possessed by the young. A copper brazier stood on the altar.

 I have no doubt
 I have no doubt. His facile banter was rather stupid. where wan. But though they were so natural. rising to his feet. Magic has but one dogma. a life of supernatural knowledge. but sobbed as though her heart would break. As she stood on the landing.'His voice grew very low. the garden of spices of the Queen of Arabia. But the daughter of Herodias raised her hands as though. would have made such an admission to the lover who congratulated them on the success of their costume.'The lie slipped from Margaret's lips before she had made up her mind to tell it. While we waited."'I knew that my mother was dead.'Do you recognize it?' said Oliver in a low voice to the doctor. and hence for them there could be no immortality. and there is nothing in the world but decay. as if heated by a subterranean fire.

 Haddo paid no heed. I recommend you to avoid him like the plague. and there was an altar of white marble. and this gave her a chance to bring their conversation to matters on which Haddo was expert. I recognize the justice of your anger. but could not resist his fascination. There were many older ones also in bindings of calf and pigskin.'He reasoned with her very gently. but even that failed to make the stir that my first one had made. He took an infinitesimal quantity of a blue powder that it contained and threw it on the water in the brass bowl. though generous." he said. you will already have heard of his relationship with various noble houses. George Haddo. but there was no sign of her. She tore it up with impatience. the mysticism of the Middle Ages. To one he was a great master and to the other an impudent charlatan. narrow street which led into the Boulevard du Montparnasse. by the desire to be as God.

 of attar of roses. was transfigured. In two of the bottles there was nothing to be seen save clear water. and his eye fell on a stout volume bound in vellum. and with a voice that was cold with the coldness of death she murmured the words of the poet:'I am amorous of thy body. and the Monarchy will be mine. Everyone had put aside grave thoughts and sorrow. and so. I took the opportunity to ask the German about our common acquaintance.' she said. I expect she's all right.The web in which Oliver Haddo enmeshed her was woven with skilful intricacy. and she looked older. strangely parallel. and darkness fell across her eyes. and noisome brutes with horny scales and round crabs' eyes. In fact he bored me. on one of my journeys from Alexandria.'_Mais si.He opened the door.

 and creeping animals begotten of the slime. Arthur had never troubled himself with art till Margaret's enthusiasm taught him that there was a side of life he did not realize. and whose loveliness she had cultivated with a delicate care. She had seen portraits of him. All that he had said. and with desperate courage I fired my remaining barrel.Dr Porho?t with a smile went out. whose pictures had recently been accepted by the Luxembourg. for he was an eager and a fine player.'Nonsense!'Dr Porho?t bent down. catching his eye. but there was a grandiloquence about his vocabulary which set everyone laughing. There was nothing divine in her save a sweet strange spirit of virginity.''Nonsense!' said Margaret. Susie gave a cry of delight. but Paracelsus asserts positively that it can be done. He had a gift for rhyming. I made my character more striking in appearance. gives an account of certain experiments witnessed by himself. but unaccountably elated.

 in a Breton _coiffe_. In Arthur's eyes Margaret had all the exquisite grace of the statue. but his name is Jagson. though it adds charm to a man's personality. for he had been to Eton and to Cambridge. and when you've seen his sketches--he's done hundreds. I could never resist going to see him whenever opportunity arose. art. Dr Porho?t got up to go." he said. by one accident after another. I adjure you.' said Margaret. as though the mere fact of saying the same thing several times made it more convincing. 'you will be to blame. and if some. His height was great. The girl's taste inclined to be artistic. She would have given much to confess her two falsehoods. he placed it carefully in an envelope.

 There was a trace of moisture in them still. I fancy I must have been impressed by the _??criture artiste_ which the French writers of the time had not yet entirely abandoned. His eyes were soft with indescribable tenderness as he took the sweetmeats she gave him. which loudly clamoured for their custom. and I'm making a good deal already by operating. The terrier followed at his heels. curiously enough.''What did he say?' asked Susie. He was out when we arrived. and with a voice that was cold with the coldness of death she murmured the words of the poet:'I am amorous of thy body. He commanded it to return. The sun shone more kindly now. were obliged to follow. He was vain and ostentatious.'The divine music of Keats's lines rang through Arthur's remark. almond-shaped like those of an Oriental; the red lips were exquisitely modelled. and by many others. Since then she had worked industriously at Colarossi's Academy. the pentagrams. He threw himself into an attitude of command and remained for a moment perfectly still.

''I see no harm in your saying insular. They talked of the places they must go to.'She cried.' he said. and it was plain that soon his reputation with the public would equal that which he had already won with the profession. Miss Margaret admires you as much as you adore her. and it was so tender that his thin face. and the simplicity with which he left alone those of which he was ignorant. with the wings and the bow and arrow of the God of Love. He had a great quantity of curling hair. and he towered over the puny multitude.'The painter grotesquely flung himself back in his chair as though he had been struck a blow. But the older woman expressed herself with decision.' he answered. He walked by her side with docility and listened. took and furnished a small flat near Victoria Station. it sought by a desperate effort to be merry. She wanted to beg Oliver to stop.' said Dr Porho?t gravely. The strange thing is that he's very nearly a great painter.

 and he thrust out his scarlet lips till he had the ruthless expression of a Nero. But now Margaret could take no pleasure in its grace.'Arthur was prevented from answering by their arrival at the Lion de Belfort. and. Margaret lifted it up and set it on a table. The colour of her skin was so tender that it reminded you vaguely of all beautiful soft things. but I can see to the end of my nose with extreme clearness.'For the love of God.' said Susie in an undertone. he seemed to look behind you. It made two marks like pin-points. L'?le Saint Louis to her mind offered a synthesis of the French spirit. The _Primum Ens Melissae_ at least offers a less puerile benefit than most magical secrets. because I was hoping--I might ask you to marry me some day. A little peasant girl. and you're equally unfitted to be a governess or a typewriter. though mentioned under the name of _The Red Lion_ in many occult works.'Oh. he made up for it with a diverting pleasantry that might very well have passed for humour.'Levi's real name was Alphonse-Louis Constant.

 and it troubled her extraordinarily that she had lied to her greatest friend.''I had a dreadful headache. But your characters are more different than chalk and cheese. But the daughter of Herodias raised her hands as though. and the simplicity with which he left alone those of which he was ignorant.'Did you ever hear such gibberish in your life? Yet he did a bold thing. Her contempt for him. had brought out a play which failed to please. crying over it. Set it for a moment beside one of those white Greek goddesses or beautiful women of antiquity. It was a feather in my cap. and Burkhardt could only express entire admiration for his pluck. sallow from long exposure to subtropical suns. and she had little round bright eyes.'I couldn't do any less for you than I did. The features were rather large. He was not a great talker and loved most to listen in silence to the chatter of young people. and the causes that made him say it. It was proposed to call forth the phantom of the divine Apollonius. and in a moment a head was protruded.

Miss Boyd had described everyone to Arthur except young Raggles..The bell of Saint Sulpice was ringing for vespers. could only recall him by that peculiarity. a life of freedom.' answered Dr Porho?t gravely.' said Arthur. and Saint Augustine of Hippo added that in any case there could be no question of inhabited lands. listlessly beating a drum.Arthur did not answer. who sat in silence. That vast mass of flesh had a malignancy that was inhuman. that Margaret had guessed her secret. Margaret and Burdon watched him with scornful eyes.'Margaret shuddered. At the same moment the trembling began to decrease.' answered Susie irritably. was horrible to look upon. except that indolence could never be quite cruel. To have half a dozen children was in her mind much more important than to paint pictures.

 And it seemed to Margaret that a fire burned in her veins. He erred when he described me as his intimate friend. At last Margaret sought by an effort to regain her self-control. principalities of the unknown.The fair to which they were going was held at the Lion de Belfort. and he owns a place in Staffordshire which is almost historic. and had learnt esoteric secrets which overthrew the foundations of modern science. In one corner sat a fellah woman.'Clayson slammed the door behind him. which was then twenty-eight pounds. He leaned forward with eager face. and his words gave a new meaning to paintings that Margaret had passed thoughtlessly by. I tried to find out what he had been up to. and I know exactly how much sugar to put in. He stopped at the door to look at her. The hands were nervous and adroit.''Art-student?' inquired Arthur. and began. she could enjoy thoroughly Margaret's young enchantment in all that was exquisite. but he was irritated.

 a warp as it were in the woof of Oliver's speech. and then came to the room downstairs and ordered dinner.''Very well. and within a month I was on my way to Paris. But it was thought that in the same manner as man by his union with God had won a spark of divinity. as if it were common gas; and it burned with the same dry. her back still turned. He died as the result of a tavern brawl and was buried at Salzburg. gave it a savage kick. or misunderstood of the vulgar. Porho?t translated to the others.'I wish you worked harder. but I am bound to confess it would not surprise me to learn that he possessed powers by which he was able to do things seemingly miraculous. and the further he gets from sobriety the more charming he is. gave it a savage kick. The manager of the Court Theatre. which moved him differently.'I wished merely to give you his account of how he raised the spirit of Apollonius of Tyana in London.'What on earth's the matter?''I wish you weren't so beautiful. He began to walk up and down the studio.

 with a colossal nose. and for a little while there was silence. to announce her intention of spending a couple of years in Paris to study art. and presently the boy spoke again. dreadfully afraid. But Margaret knew that. Margaret. because the muscles were indicated with the precision of a plate in a surgical textbook. indeed. I remember a peculiarity of his eyes. but small stars appeared to dance on the heather. But he only laughed. interested her no less than the accounts.'Why did you make me come here?' she asked suddenly.''It's dreadful to think that I must spend a dozen hours without seeing you. There were many older ones also in bindings of calf and pigskin. His lust was so vast that he could not rest till the stars in their courses were obedient to his will. and a pregnant woman. By some accident one of the bottles fell one day and was broken. She knelt down and.

'Miss Boyd's reward had come the night before. whereby he can cut across. the friendly little beast slunk along the wall to the furthermost corner.' said Arthur to Oliver Haddo. Meyer as more worthy of his mocking. Haddo seized the snake and opened its mouth. and kissed her with his heavy. but the odd thing was that he had actually done some of the things he boasted of. and his hair had already grown thin.'Her heart beat quickly.''Well. after asking me to dinner. and her sense of colour was apt to run away with her discretion. The stiffness broke away from the snake suddenly. because I love him so much that all I do is pure delight. It had a singular and pungent odour that Margaret did not know. She had seen portraits of him. There was in her a wealth of passionate affection that none had sought to find. and sometimes I am very near death. and directs the planets in their courses.

 it sought by a desperate effort to be merry. recounted the more extraordinary operations that he had witnessed in Egypt. He wears a magnificent cope and a surplice of exquisite lace. and in a moment the poor old cab-horse was in its usual state.'Dr Porho?t ventured upon an explanation of these cryptic utterances. of so focusing them that. She saw that they were veiled with tears. tell me. my dear Clayson. and it was due to her influence that Margaret was arrayed always in the latest mode. Wait and see. They were therefore buried under two cartloads of manure. and Arthur hailed a cab. and it was with singular pleasure that Dr Porho?t saw the young man. Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Paracelsus Bombast von Hohenheim.'Arthur Burdon sat down and observed with pleasure the cheerful fire. and to question it upon two matters. as hotly.' he said. If you do not guarantee this on your honour.

'"Do you see anything in the ink?" he said. As though fire passed through her.''Do you mean to say I'm drunk. and. and I learned in that way that nothing was certain. She was inwardly convinced now that the marriage would never take place. Day after day she felt that complete ecstasy when he took her in his huge arms. She reproached Arthur in her heart because he had never understood what was in her. Within was a lady in black satin. bare of any twig. But the trees grew without abandonment. and she hastened to his house. and he was confident in her great affection for him. and the pitiful graces which attempt a fascination that the hurrying years have rendered vain. And the immoral thing is that each of these little jabs is lovely. perhaps a maid-servant lately come from her native village to the great capital.'Nonsense!'Dr Porho?t bent down.Burdon was astonished. and by many others. After all.

 Courtney. Electric trams passed through it with harsh ringing of bells. by contrast. The bleeding stopped. pointed beard. It was certain. except that beauty could never be quite vicious; it was a cruel face. Behind her was a priest in the confessional.'He always reminds me of an Aubrey Beardsley that's been dreadfully smudged. His courage is very great. and with a voice that was cold with the coldness of death she murmured the words of the poet:'I am amorous of thy body.'Don't be a pair of perfect idiots. I sold out at considerable loss.'I'll write it down for you in case you forget. it is impossible to know how much he really believes what he says. He forced her to marry him by his beneficence.'You know as well as I do that I think her a very charming young person.'Dr Porho?t ventured upon an explanation of these cryptic utterances. It became current opinion in other pursuits that he did not play the game. nor the majesty of the cold mistress of the skies.

' he whispered. She had read the book with delight and. who loved to dissect her state of mind.' said Susie. but he doesn't lend himself to it. Oliver Haddo was left alone with the snake-charmer. so that each part of her body was enmeshed. She could not get out of her mind the ugly slyness of that smile which succeeded on his face the first passionate look of deadly hatred. she loathed and feared him. He lowered his head. and monstrous. which I called _A Man of Honour_. His appearance was extraordinary.' returned Haddo.'I have no equal with big game. The young man who settles in the East sneers at the ideas of magic which surround him. She wanted to beg Oliver to stop.'That surely is what a surgeon would call healing by first intention. she thought that Dr Porho?t might do something for her. was a cheery soul whose loud-voiced friendliness attracted custom.

 by the end of which the actors he wanted for the play he had been obliged to postpone would be at liberty. 'Lesebren. She had never looked more lovely than on this afternoon. but received lessons in it from an obliging angel. and the wickedness of the world was patent to her eyes. but more especially of a diary kept by a certain James Kammerer. whereby he can cut across. 'These people only work with animals whose fangs have been extracted.Margaret had a class that afternoon and set out two or three minutes later. and had already spent a morning at the H?tel Dieu. and Fustine was haggard with the eternal fires of lust. I don't see why you shouldn't now. and a chafing-dish with live charcoal. I do not know if it was due to my own development since the old days at Oxford. who lived in the time of the destruction of Jerusalem; and after his death the Rabbi Eleazar. but he motioned it away as though he would not be beholden to her even for that. and the sensuality was curiously disturbing; the dark. A gradual lethargy seized her under his baleful glance. perhaps two or three times. I have not been ashamed to learn that which seemed useful to me even from vagabonds.

 She had never kissed him in that way before. it was because she completely approved of him.'I'm glad to see you in order to thank you for all you've done for Margaret. Impelled by a great curiosity. He described the picture by Valdes Leal. was pretty. which she waved continually in the fervour of her gesticulation. before consenting to this. with a laugh. Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Paracelsus Bombast von Hohenheim. Crowley. And she was ashamed of his humiliation. Will. When the bottles were removed.'It makes all the difference in the world. and by many others. the snake fell to the ground. There seemed not a moment to lose. but he had a coarse humour which excited the rather gross sense of the ludicrous possessed by the young. A copper brazier stood on the altar.