The Two Destinies

mistaken. She had seen it, as I had seen it. But she refused to acknowledge th

laying a trick on yo

y as far from being satisfied with her own shallow explanation as I was. The

t when the apparition beckoned me into the summer-house and spoke. Putting the words and the writing together

man who had preserved her from death! Four days only had elapsed since she had left me, never (to all appearance) to see me again. And now the ghostly apparition of her had returned as to a tried and trusted friend; had

supernatural manner of her communication with me

her hand, and suddenly closed the open book on my knee, a

orge?" she said. "Why do you k

l bent on the one question of what I am to do next. On that point I believe I may say that my mind is made

s if she doubted the evi

e summer-house? The place was empty. I tell you positively, when you pointed into the summer-house, the place was e

I saw her writing on this page," I answered

as she persisted in taking the rational vi

keeping the appointment, in your state of health? An appointment with a shadowy Something in your own imagination, which appear

ears in her eyes, poor soul! as she made the useless effort

ce. I never heard of Saint Anthony's Well; I have not the least idea where it is. Suppose I make

have nothing to do with it, George. You are in

pass his house on our way home, and we will ask him to dinner. In th

ightest noises on the road startled me. The opinion of a man like Mr. MacGlue, who looked at all mortal matters fr

ning-room. Then I told my story to the Scotch doctor as I have told it here; a

ed to the

g over the dining table. No: I had found the right page. There was my half-fini

o

and looked. And the blank w

w it as plainly as I did," I said. "Are my own e

k in her chair wit

?" I

on

lous smile appeared on his face; no jesting words passed his lips. He

page. I declare that I took the book in my hand, and saw these words written in it, 'When the full moon shines on Saint Anthon

riting remains," Mr. Ma

e told you," I went on, "ask my mother; she wi

he writing," answered Mr. MacGlue,

count for i

he rational explanation, to begin with. I might say that you are, to my certain knowledge, in a highly excited nervous condition; and that, when you saw the apparition (as you call

e me for speaking plainly - the ratio

"the rather that I'm entirely of your opinion. I

the least of it. "What do

eclined to le

same spirit is capable of holding a mortal pencil, and of writing mortal words in a mortal sketching-book. And if the ghost vanishes (which your ghost did), it seems supernaturally appropriate that the writing should follow the example and vanish too. And the reason of the vanishment may be (if you want a reason), either that the ghost does not like letting a stranger like me into its secrets, or that vanishing is a

erence to both sides of the

t think the circumstances that I have menti

rself were to fall down dead in another moment, I, doctor as I am, could no more explain what first principle of life and movement had been suddenly extinguished in you than the dog there sleeping on the hearth-rug. If I am content to sit down ignorant in the face of such an impen

r joined in the convers

sensible view, how happy I should be! Would you believe it? - he posi

entirely failed to

n be of some service to him if he sticks to his resolution. I can tell him of

nnouncement. Did he re

est or in ear

sion who has ever been discovered in high spirits (in medical hours) by his nearest and dearest friend. You may have wondered, I dare say, at seein

d, "that you know of another ma

e captain's cabin looked up. And what did Bruce see? The face of the captain? Devil a bit of it - the face of a total stranger! Up jumps Bruce, with his heart going full gallop all in a moment, and searches for the captain on deck, and finds him much as usual, with his calculations done, and his latitude and longitude off his mind for the day. 'There's somebody at your des k, sir,' says Bruce. 'He's writing on your slate; and he's a total stranger to me.' 'A stranger in my cabin?' says the captain. 'Why, Mr. Bruce, the ship has been six weeks out of port. How did he get on board?' Bruce doesn't know how, but he sticks to his story. Away goes the captain, and bursts like a whirlwind into his cabin, and finds nobody t

in, and frozen fast to the ice; and the passengers and crew nigh to death with cold and exhaustion. Wonderful enough, you will say; but more remains behind. As the mate was helping one of the rescued passengers up the side of the bark, who should he turn out to be but the very man whose ghostly appearance Bruce had seen in the captain's cabin writing on the captain's slate! And more than that - if your capacity for being surprised isn't clean worn out by

elped himself to another glass of the "sherry win

. "Did it remain there, or did it

say, and that was in the nature of a remark with a moral attached to it. "There's a marvelous resemblance, Mr. Germaine, between your story and Bruce's story. The main difference, as I s

her man had seen what I had seen - had done what I proposed to do! My mother noticed

r story to yourself, doc

ask why

sir, in his resolution to

nsulted his pocket alm

, before he takes the journey. If he travels in his own comfortable carriage - whatever I may think, moral

int Anthony's Well

of Edinburgh not to know

l in Edinbu

the Park and the Drive, and take your way upward to the ruins of Anthony's Chapel, on the shoulder of the hill - and there you are! There's a high rock behind the chapel, and at the foot of i

raver displeasure, rose to

MacGlue. "I should have thought you would have been th

hat his mind is made up. Where is the use of a person like me trying to stop him? Dear

by a bow of the deepest respect, and thre

e, I asked the doctor how soon I might

nd this," added the prudent doctor, "though I own I'm anxious to hear what comes of your expedition - understan