Somerset maughan

homunculi
he manufactured on human blood. 
One wonders how he came by it.' 
Susie gave a little start, which Dr Porhoët noticed. 
'What is the matter with you?' 
'Nothing,' she said quickly. 
He looked at her for a moment, then proceeded with the subject that 
strangely fascinated him. 
'You must let me take you one day to the library of the Arsenal. 
There is no richer collection in the world of books dealing with the 
occult sciences. And of course you know that it was at the Arsenal 
that the tribunal sat, under the suggestive name of 
chambre ardente
, 
to deal with cases of sorcery and magic?' 
'I didn't,' smiled Susie. 
'I always think that these manuscripts and queer old books, which 
are the pride of our library, served in many an old trial. There are 
volumes there of innocent appearance that have hanged wretched 
men and sent others to the stake. You would not believe how many 
persons of fortune, rank, and intelligence, during the great reign of 
Louis XIV, immersed themselves in these satanic undertakings.' 
Susie did not answer. She could not now deal with these matters in 
an indifferent spirit. Everything she heard might have some bearing 
on the circumstances which she had discussed with Dr Porhoët 
times out of number. She had never been able to pin him down to an 

---

affirmation of faith. Certain strange things had manifestly 
happened, but what the explanation of them was, no man could say. 
He offered analogies from his well-stored memory. He gave her 
books to read till she was saturated with occult science. At one 
moment, she was inclined to throw them all aside impatiently, and, 
at another, was ready to believe that everything was possible. 
Dr Porhoët stood up and stretched out a meditative finger. He spoke 
in that agreeably academic manner which, at the beginning of their 
acquaintance, had always entertained Susie, because it contrasted so 
absurdly with his fantastic utterances. 
'It was a strange dream that these wizards cherished. They sought to 
make themselves beloved of those they cared for and to revenge 
themselves on those they hated; but, above all, they sought to 
become greater than the common run of men and to wield the 
power of the gods. They hesitated at nothing to gain their ends. But 
Nature with difficulty allows her secrets to be wrested from her. In 
vain they lit their furnaces, and in vain they studied their crabbed 
books, called up the dead, and conjured ghastly spirits. Their 
reward was disappointment and wretchedness, poverty, the scorn 
of men, torture, imprisonment, and shameful death. And yet, 
perhaps after all, there may be some particle of truth hidden away in 
these dark places.' 
'You never go further than the cautious perhaps,' said Susie. 'You 
never give me any definite opinion.' 
'In these matters it is discreet to have no definite opinion,' he smiled, 
with a shrug of the shoulders. 'If a wise man studies the science of 
the occult, his duty is not to laugh at everything, but to seek 
patiently, slowly, perseveringly, the truth that may be concealed in 
the night of these illusions.' 
The words were hardly spoken when Matilde, the ancient 
bonne
, 
opened the door to let a visitor come in. It was Arthur Burdon. Susie 
gave a cry of surprise, for she had received a brief note from him 
two days before, and he had said nothing of crossing the Channel. 
'I'm glad to find you both here,' said Arthur, as he shook hands with 
them. 

---

'Has anything happened?' cried Susie. 
His manner was curiously distressing, and there was a nervousness 
about his movements that was very unexpected in so restrained a 
person. 
'I've seen Margaret again,' he said. 
'Well?' 
He seemed unable to go on, and yet both knew that he had 
something important to tell them. He looked at them vacantly, as 
though all he had to say was suddenly gone out of his mind. 
'I've come straight here,' he said, in a dull, bewildered fashion. 'I 
went to your hotel, Susie, in the hope of finding you; but when they 
told me you were out, I felt certain you would be here.' 
'You seem worn out,