Brood of the Witch-Queen

h the cloisteresque arches to the west and setting out the ivy in stronger relief upon the ancient walls. The barred shadow on the lichened stones beyond the elm was cast by the hidden gate

ctly ahead, and west below the chimneys. Within th

vine in type, who at the moment was busily tracing out sections on a human s

ara always have a fire in his ro

hin Scotsman, clean-shaven, square jawed, and with the crisp

ght you'd come to give me a hand with my basal ganglia. I shall go d

ot a most unusual brain," said C

!" snap

r is at Bart's; he sent it up

rain in a bottle," predicted the sco

pe, staring across the

n Ferrara's rooms, h

crash, and the skull wen

vous system is frantically rocky; I shall go all to pieces on my nervous sy

nd tossed his pouch across. "I w

What is the matt

ied Cairn, "

all know he's a queer chap. But he's popular with

e inherits a fortune w

sin, too, isn't there

r Michael are bosom friends, and although I've never seen much of young F

urged Sime, wat

ut what does he want with a fir

sta

y. "The Ferraras, although they're counted Scotc

maker, who was a Spaniard. C?sar Ferrara came with the Armada in 1588 as armourer

a Scotc

y of the family doesn't ac

t ha

on of the open window. "What does he do

luen

never been in hi

ut as I said before, he's

do you

omplaints. Any other man

k he has

f some sort,

man, as I have myself, so I can unburden my mind.

ite upset m

ng in a punt in the backwat

zy

my mind whether I should abandon bones and take

n-Harley for Flee

pened which quite change

oming cloudy wit

ust creeping along, and I could hear nothing but faint creakings of sculls from the river and sometimes the drip of a punt-pole. I thought the river see

had grown tremendously dark, but it never occurred to me to ask myself why. The swans, gliding along so noiselessly, might h

ode across to the table, kic

orm gathering,

must have heard the thunder muttering, I couldn't take my eyes off the swans. Then it happened-the thing

ock out the as

irected Si

a cry that I never heard from a swan in my life, he rose in the air, his huge wings extended-like a tortured phantom, Sime; I can never forget it-six feet clear of the water.

el

one wing right in the punt. I was standing up; I had jumped to my feet when the thing occurred. I stooped and touched the wing. The b

moke was wafted towa

cy of God or man! As I dropped him and took to the pole, the storm burst. A clap of thunder spoke with the voice of a thousand cannon, a

er again, as Cairn pau

call on him; but I thought that a rub down before the fire and a glass of toddy would put me r

started horribly. It was a girl, quite a pretty girl, too, but very pale, and with over-bright eyes. She gave one

led Sime. "It will be no

shouted out to know who was knocking. When I told him, he let me in, and

cen

ient Egyptian stuff used in the temples. It was all dark and hot; phew! like a furnace. Ferrara's

ion in Egypt; I suppose h

han anybody; Sir Michael Ferrara and the governor have been friends for thirty years; but my father is

his age, he has a devil of a queer

ort of

ow. But I heard from young Ashby

e tale about

hby says; but I d

ell you what they represented. I'm not thin-skinned; but there are some subjects that no man anxious to avoid Bedlam would willingly investigate. On the table by the lamp stood a number of objects such as I had never seen in my life before, evid

id he t

ettle on the fire, and so forth. You know the personal charm of the man? But there was an unpleasant sense of something-what shall I say?-sinister.

of his

t forget; it may be a mere coincidence, but-. He has a number of photographs in his rooms, good ones, which he has taken himself. I'm not speaking now of the monstrosities, the

ully through

ng he had thrown in the fire. Then, in his photographic zenana, was a picture of a girl whom I

cou

d up to go. I wanted to run to my rooms and strip the man's clothes off my back!

d over to

o be kicked out of an English varsity for this sort of thing, so far as I know, was

of course. But I had to confide in

e open window. As Cairn was

man of letters and leisure, you might dr

t," shout

ting; then, acting upon a sudden resolution, he stro

but he persisted in his clamouring, arousing t

se statuesque. The almond-shaped eyes, black as night, gleamed strangely beneath the low, smooth brow. The lank black hair a

n?" demanded

nt?" Ferrara's voice was

are yo

Ferrara s

itor?" sna

at

irn, and turned on his heel. "Mistook me for

n knew that Ferrara, leaning over the rail, above, was looking after