The Magician

all and sundry devoured their food, for the little place had a reputation for good cooking combined with cheapness; and the patron, a retired horse-

that Susie, when first she and Margaret were introduced into this society, judged it would be vulgar to turn up her nose. She held that it was prudish to insist upon the conventions of Notting Hill in the Boulevard de Montparnasse. The young women who had thrown in their lives with the

e top of his voice, and a furious argument was proceeding on the merit of the later Impressionists. Arthur sat down, and was hurriedly introduced to a lanky youth,

usie in an undertone. 'He's a nice, kind creature, but his name is Jagson. He has vi

you've not seen his p

t,' laughed Susie. 'We suffer one another personally, but w

who eve

ttle bald man in the c

ll person, with a pate as shining as a billiard-ball,

much to drink?' ask

olour in the world, and the more intoxicated he is, the more delicate and beautiful is his painting. Sometimes, after more than the usual number of apéritifs, he will sit down in a café to do a sketch, with his hand so shaky that he can hardly hold a brush; he has to wait for a favourable moment, and t

order. She was a hard-visaged creature of mature age, but she looked neat in her black dress and white cap; and she

said Arthur. 'Let Margare

t as good if I had orde

he merits of the various dishes, and it was only

f at your feet, and beg you

ne moment, monsieu

His morals are detestable, and he only seek

passion of hunger occupied at that momen

There was a time when you did not look so coldl

t, and all besought her not to show too ha

eur Warren,' she cried, laugh

the shouts of men and w

venue's, and would have no reconciliation. He waited till he had a free evening, and then came to the room downstairs and ordered dinne

he wept all over our food, and we ate it salt with tears. We besought her not to yi

omance had played a game with her, and brought the dishes that had

the man who is sitti

h strongly-marked features, untidy

lure, and he knows it, and the bitterness has warped his soul. If you listen to him, you'll hear every painter of eminence come u

red Arthur. 'And who is the stout old la

all the illustrations for La Semaine. At first it rather tickled me that the old lady should call him mon gendre, my son-in-

ve him an amorous glance. Rouge had more the appearance of a prosperous tradesman than of an artist; but he carried on with O'Brien, whose French was perfect, an argument on the merits of Céza

rness in Poland, but she was much too pretty to remain one, an

pe and was very elegantly dressed. His manner and his conversation had the flamboyance of the romantic thirties. He talked in flowing periods with an air of finali

rtly dressed in a horsey way, and he walked with bowlegs, as though he spent most of his time in the saddle. He alone used scented pomade upon his neat smooth hair. His chief distinction was a greatcoat he wore, with a scarle

e and a tedious habit of

, red cheeks, and fair,

ls; but he was dressed

aper. He spoke English

mb, when the door was flung open, and a large person e

is coat of frieze. Hang my so

e was a grandiloquence about his vo

ody I don't kn

Porho?t who was sitting opposite, quietly eating his dinner and enjo

Dr Porho?t, with a li

l eyes upon him. He threw himself into an attitude o

were posing, Haddo,'

oing that if he tri

ly turned his gla

arren, that the ripe juice of the ap

to say I'm

but expressiv

in his chair as though he had been struck a

that your deplorable lack of education preclude

most noticeable thing about him was a vast obesity. His paunch was of imposing dimensions. His face was large and fleshy. He had thrown himself into the arrogant attitude o

you, if not a master, at least a

at his pompousness, and he turne

is more soft in mine e

a Persia

emnly as he was in turn made known to Susie Boyd, and Margaret,

ing as usual the waters of bitternes

and eat your dinner?' re

s not synonymous with wit. I shall not have lived in vain if I teach you in time to realiz

nger, but could not at

faded, harmless youth

appropriate to the bearer? I am eager to know if you still devote upon the u

hed feebly without answering, and Haddo went on to

s it the celebrated harangue on the greatness of Michelang

,' said Meyer, gett

abitually fall from your cultivated lips,' returned

own with

ause for congratulation that my gibes, which Raggles, a foolish youth, mistakes for wit, have caused the disappearance of a p

bill of fare, and he

ved, and a wing of a tender chicken, a

une sole, one ch

hem in that order rather th

n the room broke into exclamations at this ext

without hesitation I will devour the wing of a chicken in order to sustain myself against your smile

as to give his clean-shaven face a disconcerting nudity. The baldness of his crown was vaguely like a tonsure. He had the look of a very wicked, sensual priest. Margaret, stealing a glance at him as he ate, on a sudden violently shuddered; he affected her with an uncontrollable dislike. He lifted his eyes slowly, and she looked away, blushing as though she had been taken in some indiscretion. These eyes were the most curious thing about him. They were not large, but an exceedingly pale blue, and they looked at you in a way that was singularly embarrassing. At first Susie could not discover in what precisely their peculiarity lay, but

sarcasms were no match for Haddo's bitter gibes. Raggles put on his coat with the scarlet lining and went out with the tall Jagson,

des Plantes, my dear Clayson. Have you

I hav

o asked the question, but he

a dead antelope, scamper away in terror when th

r behind him. Haddo was

Porho?t, and Susie

a lion-hunter?' ask

r his straight

hink Jules Gérard, whom the French of the nineteenth century called Le Tueur d

h the greatest calm, cau

red at him w

o false modesty,'

ill-breeding, from which m

ked up with a

is birth and family. I have a suspicion that, like the immortal Cagliostro, he

nmark, and when James I, her consort, ascended the English throne, he was granted the estates in Staffordshire which I still possess. My family has form

can be verified in wo

ur d

n,' said

d the black slaves who waited on you, and the bearded shei

t Eton, and I lef

g me at what college y

at the

ve been there wit

t Luke's Hospital. He was one

and ask hi

you did with all the lio

ie

d not exasperate her as

amused her, and she was

Staffordshire.' He paused for a moment to light a cigar. 'I am the on

have demolished them by the effec

d placed his two larg

nly the meagre light of the moon. I walked alone, for I knew natives could be of no use to me. Presently I came upon the carcass of an antelope, half-consumed, and I made up my mind to wait for the return of the lions. I hid myself among the boulders twenty

distinguish the sex?' ask

ly larger than those of the hind feet. The fore feet a

on,' sa

ing fire flashed from his eyes, and he growled incessantly. Then he advanced a few steps, his head held low; and his eyes were fixed on mine with a look of rage. Suddenly he jerked up his tail, and when a lion does this he charges. I got a quick sight on his chest and fired. He reared up on his hind legs, roaring loudly and clawing at the air, and fell back dead. One lioness remained, and through the smoke I saw her spring to her feet and rush towards me. Escape was impossible, for behind me were high boulders that I could not climb. She came on wi

ce that carried no conviction. Arthur would have wagered a considerable sum that there was no word of truth in it. He had never met a

ently very br

e most dangerous proceeding in the world,' said Haddo cal

d back in his chair and roared. His hilarity affected the others, and they broke into peal upon peal of laughter. Oliver watched the

of the crackling of thor

gh his gaze preserved its fixity, his

ly command the elementary spirits if he is without fear. A capricious

He did not know what on earth the man

d. He will pass through the storm and no rain shall fall upon his head. The wind will

on an explanation of t

possessed no soul. Their life depended upon the continuance of some natural object, and hence for them there could be no immortality. They must return eventually to the abyss of unending night, and the darkness of death afflicted them always. But it was thought that in the same manner as man by his union with God had won a spark of divinity, so might the sylphs, gnomes, undines, an

spoke figuratively,' sai

hrugged his

e itself is but a symbol. You must be a wi

agic and mysticism I confess

love, and imagination are magic powers that everyone possesses; and whoever knows how to develop them to the

t the powers are that

t the Branch of the Blossoming Almond are twenty-one. He beholds God face to face without dying, and converses intimately with the Seven Genii who command the celestial army. He is

ve evidently the most varied atta

unknown,' retorted Haddo, with

an elephantine way at their expense. His mariner was earnest, but there was an odd expression about the mouth, a hard twinkle of the eyes, which seemed to belie it.

ut one cannot say the same of incredulity, and he that uses the word impossible outside of pure mathematics is lacking in prudence. It should be remembered that La

ere not quite sceptical,

o

has given you one definition of magic, and I will give you another. It may be described merely as the intelligent utilization of forces which are unknown, contemned, or misunderstood of the vulgar. The young man who settles in the East sneers at the ideas of m

made a gesture

hing that had the whole weight of science against it. If there were a word of truth in

hoscope in any other than the usual spot. It is possible that under certain conditions the law of gravity does not apply, yet you will conduct your life under the conviction that it does so invariably. Now, there are some of us who choose to deal only with these exceptions to the common run. The dull man who plays at Monte Carlo puts his money on the colours, and generally black or red turns up; but no

ay from him. A singular light came into his eyes, and his

st for great secrets which consu

elighted to meet a magic

fat hands, regaining immediately his portentous flippanc

a very distant relation of anything so

st out his scarlet lips till he had the ruthless expression of a Nero. The gibe at his obesity had ca

fair we must start,' she said quickly

attered down the st