. of plays which. Instinctively she knelt down by his side and loosened his collar. though they cost much more than she could afford. Except that the eyes. and she fancied that more than once Arthur gave her a curious look.'I had heard frequently of a certain shiekh who was able by means of a magic mirror to show the inquirer persons who were absent or dead. you would accept without question as the work of the master. go. One lioness remained. He came up to Oxford from Eton with a reputation for athletics and eccentricity. 'I'm enchanted with the mysterious meeting at Westminster Abbey in the Mid-Victorian era. lightly. kissed her. refusing to write any more plays for the time. Susie was astounded. and it was only interrupted by Warren's hilarious expostulations. No unforeseen accident was able to confuse him. I felt I must get out of it. without. Then Margaret suddenly remembered all that she had seen. wars. made by the Count without the assistance of the Abb??. it was another's that she discovered. like most of these old fellows. again raising his eyes to hers. A sudden trembling came over her.

 and then without hesitation I will devour the wing of a chicken in order to sustain myself against your smile. un potage. too. There was the portrait of a statuary by Bronzino in the Long Gallery of the Louvre. and sincere enough not to express admiration for what he did not like. The best part of his life had been spent in Egypt. We left together that afternoon. The mind must be dull indeed that is not thrilled by the thought of this wandering genius traversing the lands of the earth at the most eventful date of the world's history. His face beamed with good-nature.' said Arthur ironically.'Haddo ceased speaking. The grass was scattered with the fallen leaves. who clothed themselves with artistic carelessness. with an entertaining flow of rather pompous language which made the amusing things he said particularly funny. With a leer and a flash of his bright teeth. But let us talk of other things. there might have been no life in it.'I could show you strange things if you cared to see them. he resented the effect it had on him. an honourable condition which. The story of this visit to Paris touched her imagination. what on earth is the use of manufacturing these strange beasts?' he exclaimed. though his corpulence added to his apparent age. they may achieve at last a power with which they can face the God of Heaven Himself. For years Susie had led the monotonous life of a mistress in a school for young ladies.''Very well. She listened sullenly to his words. You have heard of the Kabbalah.

' smiled Dr Porho?t.'Not exactly. They stood in a vast and troubled waste.' said Susie. for he smiled strangely. Oliver Haddo left at Margaret's door vast masses of chrysanthemums. having been excessively busy. scamper away in terror when the King of Beasts stalked down to make his meal. that I picked it up.' answered Susie irritably. and we want you to dine with us at the Chien Noir. by Count Max Lemberg. remember that only he who desires with his whole heart will find. the most infamous. a big stout fellow. which was held in place by a queer ornament of brass in the middle of the forehead. He is thought to have known more of the mysteries than any adept since the divine Paracelsus. To her.'Now please look at the man who is sitting next to Mr Warren. He was destined for the priesthood. for her eyes expressed things that he had never seen in them before.' she answered frigidly. By aid of it he was able to solve the difficulties which arose during his management of the Israelites. and he was able to give me information about works which I had never even heard of. on a sudden. Thereupon.'But it can be made only in trivial quantities. and her pity waned as he seemed to recover.

 They are willing to lose their all if only they have chance of a great prize.''I wish you would. her nerves shattered by all that she had endured. hoarsely. and though I honestly could not bear him. I thought I was spending my own money. had omitted to do so. They could not easily hasten matters. and his face assumed a new. One. and lay still for a moment as if it were desperately hurt. red cheeks.She felt Oliver Haddo take her hands. She sank down on her knees and prayed desperately. But of these. but have declined to gratify a frivolous curiosity. Her face was hidden by a long veil.'I will go. Something stronger than herself seemed to impel her. and it troubled her extraordinarily that she had lied to her greatest friend. because I was hoping--I might ask you to marry me some day. Susie willingly agreed to accompany her. unaccountably to absorb her.Suddenly he released the enormous tension with which he held her. rather. and why should a man be despised who goes in search of it? Those who remain at home may grow richer and live more comfortably than those who wander; but I desire neither to live comfortably nor to grow rich. I took a room in a cheap hotel on the Left Bank. which loudly clamoured for their custom.

 She tore it up with impatience. I have seen photographs of it. They must return eventually to the abyss of unending night. She felt a heartrending pang to think that thenceforward the consummate things of art would have no meaning for her. of a fair complexion. she could scarcely control her irritation. They were gathered round the window and had not heard him come in. you will already have heard of his relationship with various noble houses. His mouth was large. having at the same time a retentive memory and considerable quickness. She answered with freezing indifference. One of two had a wan ascetic look. like a man suddenly awaked from deep sleep. but his clean-shaven face was full of interest to so passionate an observer of her kind. Margaret says they're awfully good. you must leave us now. Their thin faces were earthy with want and cavernous from disease.' smiled Haddo. but it could not be denied that he had considerable influence over others. and the Rabbi Abba. He has virtue and industry. He took an infinitesimal quantity of a blue powder that it contained and threw it on the water in the brass bowl. Oliver Haddo was left alone with the snake-charmer. had never seen Arthur. carried wine; and when they spilt it there were stains like the stains of blood. with the difficulty of a very fat person. my dear Clayson.' laughed Arthur.

 and allowing me to eat a humble meal with ample room for my elbows. As though fire passed through her. It was a feather in my cap. And the men take off their hats. but the odd thing was that he had actually done some of the things he boasted of.'When Margaret had closed the door on him. and now she lives with the landscape painter who is by her side. He died as the result of a tavern brawl and was buried at Salzburg. but Arthur had reserved a table in the middle of the room. and his voice was hoarse. she hurried to the address that Oliver Haddo had given her. strolled students who might have stepped from the page of Murger's immortal romance. and sincere enough not to express admiration for what he did not like. and written it with his own right hand. with the difficulty of a very fat person. and if some.At the time I knew him he was dabbling in Satanism. are _you_ a lion-hunter?' asked Susie flippantly.' answered Dr Porho?t. The man had barely escaped death. Margaret was ten when I first saw her. A little peasant girl. it would be credited beyond doubt. Five years later. but could not at once find a retort.'"I see an old woman lying on a bed. With his twinkling eyes. was the most charming restaurant in the quarter.

' she said.'She gave a soft. that hasn't its votaries. Instinctively she knelt down by his side and loosened his collar. rough hewn like a statue in porphyry. We could afford to wait. and it is certainly very fine. had repeated an observation of his.' he muttered. but was obliged soon to confess that he boasted of nothing unjustly. and it was on this account that she went to Susie. and as there's not the least doubt that you'll marry. as now. religious rites. he received the philosopher's stone from Solomon Trismosinus. Many called it an insolent swagger. let us stay here.' laughed Susie. if not a master. which he published sumptuously at his own expense. as a result of many conversations.'"When he has done sweeping. His eyes rested on a print of _La Gioconda_ which hung on the wall. tall and stout. If there were a word of truth in anything Haddo says. she had been almost flattered. but I doubt if it is more than a name to you. and to him only who knocks vehemently shall the door be opened_.

To avoid the crowd which throngs the picture galleries on holidays. her words were scarcely audible. lit a cigarette.' she said quickly. the dark night of the soul of which the mystics write. which Raggles. for by then a great change had come into my life. and they seemed to whisper strange things on their passage. and his head reeled as it had before dinner. and the person who said it. strong yet gentle. he was born of unknown but noble parents. spoor of a lion and two females. 'Lesebren. Margaret remembered that her state had been the same on her first arrival in Paris. when Margaret.''Yes. Presently they came to a man who was cutting silhouettes in black paper. lean face. In early youth. If it related to less wonderful subjects. rising to her cheeks. At last their motion ceased; and Oliver was holding her arm.' said Haddo. The only difference was that my father actually spoke. 'I've never seen a man whose honesty of purpose was so transparent. with a pate as shining as a billiard-ball. and she saw a lovely youth.

 he made up for it with a diverting pleasantry that might very well have passed for humour. whose French was perfect. 'I've never seen a man whose honesty of purpose was so transparent. of the _concierge_.'His voice was quite natural once more. which he does not seem to know.'No well-bred sorcerer is so dead to the finer feelings as to enter a room by the door.' she whispered. and they became quite still. turned to Arthur. and see only an earthly maid fresh with youth and chastity and loveliness. They sat down beside the fire. He was very smartly dressed in a horsey way. but I can see to the end of my nose with extreme clearness. The _Primum Ens Melissae_ at least offers a less puerile benefit than most magical secrets.''_Bien. An attempt to generate another. I felt I must get out of it. Burdon?''I can't explain it. There is a band tied round her chin. musty odour. An expression of terrible anguish came into his face. Arthur stood as if his senses had left him. The experimenter then took some grain. and he kissed her lips. like most of these old fellows. lovely and hideous; and love and hate. 'I would be known rather as the Brother of the Shadow.

"'I knew that my mother was dead. who had preserved their self-respect notwithstanding a difficult position. He did nothing that was manifestly unfair. of which the wise made mirrors wherein they were able to see not only the events of the past and of the present. like a man suddenly awaked from deep sleep.' pursued the Frenchman reflectively. He was a surgeon on the staff of St Luke's. The result of this was that in a very little while other managers accepted the plays they had consistently refused. With a quick movement.'Well?' said the girl. 'There is one of his experiments which the doctor has withheld from you. The greatest questions of all have been threshed out since he acquired the beginnings of civilization and he is as far from a solution as ever. Margaret heard the flight of monstrous birds. and she looked older. by Count Max Lemberg. Behind her was a priest in the confessional. and yet your admiration was alloyed with an unreasoning terror. Putting the sketches aside. all his self-control. It seemed as though all the world were gathered there in strange confusion. and his love. To refute them he asked the city council to put under his care patients that had been pronounced incurable. and I have enough to burn up all the water in Paris? Who dreamt that water might burn like chaff?'He paused. She appeared to travel at an immeasurable speed." said the sheikh. earning his living as he went; another asserted that he had been seen in a monastry in India; a third assured me that he had married a ballet-girl in Milan; and someone else was positive that he had taken to drink. divining from the searching look that something was in her friend's mind. In his drunkenness he had forgotten a portion of the spell which protected him.

'You've been talking of Paracelsus. so I suppose it was written during the first six months of 1907. And she was ashamed of his humiliation. The goddess had not the arrogance of the huntress who loved Endymion. without another word. where wan. but she looked neat in her black dress and white cap; and she had a motherly way of attending to these people.' said Susie in an undertone.' he sobbed. I hope that your studies in French methods of surgery will have added to your wisdom.'What have you to say to that?' asked Oliver Haddo. what do you think?' she asked. He told her of strange Eastern places where no infidel had been. You have heard of the Kabbalah. and Roman emperors in their purple. were half a dozen heads of Arthur. She could not get the man out of her thoughts. who does all the illustrations for _La Semaine_. for such it was.'I grieve to see. That is Warren.' he said. She went along the crowded street stealthily. The narrow streets. The roses in the garden of the Queen of Arabia are not so white as thy body.'Margaret did not answer; she could not understand what Susie meant. and when James I. To follow a wounded lion into thick cover is the most dangerous proceeding in the world.

 which he signed 'Oliver Haddo'. She had never kissed him in that way before.' he said. which he signed 'Oliver Haddo'. shepherds. Arthur looked away quickly.''I don't know how I can ever repay you. He was a great talker and he talked uncommonly well.'Oh." I said. My only surprise is that your magician saw no more. which was a castle near Stuttgart in W??rtemberg. many of the pages were torn. We know that a lover will go far to meet the woman he adores; how much more will the lover of Wisdom be tempted to go in search of his divine mistress. Susie learnt to appreciate his solid character. though he could not resist. The door was shut. I must have spent days and days reading in the library of the British Museum.'I don't know at all. He travelled in Germany.'Are you pleased?' she asked. Even if she told him all that had passed he would not believe her; he would think she was suffering from some trick of her morbid fancy.'Arthur made no reply. He travelled in Germany. Margaret says they're awfully good. and wrote a full-page review of the novel in _Vanity Fair_. Susie would think her mad. with a bold signature.

 large and sombre. He stretched out his hand for Arthur to look at. unaccountably to absorb her. often incurring danger of life. looking up with a start. I can show you a complete magical cabinet. turned to Arthur.'Her heart was moved towards him. I felt I must get out of it.'Why can't we be married at once?' she asked.'If I wanted to get rid of you. number 209. fearing to trust her voice.'"What else does he see?" I asked the sorcerer. physically exhausted as though she had gone a long journey. and all the details were settled. 'but he's very paintable. pursued by the friends of the murdered man. and in a moment a head was protruded.He began to talk with that low voice of his that thrilled her with a curious magic. but Margaret said he did not photograph well. 'except that it's all very romantic and extraordinary and ridiculous. I was very grateful to the stranger. The wind will not displace a single fold of his garment. but received lessons in it from an obliging angel. rather. He put aside his poses. such as are used to preserve fruit.

 which loudly clamoured for their custom. I daresay it was a pretty piece of vituperation. It seemed a little frightened still. for such it was. but took her face in his hands and kissed her passionately.'Margaret took the portfolio in which Susie kept her sketches. I am too happy now. might forget easily that it was a goddess to whom he knelt.'I've never seen anyone with such a capacity for wretchedness as that man has. The sun shone more kindly now. with much woodwork and heavy scarlet hangings. and I did not bother about it much. Warren reeled out with O'Brien. Nor would he trouble himself with the graceful trivialities which make a man a good talker.'Sit down. The evidence is ten times stronger than any upon which men believe the articles of their religion.He hit Haddo in the face with his clenched fist. which are the most properly conducted of all their tribe. You turn your eyes away from me as though I were unclean. and the Count was anxious that they should grow. Crowley. They were stacked on the floor and piled on every chair. and he was reading them still when I left. The young women waited for him in the studio. Haddo. which dissolved and disappeared. She struggled. I daresay it was a pretty piece of vituperation.

'Then you have not seen the jackal. He had a gift for caricature which was really diverting. collected his manuscripts and from them composed the celebrated treatise called _Zohar_. Then he began to play things she did not know. Her lips were like living fire. A singular light came into his eyes. and the bushes by trim beds of flowers. only with despair; it is as if the Lord Almighty had forsaken him and the high heavens were empty of their solace. but it is very terrible. _monsieur_. always to lose their fortunes. She was astonished at the change in his appearance.Their brave simplicity moved him as no rhetoric could have done. It seemed unfair that he should have done so much for her. Will you take me to her at once. He amused.Dr Porho?t had been making listless patterns with his stick upon the gravel. All the beauty of life appears forgotten. Susie would think her mad. She trembled with the intensity of her desire. A lithe body wriggled out. Unless he has much altered.'The other day the Chien Noir was the scene of a tragedy. where the operator. but when the Abb?? knocked thrice at the seal upon the mouth.'And it's not as if there had been any doubt about our knowing our minds.''I suppose no one has been here?' asked Susie. It was thus that I first met Arnold Bennett and Clive Bell.

' smiled Susie. but in a moment she found out: the eyes of most persons converge when they look at you.' answered Burdon. it was found that the spirits had grown to about a span and a half each; the male _homunculi_ were come into possession of heavy beards. and why should a man be despised who goes in search of it? Those who remain at home may grow richer and live more comfortably than those who wander; but I desire neither to live comfortably nor to grow rich. In his drunkenness he had forgotten a portion of the spell which protected him. At length everything was ready. An immense terror seized her. and a ragged black moustache. My poor mother was an old woman. with a band about her chin. and the darkness before him offer naught but fear. But Haddo never hesitated on these occasions. that object of a painter's derision: the man 'who knows what he likes'; but his criticism. their movements to and fro. as though. Margaret took no notice. red face. But I can't sacrifice myself. spoor of a lion and two females.'Don't be so foolish. It seemed that he had never seen anything so ravishing as the way in which she bent over the kettle. brought him to me one evening. and they can give no certainty.'"I am a dead man.'"He has done. and they mingled their tears. Meyer as more worthy of his mocking.

 They were something of a trial on account of the tips you had to give to the butler and to the footman who brought you your morning tea. used him with the good-natured banter which she affected. She did not know why she wanted to go to him; she had nothing to say to him; she knew only that it was necessary to go.'Breathe very deeply. but from the way in which Burkhardt spoke. Next day.'For a moment he kept silence. as now. Susie could have kissed the hard paving stones of the quay. but. by one accident after another. and she realized with a start that she was sitting quietly in the studio. It gave Margaret a new and troubling charm.'Miss Boyd's reward had come the night before. His paunch was of imposing dimensions. and the Monarchy will be mine. and these were filled with water. The laugh and that uncanny glance.But her heart went out to Margaret. Heaven and Hell are in its province; and all forms. I prefer to set them all aside. If you do not guarantee this on your honour.'Yet it reigned in Persia with the magi. gipsies. Margaret drew Arthur towards her. but it could not be denied that he had considerable influence over others. and his skin was sallow. and more often they walk in bowler hats and the neat coats of the _boulevardier_.

' cried Susie gaily.'Knowing Susie's love for Arthur. Oliver Haddo was left alone with the snake-charmer. low tones mysteriously wrung her heartstrings. Copper. kissed her. Just as Arthur was a different man in the operating theatre. look at that little bald man in the corner. 'She knows that when a man sends flowers it is a sign that he has admired more women than one. but he would not speak of her. She would have given much to confess her two falsehoods. soulless denizens of the running streams or of the forest airs.' said Arthur.'I was at the House. All I know is that he has travelled widely and is acquainted with many tongues.'Don't be so foolish. thanks. But it was Arthur Burdon. She held out her hand to him. Once a week the bottles were emptied and filled again with pure rain-water. declared that doubt was a proof of modesty.Burdon was astonished.'Sit in this chair. At last I met him one day in Piccadilly. and at intervals the deep voice of the priest. for he had been to Eton and to Cambridge. nor of books. much diminished its size.

'The first time I saw her I felt as though a new world had opened to my ken. It may be described merely as the intelligent utilization of forces which are unknown.' said Arthur.'She went to the chimneypiece. 'She addressed him as follows: "Sir. The beauty of the East rose before her.'He gave a low weird laugh. dealing only with the general. These eyes were the most curious thing about him. with the excitement of an explorer before whom is spread the plain of an undiscovered continent.'I saw the place was crowded. and the phenomenon was witnessed by many people. with their array of dainty comestibles. interested her no less than the accounts. I am making you an eminently desirable offer of marriage. are _you_ a lion-hunter?' asked Susie flippantly. after more than the usual number of _ap??ritifs_. and that her figure was exceedingly neat. which made you hesitate how to take his outrageous utterances.She turned to Dr Porho?t. my dear fellow. He described himself as an amateur. and. But Haddo never hesitated on these occasions.Haddo looked at him for a minute with those queer eyes of his which seemed to stare at the wall behind.' laughed Susie. In his conversation he was affable and unaffected. neither very imaginative nor very brilliant.

''Go by all means if you choose. but his remained parallel. But he shook himself and straightened his back. but he prevented them. The lies which at first seemed intolerable now tripped glibly off her tongue.' pursued Haddo imperturbably. It struck Arthur that he should say something polite. for the trivial incident showed once more how frank the girl was. But though they were so natural. He did not seem to see her. and Haddo told her not to look round. and their eyes were dull with despair. so that I can see after your clothes. put his hand on the horse's neck. which she took out of a case attached to his watch-chain. and we dined together.''Art-student?' inquired Arthur. At first Margaret vowed it was impossible to go. Margaret. I fancy I must have been impressed by the _??criture artiste_ which the French writers of the time had not yet entirely abandoned. and there was an altar of white marble. the charming statue known as _La Diane de Gabies_. made with the greatest calm.'And what else is it that men seek in life but power? If they want money. Montpellier.'Take your hand away. roaring loudly and clawing at the air. or if.

 quivering still with the extremity of passion.A few months before this. The two women were impressed. The native grinned when he heard the English tongue. though he could not resist. The telegram that Susie had received pointed to a definite scheme on Haddo's part. Margaret made a desperate effort to regain her freedom. Her heart gave a great beat against her chest. He had an apartment in a _maison meubl??e_.''Those are facts which can be verified in works of reference. and she fancied that more than once Arthur gave her a curious look. and Arthur Burdon. and forthwith showed us marvels which this man has never heard of. stood on the chimney-piece. and by many others. Downstairs was a public room. that her exquisite loveliness gave her the right to devote herself to the great art of living? She felt a sudden desire for perilous adventures. They threw a strange light. They had lunched at a restaurant in the Boulevard Saint Michel. A gradual lethargy seized her under his baleful glance. and W. but Susie had not the courage to prevent her from looking. and more often they walk in bowler hats and the neat coats of the _boulevardier_. motionless. She gave a little cry of surprise. They were thought to be powerful and conscious of their power. and her clothes. which had little vitality and soon died.

 she could not look upon him with anger. as if it were common gas; and it burned with the same dry.'And it's not as if there had been any doubt about our knowing our minds. and the travellers found themselves in a very dangerous predicament. for it seemed to him that something from the world beyond had passed into his soul.' said Dr Porho?t. it civilised Greece to the sounds of Orpheus's lyre. But your characters are more different than chalk and cheese. which Dr.'Take your hand away. I should have no hesitation in saying so. I made my character more striking in appearance.'I've been waiting for you. and I had received no news of her for many weeks. in a more or less finished state. All his strength. and with Napoleonic instinct decided that I could only make room by insulting somebody. His mariner was earnest. were like a Titan's arms._ one chicken. made by the Count without the assistance of the Abb??. because the muscles were indicated with the precision of a plate in a surgical textbook. and Russia. she went. Oliver Haddo left at Margaret's door vast masses of chrysanthemums. are impressed with the dignity of man. were always beautiful.Susie noticed that this time Oliver Haddo made no sign that the taunt moved him.

 sensual lips.'Having succeeded in capturing the attention of everyone in the room. His face was large and fleshy. and called three times upon Apollonius. He was a fine man. he had made an ascent of K2 in the Hindu Kush. No one could assert that it was untrue. and cost seven hundred francs a year.' said Dr Porho?t. He was a small person. indeed. when you came in.'He dragged himself with difficulty back to the chair. But the students now are uneasy with the fear of ridicule. she hurried to the address that Oliver Haddo had given her. and. with palm trees mute in the windless air. put his hand to his heart. indeed. No one. Dr Porho?t walked with stooping shoulders.''I should like to tell you of an experience that I once had in Alexandria. There was about it a staid. One opinion. Dr Porho?t knew that a diversity of interests. and three times he rubbed the wound with his fingers. no answer reached me.'"Do you see anything in the ink?" he said.

 is perhaps the secret of your strength. And. His memory was indeed astonishing.'For a moment he kept silence. Margaret walked slowly to the church.'You must know that I've been wanting you to do that ever since I was ten. so that I can see after your clothes. I took the opportunity to ask the German about our common acquaintance.'You must hate me for intruding on you. an argument on the merits of C??zanne. and Saint Augustine of Hippo added that in any case there could be no question of inhabited lands. but we waited. all these were driven before the silent throngs of the oppressed; and they were innumerable as the sands of the sea.'I don't mind what I eat. I have two Persian cats. She had fallen unconsciously into a wonderful pose. really.'I had almost forgotten the most wonderful. Dr Porho?t?' said Haddo.'Clayson slammed the door behind him. but it is very terrible.''Margaret's a wise girl. Occasionally the heart is on the right side of the body. He put mine on. He desired the boy to look steadily into it without raising his head. who was a member of it. he had a taste for outrageous colours. 'Why didn't you tell me?''I didn't think it fair to put you under any obligation to me.

 show them. On the sixth day the bird began to lose its feathers. on the other hand. a retired horse-dealer who had taken to victualling in order to build up a business for his son. Though the hint of charlatanry in the Frenchman's methods had not escaped Arthur Burdon's shrewd eyes. It was curious to see this heavy man. By the combination of psychical powers and of strange essences.''I see that you wish me to go. 'And who is the stout old lady by his side. perhaps only once.They touched glasses. very small at first.' answered Arthur. Eliphas Levi was clothed in a white robe. as Arthur looked silently at the statue. and fortune-tellers; from high and low. and together they brought him to the studio. but. anguished eyes of a hunted beast.He seemed able to breathe more easily. and written it with his own right hand. it was found that the spirits had grown to about a span and a half each; the male _homunculi_ were come into possession of heavy beards. You won't try to understand. stroked the dog's back. without another word. A Hungarian band played in a distant corner. I am aware that the law of secrecy is rigorous among adepts; and I know that you have been asked for phenomena. meditating on the problems of metaphysics.

' said Meyer. And then suddenly I found that she had collapsed. who claimed to possess an autograph manuscript by the reputed author Schimeon ben Jochai. Notwithstanding your birth in the East and your boyhood spent amid the very scenes of the Thousand and One Nights. hardly conscious that she spoke.'The answer had an odd effect on Arthur. so I walked about the station for half an hour.Miss Boyd was beginning to tear him gaily limb from limb. having at the same time a retentive memory and considerable quickness. and it was only interrupted by Warren's hilarious expostulations. At first Susie could not discover in what precisely their peculiarity lay. and formed a very poor opinion of it; but he was in a quandary. 'Do you think if he'd had anything in him at all he would have let me kick him without trying to defend himself?'Haddo's cowardice increased the disgust with which Arthur regarded him.'Next day.'Madam. for a low flame sprang up immediately at the bottom of the dish.'The man's a funk. She stood with her back to the fireplace.'Her eyes filled with tears and her voice broke.'They can. and like a flash of lightning struck the rabbit. The night was lurid with acetylene torches. Susie started a little before two.The room was full when Arthur Burdon entered. nearly connected with persons of importance. and he was able to give me information about works which I had never even heard of.'Arthur gave a little laugh and pressed her hand. Margaret was ten when I first saw her.