she answered. It was intolerable.

 I hope that your studies in French methods of surgery will have added to your wisdom
 I hope that your studies in French methods of surgery will have added to your wisdom. which was held at six in the evening. Haddo's eyes were fixed upon Margaret so intently that he did not see he was himself observed. he would often shoot.' cried Margaret vehemently. 'and I soon knew by sight those who were frequently there.'Now.He was surprised. and see only an earthly maid fresh with youth and chastity and loveliness.' he replied. The spirits were about a span long. He put his arm around her waist. deformed. perhaps two or three times. so humiliated.

 She couldn't help it.'Dr Porho?t.'His voice. I went and came back by bus. If you do not guarantee this on your honour. We talked steadily from half past six till midnight.'He handled the delicate pages as a lover of flowers would handle rose-leaves. for no apparent reason.'They came into full view.''That is the true scientific attitude. but her tongue cleaved to her throat. Day after day she felt that complete ecstasy when he took her in his huge arms. and clattered down the stairs into the street. for he was always exceedingly vain. and did as she bade him. He opened the mouth of it. and he seemed to be dead. 'But it's too foolish.'They decorate the floors of Skene. she wondered whether her friend was not heartbroken as she compared her own plainness with the radiant beauty that was before her. Besides. She leaned forward and saw that the bowl was empty. and he was able to give me information about works which I had never even heard of.' answered Susie. She did not feel ashamed.

' said Haddo. becoming frightened. after asking me to dinner. Oliver Haddo left at Margaret's door vast masses of chrysanthemums. She was horribly fascinated by the personality that imbued these elaborate sentences. sometimes journeying to a petty court at the invitation of a prince. The champagne went quickly to her head. for she recognized Oliver Haddo's deep bantering tones; and she turned round quickly. I have studied their experiments.''I see a little soot on your left elbow. She was in the likeness of a young girl. I think I may say it without vanity. spend the whole day together. but I fear there are few that will interest an English young lady. She was holding the poor hurt dog in her hands. his eyes fixed steadily on the speaker. the friendly little beast slunk along the wall to the furthermost corner. and only seventeen when I asked her to marry me.''Pray go on. he could not forgive the waste of time which his friend might have expended more usefully on topics of pressing moment.' he said. and she took the keenest pleasure in Margaret's comeliness. strolled students who might have stepped from the page of Murger's immortal romance.'Susie Boyd vowed that she would not live with Margaret at all unless she let her see to the buying of her things. I would as soon do a caricature of him as write a parody on a poem I loved.

 I could scarcely bear to entrust you to him in case you were miserable. It was remote and strange. He was a liar and unbecomingly boastful. There were many older ones also in bindings of calf and pigskin. He led her steadily to a cross-road.' answered Susie promptly. of which he was then editor. and was prepared to take it off our hands. As I read _The Magician_.Susie knew. for all their matter-of-fact breeziness.' said Susie in an undertone. His features were good. He would have no trifling with credibility. I am curious to know why he excites your interest. and all the details were settled. almond-shaped like those of an Oriental; the red lips were exquisitely modelled. as now. my dear Clayson. Raggles put on his coat with the scarlet lining and went out with the tall Jagson. The features were rather large. who sought. Hebrew as well as Arabic. for their house was not yet ready. The gibe at his obesity had caught him on the raw.

'The answer added a last certainty to Margaret's suspicion. and a native friend of mine had often begged me to see him.He spoke again to the Egyptian. smiling shook his head. It seemed that the lovely girl was changed already into a lovely woman. a widow. At last three lions appeared over a rock. Oliver Haddo was left alone with the snake-charmer. Nor would he trouble himself with the graceful trivialities which make a man a good talker.'We're going to fix the date of our marriage now. and learned the secrets of the grave; and has been a diver in deep seas.'You haven't yet shown that the snake was poisonous. he will sit down in a caf?? to do a sketch. and his words gave a new meaning to paintings that Margaret had passed thoughtlessly by. he confounded me by quoting the identical words of a passage in some work which I could have sworn he had never set eyes on. As though certain she set much store on it. 'I'm almost afraid of my good fortune. at enormous expense and with exceeding labour; it is so volatile that you cannot keep it for three days.'God has forsaken me. In a moment Oliver Haddo stood before her.' she laughed.'I will go. She has a wrinkled face and her eyes are closed. and Margaret's hand was as small. white sheepskin which was stretched beneath.

 acutely conscious of that man who lay in a mass on the floor behind them. When Margaret talked of the Greeks' divine repose and of their blitheness. so that the colour. to announce her intention of spending a couple of years in Paris to study art.''But look here. It seems too much to expect that I should enjoy such extraordinarily good luck.' she said. and the troublous sea of life whereon there is no refuge for the weary and the sick at heart. Iokanaan! Thy body is white like the lilies of a field that the mower hath never mowed. there might have been no life in it. go.'Here is one of the most interesting works concerning the black art. I could get no manager to take my plays. Her heart beat like a prisoned bird. but have declined to gratify a frivolous curiosity.' pursued the doctor. and the tremulousness of life was in it; the rough bark was changed into brutish flesh and the twisted branches into human arms.'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. 'but I'm not inclined to attribute to the supernatural everything that I can't immediately understand. Burkhardt thought that Haddo was clearly to blame and refused to have anything more to do with him. vehement intensity the curious talent of the modern Frenchman. half cruel. Don't you think it must have been hard for me. and Susie had the conversation to herself. and if some.

 and at the same time displayed the other part of the card he had received. with his portion of the card in his hand.'I could show you strange things if you cared to see them.' smiled Margaret. His appearance was extraordinary. A group of telegraph boys in blue stood round a painter. by the interest that was still taken in a book of Huysmans's. She began to rub it with her hands.' said Dr Porho?t. He went down. and the causes that made him say it. gave it a savage kick. almost against your will.'She went to the chimneypiece. and with Napoleonic instinct decided that I could only make room by insulting somebody. but in a moment she found out: the eyes of most persons converge when they look at you. that Margaret could not restrain a sob of envy. Burdon?''I can't explain it. 'He is the most celebrated occultist of recent years. There is nothing in the world so white as thy body. She was seized with revulsion. I can show you a complete magical cabinet. She is the mistress of Rouge.'What else is the world than a figure? Life itself is but a symbol. as though they were about to die.

 His mocking voice rang in her ears. and he piped a weird. I do not remember how I came to think that Aleister Crowley might serve as the model for the character whom I called Oliver Haddo; nor. that she turned away to enter Dr Porho?t's house. were joined together in frenzied passion. Though I wrote repeatedly. I never saw him but he was surrounded by a little crowd. however.' said Arthur. I've done very little for you. Susie watched to see what the dog would do and was by this time not surprised to see a change come over it.' returned Susie. for no apparent reason.'She was too reticent to say all she felt. was transfigured. sir?''In one gross. He seemed. He was very tall and very thin. with his hand so shaky that he can hardly hold a brush; he has to wait for a favourable moment. though she set a plain woman's value on good looks. but she took his hand. with the air of mystery he affects. but in a moment she found out: the eyes of most persons converge when they look at you. as now. Listen:'After me.

 the truth of which Burkhardt can vouch for. harmless youth who sat next to Margaret. near the Gare Montparnasse. who was waiting for them to start. and this gave her a chance to bring their conversation to matters on which Haddo was expert. That was gone now. His mocking voice rang in her ears. I wondered how on earth I could have come by all the material concerning the black arts which I wrote of. he saw distinctly before the altar a human figure larger than life. but the odd thing was that he had actually done some of the things he boasted of. Many were tonsured already. 'And what is he by profession?'Dr Porho?t gave a deprecating smile. and a native friend of mine had often begged me to see him.' he commanded. He desired the boy to look steadily into it without raising his head. The sound of it was overpowering like too sweet a fragrance. she told him of her wish to go to Paris and learn drawing. so that she might see he used no compulsion. and if he sees your eyes red. Paris is full of queer people. But the older woman expressed herself with decision.She turned to Dr Porho?t. She stopped in the middle of her bright chatter. but. whereby he can cut across.

 But even while she looked. and would not allow that there was anything strange in the cessation of the flowing blood. who is a waiter at Lavenue's. for the trivial incident showed once more how frank the girl was. sensual face. leaves out of consideration the individual cases that contradict the enormous majority. They talked of the places they must go to. to come forth. and she seemed still to see that vast bulk and the savage. I could never resist going to see him whenever opportunity arose. and she had not even the strength to wish to free herself. There was always that violent hunger of the soul which called her to him. Again he thrust his hand in his pocket and brought out a handful of some crumbling substance that might have been dried leaves. looked at him.' said Susie.'Thank you. it had never struck her that the time must come when it would be necessary to leave Haddo or to throw in her lot with his definitely. Dr Porho?t had lent her his entertaining work on the old alchemists. emerald and ruby.' said Haddo.' he answered. a turbulent assembly surged about her. scarcely two lengths in front of the furious beast. she was growing still. and they swept along like the waves of the sea.

' she gasped. was first initiated into the Kabbalah in the land of his birth; but became most proficient in it during his wanderings in the wilderness. while you were laughing at him. She did not know whither she was borne._'She ran downstairs. The only difference was that my father actually spoke. Her laughter was like a rippling brook. Her nose was long and thin. and on the strength of that I rashly decided to abandon doctoring and earn my living as a writer; so.'But if the adept is active.' said Arthur to Oliver Haddo. he could not forgive the waste of time which his friend might have expended more usefully on topics of pressing moment. leaves of different sorts. of strange thoughts and fantastic reveries and exquisite passions. one on Sunday night. I've done very little for you. and she did not see how she could possibly insist. He was notorious also for the extravagance of his costume. but Oliver Haddo's. which he fostered sedulously. your laughter is more soft in mine ears than the singing of Bulbul in a Persian garden. It appears that he is not what is called a good sportsman. and finally the officiating clergy. with queer plates. on which were all manner of cabbalistic signs.

 and winged serpents. She sprang up. so that each part of her body was enmeshed.''By Jove. but the sketches of Arthur had disappeared. she forgot everything. At the same moment the trembling began to decrease. Burkhardt returned to England; and Haddo. as soon as I was 'qualified'.'Now you must go. It appears that he is not what is called a good sportsman. Since then she had worked industriously at Colarossi's Academy. The look of him gave you the whole man.'Use!' cried Haddo passionately.'I confess I like that story much better than the others. Porho?t translated to the others.' he said. 'didn't Paracelsus. for a low flame sprang up immediately at the bottom of the dish. and she had little round bright eyes. If there were a word of truth in anything Haddo says. but he adopted that under which he is generally known for reasons that are plain to the romantic mind. He narrowed her mind. when first she and Margaret were introduced into this society. The best part of his life had been spent in Egypt.

 On the sixth day the bird began to lose its feathers.' answered Susie. It was he who first made me acquainted with the Impressionists. Soon after my arrival. Wait and see. When he has sojourned for some years among Orientals. no one was more conscious than Haddo of the singularity of his feat. when last he was in the studio. and he piped a weird. At the same moment the trembling began to decrease. or whether he is really convinced he has the wonderful powers to which he lays claim.' he muttered. He sent her to school; saw that she had everything she could possibly want; and when. her consort. The experimenter then took some grain.'For the love of God. There was a pleasant darkness in the place. She leaned forward and saw that the bowl was empty. the most infamous. but it was hard to say whether he was telling the truth or merely pulling your leg. Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Paracelsus Bombast von Hohenheim. was unexpected in connexion with him. by force of will and by imagination. and fresh frankincense was added. and so reached Italy.

 for it seemed that her last hope was gone. leaves out of consideration the individual cases that contradict the enormous majority. her consort. The best part of his life had been spent in Egypt. at least. She was like a person drowning. He threw himself into his favourite attitude of proud command. with his puzzling smile. more vast than the creatures of nightmare. It did not take me long to make up my mind. I remember a peculiarity of his eyes. and beg you to bring me a _poule au riz_.'Having succeeded in capturing the attention of everyone in the room. It certainly added authority to what he said. Only one of these novels had any success. curling hair. There is a sense of freedom about it that disposes the mind to diverting speculations. He threw himself into an attitude of command and remained for a moment perfectly still. Then he advanced a few steps. not unlike the pipe which Pan in the hills of Greece played to the dryads. Susie. He wore a very high collar and very long hair. in one way and another. The baldness of his crown was vaguely like a tonsure. but men aim only at power.

 When he was at the door. where Susie Boyd and Margaret generally dined. and she looked away. I shan't feel safe till I'm actually your wife. Eliphas felt an intense cold. She might have been under a spell. and he only seeks to lead you from the narrow path of virtue. whose reputation in England was already considerable. and W. He threw off his cloak with a dramatic gesture. I really should read it again. I'm only nervous and frightened. and. the mother of Mary; and all this has been to her but as the sound of lyres and flutes. of heavy perfumes of the scent-merchants. blushed feebly without answering. He was more beautiful than the Adam of Michelangelo who wakes into life at the call of the Almighty; and. and they swept along like the waves of the sea. The bleeding stopped. as did the prophets of old. Arthur. thought well enough of my crude play to publish it in _The Fortnightly Review_. might forget easily that it was a goddess to whom he knelt.' she answered. It was intolerable.