Part 11 (1/2)
”No. He told me he considered temptation rather a curse than otherwise, and then he surprised me very much.”
”He told you a secret?”
”Why, yes.”
”The secret of your great influence over his life?”
”You knew of this secret, then?”
”He didn't tell it to me. Long ago I divined it. Addison is a very interesting fellow to a doctor, and the fact of his strong friends.h.i.+p with you has made him more interesting even than he would otherwise have been. His physique is tremendous. He has a quite unusual vitality, and stronger pa.s.sions by far than most Englishmen. I confess that my knowledge of human nature led me to foresee a very troubled and too vehement future for him. My antic.i.p.ation being utterly falsified led me naturally to look round for the reason of its falsification. I very soon found that reason in you.”
”I had never suspected it.”
”Your lack of suspicion was not the least reason of the influence you exercised.”
”Possibly. He told me of the strength of his evil impulses, of how he hated their a.s.saults, and of how being with me enabled him to conquer them. Apparently the contemplation of my unnatural nature is an armour to him.”
”It is.”
”Well, I continued to bewail my condition, which he envied, and it ended in our sitting down, in jest, to make an experiment to try to exchange our souls.”
”What means did you take?”
And then Valentine told Dr. Levillier the exact circ.u.mstances of the three sittings, without embellishment, without omission of any kind.
He listened with keen attention, and without attempting interruption or intruding comment. When Valentine had finished he made no remark.
”What do you think of it, doctor?”
”Of what part of it?”
”Of any part. Do you attach any importance to it?”
”I do, certainly.”
”I thought you would laugh at the whole thing.”
”Why should I? Why should I laugh at any circ.u.mstances which strongly affect men whom I know, or, indeed, any men?”
”But then, tell me, do you believe in some strange, unseen agency? Do you believe that Julian absolutely held the hand of some being dwelling in another sphere, some being attracted to us, or, say, enabled to come to us by such an action as our sitting at a table in the dark?”
”No. I don't believe that.”
”You attribute the whole thing to bodily causes?”
”I am inclined to attribute it to the action and reaction of mind and body, undoubtedly. If you had sat in the light, for instance, I don't think Addison would have felt that hand. The hand is indeed the least of the circ.u.mstances you have related, in my opinion. The incidents of the dog and of the curtain are far more mysterious. You are positive the door was securely shut?”
”Quite positive.”
”Could you, after having drawn the curtain, have allowed your hand to slip slightly back, pulling the curtain with it?”
”I don't think so. I feel sure not.”