The Equinox (Volume I, Number IV)

THE EQUINOX (1903). In the month of January he met his old College friend H. L. From the very first moment of this meeting H. L. showed considerable perturbation of mind, and on being asked by Frater P. what was exercising him, H. L. replied “Come and free Miss Q. from the wiles of Mrs. M. Being asked who Mrs. M. was, H. L. answered that she was a vampire and a sorceress who was modelling a sphinx with the intention of one day endowing it with life so that it might carry out her evil wishes; and that her victim was Miss Q. P. wishing to ease his friend’s mind asked H. L. to take him to Miss Q.’s address at which Mrs. M. was then living. This H. L. did. The following story is certainly one of the least remarkable of the many strange events which happened to Frater P. during his five months’ residence in Paris, but we give it in place of others because it re-introduces several characters who have already figured in this history. Miss Q. after an interview asked P. to tea to meet Mrs. M. After introductions she left the room to make tea—the White Magic and the Black were left face to face. On the mantelpiece stood a bronze of the head of Balzac, and P., taking it down, seated himself in a chair by the fire and looked at it. Presently a strange dreamy feeling seemed to come over him, and something velvet soft and soothing and withal lecherous moved across his hand. Suddenly looking up he saw that Mrs. M. had noiselessly quitted her seat and was bending over him; her hair was scattered in a mass of curls over her shoulders, and the tips of her fingers were touching the back of his hand. 174