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him was, for all its diminutive size, both dignified and imposing. Something in its atmosphere, something about its mysterious presentment there upon the floor in its dark corner, something, perhaps, that flashed from its brilliant and almost terrible eyes, managed to convey to him that it was clothed with an importance and a significance not attached normally to the animal world. It had "an air." It bore itself with power, with value, almost with pride. This incongruous impression bereft him of the sensations of ordinary fear, while it increased the sources of his confusion. Yet it convinced. He knew himself face to face with some form of life that was considerable in the true sense--spiritually. It exercised a fascination over him that was at the moment beyond either explanation or belief. As he moved, moreover, the little dark object also moved--away from him, as though resenting closer inspection. With action--again unlike the action of any animal he could think of, and essentially dignified--both rapid and nicely calculated, it ran towards the curtains behind. This appearance of something stately that went with it was indefinable and beyond everything impressive; for how in the world could such small proportions and diminutive movements convey grandeur? And again Spinrobin found it impossible to decide precisely how it moved--whether on four legs or on two. Keeping the two points of light always turned upon him, it shot across the floor, leaped easily upon a chair, passed with a nimble spring from this to a table by the wall, still too much in obscurity to permit a proper view; and then, while the amazed secretary approached cautiously to follow its movements better, it crawled to the edge of the table, and in so doing passed for the first time full across the pale zone of flickering candlelight. Spinrobin, in that quick second, caught a glimpse of flying hair, and saw that it moved either as a human being or as a bird--on two legs. The same moment it sprang deftly from the high table to the mantelpiece, turned, stood erect, and looked at him with the whole glare of the light upon its face; and Spinrobin, bereft of all power of intelligible sensation whatever, saw to his unutterable distress that it was--a man. The dignity of its movements had already stirred vaguely his sense of awe, but now the realization beyond doubt of its diminutive _human_ shape added a singularly acute touch of horror; and it was
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