and. 'But I should have been disappointed if you had
forgotten your promise to come this afternoon, for I have much to tell
you.'

'Tell me at once,' she said, sitting down.

'I have discovered an MS. at the library of the Arsenal this morning that
no one knew anything about.'

He said this with an air of triumph, as though the achievement were of
national importance. Susie had a tenderness for his innocent mania; and,
though she knew the work in question was occult and incomprehensible,
congratulated him heartily.

'It is the original version of a book by Paracelsus. I have not read it
yet, for the writing is most difficult to decipher, but one point caught
my eye on turning over the pages. That is the gruesome fact that
Paracelsus fed the _homunculi_ he manufactured on human blood. One
wonders how he came by it.'

Susie gave a little start, which Dr Porhoet 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 Porhoet 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 Porhoet stood up