The Equinox (Volume I, Number X)

THE EQUINOX waken her, but it is too late; the crime was accomplished; the woman was dead. It was to the public incredulity in the matter of magnetism that the authors of this sacrilegious experiment owed their own immunity from prosecution. The authorities held an inquest, and death was attributed to the rupture of an aneurism. The body, anyhow, bore no trace of violence; they had it buried, and there was an end of the matter. Here is another anecdote which we heard from a travelling companion. Two friends were staying in the same inn, and sharing the same room. One of them had a habit of talking in his sleep, and, at that time, would answer the questions which his com- rade put to him. One night, he suddenly uttered stifled cries; his companion woke up and asked him what was the matter. “But, don’t you see,” said the sleeper, “don’t you see that enormous stone . . . it is becoming loose from the mountain . it is falling on me, it is going to crush me.” “Oh, well, get out of its way!” “Impossible! My feet are caught in brambles that cling ever closer. Ah! Help! Help! There is the great stone coming right upon me!” “Well, there it is!” said the other laughing, throwing the pillow at his head in order to wake him. A terrible cry, suddenly strangled in his throat, a con- vulsion, a sigh, then nothing more. The practical joker gets up, pulls his comrade’s arm, calls him ; in his turn, he becomes frightened, he cries out, people come with lights... the unfortunate sleep-waker was dead. 126