engulfing darkness。
It was many minutes before Gwen regained any considerable command
of her faculties； and she afterwards told me that she was even then
more than half inclined to consider the whole thing as a weird dream
of an overwrought mind。 At length； however； she realised that she
had had an actual experience； and that it was of sufficient
importance to make it known at once。 She accordingly hastened to
lay the whole matter before me； and I； in my turn； notified the
police； who； at once instituted as thorough a search as Gwen's
description made possible。 She had told me that her assailant was
dark…skinned； yet with straight hair； and a cast of features that
gave no hint of any Ethiopian taint。 This； and his halting gait
and great stature； were all the police had in the way of description；
and I may as well add that the information was insufficient； for they
never found any trace of Gwen's assailant。
I had had some hopes of this clue； but they were doomed to
disappointment。 It seemed evident to us that if anything were ever
done in bringing Mr。 Darrow's assassin to justice； Maitland would
have to do it； unless； indeed； M。 Godin solved the problem。=20
Osborne； Allen； and their associates were simply out of the question。
We debated for some time as to whether or not we should write
Maitland about Gwen's strange experience； and finally decided that
the knowledge would be a constant source of worriment without being
of the least assistance to him while he was so far away。 We；
therefore； decided to keep our own counsel； for the present at least。
Maitland had written us a few lines from New York telling us the
result of his analysis； and ended by saying：
There is no doubt that Mr。 Darrow died of poison injected into the
blood through the slight wound in the throat。 This wound was not
deep； and seemed to have been torn rather than cut in the flesh。
What sort of weapon or projectile produced that wound is a question
of the utmost importance； shrouded in the deepest of mysteries。
Once this point is settled； however； its very uniqueness will be
greatly in our favour。 I have an idea our friend Ragobah might be
able to throw some light upon this subject； therefore I am starting
on my way to visit him this afternoon； and shall write you en route
whenever occasion offers。 My kindest regards to Miss Darrow。
Yours sincerely；
GEORGE MAITLAND。
P。 S。 I shall have leisure now on shipboard to set tie that question
of atomic pitches； which is still a thorn in my intellectual flesh。
I handed this letter to Gwen； and； after she had read it through
very carefully； she questioned me about this new theory of Maitland's。
I went through the form of telling her； after the usual practice of
amiable men discoursing to women； feeling sure she would be no wiser
when I had finished； and was dumfounded when she replied： 〃It looks
very reasonable。 Professor Bjerknes； if I remember the name； has
produced all the phenomena of magnetic attraction； repulsion； and
polarisation； by air vibrations corresponding； I suppose； to certain
fixed musical notes。 Why might not something similar to this be
true of atomic； as well as of larger； bodies？〃
If the roof of my house had fallen in； I should not have been more
surprised than at this quiet remark。 How many times had I said：
〃You can always count on a young woman； however much she flutter over
the surface of things； being ignorant of all the great underlying
verities of existence〃？ I promptly decided； on all future occasions；
to add to that … 〃 When not brought up by her father。〃 I was
convinced that of the attainments of a girl educated by her father
absolutely nothing could be definitely predicted。
We had a short note from Maitland written at Trieste。 He excused
its brevity by saying he had been obliged to travel night and day
in order to reach this port in time to catch the Austrian Lloyd
steamer Helois； bound for Aden； Bombay； Ceylon； Singapore； and Hong
Kong。 From Aden I received the following：
MY DEAR DOCTOR：
We have just been through the Red Sea； and I know now the real origin
of the Calvinistic hell。 Imagine it！ A cloudless sky； the sun
beating down with an intolerable fierceness； not a breath stirring；
and the thermometer registering 120 degrees F。 in the shade！ It
seemed as though reason must desert us。 The constant motion of the
punkas in the saloons； and an unlimited supply of ice…water was all
that saved us。 Sleep was hardly to be thought of； for at no time
during the night did the mercury drop below 100=B0 F。 Apart from the
oppressive heat referred to； the entire voyage has been exceedingly
pleasant。 I have not solved the atomic…pitch problems； as attendance
at meals has left me little time for anything else。 They seem to
eat all the time on these boats。 At 8 A。 M。 coffee and bread； at
ten a hearty breakfast of meat； eggs； curry and rice； vegetables and
fruit； at 1 P。 M。 a luncheon； called 〃tiffin；〃 of cold meats； bread
and butter； potatoes； and tea； at five o'clock a regular dinner of
soups； meats with relishes； farinaceous dishes； dessert； fruits； and
coffee； and lastly； at 8 P。 M。； the evening meal of tea； bread and
butter； and other light dishes。 Five meals a day； and there are some
English people who fill up the gaps between them by constantly
munching nuts and sweets！ Verily； if specialisation of function
means anything； some of these people will soon become huge gastric
balloons with a little wart on top representing the atrophied brain
structure。 They run their engines of digestion wholly on the
high…pressure system。
After eight days' voyage on the Indian Ocean we shall be in Bombay。
I must close now； for there is really nothing to say； and； besides；
I am wanted on deck。 My engagement is with a Rev。 Mr。 Barrows；
who is bound as missionary to Hong Kong。 This worthy Methodist
gentleman is very much exercised because I insist that potentiality
is necessity and rebut his arguments on free…will。 He got quite
excited yesterday； and said to me severely： 〃Do you mean to say；
young man； that I can't do as I please？〃 I must say I don't think
his warmth was much allayed by my replying： 〃I certainly mean to
say you can't please as you please。 You may eat sugar because
you prefer it to vinegar； but you can't prefer it just because you
will to do so。〃 He has probably got some new arguments now and is
anxious to try their effect； so； with kind regards to Miss Darrow
… I trust she is well … I remain；
Cordially your friend；
GEORGE MAITLAND。
P。 S。 （Like a woman I always write a postscript。） You shall hear
again from me as soon as I reach Bombay。
This last promise was religiously kept； though his letter was short
and merely announced his safe arrival early that morning。 He closed
by saying： 〃I have not yet breakfasted； preferring to do so on land；
and I feel that I can do justice to whatever is set before me。 I
intend； as soon as I have taken the edge off my appetite； to set out
immediately for Malabar Hill； as I believe that to be our proper
starting…point。 I inclose a little sketch I made of Bombay as we
came up its harbour； thinking it may interest Miss Darrow。 Kindly
give it to her with my regards。 You will note that there are two
tongues of land in the picture。 On the eastern side is the suburb
of Calaba； and on the western our Malabar Hill。 Good…bye until I
have something of interest to report。〃
I gave the sketch to Gwen； and she seemed greatly pleased with it。
〃Are you aware；〃 she said to me that Mr。 Maitland draws with rare
precision？〃
〃I am fully persuaded；〃 I rejoined； 〃that he does not do anything
which he cannot do well。〃
〃I believe there is nothing；〃 she continued； 〃which so conduces to
the habit of thoroughness as the experiments of chemistry。 When one
learns that even a grain of dust will； in some cases； vitiate
everything； he acquires a new conception of the term 'clean' and is
likely to be thorough in washing his apparatus。 From this the habit
grows upon him and widens its application until it embraces all his
actions。〃
This remark did not surprise me as it would have a few weeks before；
for I had come to learn that Gwen was liable at any time to suddenly
evince a very unfeminine depth of observation and firmness of
philosophical grasp。
Maitland had been gone just six weeks to a day when we received from
him the first news having any particular bearing upon the matter
which had taken him abroad。 I give this communication in his own
words； omitting only a few personal observations which I do not feel
justified in disclosing； and which； moreover； are not necessary to
the completeness of this narrative：
MY DEAR DOCTOR：
I have at last something to report bearing upon the case that brought
me here； and perhaps I can best relate it by simply telling you what
my movements have been since my arrival。 My first errand was to
Malabar Hill。 I thought it wise to possess myself； so far as
possible； of facts proving the authenticity of Mr。 Darrow's narrative。
I found without difficulty the banyan tree which had been the
trysting…place； and close by it the little cave with its mysterious
well； … everything in fact precisely as related； even to the
〃Farsees'〃 garden or cemetery； with its 〃Tower of Silence；〃 or
〃Dakhma；〃 as it is called by the natives。 The cave and the banyan
are among the many attractions of what is now Herr Blaschek's villa。
This gentleman； with true German hospitality； asked me to spend a
few days with him； and I was only too glad to accept his invitation；
as I believed his knowledge of Bombay might be of great service to
me。 In this I did not mistake。 I told him I wished to ascertain the
whereabouts of a Rama Ragobah； who had been something between a rishi
and a fakir； and he directed me at once to a fakir named Parinama
who； he said； would be able to locate my man； if he were still alive
and in Bombay。
You can imagine how agreeably surprised I was to find that Parinama
knew Ragobah well。 I ha