Flames

ale and cold. His lips were slightly parted. His eyes were wide open and stared before him without expression. His head hung far back over the edge of his chair. He looked exactly like a

, beat the air with a fan which he tore from the mantelpiece. All was in vain. There came no sign of returning life. Then Julian caught Valentine's hands in his and sought to unclench the rigid, cold fingers. He laid his hand on the heart of his friend. No pulsation beat beneath his anxious touch. Then a great horror overtook him. Suddenly he felt a convic

could only know for certain whether Valentine were really dead. Yet he dared not leave him alone and go to seek aid. Suddenly a thought struck him. In the hall of the flat was a handle which, when turned in a certain direction, communicated with one of those wooden and glass hutches in which sleepy boy-messengers harbour at night. Julian sprang to this handle, set the communicator in motion, then ran back into the tentroom. His intention was to write a note to Dr. Levillier. The writing-table was so placed that, sitting at it, his back would be turned to that

d panting at the door. Julian, who was entirely abstracted in his agitation, made for the tentroom without another word to the boy, seized pen and

said. "Is the

lowed him into the tentroom, and was now standing near him, gazing

"ill, very ill. I want

him. He leaned down and looked at the face, at the inertia of hands and limbs. As he raised himself up from a calm and close

ill, sir," he remarked

oes he lie

s dead, sir," the child re

favour of his fears came to

" he exclaimed, w

ain pride, "I knows a corpse when I sees it.

stumpy finger, the blac

ooked just like

m as utterly vicious and terrible. A horror of the rosy-faced little cr

!" he

ou take my word for it

rust it into an envelope, an

take that at once to

oy sm

ab-riding

s arm, "that gentleman

nly in a fain

ace with the pitying grin of s

didn't see fat

eagerly down the stairs,

he last five years flashed before him, painted in vital colours,-scenes of his life with Valentine,-then scenes of all that might have been had he never met Valentine, never known his strange mastering influence. Could that influence have been given only to be withdrawn? Of all the inexplicable things of life the most inexplicable are the abrupt intrusions and disappearances of those lovely manifestations which give healing to tired hearts, to the wounded soldiers of the campaign of the world. Why are they not permitted to stay? Bitterly Julian asked that question. Of all th

stinctive. Rip might know what he did not certainly know

he crie

ide him, licked his white face eagerly, then, gaining no response, showed hesitation, alarm. It began to investigate the body eagerly with its sharp nose, snu

It dropped the hesitating paw, again licked the face, then nestled quietly into the space between Valentine's left breast an

me strange hypnotic trance. Presently he will recover fro

ance. Valentine would speak once more, would come back from this underworld of the senses. And Julian's hand closed on his cold hand with a warm, impulsive strength, as if it might be p

o love so much that they angrily expostulate with the dying, as if indeed the dying deliberately elected to depart out of their arms. Do we not all feel at moments the "You could stay with me, if only you had the will!" that is the last bitter cry of despairing affection? Julian, sitting there, while Valentine lay silent and the dog slept by his breast, saw ever and ever those two lives, flashing and fading like lamps across a dark sea, life with, life without, him. The immensity of the contrast, the millions of airy miles between those two life-worlds, appalled him, for it revealed to him what mighty issues of joy and grief hung upon the

er had arrived. He was struck at o

hat is the mat

know. You

inting-un

scious

arrowly scrutinized Julian. For a moment he thought

ured, releasing him, and

oud footstep, treading f

e not here. Yo

head, then lifted Valentine's hand and held the wrist. He dropped it, and threw a glance on Julian. There was a scream of interrogation in Julian's fixed eyes. Doctor Levillier avoided it by

nd-glass," he

the bedroom, and groped in th

it? Why don't you

," Julian ans

ve him. When the glass was found the doctor led Julian b

he said. "An

s-there

y n

t dimmed. No breath of life tarnished it to dulness. Again the doctor felt his heart

pered. "Why do you turn away

was bowed. His lips moved silently. Julian saw that he was praying, and sprang up fierc

urse! Curse as I do! If he's dead you shal

or drew him dow

science tells me V

th a motion, silenced him, and added, pointing t

rangely complete and perfect simulation of death, some unnatural

t double prayer pierced the two men. It was so instant, and so bizarre, fighting agai

an hope, than the little dog suddenly opened its eyes, shifted round in its nest of arm and bosom, smelt furtively at Valentine's hand. Then it turned from the hand to the side of its master, investigated it with a supreme anxiety, pursued its search as fa

ed it partially while he slept, and now knew it and was afraid. And the same error of belief shook Dr. Levillier. A spasm crossed his thin, earnest face. No

nclenched themselves, and the fingers were gradually ext

ind into foolish visions. And Julian had turned quite away, trembling. But now Valentine moved sligh

summoning voice,-"Julian, do you see

entine sit up erect, open his eyes and gaze upo

e!" Julian at last found a voice to exclaim. "Thank God, thank Go

s lips smi

swered. "No;

secret thought which tickles him or whips the sense o

looking at Valentine, all his professional instinct wide

id Valentine. "Why, wh

evillier said. "And you," he ad

cinated by the spectacle under his gaze. Once he had read a tale of the revivifying of a mummy in a museum. That might have been like this; or the raising of Lazarus. The streams of strength almost visibly trickled through Valentine's veins. And this new life was so vigorous, so alert. It was as if during his strange sleep Valentine had been carpentering his energies, polishing his powers, setting the temple of his soul in order, gaining almost a ruthlessness from rest. He stretched his limbs now as an athlete might stretch them to win the full consciousness of their muscular f

t, you see,"

sed by the feeling that there lurked almost

Julian asked eagerl

ntine said. "Yes

s limbs. His eyes fell upon Rip, who was still in the corner, hudd

out his hand and slapp

Rip! What's the

aid Julian. "Poor little chap

, went towards it and stooped to pick it up. At the downward movement of its master the dog shrank back, gathered itself togethe

e exclaimed. "Julian, see

idity, nestled into his arms, but when he walked toward

your trance he seems to have taken a vi

e will get over it. Put

d so and

se as to render the expression of his usually gentle face almost stern. But Valentine appeared quite unconscious of his

trance?" he said

s a cribbing schoolboy di

e to crawl to you for

me-w

disobey

never give y

ose who know you, doctor," said

ave you put in the corner

en table-tu

A

his lips into the shape

has been t

g as I live, will I sit again. Val,

ine quietly interposed. "I ha

ly at last," said the doctor. "Give me your s

lian had by no means recovered his usual gaiety. The events of the night had seriously affect

just before you went into your trance? Were you frightene

c

es

as no

you he

N

rned to t

r heard or imagined. And, doctor, just afterward I saw somethi

t wa

he avoided directly r

e I needn't ask you if you h

often," Levi

ave watched by the dying, that at the moment of death sometimes a tiny flame, a sort of shadow almost, comes fro

Levillier said. "And I h

Valentine was sitting and float up and disappear in the darkness. And-and afterwards, when Valentine lay so

d, rather abruptly. "All ima

I have patients who are perfectly sane, yet whom I forbid ever to be entirely in the d

e only from my inner cons

so. Shut yo

over and pressed his two forefingers

you see?"

," Julia

longer. Now w

g of yellow light edge

You see fl

ingers and Julia

t that cry. I most

tate

It was too strange. Are the

attentively you may fail to hear a sound that is. If you listen too attentive

an o

ntly," said the doctor. "Tell me a

es

nded his arms in the air, and made the motion of clapping his hands close to Julian

you clap

ped them at all,

essed extre

u a veritable panorama of sights, sounds, bodily sensations. But throw it into that state once too often, and the panorama, instead of passing and disappearing, may remain fix

intention. Valentine, who still seemed to be in a

emember,"

yaw

s made me sle

ctor g

e best place fo

dded Julian. "Though I feel as

all to get his coat, leaving t

t is to see you yourself again. I made up my mind that you were dead.

ld you ha

now. Gone to the

ow where t

in every London st

eet, even. I was

e, what did

. As if

lly heard, s

thi

that

nd seemed to hesitate. Bu

I could no

readful cry, and then it was

oat on, but Julian did not notice him. Again his excite

at would Marr say to all this? Wha

bother too m

," said Levillier

stood

lected as if you had sat and held converse with spirits all through your life. And yet something has governed you,

, and nothingness does n

tter than I do

said Levillie

ine's pure, beautiful

ever looke

y to-night, or rather thi

in that hung across the window. A very pale sh

of the dawn, painted against the dying night in such pale colour

at him, and he seemed a mystery to them both,

swell," Levilli

bye, d

ye, Val

t Valentine began looping up the curtain and did n

good-bye. The dawn is on

Vale

fter a moment of a

t for to-night. I don't wan

llowed him, pressing close to his heels, so close th

without turning on the light, and closed the door behind him. He remained in the room for perhaps a quarter of an hour. At length the door opened again. He e

ds, he found, to his horror, the picture of "The Merciful Knight" lying upon the fl