Part 5 (1/2)
”O, I see! But, my dear fellow, what is there nervous about the tent?
Do you imagine ghosts lurking in the hangings, or phantoms of dead Arabs clinging, like bats, round that rosette in the roof? You got it up the Nile, didn't you?”
”Yes. Where have you been?”
”Dining out. And, oddly enough, I met Marr again, the man I told you about. It seems he is in universal request just now.”
”On account of his mystery-mongering, I suppose.”
”Probably.”
”Did you tell him anything about our sitting?”
”Only that we had sat, and that nothing had happened.”
”What did he say?”
”He said, 'Pooh, pooh! these processes are, and always must be, gradual.
Another time there may be some manifestation.'”
”Manifestation! Did you ask him of what nature the manifestation was likely to be? These people are so vague in the terms they employ.”
”Yes, I asked him; but I couldn't get much out of him. I must tell you, Val, that he seemed curiously doubtful about my statement that nothing had happened. I can't think why. He said, 'Are you quite sure?'”
”Of course you answered Yes?”
”Of course.”
Valentine looked at him for a moment and then said:
”You didn't mention the--the curtain by any chance?”
”No. You thought you had left it only partially drawn, didn't you?”
Valentine made no reply. His face was rather grave. Julian did not repeat the question. He felt instinctively that Valentine did not wish to be obliged to answer it. Oddly enough, during the short silence which followed, he was conscious of a slight constraint such as he had certainly never felt with Valentine before. His gaiety seemed dropping from him in this quiet room to which he was so often a visitor. The rowdy expression faded out of his face and he found himself glancing half furtively at his friend.
”Valentine,” he presently said, ”shall we really sit to-night?”
”Yes, surely. You meant to when you came here, didn't you?”
”I don't believe there is anything in it.”
”We will find out. Remember that I want to get hold of your soul.”
Julian laughed.
”If you ever do it will prove an old man of the sea to you,” he said.
”I will risk that,” Valentine answered.