The Prelude to Adventure

ike a great bloated, warning finger out of the misty trees. Heavy cushions of grey

nst the lighter, floating grey around. His feet pattered beside his master, b

ught, no fear, no terror in that. It could not pursue, nor in its clumsy following, had it had such power, would there have been any horror. There was no sou

oh! so softly, so gently, with a dreadful certainty, it came. If he did but once look round, once behold that Shadow, his defeat was sure. He would sink dow

e mercy." He sank tr

e matter? You've been making th

e diamond-paned window, the books, the smiling tenderness of "Aegidius," the last

ell enough by now, for his nights had often been crowded with waking hours, and this drowsiness would attack him at any time-in hall, in chapel, in lecture. Sometimes he had struggled against it, but to-day it had been too strong for him. Craven's voice h

he saw that Craven was standing

must have dropped off. I'm afraid you mus

m and went bac

right-only you did talk in

ed at him gravely.

one, aren't you? Been working too hard I expect." The

ght slowly faded, leaving the room in shadow. Cr

n thinking a lot a

say?" aske

e shadowy panes. "You were dreaming about a road

it. "I expect, although we don't say much about it, the Carfax bu

ery day, Olva seemed to see in him a likeness to his mother and si

it from his waking thoughts. He was in his room and yet the white road stretched out of

ory of the kind eyes of Margaret Craven. He perceived, too, that here was sign enough of change in him-that he who had, from his earliest days, held himself proudly, sternly aloof from all human companionship save t

said Olva. The room

t be g

a new note in Craven's voice. The bo

ng nervously, "don't go asleep when I'm

subtle, vague impression movin

rking on-no use to anybody, and I've been neglecting my proper work for it

er upset you; I shouldn't have thought you had any nerves. And, in an

ight. At the same moment ther

stered Bunning. Craven looked at him with a surprised s

his great spectacles shi

sation and confidence, suppose that you had given him half-a-crown's worth and expect that you would very shortly give him five shillings' worth. He presumed on nothing at all, was confidential when he ought to have been silent, and gushing when he should simply have thanked you with a smile. Nothing, moreover, to look at. He had the kind of complexion that lo

poor Bunning's only possible "leg," his ardour. He would willingly go to the stake for anything. It was the actual death and sacrifice that mattered--and

His tremulous eyes bad, as they gazed at Dune across

llowing the last crumbs of a piece of toast, "that you stopped Cardillac and the oth

ere less of an ass they wouldn't want

s." He pushed his spectacles up his nose.

it seems to me that ten men on

hat's natural enough. I've always been rotted all my life. I used to think it was be

The atmosphere of the room that had lain upon him so heavily was lighter-and he seemed to fe

ago. With what scorn then would he have glanced at Bunning's ugly body-with

about y

gripped the baggy k

you hadn't come with me the other night to hear Med-Tetloe-I

hat's th

I could see, you know, that it hadn't touched you at all. I could see that, and then when I went round to see him he hadn't got anyt

I

ean. Oh! I can't describe it but it was just no use and I began to feel that it was all no good. I don't believe there is a God at all-it's all been wrong-I don't know what to do. I don't know where to go. I've been wretched for days, no

nds over his face, his whole body sobbing. It was desolation-the desolation of a human being who had clutched desperately at hope

derstood. A fortnight ago he would have hated the scene, have sent

don't understand. What does it matter if you have grown to distrust Med-Tetloe and all th

at home. They don't want me here. I'm not clever. I can't do any

tn't talk like tha

looked up, his face ridic

nk there

there'

unning

, you know. You must think it ou

tter-more to me

I

like that, wanted my hero, and I haven't generally been able to speak to them-my heroes I mean. I never thought, of course, that I should speak to you. And then they sent me that day to

ys glad to see you. Of course you

lways looked as though you despised everybody-and n

now, of course, about to plunge a great deal farther than was

riedly b

I've got a lot of work to do before Hal

shed his spectacles back, blushed, nearly tumbled over his

door-"I can't thank you enough.

nd him, swiftly Olva wa

uit.

ave me alone," he whispered. "F

d was filled with insist