Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-02-06
CHAPTER Ill.

CHAPTER Ill.
It was beautiful summer night and thanks
to full m Don almost bright as day; even
1.-The Laurels," though so modest a dwelling,
looked beautiful, bathed in its silver glow, as
the curate drew near to it. Deep as was his
abstraction-for he was thinking of the dis
course Of the metaphysician. which, when In
telligible. had interested him-he could not
help noting a changed look about the little
garden and lawn. 1t seemed to him
that things had been cleared up,
tidied up, as it were. He missed
several heaps of rubbish. grown to be familiar
sights, and he thought that the rustic table and
benches in the old summer house had a
strangely unfamiliar look about them. Once
he halted and asked himself whether he had
not taken the wrong path.
Bah. such nonsense! As wellsuppose flock of
sheep to get into the wrong fold or II drove of
cattle to wander into another barn yard Or
even flock OF fowls to mistake their roosting
place.
by this time he had reached the veranda and
as ne stepped upon it again a strange sensation,
half of wonder, half of doubt came over him.
Surely he had mistaken the house. for all the
Old rlckety chairs were gone and there stood a
row of new ones in wicker, with graceful backs
and curled arms, and a handsome round table
also in wicker, such as is used Tor outdoor teas
or fetes. And the old door mat, worn and rag
ged. with its familiar legend, welcome, almost
scratched away by the hob nails OF the farmer
folk, was gone, too. with all the rest and in its
stead brand new one, with a new Welcome"
in red woven into il, lay there before tine door
and seemed to invite him to step upon it and
cleanse his soles of dust.
But Cu:hbert Piumley passed his hand over
his forehead nervously and then put gu. lis
foot as II he expected that that mat was but a
hSment OF his imagination and would mel: into
nOthlngness when his toe touched it. but no, 1t
never budged. Still he seemed to think that
he had better not step upon it, SO he stepped
over 1t, and then proceeded with somewhat
unsteady hand to unlock the door softly
possible, SO as not to disturb his old house
keeper. He was now inside the house. and as
he stood there in the hall waiting Tor his eyes
20 become accustomed to the darkness
another curious thing impressed itself upon his
senses, or rather upon his sense OF smell-that
Undesirable but unmis:akable odor of poverty
was gone. and the air was heavy with the OdUr
OF flowers and with that subtle perfume which
beSrays the presence of a refined and cultured
woman in house. Collecting his scattered
senses he realized that the hallway was covered
with some softrug or carpet. The next move he
makes he bumps againsta high backed chair and
upon putting out his hand to shield his
face from injury his fingers come
into contact with the pins of hatrack,
and then the measured tick, tick, of a clock
sends a creeping sensation over his skin.
Where was he! None of these things had been
IN his hallway as he passed through on his way
to DR.. Winters. just then the moon shone
out In fuller splendor and tall black fig
ure seemed to meet him face to face. lie
caught his breath and took step backward.
1t was naught but a tall clock, or had the fi6-
ure by some exercise of the black art been sud-
denly transformed into a clock.
Then the awful thought flashed through his
mind that Winters black-bearded guest was
none other than DR.. Faustus himself, that this
mn drn NJ hi
him, thas his senses were astray, that he was
not himself. At that instant the tall dock
chimed out the hour of two in soft and silyery
tones.
Plumley was no coward, mild and gentle as
he WAS. he scarcely knew what the word fear is
SO plucking up resolution he felt his way along
to the entrance of the sitting room. To his
more than amazement the ill-fitting door was
framed with line of light
Good heavens" be thought ''csn the old
housekeeper be sitting up to berate me for my
late hours?'
Hating for a moment, he listens, but no
sound save the ticking of the tall clock dis
turbs the awful stiffness of the place. With
trembling hand he opeus the door a few inches
and giances in, and as he does SO smothered
cry of mingled dread and wonder escapes from
his lips.
There sits Jane Copcutt in an elegant easy
chair; her head is slightly bowed sne is sew
Ing by the light o. superb piano lamp. which
sends its radiance down upon her fair head and
face with W. nderful effect Spellbound by the
beautiful vision Plumley stands gazing upon it
Glth parted lips and bated breath lest it should
suddenly fade away. She is mere beautiful,
more radiant. more angelic than ever; she is
the same dear, gracious, sweet-faced woman
that he lost years and years ago.
But the room, too-that is all changed; all
things new and strange. His homo is
changed.
The old arm chair is gone and in its place a
new one, very handsome, with reading desk
fixed into one arm, with candlesticks in it. The
sofa Is also quite new, though its covering was
of the same pattern. The walls are hung with
hne engravlngs OF various sacred subjects; the
carpet Is new one and very rich and soft.
And there is new piano, too. 1t stands there
open. as if some one had just left it. 1t is of
the cottage kind. but exquistely finished.
Then certain words of the German sage occur
red to him: "There are some rare conditions
of the human mind in which the great central
fact becomes recognizable and we see that
everything is exactly its contrary" He felt that
he was now in one of these conditions. Moth
ing could be more contrary to his ordinary
furniture than its present appearance. But
instead OF being pleased at this discovery, it
terrified the good curate exceedingly, for it
struck him that the only condition under
which such things were possible was that of
insanity; that he had in fac: gone out of his
mind.
Softly closing the door, he stood for a mo-
ment listening to the slow tick. tick of the tall
clock and then. as he CROPPED his way out of the
house. he whispered over and over to himself:
'I've lost my reason I've lost my reason.''
Once he halted, thinking he would 90 up-
stairs and arouse the old housekeeper But no
He was now fairly frightened; he did not dare
60 upstairs for fear lie should find some other
transformation had been effected 1t was clear
that he was the victim of a mental delusion.
The reflection that would have occurred In
nine men out OF ten under such circumstances
that he had drunk too much wine at dinner
never entered into the curate's mind. He had
never exceeded the bound of moderation in his
life, and on the present occasion distinctly re-
membered that he had taken but three glasses
OF wine. He had. however, been rather ex
cited by the Germans discourse, which might
possibly-for everything was possible save tRat
which he saw around him-have had the eject
Of intoxication. He might even have mis-.
taken somebody else's house for his own. An
untenable superstition, indeed, since he had lot
himself in with his own key and there was mo
other house in the neighborhood that resem-
bled it. Moreover. he knew the interior of All
the houses in Elondel Parva and none had fnr-
niturc i'll the least like what he saw aroma
him or nearly SO new.
Still, in the extremity of his amazemept md
having no other explanation of the phenome-
non, he actually stepped off the veranda and
walked out upon the lawn with intent to re-
gard il from the outside to make sure of its
identity. In doing this he closed the door
forgetting that he had placed the kew ON that
new table i'm the hallway and thereby shnt him
/ yar ta,,fa