Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1894-05-25
SHE
A History Of Adventure.
by II. RIDER HAGGARD. !
MY VISITOR.


circumstance and surrounding detail
seems to be craven on the memory in
such fashion that we can not forget it,
and so it is with the scene that / am
about 10 describe. 1t rises rs clearly
before my mind at this moment as
though it had happened yesterday.
1t was in this very month,
something over twenty years
ago, That |, Ludwig Horace
Holly, was sitting one night in my
rooms at Cambridge, grinding away at
some mathematical work, forget what.
was TO go up for my fellowship within
week, and was expected by my tutor
aud my college generally to distinguish
myself. AT last, wearled out, | flung
my book down. and going to the man.
tel-pece, took down a pipe and filled it.
There was a candle burning on the man
tel-piece, and long, narrow glass at
the back of it; and as | was in the act
of lighting the pipe l caught sight of
my own countenance in the glass, and
paused to reflect. The lighted match
burned away until it scorched my fin
gers, forcing me to drop it, but still |
stood and stared at myself in the glass,
and reflected.
WELL" said aloud, at last, ait is
TO be hoped that shall be able TO do
something with the inside of my head,
for l shall certainly never do anything
by the help of the outside"
This remark will doubtless strike
anybody who reads it as being slightly
obscure, but / was in reality abiding
TO my physical deficiencies. Most men
of twenty-five are endowed at any rate
with some share of comeliness of youth,
but to me even this was denied. Short,
thickset and deep-chested almost to de-
formity, with long sinewy arms, heavy
features, deep-set gray eyes, low brow
half overgrown with mop of thick
black hair, like deserted clearing on
which the forest had once more began
TO encroach such was my appearance
nearly quarter of century ago, and
such, with some modification, is it TO
this day. Like Cain | was branded
branded by nature with the stamp of
abnormal ugliness, rs | was gifted by
nature with iron and abnormal strength
and considerable intellectual powers.
So ugly was | that the spruce young
men of my college, though they were
proud enough of my feats of endurance
and physical proves, did not even care
to be seen walking with me. Was it
wonderful that | was misanthropic and
sullen? Was it wonderful that brood
ed and worked alone, and had no
friends-at least only one? | was set
aside by Nature to live alone, and draw
comfort from her breast. and hers only.
Women hated the sight of me. Only
week before had heard one call me a
"monster" when she thought | was out
of hearing, and say that had convert
ed her to Darwin'S theory. Once, in
deed, woman pretended to care for
me, and / lavished all the pent-up af-
fections of my nature upon her. Then
money that was TO have come to me
went elsewhere, and she discarded me.
pleaded with her as | have never
pleaded with any living creature before
or since, for | was caught by her sweet
face, and loved her; and in the end, by
way of answer, she took me to the glass,
and stood side by side with me, and
looked into il.
Now" she said. ''if | am Beauty,
who are you?" and | cursed her and
fled. That was when | was only
twenty.
And so / stood and stared and felt
sort Of grim satisfaction in the sense of
my own lonliness-fer / had neither
30
l did so there came a knock at my door.
| listened before | went to open it,
for it was nearly twelve o'clock at night,
and | was In no mood to admit any
stranger. had but one friend in the
college, or, indeed, in the world; per-
haps it was he.
Just then the person outside the door
coughed, and | fastened to open it for
L knew the cough.
A tall man about thirty, with the re-
mains OF great personal beauty, came
hurrying in, staggering beneath the
weight of massive iron box which he
carried by handle in his right hand.
He placed the box upon the table, and
then fell into an awful fit of coughing.
He coughed and coughed until his face
became quite purple, and at last he sunk
into chair and began to spit up blood.
/ poured out some whiskey into a tum-
bier and gave it to him. He drank it
and seemed better, though his better
was very bad indeed.
"Why did you keep me standing
there in the coldY' he asked "you know
the draughts are death to me-"
Il did not know who 1t was" l an
swered. You are late visitor"
Yes; and / verify believe it is my
last visit" he answered, with CHASTITY
attempt at smile. II am done for,
Holly am done for. do not believe
that | shall see tomorrow
NONSENSE l said. "Let me go for
a doctor"
he waved me back imperiously with
his hand. ut is sober sense; but /
want no doctors. have studied med
icine and know all about it. No doctor