arm and
taking quite suddenly to his heels. "Come on! Confound me, I'll see both
of you eat and then I'll see one of you die. Lord bless me, the gods
must exist after all--they have sent me one of my day-dreams! Lord! A
duel!"

He had gone flying along a winding path between the borders of the
kitchen garden, and in the increasing twilight he was as hard to follow
as a flying hare. But at length the path after many twists betrayed its
purpose and led abruptly up two or three steps to the door of a tiny but
very clean cottage. There was nothing about the outside to distinguish
it from other cottages, except indeed its ominous cleanliness and one
thing that was out of all the custom and tradition of all cottages
under the sun. In the middle of the little garden among the stocks and
marigolds there surged up in shapeless stone a South Sea Island idol.
There was something gross and even evil in that eyeless and alien god
among the most innocent of the English flowers.

"Come in!" cried the creature again. "Come in! it's better inside!"

Whether or no it was better inside it was at least a surprise. The
moment the two duellists had pushed open the door of that inoffensive,
whitewashed cottage they found that its interior was lined with fiery
gold. It was like stepping into a chamber in the Arabian Nights. The
door that closed behind them shut out England and all the energies of
the West. The ornaments that shone and shimmered on every side of them
were subtly mixed from many periods and lands, but were all oriental.
Cruel Assyrian bas-reliefs ran along the sides of the passage; cruel
Turkish swords and daggers glinted above and below them; the two
were separated by ages and fallen civilizations. Yet they seemed to
sympathize since they were both harmonious and both merciless. The house
seemed to consist of chamber within chamber and created that impression
as of a dream which belongs also to the Arabian Nights themselves. The
innermost room of all was like the inside of a jewel. The little man who
owned it all threw himself on a heap of scarlet and golden cushions and
struck his hands together. A negro in a white robe and turban appeared
suddenly and silently behind them.

"Selim," said the host, "these two gentlemen are staying with me
tonight. Send up the very best wine and dinner at once. And Selim,
one of these gentlemen will probably die tomorrow. Make arrangements,
please."

The negro bowed and withdrew.

Evan