aid Arthur ironically.

'Everyone can make game of the unknown,' retorted Haddo, with a shrug of
his massive shoulders.

Arthur did not answer. He looked at Haddo curiously. He asked himself
whether he believed seriously these preposterous things, or whether he
was amusing himself in an elephantine way at their expense. His mariner
was earnest, but there was an odd expression about the mouth, a hard
twinkle of the eyes, which seemed to belie it. Susie was vastly
entertained. It diverted her enormously to hear occult matters discussed
with apparent gravity in this prosaic tavern. Dr Porhoet broke the
silence.

'Arago, after whom has been named a neighbouring boulevard, declared that
doubt was a proof of modesty, which has rarely interfered with the
progress of science. But one cannot say the same of incredulity, and he
that uses the word impossible outside of pure mathematics is lacking in
prudence. It should be remembered that Lactantius proclaimed belief in
the existence of antipodes inane, and Saint Augustine of Hippo added that
in any case there could be no question of inhabited lands.'

'That sounds as if you were not quite sceptical, dear doctor,' said Miss
Boyd.

'In my youth I believed nothing, for science had taught me to distrust
even the evidence of my five senses,' he replied, with a shrug of
the shoulders. 'But I have seen many things in the East which are
inexplicable by the known processes of science. Mr Haddo has given
you one definition of magic, and I will give you another. It may be
described merely as the intelligent utilization of forces which are
unknown, contemned, or misunderstood of the vulgar. The young man who
settles in the East sneers at the ideas of magic which surround him,
but I know not what there is in the atmosphere that saps his unbelief.
When he has sojourned for some years among Orientals, he comes insensibly
to share the opinion of many sensible men that perhaps there is something
in it after all.'

Arthur Burdon made a gesture of impatience.

'I cannot imagine that, however much I lived in Eastern countries, I
could believe anything that had the whole weight of science against it.
If there were a word of truth in anything Haddo says, we should be unable
to form any reasonable theory of the universe.'

'For a scientific man you argue with singular fatuity,' said Haddo icily,
and his manner had an offensiveness which was intensely irritating. 'You
should be aware that scien