Arthur Machen - The Novel of the Black Seal

7/31/2019 Arthur Machen - The Novel of the Black Seal

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The Novel of the Black Seal

Related By The Young Lady In Leicester Square

Arthur Machen

(1895)


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Prologue

'I see you are a determined rationalist,' said the lady. 'Didyou not hear me say that I have had exeriences even more

terri!le" I too #as once a scetic, !ut a$ter #hat I have %no#n

I can no lon&er a$$ect to dou!t.'

'Madam,' relied Mr. hillis, 'no one shall ma%e me deny

my $aith. I #ill never !elieve, nor #ill I retend to !elieve, that

t#o and t#o ma%e $ive, nor #ill I on any retences admit the

existence o$ t#osided trian&les.'

'ou are a little hasty,' re*oined the lady. '+ut may I as% you

i$ you ever heard the name o$ ro$essor re&&, the authority

on ethnolo&y and %indred su!*ects"'

'I have done much more than merely hear o$ ro$essor

re&&,' said hillis. 'I al#ays re&arded him as one o$ our

most acute and clearheaded o!servers- and his lastu!lication, the Textbook of Ethnology, struc% me as !ein&

uite admira!le in its %ind. Indeed, the !oo% had !ut come

into my hands #hen I heard o$ the terri!le accident #hich cut

short re&&'s career. /e had, I thin%, ta%en a country house in

the #est o$ 0n&land $or the summer, and is suosed to have

$allen into a river. o $ar as I remem!er, his !ody #as never

recovered.'

'ir, I am sure that you are discreet. our conversation

seems to declare as much, and the very title o$ that little #or%

o$ yours #hich you mentioned assures me that you are no

emty tri$ler. In a #ord, I $eel that I may deend on you. ou

aear to !e under the imression that ro$essor re&& is

dead- I have no reason to !elieve that that is the case.''2hat"' cried hillis, astonished and ertur!ed. 'ou do


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not hint that there #as anythin& dis&race$ul" I cannot !elieve

it. re&& #as a man o$ clearest character- his rivate li$e #as

one o$ &reat !enevolence- and thou&h I mysel$ am $ree $rom

delusions, I !elieve him to have !een a sincere and devout3hristian. urely you cannot mean to insinuate that some

disreuta!le history $orced him to $lee the country"'

'A&ain you are in a hurry.' relied the lady. 'I said nothin&

o$ all this. +rie$ly, then, I must tell you that ro$essor re&&

le$t this house one mornin& in $ull health !oth in mind and

!ody. /e never returned, !ut his #atch and chain, a urse

containin& three soverei&ns in &old, and some loose silver,

#ith a rin& that he #ore ha!itually, #ere $ound three days

later on a #ild and sava&e hillside, many miles $rom the river.

4hese articles #ere laced !eside a limestone roc% o$ $antastic

$orm- they had !een #raed into a arcel #ith a %ind o$

rou&h archment #hich #as secured #ith &ut. 4he arcel #as

oened, and the inner side o$ the archment !ore aninscrition done #ith some red su!stance- the characters

#ere undecihera!le, !ut seemed to !e a corrut cunei$orm.'

'ou interest me intensely,' said hillis. '2ould you mind

continuin& your story" 4he circumstance you have mentioned

seems to me o$ the most inexlica!le character, and I thirst

$or an elucidation.'

4he youn& lady seemed to meditate $or a moment, and she

then roceeded to relate the


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The Novel of the Black Seal

must no# &ive you some $uller articulars o$ my

history. I am the dau&hter o$ a civil en&ineer,

teven ally !y name, #ho #as so un$ortunate as

to die suddenly at the outset o$ his career, and

!e$ore he had accumulated su$$icient means to suort his

#i$e and her t#o children.

My mother contrived to %ee the small household &oin& on

resources #hich must have !een incredi!ly small- #e lived in

a remote country villa&e, !ecause most o$ the necessaries o$

li$e #ere cheaer than in a to#n, !ut even so #e #ere !rou&ht

u #ith the severest economy. My $ather #as a clever and

#ellread man, and le$t !ehind him a small !ut selectcollection o$ !oo%s, containin& the !est ree%, atin, and

0n&lish classics, and these !oo%s #ere the only amusement

#e ossessed. My !rother, I remem!er, learnt atin out o$

Descartes's Meditationes, and I, in lace o$ the little tales

#hich children are usually told to read, had nothin& more

charmin& than a translation o$ the Gesta 6omanorum. 2e

&re# u thus, uiet and studious children, and in course o$

time my !rother rovided $or himsel$ in the manner I have

mentioned. I continued to live at home7 my oor mother had

!ecome an invalid, and demanded my continual care, and

a!out t#o years a&o she died a$ter many months o$ ain$ul

illness. My situation #as a terri!le one- the sha!!y $urniture

!arely su$$iced to ay the de!ts I had !een $orced to contract,and the !oo%s I disatched to my !rother, %no#in& ho# he


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#ould value them. I #as a!solutely alone- I #as a#are ho#

oorly my !rother #as aid- and thou&h I came u to ondon

in the hoe o$ $indin& emloyment, #ith the understandin&

that he #ould de$ray my exenses, I s#ore it should only !e$or a month, and that i$ I could not in that time $ind some

#or% I #ould starve rather than derive him o$ the $e#

misera!le ounds he had laid !y $or his day o$ trou!le. I too%

a little room in a distant su!ur!- the cheaest that I could

$ind- I lived on !read and tea, and I sent my time in vain

ans#erin& o$ advertisements, and vainer #al%s to addresses I

had noted. Day $ollo#ed on day, and #ee% on #ee%, and still I

#as unsuccess$ul, till at last the term I had aointed dre# to

a close, and I sa# !e$ore me the &rim rosect o$ slo#ly dyin&

o$ starvation. My landlady #as &oodnatured in her #ay- she

%ne# the slenderness o$ my means, and I am sure that she

#ould not have turned me out o$ doors- it remained $or me

then to &o a#ay, and to try to die in some uiet lace. It #as#inter then, and a thic% #hite $o& $athered in the early art o$

the a$ternoon, !ecomin& more dense as the day #ore on- it

#as a unday, I remem!er, and the eole o$ the house #ere

at chael. At a!out three o'cloc% I cret out and #al%ed a#ay

as uic%ly as I could, $or I #as #ea% $rom a!stinence. 4he

#hite mist #raed all the streets in silence, a hard $rost had

&athered thic% uon the !are !ranches o$ the trees, and $rost

crystals &littered on the #ooden $ences, and on the cold, cruel

&round !eneath my $eet. I #al%ed on, turnin& to ri&ht and le$t

in utter hahaard, #ithout carin& to loo% u at the names o$

the streets, and all that I remem!er o$ my #al% on that

unday a$ternoon seems !ut the !ro%en $ra&ments o$ an evil

dream. In a con$used vision I stum!led on, throu&h roads hal$to#n and hal$ country, &rey $ields meltin& into the cloudy


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#orld o$ mist on one side o$ me, and on the other com$orta!le

villas #ith a &lo# o$ $ireli&ht $lic%erin& on the #alls, !ut all

unreal- red !ric% #alls and li&hted #indo#s, va&ue trees, and

&limmerin& country, &aslams !e&innin& to star the #hiteshado#s, the vanishin& ersectives o$ the rail#ay line

!eneath hi&h em!an%ments, the &reen and red o$ the si&nal

lamsall these #ere !ut momentary ictures $lashed on my

tired !rain and senses num!ed !y hun&er. o# and then I

#ould hear a uic% ste rin&in& on the iron road, and men

#ould ass me #ell #raed u, #al%in& $ast $or the sa%e o$

#armth, and no dou!t ea&erly $oretastin& the leasures o$ a

&lo#in& hearth, #ith curtains ti&htly dra#n a!out the $rosted

anes, and the #elcomes o$ their $riends, !ut as the early

evenin& dar%ened and ni&ht aroached, $ootassen&ers &ot

$e#er and $e#er, and I assed throu&h street a$ter street

alone. In the #hite silence I stum!led on, as desolate as i$ I

trod the streets o$ a !uried city- and as I &re# more #ea% andexhausted, somethin& o$ the horror o$ death #as $oldin&

thic%ly round my heart. uddenly, as I turned a corner, some

one accosted me courteously !eneath the lamost, and I

heard a voice as%in& i$ I could %indly oint the #ay to Avon

6oad. At the sudden shoc% o$ human accents I #as rostrated,

and my stren&th &ave #ay- I $ell all huddled on the side#al%,

and #et and so!!ed and lau&hed in violent hysteria. I had

&one out reared to die, and as I steed across the

threshold that had sheltered me, I consciously !ade adieu to

all hoes and all remem!rances- the door clan&ed !ehind me

#ith the noise o$ thunder, and I $elt that an iron curtain had

$allen on the !rie$ assa&e o$ my li$e, that hence$orth I #as to

#al% a little #ay in a #orld o$ &loom and shado#- I entered onthe sta&e o$ the $irst act o$ death. 4hen came my #anderin& in


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the mist, the #hiteness #rain& all thin&s, the void streets,

and mu$$led silence, till #hen that voice so%e to me it #as as

i$ I had died and li$e returned to me. In a $e# minutes I #as

a!le to comose my $eelin&s, and as I rose I sa# that I #ascon$ronted !y a middlea&ed &entleman o$ leasin&

aearance, neatly and correctly dressed. /e loo%ed at me

#ith an exression o$ &reat ity, !ut !e$ore I could stammer

out my i&norance o$ the nei&h!ourhood, $or indeed I had not

the sli&htest notion o$ #here I had #andered, he so%e.

'My dear madam,' he said, 'you seem in some terri!le

distress. ou cannot thin% ho# you alarmed me. +ut may I

inuire the nature o$ your trou!le" I assure you that you can

sa$ely con$ide in me.'

'ou are very %ind,' I relied. '+ut I $ear there is nothin& to

!e done. My condition seems a hoeless one.'

':h, nonsense, nonsense; ou are too youn& to tal% li%e

that. 3ome, let us #al% do#n here and you must tell me yourdi$$iculty. erhas I may !e a!le to hel you.'

4here #as somethin& very soothin& and ersuasive in his

manner, and as #e #al%ed to&ether I &ave him an outline o$

my story, and told o$ the desair that had oressed me

almost to death.

'ou #ere #ron& to &ive in so comletely,' he said, #hen I

#as silent. 'A month is too short a time in #hich to $eel one's

#ay in ondon. ondon, let me tell you, Miss ally, does not

lie oen and unde$ended- it is a $orti$ied lace, $ossed and

dou!lemoated #ith curious intricacies. As must al#ays

haen in lar&e to#ns, the conditions o$ li$e have !ecome

hu&ely arti$icial, no mere simle alisade is run u to oose

the man or #oman #ho #ould ta%e the lace !y storm, !utserried lines o$ su!tle contrivances, mines, and it$alls #hich


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it needs a stran&e s%ill to overcome. ou, in your simlicity,

$ancied you had only to shout $or these #alls to sin% into

nothin&ness, !ut the time is &one $or such startlin& victories

as these. 4a%e coura&e- you #ill learn the secret o$ success!e$ore very lon&.'

'Alas; sir,' I relied, 'I have no dou!t your conclusions are

correct, !ut at the resent moment I seem to !e in a $air #ay

to die o$ starvation. ou so%e o$ a secret- $or /eaven's sa%e

tell it me, i$ you have any ity $or my distress.'

/e lau&hed &enially. '4here lies the stran&eness o$ it all.

4hose #ho %no# the secret cannot tell it i$ they #ould- it is

ositively as ine$$a!le as the central doctrine o$ $reemasonry.

+ut I may say this, that you yoursel$ have enetrated at least

the outer hus% o$ the mystery,' and he lau&hed a&ain.

'ray do not *est #ith me,' I said. '2hat have I done, que

sais-je?I am so $ar i&norant that I have not the sli&htest idea

o$ ho# my next meal is to !e rovided.''0xcuse me. ou as% #hat you have done. ou have met

me. 3ome, #e #ill $ence no lon&er. I see you have sel$

education, the only education #hich is not in$initely

ernicious, and I am in #ant o$ a &overness $or my t#o

children. I have !een a #ido#er $or some years- my name is

re&&. I o$$er you the ost I have named, and shall #e say a

salary o$ a hundred a year'"'

I could only stutter out my than%s, and sliin& a card #ith

his address, and a !an%note !y #ay o$ earnest, into my hand,

Mr. re&& !ade me &ood!ye, as%in& me to call in a day or

t#o.

uch #as my introduction to ro$essor re&&, and can you

#onder that the remem!rance o$ desair and the cold !lastthat had !lo#n $rom the &ates o$ death uon me made me


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re&ard him as a second $ather" +e$ore the close o$ the #ee% I

#as installed in my ne# duties. 4he ro$essor had leased an

old !ric% manorhouse in a #estern su!ur! o$ ondon, and

here, surrounded !y leasant la#ns and orchards, andsoothed #ith the murmur o$ ancient elms that roc%ed their

!ou&hs a!ove the roo$, the ne# chater o$ my li$e !e&an.


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con$ess it, Miss ally, I covet the reno#n o$ 3olum!us- you

#ill, I hoe, see me lay the art o$ an exlorer.'

'urely,' I said, 'there is little le$t to exlore. ou have !een

!orn a $e# hundred years too late $or that.''I thin% you are #ron&,' he relied- 'there are still, deend

uon it, uaint, undiscovered countries and continents o$

stran&e extent. Ah, Miss ally; !elieve me, #e stand amidst

sacraments and mysteries $ull o$ a#e, and it doth not yet

aear #hat #e shall !e. i$e, !elieve me, is no simle thin&,

no mass o$ &rey matter and con&eries o$ veins and muscles to

!e laid na%ed !y the sur&eon's %ni$e- man is the secret #hich I

am a!out to exlore, and !e$ore I can discover him I must

cross over #elterin& seas indeed, and oceans and the mists o$

many thousand years. ou %no# the myth o$ the lost Atlantis-

#hat i$ it !e true, and I am destined to !e called the discoverer

o$ that #onder$ul land"'

I could see excitement !oilin& !eneath his #ords, and inhis $ace #as the heat o$ the hunter- !e$ore me stood a man

#ho !elieved himsel$ summoned to tourney #ith the

un%no#n. A an& o$ *oy ossessed me #hen I re$lected that I

#as to !e in a #ay associated #ith him in the adventure, and

I, too, !urned #ith the lust o$ the chase, not ausin& to

consider that I %ne# not #hat #e #ere to unshado#.

4he next mornin& ro$essor re&& too% me into his inner

study, #here, ran&ed a&ainst the #all, stood a nest o$

i&eonholes, every dra#er neatly la!elled, and the results o$

years o$ toil classi$ied in a $e# $eet o$ sace.

'/ere,' he said, 'is my li$e- here are all the $acts #hich I have

&athered to&ether #ith so much ains, and yet it is all

nothin&. o, nothin& to #hat I am a!out to attemt. oo% atthis'- and he too% me to an old !ureau, a iece $antastic and


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$aded, #hich stood in a corner o$ the room. /e unloc%ed the

$ront and oened one o$ the dra#ers.

'A $e# scras o$ aer,' he #ent on, ointin& to the dra#er,

'and a lum o$ !lac% stone, rudely annotated #ith ueermar%s and scratchesthat is all that the dra#er holds. /ere

you see is an old enveloe #ith the dar% red stam o$ t#enty

years a&o, !ut I have encilled a $e# lines at the !ac%- here is

a sheet o$ manuscrit, and here some cuttin&s $rom o!scure

local *ournals. And i$ you as% me the su!*ectmatter o$ the

collection, it #ill not seem extraordinarya servant&irl at a

$armhouse, #ho disaeared $rom her lace and has never

!een heard o$, a child suosed to have slied do#n some

old #or%in& on the mountains, some ueer scri!!lin& on a

limestone roc%, a man murdered #ith a !lo# $rom a stran&e

#eaon- such is the scent I have to &o uon. es, as you say,

there is a ready exlanation $or all this- the &irl may have run

a#ay to ondon, or iverool, or e# or%- the child may !eat the !ottom o$ the disused sha$t- and the letters on the roc%

may !e the idle #hims o$ some va&rant. es, yes, I admit all

that- !ut I %no# I hold the true %ey. oo%;' and he held out a

sli o$ yello# aer.

Characters found inscribed on a limestone rock on the

Grey ills, I read, and then there #as a #ord erased,

resuma!ly the name o$ a county, and a date some $i$teen

years !ac%. +eneath #as traced a num!er o$ uncouth

characters, shaed some#hat li%e #ed&es or da&&ers, as

stran&e and outlandish as the /e!re# alha!et.

'o# the seal,' said ro$essor re&&, and he handed me the

!lac% stone, a thin& a!out t#o inches lon&, and somethin& li%e

an old$ashioned to!accostoer, much enlar&ed.I held it u to the li&ht, and sa# to my surrise the


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characters on the aer reeated on the seal.

'es,' said the ro$essor, 'they are the same. And the mar%s

on the limestone roc% #ere made $i$teen years a&o, #ith some

red su!stance. And the characters on the seal are $ourthousand years old at least. erhas much more.'

'Is it a hoax"' I said.

'o, I anticiated that. I #as not to !e led to &ive my li$e to

a ractical *o%e. I have tested the matter very care$ully. :nly

one erson !esides mysel$ %no#s o$ the mere existence o$ that

!lac% seal. +esides, there are other reasons #hich I cannot

enter into no#.'

'+ut #hat does it all mean"' I said. 'I cannot understand to

#hat conclusion all this leads.'

'My dear Miss ally, that is a uestion that I #ould rather

leave unans#ered $or some little time. erhas I shall never

!e a!le to say #hat secrets are held here in solution- a $e#

va&ue hints, the outlines o$ villa&e tra&edies, a $e# mar%sdone #ith red earth uon a roc%, and an ancient seal. A ueer

set o$ data to &o uon" /al$ a doen ieces o$ evidence, and

t#enty years !e$ore even so much could !e &ot to&ether- and

#ho %no#s #hat mira&e or terra incognitamay !e !eyond all

this" I loo% across dee #aters, Miss ally, and the land

!eyond may !e !ut a hae a$ter all. +ut still I !elieve it is not

so, and a $e# months #ill sho# #hether I am ri&ht or #ron&.'

/e le$t me, and alone I endeavoured to $athom the

mystery, #onderin& to #hat &oal such eccentric odds and

ends o$ evidence could lead. I mysel$ am not #holly devoid o$

ima&ination, and I had reason to resect the ro$essor's

solidity o$ intellect- yet I sa# in the contents o$ the dra#ers

!ut the materials o$ $antasy, and vainly tried to conceive #hattheory could !e $ounded on the $ra&ments that had !een


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laced !e$ore me. Indeed, I could discover in #hat I had

heard and seen !ut the $irst chater o$ an extrava&ant

romance- and yet dee in my heart I !urned #ith curiosity,

and day a$ter day I loo%ed ea&erly in ro$essor re&&'s $ace$or some hint o$ #hat #as to haen.

It #as one evenin& a$ter dinner that the #ord came.

'I hoe you can ma%e your rearations #ithout much

trou!le,' he said suddenly to me. '2e shall !e leavin& here in a

#ee%'s time.'

'6eally;' I said in astonishment. '2here are #e &oin&"'

'I have ta%en a country house in the #est o$ 0n&land, not

$ar $rom 3aermaen, a uiet little to#n, once a city, and the

headuarters o$ a 6oman le&ion. It is very dull there, !ut the

country is retty, and the air is #holesome.'

I detected a &lint in his eyes, and &uessed that this sudden

move had some relation to our conversation o$ a $e# days

!e$ore.'I shall *ust ta%e a $e# !oo%s #ith me,' said ro$essor re&&,

'that is all. 0verythin& else #ill remain here $or our return. I

have &ot a holiday,' he #ent on, smilin& at me, 'and I shan't !e

sorry to !e uite $or a time o$ my old !ones and stones and

ru!!ish. Do you %no#,' he #ent on, 'I have !een &rindin&

a#ay at $acts $or thirty years- it is time $or $ancies.'

4he days assed uic%ly- I could see that the ro$essor #as

all uiverin& #ith suressed excitement, and I could scarce

credit the ea&er aetence o$ his &lance as #e le$t the old

manorhouse !ehind us and !e&an our *ourney. 2e set out at

midday, and it #as in the dus% o$ the evenin& that #e arrived

at a little country station. I #as tired and excited, and the

drive throu&h the lanes seems all a dream. =irst the desertedstreets o$ a $or&otten villa&e, #hile I heard ro$essor re&&'s


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voice tal%in& o$ the Au&ustan e&ion and the clash o$ arms,

and all the tremendous om that $ollo#ed the ea&les- then

the !road river s#immin& to $ull tide #ith the last a$ter&lo#

&limmerin& dus%ily in the yello# #ater, the #ide meado#s,the corn$ields #hitenin&, and the dee lane #indin& on the

sloe !et#een the hills and the #ater. At last #e !e&an to

ascend, and the air &re# rarer. I loo%ed do#n and sa# the

ure #hite mist trac%in& the outline o$ the river li%e a shroud,

and a va&ue and shado#y country- ima&inations and $antasy

o$ s#ellin& hills and han&in& #oods, and hal$shaed outlines

o$ hills !eyond, and in the distance the &lare o$ the $urnace

$ire on the mountain, &lo#in& !y turns a illar o$ shinin&

$lame and $adin& to a dull oint o$ red. 2e #ere slo#ly

mountin& a carria&e drive, and then there came to me the cool

!reath and the secret o$ the &reat #ood that #as a!ove us- I

seemed to #ander in its deeest deths, and there #as the

sound o$ tric%lin& #ater, the scent o$ the &reen leaves, and the!reath o$ the summer ni&ht. 4he carria&e stoed at last, and

I could scarcely distin&uish the $orm o$ the house, as I #aited

a moment at the illared orch. 4he rest o$ the evenin&

seemed a dream o$ stran&e thin&s !ounded !y the &reat

silence o$ the #ood and the valley and the river.

4he next mornin&, #hen I a#o%e and loo%ed out o$ the !o#

#indo# o$ the !i&, old$ashioned !edroom, I sa# under a &rey

s%y a country that #as still all mystery. 4he lon&, lovely valley,

#ith the river #indin& in and out !elo#, crossed in midvision

!y a medi>val !rid&e o$ vaulted and !uttressed stone, the

clear resence o$ the risin& &round !eyond, and the #oods

that I had only seen in shado# the ni&ht !e$ore, seemed

tin&ed #ith enchantment, and the so$t !reath o$ air thatsi&hed in at the oened ane #as li%e no other #ind. I loo%ed


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across the valley, and !eyond, hill $ollo#ed on hill as #ave on

#ave, and here a $aint !lue illar o$ smo%e rose still in the

mornin& air $rom the chimney o$ an ancient &rey $armhouse,

there #as a ru&&ed hei&ht cro#ned #ith dar% $irs, and in thedistance I sa# the #hite strea% o$ a road that clim!ed and

vanished into some unima&ined country. +ut the !oundary o$

all #as a &reat #all o$ mountain, vast in the #est, and endin&

li%e a $ortress #ith a stee ascent and a domed tumulus clear

a&ainst the s%y.

I sa# ro$essor re&& #al%in& u and do#n the terrace

ath !elo# the #indo#s, and it #as evident that he #as

revellin& in the sense o$ li!erty, and the thou&ht that he had

$or a #hile !idden &ood!ye to tas%#or%. 2hen I *oined him

there #as exultation in his voice as he ointed out the s#ee

o$ valley and the river that #ound !eneath the lovely hills.

'es,' he said, 'it is a stran&ely !eauti$ul country- and to me,

at least, it seems $ull o$ mystery. ou have not $or&otten thedra#er I sho#ed you, Miss ally" o- and you have &uessed

that I have come here not merely $or the sa%e o$ the children

and the $resh air"'

'I thin% I have &uessed as much as that,' I relied- '!ut you

must remem!er I do not %no# the mere nature o$ your

investi&ations- and as $or the connection !et#een the search

and this #onder$ul valley, it is ast my &uessin&.'

/e smiled ueerly at me. 'ou must not thin% I am ma%in&

a mystery $or the sa%e o$ mystery,' he said. 'I do not sea% out

!ecause, so $ar, there is nothin& to !e so%en, nothin&

de$inite, I mean, nothin& that can !e set do#n in hard !lac%

and #hite, as dull and sure and irreroacha!le as any !lue

!oo%. And then I have another reason7 Many years a&o achance ara&rah in a ne#saer cau&ht my attention, and


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$ocussed in an instant the va&rant thou&hts and hal$$ormed

$ancies o$ many idle and seculative hours into a certain

hyothesis. I sa# at once that I #as treadin& on a thin crust-

my theory #as #ild and $antastic in the extreme, and I #ouldnot $or any consideration have #ritten a hint o$ it $or

u!lication. +ut I thou&ht that in the comany o$ scienti$ic

men li%e mysel$, men #ho %ne# the course o$ discovery, and

#ere a#are that the &as that !laes and $lares in the &in

alace #as once a #ild hyothesisI thou&ht that #ith such

men as these I mi&ht haard my dreamlet us say Atlantis, or

the hilosoher's stone, or #hat you li%e#ithout dan&er o$

ridicule. I $ound I #as &rossly mista%en- my $riends loo%ed

!lan%ly at me and at one another, and I could see somethin&

o$ ity, and somethin& also o$ insolent contemt, in the

&lances they exchan&ed. :ne o$ them called on me next day,

and hinted that I must !e su$$erin& $rom over#or% and !rain

exhaustion. ?In lain terms,? I said, ?you thin% I am &oin&mad. I thin% not?- and I sho#ed him out #ith some little

aearance o$ heat. ince that day I vo#ed that I #ould never

#hiser the nature o$ my theory to any livin& soul- to no one

!ut yoursel$ have I ever sho#n the contents o$ that dra#er.

A$ter all, I may !e $ollo#in& a rain!o#- I may have !een

misled !y the lay o$ coincidence- !ut as I stand here in this

mystic hush and silence, amidst the #oods and #ild hills, I

am more than ever sure that I am hot on the scent. 3ome, it is

time #e #ent in.'

4o me in all this there #as somethin& !oth o$ #onder and

excitement- I %ne# ho# in his ordinary #or% ro$essor re&&

moved ste !y ste, testin& every inch o$ the #ay, and never

venturin& on assertion #ithout roo$ that #as imre&na!le.et I divined, more $rom his &lance and the vehemence o$ his


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18

tone than $rom the so%en #ord, that he had in his every

thou&ht the vision o$ the almost incredi!le continually #ith

him- and I, #ho #as #ith some share o$ ima&ination no little

o$ a scetic, o$$ended at a hint o$ the marvellous, could nothel as%in& mysel$ #hether he #ere cherishin& a monomania,

and !arrin& out $rom this one su!*ect all the scienti$ic method

o$ his other li$e.

et, #ith this ima&e o$ mystery hauntin& my thou&hts, I

surrendered #holly to the charm o$ the country. A!ove the

$aded house on the hillside !e&an the &reat $oresta lon&,

dar% line seen $rom the oosin& hills, stretchin& a!ove the

river $or many a mile $rom north to south, and yieldin& in the

north to even #ilder country, !arren and sava&e hills, and

ra&&ed commonland, a territory all stran&e and unvisited, and

more un%no#n to 0n&lishmen than the very heart o$ A$rica.

4he sace o$ a coule o$ stee $ields alone searated the house

$rom the #oods, and the children #ere deli&hted to $ollo# meu the lon& alleys o$ under&ro#th, !et#een smooth leached

#alls o$ shinin& !eech, to the hi&hest oint in the #ood,

#hence one loo%ed on one side across the river and the rise

and $all o$ the country to the &reat #estern mountain #all,

and on the other over the sur&e and di o$ the myriad trees o$

the $orest, over level meado#s and the shinin& yello# sea to

the $aint coast !eyond. I used to sit at this oint on the #arm

sunlit tur$ #hich mar%ed the trac% o$ the 6oman 6oad, #hile

the t#o children raced a!out huntin& $or the #hin!erries that

&re# here and there on the !an%s. /ere, !eneath the dee

!lue s%y and the &reat clouds rollin&, li%e olden &alleons #ith

sails $ull!ellied, $rom the sea to the hills, as I listened to the

#hisered charm o$ the &reat and ancient #ood, I lived solely$or deli&ht, and only remem!ered stran&e thin&s #hen #e


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#ould return to the house and $ind ro$essor re&& either

shut u in the little room he had made his study, or else

acin& the terrace #ith the loo%, atient and enthusiastic, o$

the determined see%er.:ne mornin&, some ei&ht or nine days a$ter our arrival, I

loo%ed out o$ my #indo# and sa# the #hole landscae

transmuted !e$ore me. 4he clouds had died lo# and hidden

the mountain in the #est- a southern #ind #as drivin& the

rain in shi$tin& illars u the valley, and the little !roo%let

that !urst the hill !elo# the house no# ra&ed, a red torrent,

do#n the river. 2e #ere er$orce o!li&ed to %ee snu& #ithin

doors- and #hen I had attended to my uils, I sat do#n in

the mornin&room, #here the ruins o$ a li!rary still

encum!ered an old$ashioned !oo%case. I had insected the

shelves once or t#ice, !ut their contents had $ailed to attract

me- volumes o$ ei&hteenthcentury sermons, an old !oo% on

$arriery, a collection o$ oems !y 'ersons o$ uality,'rideaus's Connection, and an odd volume o$ oe, #ere the

!oundaries o$ the li!rary, and there seemed little dou!t that

everythin& o$ interest or value had !een removed. o#,

ho#ever, in deseration, I !e&an to reexamine the musty

shees%in and cal$ !indin&s, and $ound, much to my deli&ht, a

$ine old uarto rinted !y the tehani, containin& the three

!oo%s o$ omonius Mela, !e "itu #rbis, and other o$ the

ancient &eo&rahers. I %ne# enou&h o$ atin to steer my #ay

throu&h an ordinary sentence, and I soon !ecame a!sor!ed in

the odd mixture o$ $act and $ancyli&ht shinin& on a little o$

the sace o$ the #orld, and !eyond, mist and shado# and

a#$ul $orms. lancin& over the clearrinted a&es, my

attention #as cau&ht !y the headin& o$ a chater in olinus,and I read the #ords7


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20

MI6A D0 I4IMI 04I+@ I+A0. D0 AID0

/003:4AI4/:,

'4he #onders o$ the eole that inha!it the inner arts o$

i!ya, and o$ the stone called ixtystone.'

4he odd title attracted me, and I read on7

Gens ista a$ia er secreta habitat% in montibus horrendis

foeda mysteria celebrat& !e hominibus nihil aliud illi'raeferunt quam figuram% ab humano ritu 'rorsus exulant%

oderunt deum lucis&

"tridunt 'otius quam loquuntur( $ox absona nec sine

horrore auditur& )a'ide quodam gloriantur% quem

execontalithon $ocant( dicunt enim hunc la'idem

sexaginta notas ostendere&Cujus la'idis nomen secretum ineffabile colunt* quod

+xaxar&

'4his $ol%,' I translated to mysel$, 'd#ells in remote and

secret laces, and cele!rates $oul mysteries on sava&e hills.

othin& have they in common #ith men save the $ace, and the

customs o$ humanity are #holly stran&e to them- and theyhate the sun. 4hey hiss rather than sea%- their voices are

harsh, and not to !e heard #ithout $ear. 4hey !oast o$ a

certain stone, #hich they call ixtystone- $or they say that it

dislays sixty characters. And this stone has a secret

unsea%a!le name- #hich is Ixaxar.'

I lau&hed at the ueer inconseuence o$ all this, andthou&ht it $it $or 'in!ad the ailor,' or other o$ the


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21

sulementary ,ights. 2hen I sa# ro$essor re&& in the

course o$ the day, I told him o$ my $ind in the !oo%case, and

the $antastic ru!!ish I had !een readin&. 4o my surrise he

loo%ed u at me #ith an exression o$ &reat interest.'4hat is really very curious,' he said. 'I have never thou&ht it

#orth #hile to loo% into the old &eo&rahers, and I dare say I

have missed a &ood deal. Ah, that is the assa&e, is it" It

seems a shame to ro! you o$ your entertainment, !ut I really

thin% I must carry o$$ the !oo%.'

4he next day the ro$essor called me to come to the study. I

$ound him sittin& at a ta!le in the $ull li&ht o$ the #indo#,

scrutiniin& somethin& very attentively #ith a ma&ni$yin&

&lass.

'Ah, Miss ally,' he !e&an, 'I #ant to use your eyes. 4his

&lass is retty &ood, !ut not li%e my old one that I le$t in to#n.

2ould you mind examinin& the thin& yoursel$, and tellin& me

ho# many characters are cut on it"'/e handed me the o!*ect in his hand. I sa# that it #as the

!lac% seal he had sho#n me in ondon, and my heart !e&an to

!eat #ith the thou&ht that I #as resently to %no# somethin&.

I too% the seal, and, holdin& it u to the li&ht, chec%ed o$$ the

&rotesue da&&ershaed characters one !y one.

'I ma%e sixtyt#o,' I said at last.

'ixtyt#o" onsense- it's imossi!le. Ah, I see #hat you

have done, you have counted that and that,' and he ointed to

t#o mar%s #hich I had certainly ta%en as letters #ith the rest.

'es, yes,' ro$essor re&& #ent on, '!ut those are o!viously

scratches, done accidentally- I sa# that at once. es, then

that's uite ri&ht. 4han% you very much, Miss ally.'

I #as &oin& a#ay, rather disaointed at my havin& !eencalled in merely to count the num!er o$ mar%s on the !lac%


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22

seal, #hen suddenly there $lashed into my mind #hat I had

read in the mornin&.

'+ut, ro$essor re&&,' I cried, !reathless, 'the seal, the seal.

2hy, it is the stone /execontalithos that olinus #rites o$- itis Ixaxar.'

'es,' he said, 'I suose it is. :r it may !e a mere

coincidence. It never does to !e too sure, you %no#, in these

matters. 3oincidence %illed the ro$essor.'

I #ent a#ay uled !y #hat I had heard, and as much as

ever at a loss to $ind the rulin& clue in this mae o$ stran&e

evidence. =or three days the !ad #eather lasted, chan&in&

$rom drivin& rain to a dense mist, $ine and driin&, and #e

seemed to !e shut u in a #hite cloud that veiled all the #orld

a#ay $rom us. All the #hile ro$essor re&& #as dar%lin& in

his room, un#illin&, it aeared, to disense con$idences or

tal% o$ any %ind, and I heard him #al%in& to and $ro #ith a

uic%, imatient ste, as i$ he #ere in some #ay #earied o$inaction. 4he $ourth mornin& #as $ine, and at !rea%$ast the

ro$essor said !ris%ly7

'2e #ant some extra hel a!out the house- a !oy o$ $i$teen

or sixteen, you %no#. 4here are a lot o$ little odd *o!s that

ta%e u the maids' time #hich a !oy could do much !etter.'

'4he &irls have not comlained to me in any #ay,' I relied.

'Indeed, Anne said there #as much less #or% than in ondon,

o#in& to there !ein& so little dust-'

'Ah, yes, they are very &ood &irls. +ut I thin% #e shall do

much !etter #ith a !oy. In $act, that is #hat has !een

!otherin& me $or the last t#o days.'

'+otherin& you"' I said in astonishment, $or as a matter o$

$act the ro$essor never too% the sli&htest interest in thea$$airs o$ the house.


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23

'es,' he said, 'the #eather, you %no#. I really couldn't &o

out in that cotch mist- I don't %no# the country very #ell,

and I should have lost my #ay. +ut I am &oin& to &et the !oy

this mornin&.''+ut ho# do you %no# there is such a !oy as you #ant

any#here a!out"'

':h, I have no dou!t as to that. I may have to #al% a mile or

t#o at the most, !ut I am sure to $ind *ust the !oy I reuire.'

I thou&ht the ro$essor #as *o%in&, !ut, thou&h his tone

#as airy enou&h, there #as somethin& &rim and set a!out his

$eatures that uled me. /e &ot his stic%, and stood at the

door loo%in& meditatively !e$ore him, and as I assed throu&h

the hall he called to me.

'+y the #ay, Miss ally, there #as one thin& I #anted to say

to you. I dare say you may have heard that some o$ these

country lads are not over!ri&ht- ?idiotic? #ould !e a harsh

#ord to use, and they are usually called ?naturals?, orsomethin& o$ the %ind. I hoe you #on't mind i$ the !oy I am

a$ter should turn out not too %een#itted- he #ill !e er$ectly

harmless, o$ course, and !lac%in& !oots doesn't need much

mental e$$ort.'

2ith that he #as &one, stridin& u the road that led to the

#ood, and I remained stue$ied- and then $or the $irst time

my astonishment #as min&led #ith a sudden note o$ terror,

arisin& I %ne# not #hence, and all unexlained even to

mysel$, and yet I $elt a!out my heart $or an instant somethin&

o$ the chill o$ death, and that shaeless, $ormless dread o$ the

un%no#n that is #orse than death itsel$. I tried to $ind

coura&e in the s#eet air that !le# u $rom the sea, and in the

sunli&ht a$ter rain, !ut the mystic #oods seemed to dar%enaround me- and the vision o$ the river coilin& !et#een the


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reeds, and the silver &rey o$ the ancient !rid&e, $ashioned in

my mind sym!ols o$ va&ue dread, as the mind o$ a child

$ashions terror $rom thin&s harmless and $amiliar.

4#o hours later ro$essor re&& returned. I met him as hecame do#n the road, and as%ed uietly i$ he had !een a!le to

$ind a !oy.

':h, yes.' he ans#ered- 'I $ound one easily enou&h. /is

name is Bervase 3radoc%, and I exect he #ill ma%e himsel$

very use$ul. /is $ather has !een dead $or many years, and the

mother, #hom I sa#, seemed very &lad at the rosect o$ a

$e# shillin&s extra comin& in on aturday ni&hts. As I

exected, he is not too shar, has $its at times, the mother

said- !ut as he #ill not !e trusted #ith the china, that doesn't

much matter, does it" And he is not in any #ay dan&erous,

you %no#, merely a little #ea%.'

'2hen is he comin&"'

'4omorro# mornin& at ei&ht o'cloc%. Anne #ill sho# him#hat he has to do, and ho# to do it. At $irst he #ill &o home

every ni&ht, !ut erhas it may ultimately turn out more

convenient $or him to slee here, and only &o home $or

undays.'

I $ound nothin& to say to all this- ro$essor re&& so%e in

a uiet tone o$ mattero$$act, as indeed #as #arranted !y the

circumstance- and yet I could not uill my sensation o$

astonishment at the #hole a$$air. I %ne# that in reality no

assistance #as #anted in the house#or%, and the ro$essor's

rediction that the !oy he #as to en&a&e mi&ht rove a little

'simle,' $ollo#ed !y so exact a $ul$ilment, struc% me as

!iarre in the extreme. 4he next mornin& I heard $rom the

housemaid that the !oy 3radoc% had come at ei&ht, and thatshe had !een tryin& to ma%e him use$ul. '/e doesn't seem


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uite all there, I don't thin%, miss,' #as her comment, and

later in the day I sa# him helin& the old man #ho #or%ed in

the &arden. /e #as a youth o$ a!out $ourteen, #ith !lac% hair

and !lac% eyes and an olive s%in, and I sa# at once $rom thecurious vacancy o$ his exression that he #as mentally #ea%.

/e touched his $orehead a#%#ardly as I #ent !y, and I heard

him ans#erin& the &ardener in a ueer, harsh voice that

cau&ht my attention- it &ave me the imression o$ some one

sea%in& dee !elo# under the earth, and there #as a stran&e

si!ilance, li%e the hissin& o$ the hono&rah as the ointer

travels over the cylinder. I heard that he seemed anxious to do

#hat he could, and #as uite docile and o!edient, and

Mor&an the &ardener, #ho %ne# his mother, assured me he

#as er$ectly harmless. '/e's al#ays !een a !it ueer,' he said,

'and no #onder, a$ter #hat his mother #ent throu&h !e$ore he

#as !orn. I did %no# his $ather, 4homas 3radoc%, #ell, and a

very $ine #or%man he #as too, indeed. /e &ot somethinron& #ith his lun&s o#in& to #or%in& in the #et #oods, and

never &ot over it, and #ent o$$ uite sudden li%e. And they do

say as ho# Mrs. 3radoc% #as uite o$$ her head7 anyho#, she

#as $ound !y Mr. /illyer, 4y 3och, all crouched u on the

rey /ills, over there, cryin& and #eein& li%e a lost soul. And

Bervase, he #as !orn a!out ei&ht months a$ter#ards, and, as I

#as sayin&, he #as a !it ueer al#ays- and they do say #hen

he could scarcely #al% he #ould $ri&hten the other children

into $its #ith the noises he #ould ma%e.'

A #ord in the story had stirred u some remem!rance

#ithin me, and, va&uely curious, I as%ed the old man #here

the rey /ills #ere.

'@ there,' he said, #ith the same &esture he had used!e$ore- 'you &o ast the ?=ox and /ounds?, and throu&h the


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$orest, !y the old ruins. It's a &ood $ive mile $rom here, and a

stran&e sort o$ a lace. 4he oorest soil !et#een this and

Monmouth, they do say, thou&h it's &ood $eed $or shee. es,

it #as a sad thin& $or oor Mrs. 3radoc%.'4he old man turned to his #or%, and I strolled on do#n the

ath !et#een the esaliers, &narled and &outy #ith a&e,

thin%in& o$ the story I had heard, and &roin& $or the oint in

it that had some %ey to my memory. In an instant it came

!e$ore me- I had seen the hrase 'rey /ills' on the sli o$

yello#ed aer that ro$essor re&& had ta%en $rom the

dra#er in his ca!inet. A&ain I #as seied #ith an&s o$

min&led curiosity and $ear- I remem!ered the stran&e

characters coied $rom the limestone roc%, and then a&ain

their identity #ith the inscrition o$ the a&eold seal, and the

$antastic $a!les o$ the atin &eo&raher. I sa# !eyond dou!t

that, unless coincidence had set all the scene and disosed all

these !iarre events #ith curious art, I #as to !e a sectator o$thin&s $ar removed $rom the usual and customary tra$$ic and

*ostle o$ li$e. ro$essor re&& I noted day !y day- he #as hot

on his trail, &ro#in& lean #ith ea&erness- and in the evenin&s,

#hen the sun #as s#immin& on the ver&e o$ the mountain, he

#ould ace the terrace to and $ro #ith his eyes on the &round,

#hile the mist &re# #hite in the valley, and the stillness o$ the

evenin& !rou&ht $ar voices near, and the !lue smo%e rose a

strai&ht column $rom the diamondshaed chimney o$ the

&rey $armhouse, *ust as I had seen it on the $irst mornin&. I

have told you I #as o$ scetical ha!it- !ut thou&h I

understood little or nothin&, I !e&an to dread, vainly

roosin& to mysel$ the iterated do&mas o$ science that all li$e

is material, and that in the system o$ thin&s there is noundiscovered land, even !eyond the remotest stars, #here the


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27

suernatural can $ind a $ootin&. et there struc% in on this the

thou&ht that matter is as really a#$ul and un%no#n as sirit,

that science itsel$ !ut dallies on the threshold, scarcely

&ainin& more than a &limse o$ the #onders o$ the innerlace.

4here is one day that stands u $rom amidst the others as a

&rim red !eacon, !eto%enin& evil to come. I #as sittin& on a

!ench in the &arden, #atchin& the !oy 3radoc% #eedin&,

#hen I #as suddenly alarmed !y a harsh and cho%in& sound,

li%e the cry o$ a #ild !east in an&uish, and I #as unsea%a!ly

shoc%ed to see the un$ortunate lad standin& in $ull vie# !e$ore

me, his #hole !ody uiverin& and sha%in& at short intervals as

thou&h shoc%s o$ electricity #ere assin& throu&h him, his

teeth &rindin&, $oam &atherin& on his lis, and his $ace all

s#ollen and !lac%ened to a hideous mas% o$ humanity. I

shrie%ed #ith terror, and ro$essor re&& came runnin&- and

as I ointed to 3radoc%, the !oy #ith one convulsive shudder$ell $ace $or#ard, and lay on the #et earth, his !ody #rithin&

li%e a #ounded !lind#orm, and an inconceiva!le !a!!le o$

sounds !urstin& and rattlin& and hissin& $rom his lis. /e

seemed to our $orth an in$amous *ar&on, #ith #ords, or #hat

seemed #ords, that mi&ht have !elon&ed to a ton&ue dead

since untold a&es and !uried dee !eneath ilotic mud, or in

the inmost recesses o$ the Mexican $orest. =or a moment the

thou&ht assed throu&h my mind, as my ears #ere still

revolted #ith that in$ernal clamour, 'urely this is the very

seech o$ hell,' and then I cried out a&ain and a&ain, and ran

a#ay shudderin& to my inmost soul. I had seen ro$essor

re&&'s $ace as he stooed over the #retched !oy and raised

him, and I #as aalled !y the &lo# o$ exultation that shoneon every lineament and $eature. As I sat in my room #ith


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dra#n !linds, and my eyes hidden in my hands, I heard heavy

stes !eneath, and I #as told a$ter#ards that ro$essor re&&

had carried 3radoc% to his study, and had loc%ed the door. I

heard voices murmur indistinctly, and I trem!led to thin% o$#hat mi&ht !e assin& #ithin a $e# $eet o$ #here I sat- I

lon&ed to escae to the #oods and sunshine, and yet I

dreaded the si&hts that mi&ht con$ront me on the #ay- and at

last, as I held the handle o$ the door nervously, I heard

ro$essor re&&'s voice callin& to me #ith a cheer$ul rin&. 'It's

all ri&ht no#, Miss ally,' he said. '4he oor $ello# has &ot

over it, and I have !een arran&in& $or him to slee here a$ter

tomorro#. erhas I may !e a!le to do somethin& $or him.'

'es,' he said later, 'it #as a very ain$ul si&ht, and I don't

#onder you #ere alarmed. 2e may hoe that &ood $ood #ill

!uild him u a little, !ut I am a$raid he #ill never !e really

cured,' and he a$$ected the dismal and conventional air #ith

#hich one sea%s o$ hoeless illness- and yet !eneath it Idetected the deli&ht that leat u ramant #ithin him, and

$ou&ht and stru&&led to $ind utterance. It #as as i$ one

&lanced do#n on the even sur$ace o$ the sea, clear and

immo!ile, and sa# !eneath ra&in& deths and a storm o$

contendin& !illo#s. It #as indeed to me a torturin& and

o$$ensive ro!lem that this man, #ho had so !ounteously

rescued me $rom the sharness o$ death, and sho#ed himsel$

in all the relations o$ li$e $ull o$ !enevolence, and ity, and

%indly $orethou&ht, should so mani$estly !e $or once on the

side o$ the demons, and ta%e a &hastly leasure in the

torments o$ an a$$licted $ello# creature. Aart, I stru&&led

#ith the horned di$$iculty, and strove to $ind the solution- !ut

#ithout the hint o$ a clue, !eset !y mystery and contradiction.I sa# nothin& that mi&ht hel me, and !e&an to #onder


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#hether, a$ter all, I had not escaed $rom the #hite mist o$

the su!ur! at too dear a rate. I hinted somethin& o$ my

thou&ht to the ro$essor- I said enou&h to let him %no# that I

#as in the most acute erlexity, !ut the moment a$terre&retted #hat I had done #hen I sa# his $ace contort #ith a

sasm o$ ain.

'My dear Miss ally,' he said, 'you surely do not #ish to

leave us" o, no, you #ould not do it. ou do not %no# ho# I

rely on you- ho# con$idently I &o $or#ard, assured that you

are here to #atch over my children. ou, Miss ally, are my

rear&uard- $or let me tell you the !usiness in #hich I am

en&a&ed is not #holly devoid o$ eril. ou have not $or&otten

#hat I said the $irst mornin& here- my lis are shut !y an old

and $irm resolve till they can oen to utter no in&enious

hyothesis or va&ue surmise, !ut irre$ra&a!le $act, as certain

as a demonstration in mathematics. 4hin% over it, Miss ally-

not $or a moment #ould I endeavour to %ee you here a&ainstyour o#n instincts, and yet I tell you $ran%ly that I am

ersuaded it is here, here amidst the #oods, that your duty

lies.'

I #as touched !y the elouence o$ his tone, and !y the

remem!rance that the man, a$ter all, had !een my salvation,

and I &ave him my hand on a romise to serve him loyally and

#ithout uestion. A $e# days later the rector o$ our churcha

little church, &rey and severe and uaint, that hovered on the

very !an%s o$ the river and #atched the tides s#im and

returncame to see us, and ro$essor re&& easily ersuaded

him to stay and share our dinner. Mr. Meyric% #as a mem!er

o$ an antiue $amily o$ suires, #hose old manorhouse stood

amon&st the hills some seven miles a#ay, and thus rooted inthe soil, the rector #as a livin& store o$ all the old $adin&


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customs and lore o$ the country. /is manner, &enial, #ith a

deal o$ retired oddity, #on on ro$essor re&&- and to#ards

the cheese, #hen a curious +ur&undy had !e&un its

incantations, the t#o men &lo#ed li%e the #ine, and tal%ed o$hilolo&y #ith the enthusiasm o$ a !ur&ess over the eera&e.

4he arson #as exoundin& the ronunciation o$ the 2elsh ll,

and roducin& sounds li%e the &ur&le o$ his native !roo%s,

#hen ro$essor re&& struc% in.

'+y the #ay,' he said, 'that #as a very odd #ord I met #ith

the other day. ou %no# my !oy, oor Bervase 3radoc%" 2ell,

he has &ot the !ad ha!it o$ tal%in& to himsel$, and the day

!e$ore yesterday I #as #al%in& in the &arden here and heard

him- he #as evidently uite unconscious o$ my resence. A lot

o$ #hat he said I couldn't ma%e out, !ut one #ord struc% me

distinctly. It #as such an odd sound, hal$ si!ilant, hal$

&uttural, and as uaint as those dou!le l's you have !een

demonstratin&. I do not %no# #hether I can &ive you an ideao$ the sound- 'Isha%shar' is erhas as near as I can &et. +ut

the kou&ht to !e a ree% chior a anishj. o# #hat does it

mean in 2elsh"'

'In 2elsh"' said the arson. '4here is no such #ord in

2elsh, nor any #ord remotely resem!lin& it. I %no# the !oo%

2elsh, as they call it, and the collouial dialects as #ell as any

man, !ut there's no #ord li%e that $rom An&lesea to @s%.

+esides, none o$ the 3radoc%s sea% a #ord o$ 2elsh- it's

dyin& out a!out here.'

'6eally. ou interest me extremely, Mr. Meyric%. I con$ess

the #ord didn't stri%e me as havin& the 2elsh rin&. +ut I

thou&ht it mi&ht !e some local corrution.'

'o, I never heard such a #ord, or anythin& li%e it. Indeed,'he added, smilin& #himsically, 'i$ it !elon&s to any lan&ua&e, I


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31

should say it must !e that o$ the $airiesthe 4yl#ydd 4C&, as

#e call them.'

4he tal% #ent on to the discovery o$ a 6oman villa in the

nei&h!ourhood- and soon a$ter I le$t the room, and sat do#naart to #onder at the dra#in& to&ether o$ such stran&e clues

o$ evidence. As the ro$essor had so%en o$ the curious #ord,

I had cau&ht the &lint in his eye uon me- and thou&h the

ronunciation he &ave #as &rotesue in the extreme, I

reco&nied the name o$ the stone o$ sixty characters

mentioned !y olinus, the !lac% seal shut u in some secret

dra#er o$ the study, stamed $or ever !y a vanished race #ith

si&ns that no man could read, si&ns that mi&ht, $or all I %ne#,

!e the veils o$ a#$ul thin&s done lon& a&o, and $or&otten

!e$ore the hills #ere moulded into $orm.

2hen the next mornin& I came do#n, I $ound ro$essor

re&& acin& the terrace in his eternal #al%.

'oo% at that !rid&e,' he said, #hen he sa# me- 'o!serve theuaint and othic desi&n, the an&les !et#een the arches, and

the silvery &rey o$ the stone in the a#e o$ the mornin& li&ht. I

con$ess it seems to me sym!olic- it should illustrate a mystical

alle&ory o$ the assa&e $rom one #orld to another.'

'ro$essor re&&,' I said uietly, 'it is time that I %ne#

somethin& o$ #hat has haened, and o$ #hat is to haen.'

=or the moment he ut me o$$, !ut I returned a&ain #ith

the same uestion in the evenin&, and then ro$essor re&&

$lamed #ith excitement. 'Don't you understand yet"' he cried.

'+ut I have told you a &ood deal- yes, and sho#n you a &ood

deal- you have heard retty nearly all that I have heard, and

seen #hat I have seen- or at least,' and his voice chilled as he

so%e, 'enou&h to ma%e a &ood deal clear as noonday. 4heservants told you, I have no dou!t, that the #retched !oy


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3radoc% had another seiure the ni&ht !e$ore last- he a#o%e

me #ith cries in that voice you heard in the &arden, and I

#ent to him, and od $or!id you should see #hat I sa# that

ni&ht. +ut all this is useless- my time here is dra#in& to aclose- I must !e !ac% in to#n in three #ee%s, as I have a

course o$ lectures to reare, and need all my !oo%s a!out

me. In a very $e# days it #ill !e all over, and I shall no lon&er

hint, and no lon&er !e lia!le to ridicule as a madman and a

uac%. o, I shall sea% lainly, and I shall !e heard #ith

such emotions as erhas no other man has ever dra#n $rom

the !reasts o$ his $ello#s.'

/e aused, and seemed to &ro# radiant #ith the *oy o$

&reat and #onder$ul discovery.

'+ut all that is $or the $uture, the near $uture certainly, !ut

still the $uture,' he #ent on at len&th. '4here is somethin& to

!e done yet- you #ill remem!er my tellin& you that my

researches #ere not alto&ether devoid o$ eril" es, there, is acertain amount o$ dan&er to !e $aced- I did not %no# ho#

much #hen I so%e on the su!*ect !e$ore, and to a certain

extent I am still in the dar%. +ut it #ill !e a stran&e adventure,

the last o$ all, the last demonstration in the chain.'

/e #as #al%in& u and do#n the room as he so%e, and I

could hear in his voice the contendin& tones o$ exultation and

desondence, or erhas I should say a#e, the a#e o$ a man

#ho &oes $orth on un%no#n #aters, and I thou&ht o$ his

allusion to 3olum!us on the ni&ht he had laid his !oo% !e$ore

me. 4he evenin& #as a little chilly, and a $ire o$ lo&s had !een

li&hted in the study #here #e #ere- the remittent $lame and

the &lo# on the #alls reminded me o$ the old days. I #as

sittin& silent in an armchair !y the $ire, #onderin& over all Ihad heard, and still vainly seculatin& as to the secret srin&s


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33

concealed $rom me under all the hantasma&oria I had

#itnessed, #hen I !ecame suddenly a#are o$ a sensation that

chan&e o$ some sort had !een at #or% in the room, and that

there #as somethin& un$amiliar in its asect. =or some time Iloo%ed a!out me, tryin& in vain to localie the alteration that I

%ne# had !een made- the ta!le !y the #indo#, the chairs, the

$aded settee #ere all as I had %no#n them. uddenly, as a

sou&ht$or recollection $lashes into the mind, I %ne# #hat #as

amiss. I #as $acin& the ro$essor's des%, #hich stood on the

other side o$ the $ire, and a!ove the des% #as a &rimyloo%in&

!ust o$ itt, that I had never seen there !e$ore. And then I

remem!ered the true osition o$ this #or% o$ art- in the

$urthest corner !y the door #as an old cu!oard, ro*ectin&

into the room, and on the to o$ the cu!oard, $i$teen $eet

$rom the $loor, the !ust had !een, and there, no dou!t, it had

delayed, accumulatin& dirt, since the early days o$ the

century.I #as utterly amaed, and sat silent, still in a con$usion o$

thou&ht. 4here #as, so $ar as I %ne#, no such thin& as a

steladder in the house, $or I had as%ed $or one to ma%e some

alteration in the curtains o$ my room, and a tall man standin&

on a chair #ould have $ound it imossi!le to ta%e do#n the

!ust. It had !een laced, not on the ed&e o$ the cu!oard, !ut

$ar !ac% a&ainst the #all- and ro$essor re&& #as, i$

anythin&, under the avera&e hei&ht.

'/o# on earth did you mana&e to &et do#n itt"' I said at

last.

4he ro$essor loo%ed curiously at me, and seemed to

hesitate a little.

'4hey must have $ound you a steladder, or erhas the&ardener !rou&ht in a short ladder $rom outside"'


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34

'o, I have had no ladder o$ any %ind. o#, Miss ally,' he

#ent on #ith an a#%#ard simulation o$ *est, 'there is a little

ule $or you- a ro!lem in the manner o$ the inimita!le

/olmes- there are the $acts, lain and atent7 summon youracuteness to the solution o$ the ule. =or /eaven's sa%e,' he

cried #ith a !rea%in& voice, 'say no more a!out it; I tell you, I

never touched the thin&,' and he #ent out o$ the room #ith

horror mani$est on his $ace, and his hand shoo% and *arred

the door !ehind him.

I loo%ed round the room in va&ue surrise, not at all

realiin& #hat had haened, ma%in& vain and idle surmises

!y #ay o$ exlanation, and #onderin& at the stirrin& o$ !lac%

#aters !y an idle #ord and the trivial chan&e o$ an ornament.

'4his is some etty !usiness, some #him on #hich I have

*arred.' I re$lected- 'the ro$essor is erhas scruulous and

suerstitious over tri$les, and my uestion may have outra&ed

unac%no#led&ed $ears, as thou&h one %illed a sider or silledthe salt !e$ore the very eyes o$ a ractical cotch#oman.' I

#as immersed in these $ond susicions, and !e&an to lume

mysel$ a little on my immunity $rom such emty $ears, #hen

the truth $ell heavily as lead uon my heart, and I reco&nied

#ith cold terror that some a#$ul in$luence had !een at #or%.

4he !ust #as simly inaccessi!le- #ithout a ladder no one

could have touched it.

I #ent out to the %itchen and so%e as uietly as I could to

the housemaid.

'2ho moved that !ust $rom the to o$ the cu!oard, Anne"'

I said to her. 'ro$essor re&& says he has not touched it. Did

you $ind an old steladder in one o$ the outhouses"'

4he &irl loo%ed at me !lan%ly.'I never touched it,' she said. 'I $ound it #here it is no# the


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other mornin& #hen I dusted the room. I remem!er no#, it

#as 2ednesday mornin&, !ecause it #as the mornin& a$ter

3radoc% #as ta%en !ad in the ni&ht. My room is next to his,

you %no#, miss,' the &irl #ent on iteously, 'and it #as a#$ulto hear ho# he cried and called out names that I couldn't

understand. It made me $eel all a$raid- and then master came,

and I heard him sea%, and he too% do#n 3radoc% to the

study and &ave him somethin&.'

'And you $ound that !ust moved the next mornin&"'

'es, miss. 4here #as a ueer sort o$ smell in the study

#hen I came do#n and oened the #indo#s- a !ad smell it

#as, and I #ondered #hat it could !e. Do you %no#, miss, I

#ent a lon& time a&o to the oo in ondon #ith my cousin

4homas +ar%er, one a$ternoon that I had o$$, #hen I #as at

Mrs. rince's in tanhoe ate, and #e #ent into the sna%e

house to see the sna%es, and it #as *ust the same sort o$ smell-

very sic% it made me $eel, I remem!er, and I &ot +ar%er tota%e me out. And it #as *ust the same %ind o$ smell in the

study, as I #as sayin&, and I #as #onderin& #hat it could !e

$rom, #hen I see that !ust #ith itt cut in it, standin& on the

master's des%, and I thou&ht to mysel$, 'o# #ho has done

that, and ho# have they done it'"' And #hen I came to dust

the thin&s, I loo%ed at the !ust, and I sa# a &reat mar% on it

#here the dust #as &one, $or I don't thin% it can have !een

touched #ith a duster $or years and years, and it #asn't li%e

$in&ermar%s, !ut a lar&e atch li%e, !road and sread out. o

I assed my hand over it, #ithout thin%in& #hat I #as doin&,

and #here that atch #as it #as all stic%y and slimy, as i$ a

snail had cra#led over it. Eery stran&e, isn't it, miss" and I

#onder #ho can have done it, and ho# that mess #as made.'4he #ellmeant &a!!le o$ the servant touched me to the


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36

uic%- I lay do#n uon my !ed, and !it my li that I should

not cry out loud in the shar an&uish o$ my terror and

!e#ilderment. Indeed, I #as almost mad #ith dread- I !elieve

that i$ it had !een dayli&ht I should have $led hot $oot,$or&ettin& all coura&e and all the de!t o$ &ratitude that #as

due to ro$essor re&&, not carin& #hether my $ate #ere that

I must starve slo#ly, so lon& as I mi&ht escae $rom the net o$

!lind and anic $ear that every day seemed to dra# a little

closer round me. I$ I %ne#, I thou&ht, i$ I %ne# #hat there

#as to dread, I could &uard a&ainst it- !ut here, in this lonely

house, shut in on all sides !y the olden #oods and the vaulted

hills, terror seems to srin& inconseuent $rom every covert,

and the $lesh is a&hast at the hal$hearted murmurs o$

horri!le thin&s. All in vain I strove to summon sceticism to

my aid, and endeavoured !y cool common sense to !uttress

my !elie$ in a #orld o$ natural order, $or the air that !le# in at

the oen #indo# #as a mystic !reath, and in the dar%ness I$elt the silence &o heavy and sorro#$ul as a mass o$ reuiem,

and I con*ured ima&es o$ stran&e shaes &atherin& $ast amidst

the reeds, !eside the #ash o$ the river.

In the mornin& $rom the moment that I set $oot in the

!rea%$astroom, I $elt that the un%no#n lot #as dra#in& to a

crisis- the ro$essor's $ace #as $irm and set, and he seemed

hardly to hear our voices #hen #e so%e.

'I am &oin& out $or a rather lon& #al%,' he said, #hen the

meal #as over. 'ou mustn't !e exectin& me, no#, or

thin%in& anythin& has haened i$ I don't turn u to dinner. I

have !een &ettin& stuid lately, and I dare say a miniature

#al%in& tour #ill do me &ood. erhas I may even send the

ni&ht in some little inn, i$ I $ind any lace that loo%s clean andcom$orta!le.'


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37

I heard this, and %ne# !y my exerience o$ ro$essor

re&&'s manner that it #as no ordinary !usiness o$ leasure

that imelled him. I %ne# not, nor even remotely &uessed,

#here he #as !ound, nor had I the va&uest notion o$ hiserrand, !ut all the $ear o$ the ni&ht !e$ore returned- and as he

stood, smilin&, on the terrace, ready to set out, I imlored him

to stay, and to $or&et all his dreams o$ the undiscovered

continent.

'o, no, Miss ally,' he relied, still smilin&, 'it's too late

no#. estigia nulla retrorsum, you %no#, is the device o$ all

true exlorers, thou&h I hoe it #on't !e literally true in my

case. +ut, indeed, you are #ron& to alarm yoursel$ so- I loo%

uon my little exedition as uite commonlace- no more

excitin& than a day #ith the &eolo&ical hammers. 4here is a

ris%, o$ course, !ut so there is on the commonest excursion. I

can a$$ord to !e *aunty- I am doin& nothin& so haardous as

'Arry does a hundred times over in the course o$ every +an%/oliday. 2ell, then, you must loo% more cheer$ully- and so

&ood!ye till tomorro# at latest.'

/e #al%ed !ris%ly u the road, and I sa# him oen the &ate

that mar%s the entrance o$ the #ood, and then he vanished in

the &loom o$ the trees.

All the day assed heavily #ith a stran&e dar%ness in the

air, and a&ain I $elt as i$ imrisoned amidst the ancient

#oods, shut in an olden land o$ mystery and dread, and as i$

all #as lon& a&o and $or&otten !y the livin& outside. I hoed

and dreaded- and #hen the dinnerhour came I #aited,

exectin& to hear the ro$essor's ste in the hall, and his voice

exultin& at I %ne# not #hat triumh. I comosed my $ace to

#elcome him &ladly, !ut the ni&ht descended dar%, and he didnot come.


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38

In the mornin&, #hen the maid %noc%ed at my door, I

called out to her, and as%ed i$ her master had returned- and

#hen she relied that his !edroom door stood oen and

emty, I $elt the cold clas o$ desair. till, I $ancied he mi&hthave discovered &enial comany, and #ould return $or

luncheon, or erhas in the a$ternoon, and I too% the children

$or a #al% in the $orest, and tried my !est to lay and lau&h

#ith them, and to shout out the thou&hts o$ mystery and

veiled terror.

/our a$ter hour I #aited, and my thou&hts &re# dar%er-

a&ain the ni&ht came and $ound me #atchin&, and at last, as I

#as ma%in& much ado to $inish my dinner, I heard stes

outside and the sound o$ a man's voice.

4he maid came in and loo%ed oddly at me. 'lease, miss,'

she !e&an, 'Mr. Mor&an, the &ardener, #ants to sea% to you

$or a minute, i$ you didn't mind.'

'ho# him in, lease,' I ans#ered, and set my lis ti&ht.4he old man came slo#ly into the room, and the servant

shut the door !ehind him.

'it do#n, Mr. Mor&an,' I said- '#hat is it that you #ant to

say to me"'

'2ell, miss, Mr. re&& he &ave me somethin& $or you

yesterday mornin&, *ust !e$ore he #ent o$$, and he told me

articular not to hand it u !e$ore ei&ht o'cloc% this evenin&

exactly, i$ so !e as he #asn't !ac% a&ain home !e$ore, and i$ he

should come home !e$ore I #as *ust to return it to him in his

o#n hands. o, you see, as Mr. re&& isn't here yet, I suose

I'd !etter &ive you the arcel directly.'

/e ulled out somethin& $rom his oc%et, and &ave it to

me, hal$ risin&. I too% it silently, and seein& that Mor&anseemed dou!t$ul as to #hat he #as to do next. I than%ed him


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39

and !ade him &ood ni&ht, and he #ent out. I #as le$t alone in

the room #ith the arcel in my handa aer arcel, neatly

sealed and directed to me, #ith the instructions Mor&an had

uoted, all #ritten in the ro$essor's lar&e, loose hand. I !ro%ethe seals #ith a cho%in& at my heart, and $ound an enveloe

inside, addressed also, !ut oen, and I too% the letter out.

My dear Miss )ally it !e&anTo quote the old logic

manual% the case of your reading this note is a case of my

ha$ing made a blunder of some sort% and% + am afraid% a

blunder that turns these lines into a fare.ell& +t is 'ractically

certain that neither you nor any one else .ill e$er see me

again& + ha$e made my .ill .ith 'ro$ision for this

e$entuality% and + ho'e you .ill consent to acce't the small

remembrance addressed to you% and my sincere thanks for

the .ay in .hich you joined your fortunes to mine& The fate

.hich has come u'on me is des'erate and terrible beyondthe remotest dreams of man( but this fate you ha$e a right to

kno.--if you 'lease& +f you look in the left-hand dra.er of

my dressing-table% you .ill find the key of the escritoire%

'ro'erly labelled& +n the .ell of the escritoire is a large

en$elo'e sealed and addressed to your name& + ad$ise you to

thro. it forth.ith into the fire( you .ill slee' better of nights

if you do so& /ut if you must kno. the history of .hat has

ha''ened% it is all .ritten do.n for you to read&

4he si&nature #as $irmly #ritten !elo#, and a&ain I turned

the a&e and read out the #ords one !y one, a&hast and #hite

to the lis, my hands cold as ice, and sic%ness cho%in& me.

4he dead silence o$ the room, and the thou&ht o$ the dar%#oods and hills closin& me in on every side, oressed me,


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40

helless and #ithout caacity, and not %no#in& #here to turn

$or counsel. At last I resolved that thou&h %no#led&e should

haunt my #hole li$e and all the days to come, I must %no# the

meanin& o$ the stran&e terrors that had so lon& tormentedme, risin& &rey, dim, and a#$ul, li%e the shado#s in the #ood

at dus%. I care$ully carried out ro$essor re&&'s directions,

and not #ithout reluctance !ro%e the seal o$ the enveloe, and

sread out his manuscrit !e$ore me. 4hat manuscrit I

al#ays carry #ith me, and I see that I cannot deny your

unso%en reuest to read it. 4his, then, #as #hat I read that

ni&ht, sittin& at the des%, #ith a shaded lam !eside me.

4he youn& lady #ho called hersel$ Miss ally then

roceeded to recite

4/0 4A40M04 := 2IIAM 60. =.6.., 043.

It is many years since the $irst &limmer o$ the theory #hichis no# almost, i$ not uite, reduced to $act da#ned on my

mind. A some#hat extensive course o$ miscellaneous and

o!solete readin& had done a &reat deal to reare the #ay,

and, later, #hen I !ecame some#hat o$ a secialist, and

immersed mysel$ in the studies %no#n as ethnolo&ical, I #as

no# and then startled !y $acts that #ould not suare #ith

orthodox scienti$ic oinion, and !y discoveries that seemed to

hint at somethin& still hidden $or all our research. More

articularly I !ecame convinced that much o$ the $ol%lore o$

the #orld is !ut an exa&&erated account o$ events that really

haened, and I #as esecially dra#n to consider the stories

o$ the $airies, the &ood $ol% o$ the 3eltic races. /ere, I thou&ht

I could detect the $rin&e o$ em!roidery and exa&&eration, the$antastic &uise, the little eole dressed in &reen and &old


41/54

41

sortin& in the $lo#ers, and I thou&ht I sa# a distinct analo&y

!et#een the name &iven to this race (suosed to !e

ima&inary) and the descrition o$ their aearance and

manners. Bust as our remote ancestors called the dreaded!ein&s '$air' and '&ood' recisely !ecause they dreaded them,

so they had dressed them u in charmin& $orms, %no#in& the

truth to !e the very reverse. iterature, too, had &one early to

#or%, and had lent a o#er$ul hand in the trans$ormation, so

that the lay$ul elves o$ ha%esere are already $ar removed

$rom the true ori&inal, and the real horror is dis&uised in a

$orm o$ ran%ish mischie$. +ut in the older tales, the stories

that used to ma%e men cross themselves as they sat around

the !urnin& lo&s, #e tread a di$$erent sta&e- I sa# a #idely

oosed sirit in certain histories o$ children and o$ men and

#omen #ho vanished stran&ely $rom the earth. 4hey #ould !e

seen !y a easant in the $ields #al%in& to#ards some &reen

and rounded hilloc%, and seen no more on earth- and thereare stories o$ mothers #ho have le$t a child uietly sleein&,

#ith the cotta&e door rudely !arred #ith a iece o$ #ood, and

have returned, not to $ind the lum and rosy little axon, !ut

a thin and #iened creature, #ith sallo# s%in and !lac%,

iercin& eyes, the child o$ another race. 4hen, a&ain, there

#ere myths dar%er still- the dread o$ #itch and #iard, the

lurid evil o$ the a!!ath, and the hint o$ demons #ho min&led

#ith the dau&hters o$ men. And *ust as #e have turned the

terri!le '$air $ol%' into a comany o$ !eni&nant, i$ $rea%ish

elves, so #e have hidden $rom us the !lac% $oulness o$ the

#itch and her comanions under a oular diablerie o$ old

#omen and !roomstic%s, and a comic cat #ith tail on end. o

the ree%s called the hideous $uries !enevolent ladies, andthus the northern nations have $ollo#ed their examle. I


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ursued my investi&ations, stealin& odd hours $rom other and

more imerative la!ours, and I as%ed mysel$ the uestion7

uosin& these traditions to !e true, #ho #ere the demons

#ho are reorted to have attended the a!!aths" I need notsay that I laid aside #hat I may call the suernatural

hyothesis o$ the Middle A&es, and came to the conclusion

that $airies and devils #ere o$ one and the same race and

ori&in- invention, no dou!t, and the othic $ancy o$ old days,

had done much in the #ay o$ exa&&eration and distortion- yet

I $irmly !elieve that !eneath all this ima&ery there #as a !lac%

!ac%&round o$ truth. As $or some o$ the alle&ed #onders, I

hesitated. 2hile I should !e very loath to receive any one

seci$ic instance o$ modern siritualism as containin& even a

&rain o$ the &enuine, yet I #as not #holly reared to deny

that human $lesh may no# and then, once erhas in ten

millions cases, !e the veil o$ o#ers #hich seem ma&ical to

uso#ers #hich, so $ar $rom roceedin& $rom the hei&htsand leadin& men thither, are in reality survivals $rom the

deths o$ !ein&. 4he amoe!a and the snail have o#ers #hich

#e do not ossess- and I thou&ht it ossi!le that the theory o$

reversion mi&ht exlain many thin&s #hich seem #holly

inexlica!le. 4hus stood my osition- I sa# &ood reason to

!elieve that much o$ the tradition, a vast deal o$ the earliest

and uncorruted tradition o$ the socalled $airies, reresented

solid $act, and I thou&ht that the urely suernatural element

in these traditions #as to !e accounted $or on the hyothesis

that a race #hich had $allen out o$ the &rand march o$

evolution mi&ht have retained, as a survival, certain o#ers

#hich #ould !e to us #holly miraculous. uch #as my theory

as it stood conceived in my mind- and #or%in& #ith this invie#, I seemed to &ather con$irmation $rom every side, $rom


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the soils o$ a tumulus or a !arro#, $rom a local aer

reortin& an antiuarian meetin& in the country, and $rom

&eneral literature o$ all %inds. Amon&st other instances, I

remem!er !ein& struc% !y the hrase 'articulatesea%in&men' in /omer, as i$ the #riter %ne# or had heard o$ men

#hose seech #as so rude that it could hardly !e termed

articulate- and on my hyothesis o$ a race #ho had la&&ed $ar

!ehind the rest, I could easily conceive that such a $ol% #ould

sea% a *ar&on !ut little removed $rom the inarticulate noises

o$ !rute !easts.

4hus I stood, satis$ied that my con*ecture #as at all events

not $ar removed $rom $act, #hen a chance ara&rah in a

small country rint one day arrested my attention. It #as a

short account o$ #hat #as to all aearance the usual sordid

tra&edy o$ the villa&ea youn& &irl unaccounta!ly missin&,

and evil rumour !latant and !usy #ith her reutation. et I

could read !et#een the lines that all this scandal #as urelyhyothetical, and in all ro!a!ility invented to account $or

#hat #as in any other manner unaccounta!le. A $li&ht to

ondon or iverool, or an undiscovered !ody lyin& #ith a

#ei&ht a!out its nec% in the $oul deths o$ a #oodland ool, or

erhas murdersuch #ere the theories o$ the #retched &irl's

nei&h!ours. +ut as I idly scanned the ara&rah, a $lash o$

thou&ht assed throu&h me #ith the violence o$ an electric

shoc%7 #hat i$ the o!scure and horri!le race o$ the hills still

survived, still remained hauntin& #ild laces and !arren hills,

and no# and then reeatin& the evil o$ othic le&end,

unchan&ed and unchan&ea!le as the 4uranian helta, or the

+asues o$ ain" I have said that the thou&ht came #ith

violence- and indeed I dre# in my !reath sharly, and clunith !oth hands to my el!o#chair, in a stran&e con$usion o$


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horror and elation. It #as as i$ one o$ my confr0reso$ hysical

science, roamin& in a uiet 0n&lish #ood, had !een suddenly

stric%en a&hast !y the resence o$ the slimy and loathsome

terror o$ the ichthyosaurus, the ori&inal o$ the stories o$ thea#$ul #orms %illed !y valourous %ni&hts, or had seen the sun

dar%ened !y the terodactyl, the dra&on o$ tradition. et as a

resolute exlorer o$ %no#led&e, the thou&ht o$ such a

discovery thre# me into a assion o$ *oy, and I cut out the sli

$rom the aer and ut it in a dra#er in my old !ureau,

resolved that it should !e !ut the $irst iece in a collection o$

the stran&est si&ni$icance. I sat lon& that evenin& dreamin& o$

the conclusions I should esta!lish, nor did cooler re$lection at

$irst dash my con$idence. et as I !e&an to ut the case $airly,

I sa# that I mi&ht !e !uildin& on an unsta!le $oundation- the

$acts mi&ht ossi!ly !e in accordance #ith local oinion, and I

re&arded the a$$air #ith a mood o$ some reserve. et I

resolved to remain erched on the loo%out, and I hu&&ed tomysel$ the thou&ht that I alone #as #atchin& and #a%e$ul,

#hile the &reat cro#d o$ thin%ers and searchers stood

heedless and indi$$erent, erhas lettin& the most rero&ative

$acts ass !y unnoticed.

everal years elased !e$ore I #as ena!led to add to the

contents o$ the dra#er- and the second $ind #as in reality not

a valua!le one, $or it #as a mere reetition o$ the $irst, #ith

only the variation o$ another and distant locality. et I &ained

somethin&- $or in the second case, as in the $irst, the tra&edy

too% lace in a desolate and lonely country, and so $ar my

theory seemed *usti$ied. +ut the third iece #as to me $ar

more decisive. A&ain, amon&st outland hills, $ar even $rom a

main road o$ tra$$ic, an old man #as $ound done to death, andthe instrument o$ execution #as le$t !eside him. /ere, indeed,


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there #ere rumour and con*ecture, $or the deadly tool #as a

rimitive stone axe, !ound !y &ut to the #ooden handle, and

surmises the most extrava&ant and imro!a!le #ere indul&ed

in. et, as I thou&ht #ith a %ind o$ &lee, the #ildestcon*ectures #ent $ar astray- and I too% the ains to enter into

corresondence #ith the local doctor, #ho #as called at the

inuest. /e, a man o$ some acuteness, #as dum!$ounded. 'It

#ill not do to sea% o$ these thin&s in country laces,' he

#rote to me- '!ut $ran%ly, there is some hideous mystery here.

I have o!tained ossession o$ the stone axe, and have !een so

curious as to test its o#ers. I too% it into the !ac% &arden o$

my house one unday a$ternoon #hen my $amily and the

servants #ere all out, and there, sheltered !y the olar

hed&es, I made my exeriments. I $ound the thin& utterly

unmana&ea!le- #hether there is some eculiar !alance, some

nice ad*ustment o$ #ei&hts, #hich reuire incessant ractice,

or #hether an e$$ectual !lo# can !e struc% only !y a certaintric% o$ the muscles, I do not %no#- !ut I can assure you that I

#ent into the house #ith !ut a sorry oinion o$ my athletic

caacities. I #as li%e an inexerienced man tryin& ?uttin&

the hammer?- the $orce exerted seemed to return on onesel$,

and I $ound mysel$ hurled !ac%#ards #ith violence, #hile the

axe $ell harmless to the &round. :n another occasion I tried

the exeriment #ith a clever #oodman o$ the lace- !ut this

man, #ho had handled his axe $or $orty years, could do

nothin& #ith the stone imlement, and missed every stro%e

most ludicrously. In short, i$ it #ere not so suremely a!surd,

I should say that $or $our thousand years no one on earth

could have struc% an e$$ective !lo# #ith the tool that

undou!tedly #as used to murder the old man.' 4his, as may!e ima&ined, #as to me rare ne#s- and a$ter#ards, #hen I


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heard the #hole story, and learned that the un$ortunate old

man had !a!!led tales o$ #hat mi&ht !e seen at ni&ht on a

certain #ild hillside, hintin& at unheardo$ #onders, and that

he had !een $ound cold one mornin& on the very hill inuestion, my exultation #as extreme, $or I $elt I #as leavin&

con*ecture $ar !ehind me. +ut the next ste #as o$ still &reater

imortance. I had ossessed $or many years an extraordinary

stone seala iece o$ dull !lac% stone, t#o inches lon& $rom

the handle to the stam, and the stamin& end a rou&h

hexa&on an inch and a uarter in diameter. Alto&ether, it

resented the aearance o$ an enlar&ed to!acco stoer o$

an old$ashioned ma%e. It had !een sent to me !y an a&ent in

the 0ast, #ho in$ormed me that it had !een $ound near the

site o$ the ancient +a!ylon. +ut the characters en&raved on

the seal #ere to me an intolera!le ule. ome#hat o$ the

cunei$orm attern, there #ere yet stri%in& di$$erences, #hich I

detected at the $irst &lance, and all e$$orts to read theinscrition on the hyothesis that the rules $or deciherin&

the arro#headed #ritin& #ould aly roved $utile. A riddle

such as this stun& my ride, and at odd moments I #ould ta%e

the +lac% eal out o$ the ca!inet, and scrutinie it #ith so

much idle erseverance that every letter #as $amiliar to my

mind, and I could have dra#n the inscrition $rom memory

#ithout the sli&htest error. Bud&e, then, o$ my surrise #hen I

one day received $rom a corresondent in the #est o$ 0n&land

a letter and an enclosure that ositively le$t me

thunderstruc%. I sa# care$ully traced on a lar&e iece o$ aer

the very characters o$ the +lac% eal, #ithout alteration o$ any

%ind, and a!ove the inscrition my $riend had #ritten7

+nscri'tion found on a limestone rock on the Grey ills%Monmouthshire& !one in some red earth% and quite recent&I


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turned to the letter. My $riend #rote7 'I send you the enclosed

inscrition #ith

Arthur Machen - The Novel of the Black Seal

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Transcript of Arthur Machen - The Novel of the Black Seal