knew his whereabouts. He was soon enlightened. A lilting voice,
which had a strong resemblance to that of Marlene Dietrich, came
over the wire as he placed the receiver to his ear.
'Is that you, Rex? Oh, I am so glad I have found you. I must see
you at once-quickly-without a moment's delay.'
'Tanith!' he exclaimed. 'How did you tumble to it that I was
here?'
'Oh, never mind that! I will tell you when I see you. But hurry,
please.'
'Where are you then?'
'At the village inn, no more than a mile from you. Do come at
once. It is very urgent.'
For a second Rex hesitated, but only for a second. Simon would be
safe enough in the care of Richard and Marie Lou, and Tanith's voice
had all the urgency and agitation of extreme fear. Anxiety for her
had been gnawing at his heart ever since he had heard of her crash
the previous evening. He knew that he loved her now-loved her
desperately.
'All right,' he answered, his voice shaking a little. Til be
right over.'
Running back across the hall, he explained breathlessly to Marie
Lou what had happened.
'You must go of course,' she said evenly. 'But you'll be back
before nightfall won't you, Rex?'
'Sure.' All his animation seemed suddenly to have returned to him
as, with a quick grin, he hurried out, snatched up his hat and,
leaving the house, set off at a long easy loping trot by the short
cut across the meadows to the village.
Unnoticed by him, a short figure entered the drive just as he
disappeared beyond the boundary of the garden. A few moments later
the newcomer was in conversation with Malin. The butler knew that
his master was upstairs sitting with his friend Mr. Aron while the
latter rested, and had given orders that he was not to be disturbed,
so leaving the visitor in the hall he crossed to Marie Lou's sitting-
room.
'There is a gentleman to see you, madam,' he announced quietly.'A
Mr. Mocata.'
22
The Satanist
For a moment Marie Lou hesitated, her eyes round with surprise,
staring at the butler. In the last hour she had heard so much about
this strange and terrifying visitor, but it had not occurred to her
for one instant that she might be called upon to face him in the
flesh so soon.
Her first impulse was to send upstairs for Richard, but like many
people who possess extremely small bodies, her brain was
exceptionally quick. Rex and the Duke were both absent, and, if she
sent for Richard, Simon would be left alone-the one thing that De
Richleau had been so insistent should not be allowed to happen.
True, she and Richard would have the principal enemy under
observation themselves, but he had allies. It flashed upon her that
this girl Tanith was one perhaps and had purposely decoyed Rex away
to the inn. Mocata might have others already waiting to lure Simon
out of the house while they were busy talking to him. Almost
instantly her mind was made up. Richard must not leave Simon, so she
would have to interview Mocata on her own.
'Show him in,' she told the butler evenly. 'But if I ring you are
to come at once-immediately, you understand?'
'Certainly, madam.' Malin softly withdrew, while Marie Lou seated
herself in an armchair with her back to the light and within easy
reach of the bell-push.
Mocata was shown in, and she studied him curiously. He was
dressed in a suit of grey tweeds and wore a black stock tie. His
head, large, bald and shiny, reminded her of an enormous egg, and
the several folds of his heavy chin protruded above his stiff
collar.
'I do hope you'll forgive me, Mrs. Eaton,' he began in a voice
that was musical and charming, 'for calling on you without any
invitation. But you may perhaps have heard my name.'
She nodded slightly, carefully ignoring the hand which he half
extended as she motioned him to the armchair on the opposite side of
the fireplace. Marie Lou knew nothing of Esoteric Doctrines, but
quite enough from the peasants' superstitions which had been rife in
the little village where she had lived, an outcast of the Russian
Revolution, to be aware that she must not touch this man, not offer
him any form of refreshment while he was in her house.
The afternoon sunshine played full upon Mocata's pink, fleshy
countenance as he went on, 'I thought perhaps that would be the
case. Whether the facts have been rightly represented to you, I
don't know, but Simon Aron is a very dear friend of mine, and during
his recent illness I have been taking care of him.'
'I see,' she answered guardedly. 'Well, it was hardly put to me
in that way, but what is the purpose of your visit?'
'I understand that Simon is with you now?'
'Yes,' she replied briefly, feeling that it was senseless to deny
it, 'and his visit to us will continue for some little time.'
He smiled then, and with a little shock Marie Lou suddenly
caught herself thinking that he was really quite an attractive
person. His strange light-coloured eyes showed a strong intelligence
and, to her surprise, a glint of the most friendly humour, which
almost suggested that he was about to conspire with her in some
amusing undertaking. His lisping voice, too, was strangely pleasant
and restful to listen to as he spoke again in perfect English
periods, only a curious intonation of the vowel sounds indicating
his French extraction.
'The country air would no doubt be excellent for him, and I am
certain that nothing could be more charming for him than your
hospitality. Unfortunately there are certain matters, of which you
naturally know nothing, but which make it quite imperative that I
should take him back to London tonight.'
'I am afraid that is quite impossible.'
'I see,' Mocata looked thoughtfully for a moment at his large
elastic-sided boots. 'I feared that you might take this attitude to
begin with, because I imagine our friend De Rich-leau has been
filling the heads of your husband and yourself with the most
preposterous nonsense. I don't propose to go into that now or his
reason for it, but I do ask you to believe me, Mrs. Eaton, when I
say that Simon will be in very considerable danger if you do not
allow me to take him back into my care.'
'No danger will come to him as long as he is in my house,' said
Marie Lou firmly.
'Ah, my dear young lady,' he sighed a little wistfully. 'I can
hardly expect anyone like yourself to understand precisely what will
happen to our poor Simon if he remains here, but his mental state
has been unsatisfactory for some little time, and I alone can cure
him of his lamentable condition. Chocolates!' he added suddenly and
irrelevantly as his eyes rested upon a large box on a nearby table.
'You'll think me terribly rude, but may I? I simply adore
chocolates.'
'I'm so sorry,' Marie Lou replied without the flicker of an
eyelash, 'but that box is empty. Do go on with what you were saying
about Simon.'
Mocata withdrew his hand, feeling himself unable to challenge her
statement by opening the box to see, and Marie Lou found it
difficult to repress a smile as he made a comically rueful face like
some greedy schoolboy who has been disappointed of a slice of cake.
'Really!' he exclaimed. 'What a pity. May I put it in the waste-
paper basket for you then? To leave it about is such a terrible
temptation for people like myself.' Before she could stop him he had
reached out again and picked up the box, realising immediately by
its weight that she had lied to him.
'No, please,' she put out her hand and almost snatched the box
from his pudgy fingers. 'I gave it to my little girl to put her
marbles in-we mustn't throw it away.' The box gave a faint rustle as
she laid it down beside her, so she added swiftly: 'She puts each
one in the little paper cups that the chocolates are packed in and
arranges them in rows. She would be terribly distressed if they were
upset.'
Mocata was not deceived by that ingenious fiction. He guessed at
once her true reason for denying him the chocolates and was quick to
realise that in this lovely young woman, who stood no taller than a
well-grown child, he was up against a far cleverer antagonist than
he had at first supposed. However, he was amply satisfied with the
progress he had made so far, sensing that her first antagonism had
already given way to a guarded interest. He must talk to her a
little, his eyes and voice would do the rest. For a moment they
stared at each other in silence. Then he opened his attack in a new
direction.
'Mrs. Eaton, it is quite obvious to me that you distrust me and,
after what your friends have told you, I am not surprised. But your
intelligence emboldens me to think that I am likely to serve my
purpose better by putting my cards on the table than by beating
about the bush.'
'It will make no difference what you do,' said Marie Lou quietly.
He ignored the remark and went on in his low, slightly lisping
voice. 'I do not propose to discuss with you the rights or wrongs of
practising the Magic Art. I will confine myself to saying that I am
a practitioner of some experience and Simon, who has interested
himself in these things for the past few months, shows great promise
of one day achieving considerable powers. Monsieur De Richleau has
probably led you to suppose that I am a most evil person. But in
fairness to myself I must protest that such a view of me is quite
untrue. In magic, there is neither good nor evil. It is only the
science of causing change to occur by means of will. The rather
sinister reputation attaching to it is easily accounted for by the
fact that it had to be practised in secret for many centuries owing
to the ban placed upon it by the Church. Anything which is done in
secret naturally begets a reputation for mystery and, since it dare
not face the light of day, the reverse of good. Few people
understand anything of these mysteries, and I can hardly assume that
you have more than vague impressions gathered from casual reading;
but at least I imagine you will have heard that genuine adepts in
the secret Art have the power to call certain entities, which are
not understood or admitted by the profane, into actual being.
'Now these are perfectly harmless as long as they are under the
control of the practitioner, just as a qualified electrician stands
no risk in adjusting a powerful electric battery from which a child,
who played foolishly with it, might receive a serious shock or even
death. This analogy applies to the work Simon and I are engaged
upon. We have called a certain entity into being just as workers in
another sphere might have constructed an electrical machine. It
needs both of us to operate this thing with skill and safety, but if
I am to be left to handle it alone, the forces which we have
engendered will undoubtedly escape and do the very gravest harm both
to Simon and myself. Have I made the position clear?'
'Yes,' murmured Marie Lou. During that long explanatory speech he
had been regarding her with a steady stare, and as she Listened to
his quiet, cultured voice expressing what seemed such obvious
truths, she felt her whole reaction to his personality changing. It
suddenly seemed to her absurd that this nice, charming gentleman in
the neat grey suit could be dangerous to anyone. His face seemed to
have lost its puffy appearance even while he was speaking, and now
her eyes beheld it as only hairless, pink and clean like that of
some elderly divine.
'I am so glad,' he went on in his even, silky tone. 'I felt quite
sure that if you allowed me a few moments I could clear up this
misunderstanding which has only arisen through the over-eagerness of
your old friend the Duke, and that charming young American, to
protect Simon from some purely imaginary danger. If I had only had
the opportunity to explain to them personally I am quite convinced
that I should have been able to save them a great deal of worry, but
I only met them for a few moments one evening at Simon's house. It
is a charming little place that, and he very kindly permits me to
share it with him while I am in England. If you are in London during
the next few weeks, I do hope that you will come and see us there.
We both know without asking that Simon would be delighted, and it
would give me the very greatest pleasure to show you my collection
of perfumes, which I always take with me when I travel.
'As a matter of fact, I am rather an expert in the art of
blending perfumes, and quite a number of my women friends have
allowed me to make a special scent for them. It is a delicate art,
and interesting, because each woman should have her own perfume made
to conform to her aura and personality. You have an outstanding
individuality, Mrs. Eaton, and it would be a very great pleasure if
you would allow me some time to see if I could not compound
something really distinctive in that way for you.'
'It sounds most interesting,' Marie Lou's voice was low and
Mocata's eyes still held hers. Really, she felt, despite his bulk,
he was a most attractive person, and she had been quite stupid to be
a little frightened of him when he first entered the room. The May
sunshine came in gently-moving shafts through the foliage of a tree
outside the window, so that the dappled light played upon his face,
and it was that, she thought, which gave her the illusion that his
unblinking eyes were larger than when she had first looked into
them.
'When will the Duke be back?' he asked softly. 'Unfortunately, my
visit today must be a brief one, but I should so much have liked to
talk this matter over quietly with him before I go.'
'I don't know,' Marie Lou found herself answering. 'But I'm
afraid he won't be back before six.'
'And our American friend-the young giant,' he prompted her.
"I've no idea. He has gone down to the village.'
'I see. What a pity, but of course your husband is here
entertaining Simon, is he not?'
'Yes, they are upstairs together.'
'Well, presently I should like to explain to your husband, just
as I have to you, how very important it is that I should take Simon
back with me tonight, but I wonder first if I might beg a glass of
water. Walking from the village has given me quite a thirst.'
'Of course,' Marie Lou rose to her feet automatically and pressed
the bell. 'Wouldn't you prefer a cup of tea or a glass of wine and
some biscuits?' she added, completely now under the strange
influence that radiated from hirn.
'You are most kind, but just a glass of water and a biscuit if I
may.'
Malin already stood in the doorway and Marie Lou gave orders for
these slender refreshments. Then she sat down again, and Mocata's
talk flowed on easily and glibly, while her ears became more and
more attuned to that faint musical lisping intonation.
The butler appeared with water and biscuits on a tray and set
them down beside Mocata, but for the moment he took no notice of it.
Instead he looked again at Marie Lou, and said: 'I do hope you'll
forgive me asking, but have you recently been ill? You are looking
as though you were terribly run down and very, very tired.'
'No,' said Marie Lou slowly. 'I haven't been ill.' But at that
moment her limbs seemed to relax where she was sitting and her heavy
eyelids weighed upon her eyes. For some unaccountable reason, she
felt an intense longing to shut them altogether and fall asleep.
Mocata watched her with a faint smile curving his full mouth. He
had her under his dominance now and knew it. Another moment and she
would be asleep. It would be easy to carry her into the next room
and leave her there, ring for the servant, ask him to find his
master and when Richard arrived, say that she had gone out into the
garden to find him. Then another of those quiet little talks which
he knew so well how to handle, even when people were openly
antagonistic to him to begin with, and the master of the house would
also pass Into a quiet, untroubled sleep. Then he would simply call
Simon by his will and they would leave the house together.
Marie Lou's eyes flickered and shut. With a shake of her head she
jerked them open again. 'I'm so sorry,' she said sleepily. 'But I am
tired, most awfully tired. What was it that you were talking about?'
Mocata's eyes seemed enormous to her now, as they held her own
with a solemn, dreamy look. 'We shall not talk any more,' he said.
'You will sleep, and at four o'clock on the afternoon of 7th May,
you will call on me at Simon's house in St. John's Wood.'
Marie Lou's heavy lashes fell on her rounded cheeks again, but
next second her eyes were wide open, for the door was flung back and
Fleur came scampering into the room.
'Darling, what is it?' Marie Lou struggled wide awake and Mocata
snapped his plump fingers with a little angry, disappointed gesture.
The sudden entrance of the child had broken the current of delicate
vibrations.
'Mummy-mummy,' Fleur panted. 'Daddy-sent-me-to-find-you. We'se
playing hosses in the garden, an' Uncle Simon says he's a dwagon,
an' not a boss at all. Daddy says you're to come and tell him
diffwent.'
'So tbis is your little daughter? What a lovely child,' Mocata
said amiably, stretching out a hand to Fleur. 'Come here, my ...'
But Marie Lou cut short his sentence as full realisation of the
danger to which she had exposed herself flooded her mind. 'Don't you
touch her!' she cried, snatching up the child with blazing eyes.
'Don't you dare! '
'Really, Mrs. Eaton,' he raised his eyebrows in mild protest.
'Surely you cannot think that I meant to hurt the child? I thought
too, that we were beginning to understand each other so well.'
'You beast,' Marie Lou cried angrily as she jabbed her finger on
the bell. 'You tried to hypnotise me.'
'What nonsense,' he smiled good-humouredly. 'You were a little
tired, but I fear I bored you rather with a long dissertation- upon
things which can hardly interest a woman so young and charming as
yourself. It was most stupid of me, and I hardly wonder that you
nearly fell asleep.'
As Malin arrived on the scene she thrust Fleur into the
astonished butler's arms and gasped: 'Fetch Mr. Eaton-he's in the
garden- quickly-at once.'
The butler hurried off with Fleur and Mocata turned on her. His
eyes had gone cold and steely. 'It is vital that I should at least
see Simon before I leave this house.'
'You shan't,' she stormed. 'You had better go before my husband
comes. D'you hear?' Then she found herself looking at him again, and
quickly jerked her head away so that she should not see his eyes,
yet she caught his gesture as he stooped to pick up the glass of
water from the table.
Furious now at the way she had been tricked into ordering
it for him, and determining that he should not drink, she sprang
forward and, before he could stop her, dashed the little table to
the ground. The plate caught the carafe as it fell and smashed it
into a dozen pieces, the biscuits scattered and the water spread in
a shallow, widening lake upon the carpet. Mocata swung round with an
angry snarl. This small, sensuous, catlike creature had cheated him
at the last, and the placid, kindly expression of his face changed
to one of hideous demoniacal fury. His eyes, muddled now with all
the foulness of his true nature, stripped and flayed her,
threatening a thousand unspeakable abominations in their unwinking
stare as she-faced him across the fallen table.
Suddenly, with a fresh access of terror, Marie Lou cowered back,
bringing up her hands to shield her face from those revolting
eyeballs. Then a quick voice in the doorway exclaimed: 'Hello! What
is all this?'
'Richard,' she gasped. 'Richard, it's Mocata! I saw him because I
thought you'd better stay with Simon, but he tried to hypnotise me.
Have him thrown out. Oh, have him thrown out.'
The muscles in Richard's lean face tightened as he caught the
look of terror in his wife's eyes and thrusting her aside he took a
quick step towards Mocata. 'If you weren't twice my age and in my
house, I'd smash your face in,' he said savagely. 'And that won't
stop me either unless you get out thundering quick.'
With almost incredible swiftness Mocata had his anger under
control. His face was benign and smiling once more, as he shrugged,
showing no trace of panic. 'I'm afraid your wife is a little upset,'
he said mildly. 'It is this spring weather, and while we were
talking together, she nearly fell asleep. Having heard all sorts of
extraordinary things about me from your friends, she scared herself
into thinking that I tried to hypnotise her. I apologise profoundly
for having caused her one moment's distress.'
'I don't believe one word of that,' replied Richard. 'Now kindly
leave the house.'
Mocata shrugged again. 'You are being very unreasonable, Mr.
Eaton. I called this afternoon in order to take Simon Aron back to
London.'
'Well, you're not going to.'
'Please,' Mocata held up his protesting hand. 'Hear me for
one moment. The whole situation has been most gravely
misrepresented to you, as I explained to your wife, and if she
hadn't suddenly started to imagine things we should be discussing it
quite amicably now. In fact, I even asked her to send for you, as
she will tell you herself.'
'It was a trick,' cried Marie Lou angrily. 'Don't look at his
eyes, Richard, and for God's sake turn him out!'
'You hear,' Richard's voice held a threatening note and his face
was white. 'You had better go-before I lose my temper.'
'It's a pity that you are so pig-headed, my young friend,' Mocata
snapped icily. 'By retaining Simon here, you are bringing extreme
peril both on him and on yourself. But since you refuse to be
reasonable and let me take him with me, let me at least have five
minutes' conversation with him alone.'
'Not five seconds,' Richard stood aside from the door and
motioned through it for Mocata to pass into the hall.
'All right! If that is your final word!' Mocata drew himself up.
He seemed to grow in size and strength even as he stood there. A
terrible force and energy suddenly began to shake his obese body.
They felt it radiating from him as his words came low and clear like
the whispering splash of death-cold drops falling from icicles upon
a frozen lake.
'Then I will send the Messenger to your house tonight and he
shall take Simon from you ah've-or dead!'
'Get out,' gritted Richard between his teeth, 'Damn you- get
out!'
Without another word Mocata left them. Marie Lou crossed herself,
and with Richard's arm about her shoulder they followed him to the
door.
He did not turn or once look back, but plodded heavily, a very
ordinary figure now, down the long, sunlit drive.
Richard suddenly felt Marie Lou's small body tremble against him,
and with a little cry of fright she buried her head on his shoulder.
'Oh, darling,' she wailed. 'I'm frightened of that man-frightened.
Did you see?'
'See what, my sweet?' he asked, a little puzzled.
'Why!' sobbed Marie Lou. 'He is walking in the sunshine -but he
has no shadow!'
23
The Pride of Peacocks
The inn which served the village near Cardinals Folly was almost
as old as the house. At one period it had been a hostelry of some
importance, but the changing system of highways in the eighteenth
century had left it denuded of the coaching traffic and doomed from
then on to cater only for the modest wants of the small local
population. It had been added to and altered many times; for one
long period falling almost wholly into disrepair, since its revenue
was insufficient for its upkeep, and so it had remained until a few
years earlier upon the retirement of Mr. Jeremiah Wilkes, the ex-
valet of a wealthy peer who lived not far distant.
Only the fact that Mr. Wilkes suffered from chronic sciatica,
which rendered it impossible for him to travel any more with his old
master, had made his retirement necessary, and through those long
years of packing just the right garments that his lordship might
need for Cowes, Scotland or the French Riviera and exercising his
incomparable facility for obtaining the most comfortable seats upon
trains which were already full, he had always had it in the back of
his mind that he would like to be the proprietor of a gentlemanly
'house.'
When the question of his retirement had been discussed, and
Jeremiah had named the ambition of his old age, his master had most
generously suggested the purchase and restoration of the old inn,
but voiced his doubts of Jeremiah's ability to run it at a profit;
stating that capital was very necessary to the success of any
business, and adding in his innocence that he did not feel Jeremiah
could have saved a sufficient sum despite the long period in his
employment.
In this, of course, his lordship was entirely wrong. Jeremiah's
wage might have been a modest one but, while protecting his master
from many generations of minor thieves, he had gathered in the time-
honoured perquisites which were his due and, since he had stoutly
resisted the efforts of his fellow servants to interest him in 'the
horses,' he owned investments in property which would have
considerably amazed his master.
Mr. Wilkes, therefore, had modestly stated that he thought he
might manage providing that his lordship would be good enough to
send him such friends or their retainers as could not be
accommodated at the Court when shooting parties and such like were
in progress. This having been arranged satisfactorily, Mr. Wilkes
underwent the metamorphosis from a gentleman's gentleman to host of
'The Pride of Peacocks.'
Very soon the old inn began to thrive again; quietly, of course,
since it was no road-house for noisy motorists. But it became well
known among a certain select few who enjoyed a peaceful weekend in
lovely scenery, and Mr. Wilkes' admirable attention to these,
together with his wife's considerable knowledge of the culinary art,
never caused them to question their Monday morning bill.
Jeremiah had further added to the attraction of the place by
stocking a cellar with variety and taste from his lordship's London
wine merchant on terms extremely advantageous to himself, and
moreover to the added well-being of the neighbourhood. The hideous
and childish tyranny of licensing hours never affected him in the
least for the simple reason that all his customers were personal
friends, including, of course, the magistrates upon the local bench,
and had some officious policeman from the town ever questioned the
fact that gentlemen were to be found there quite frequently in the
middle of the afternoon taking a little modest refreshment, they
would have quailed under the astonished and supercilious glance of
the good Mr. Wilkes, together with the freezing statement that this
was no monetary transaction, but the gentlemen concerned were doing
him the honour to give him their opinion upon his latest purchase in
the way ot port.
In short, it will be gathered that this ancient hostelry could
provide all the comfort which any reasonable person might demand,
and was something a little out of the ordinary for a village inn.
Rex, of course, knew the place well from his previous visits to
Cardinals Folly and, a little out of breath from the pace at which
he had come, hurried into the low, comfortably furnished lounge, the
old oak beams of which almost came down to his head,
Tanith was there alone. Immediately she saw him she jumped up
from her chair and ran to meet him, gripping both his hands in hers
with a strength surprising for her slender fingers.
She was pale and weary. Her green linen dress was stained and
mired from her terrible journey on the previous night, although
obviously she had done her best to tidy herself. Her eyes were
shadowed from strain and lack of sleep, seeming unnaturally large,
and she trembled slightly as she clutched at him.
'Oh, thank God you've come!' she cried.
'But how did you know I was at Cardinals Folly?' he asked her
quickly.
'My dear,' she sank down in the chair again, drawing her hand
wearily across her eyes. 'I am terribly sorry about last night. I
think I was mad when I stole your car and tried to get to the
Sabbat. I crashed of course, but I expect you will have heard about
that-and then I did the last five miles on foot.'
'Good God! Do you mean to say you got there after all?'
She nodded and told him of that nightmare walk from Easterton to
the Satanic Festival. As she came to the part in her story where,
against her will, she had been drawn down into the valley, her eyes
once more expressed the hideous terror which she had felt.
'I could not help myself,' she said. 'I tried to resist with all
my mind but my feet simply moved against my will. Then, for a
moment, I thought that the heavens had opened and an angry God had
suddenly decided to strike those blasphemous people dead. There was
a noise like thunder and two giant eyes like those of some nightmare
monster seemed to leap out of the darkness right at me. I screamed,
I think, and jumped aside. I remember falling and springing up
again. The power that had held my feet seemed to have been suddenly
released and I fled up the hill in absolute panic. When I got to the
top I tripped over something and then I must have fainted.'
Rex smiled. That was us in the car,' he said. 'But how did you
know where to find me?'
'It was not very difficult,' she told him. 'When I came to, I was
lying on the grass and there wasn't a sound to show that there was a
living soul within miles of me. I started off at a run without the
faintest idea where I was going-my only thought being to get away
from that terrible valley. Then when I was absolutely exhausted I
fell again, and I must have been so done in that I slept for a
little in a ditch.
'When I woke up, it was morning and I found that I was quite near
a main road. I limped along it not knowing what I should come to and
then I saw houses and a straggling street and, after a little, I
discovered that I had walked into Devizes.
'I went into the centre of the town and was about to go into an
hotel when I realised that I had no money; but I had a brooch, so I
found a jeweller's and sold it to them-or rather, they agreed to
advance me twenty pounds, because I didn't want to part with it and
it must be worth at least a hundred. An awfully nice old man there
agreed to keep it as security until I could send him the money on
from London. Then I did go to the hotel, took a room and tried to
think things over.
'Such an extraordinary lot seemed to have happened since you took
me off in your car from Claridges yesterday that at first I could
not get things straight at ail, but one thing stood out absolutely
clearly. Whether it was you or the vision of my mother, I don't
know, but my whole outlook had changed completely. How I could ever
have allowed myself to listen to Madame D'Urfe and do the things
I've done I just can't think. But I know now that I've been in the
most awful danger, and that I must try and get free of Mocata
somehow. Anyone would think me mad, and possibly I am, to come to
you like this when I hardly know you, but the whole thing has been
absolutely outside all ordinary experiences. I am terribly alone,
Rex, and you are the only person in the world that I can turn to.'
She sank back in her chair almost exhausted with the effort of
endeavouring to impress him with her feelings, but he leant forward
and, taking one of her hands in his great leg-of-mutton fist,
squeezed it gently.
'There, there, my sweet.' Speaking from his heart he used the
endearment quite naturally and unconsciously. 'You did the right
thing every time. Don't you worry any more. Nobody is going to hurt
a hair of your head now you've got here safely. But how in the world
did you do it?'
Her eyes opened again and she smiled faintly. 'My only hope was
to throw myself on your protection, so I had to find you somehow and
that part wasn't difficult. All systems of divination are merely so
many methods of obscuring the outer vision, in order that the inner
may become clear. Tea-leaves, crystals, melting wax, lees of wine,
cards, water, entrails, birds, sieve-turning, sand and all the rest.
'I wanted sleep terribly when I got to that hotel bedroom, but I
knew that I mustn't allow myself to, so I took some paper from the
lounge, and borrowed a pencil. Then I threw myself into a trance
with the paper before me and the pencil in my hand. When I looked at
it again I had quite enough information scribbled down to enable me
to follow you here.'
Rex accepted this amazing explanation quite calmly. Had he been
told such a thing a few days before he would have considered it
fantastic, but now it never even occurred to him that it was in any
way extraordinary that a woman desiring to know his whereabouts
should throw herself into a trance and employ automatic writing.
She glanced at the old grandfather clock which stood ticking away
in a corner of the low-raftered room. Half an hour had sped by
already and he was feeling guilty now at having left Simon. He would
never be able to forgive himself if, in his absence, any harm befell
his friend. Now that he knew Tanith was safe he must get back to
Cardinals Folly, so he announced abruptly: 'I'm mighty sorry, but
I've got Simon to look after so I can't stay here much longer.'
'Oh, Rex,' her eyes held his imploringly. 'You must not unless
you take me with you. If you leave me alone, Mocata will be certain
to get me.'
For a moment Rex hesitated miserably, wrestling with the quandary
that faced him. If Tanith was telling the truth, he couldn't
possibly leave her to be drawn back by that terrible power of evil.
But was she? So far she had been Mocata's puppet. How much truth was
there in this pretended change of heart? Had Mocata planted her
there in order to lure him deliberately away from Simon's side?
It occurred to him that he might take her back with him to
Cardinals Folly, for if she was speaking the truth she was in the
same case as Simon. They could keep the two of them together and
concentrate their forces against the black magician. But he
dismissed the idea almost as soon as it entered his mind. To do so
would be playing Mocata's game with a vengeance. If Tanith were
acting consciously or unconsciously under his influence, God alone
knew what powers she might possess to aid her master once they
accepted her as a friend in their midst. If he took her there it
would be like introducing one of the enemy into a beleaguered
fortress.
'What are you afraid might happen if I leave you?' he asked
suddenly.
'You can't-you mustn't,' her eyes pleaded with him, 'Not only for
my own sake, but your friends' as well. Mocata has a hundred means
of knowing where Simon is and where I am too. He may arrive here at
any moment. It's no good pretending Rex. I know beyond any question
that I cannot resist him and he'll work through me, however much my
will is set against it. He's told me a dozen times that he has never
met a woman who is such a successful medium for him as myself. So
you can be certain that he is on his way here now.'
'What d'you think he'll do when he turns up?'
'He will throw me into a trance and call Simon to him. Then if
Simon fails to come Mocata may curse him through me.'
Rex shrugged. 'Don't worry. De Richleau's a wily old bird. He'll
turn the curse aside some way.'
'But you don't seem to understand,' she sobbed. 'If a curse is
sent out it must lodge somewhere, and if it fails to reach its
objective because there is an equally strong influence working
against it, the vibrations recoil and impinge upon the sender.'
'Steady now.' He took her hands and tried to soothe her. 'If that
is so I guess we couldn't find a better way to tickle up Mocata.'
'No-no!! He never does things himself-at least I have never known
him to-just in case he fails, because then he would have to pay the
penalty. Instead, he uses other people -hypnotises them and makes
them throw out the thought or the wish. That is what he will do to
me. If he succeeds, you will no longer be able to protect Simon, and
if he fails, it is I who will pay the price. That is why you've just
got to stay with me and prevent him using me as his instrument.'
'Holy smoke! Then we're in a proper jam!' Rex's brain was working
swiftly. If she were telling the truth, she was in real danger. If
not, at least Simon still had Richard and Marie Lou to take care of
him until the Duke's return.
All his chivalry and his love for her which seemed to have
blossomed overnight welled up and told him that he must chance her
honesty and remain there to protect her. 'All right, I'll stay,' he
said after a moment.
'Oh, thank God!' she sighed. 'Thank God!'
'But tell me,' he went on, 'just why is it you're such a kingpin
medium to this man? What about old Madame D'Urfe and the rest? Can't
he do his stuff through them?'
Tanith looked at him through tear-dimmed eyes and shook her head.
'Not in the same way. You see there is rather an unusual link
between us. My number is twenty and so is his.'
Rex frowned. 'What exactly do you mean by that?' he asked in a
puzzled voice.
'I mean our astrological number,' she replied quietly. 'Give me a
piece of paper, and I will show you.'
Rex handed her a few sheets from a nearby table and a pencil from
his waistcoat pocket, then she quickly drew out a list of the
numerical values to the letters of the alphabet: -
A=1 K=2 S=3
B=2 L=3 T=4
C=3 M=4 U=6
D=4 N=5 V=6
E=5 O=7 W=6
F=5 P=8 X=5
G=3 Q=1 Y=1
H=5 R=2 Z=7
I or J=1
'There!' she went on. 'By substituting numbers for letters in
anyone's name and adding them up you get their occult number which
indicates the planet that influences them most in all spiritual
affairs. It must be the name by which they are most generally
known-even if it is a pet name. Now look!'
M=4 T=4
O=7 A=1
C=3 N=5
A=1 I=1
T=4 T=4
A=1 H=5
____ ____
20 2+0=2 20
2+0=2
'You see how closely our vibrations are attuned. Two is the value
of the Moon, to which both he and I are subject, and any names
having a total numerical value which reduce by progresssive
additions to two, such as eleven or twenty-nine or thirty-eight or
forty-seven, would give us some affinity, but that they actually add
up to the same compound number shows that we are attuned to a very
remarkable degree. That is why I have proved such an exceptionally
good medium for him to work through.'
'But you are utterly different from him,' Rex protested,
'Of course,' she nodded gravely. 'One's birth date gives the
material number, which is generally that of another planet and
modifies the influence of the spiritual number considerably. As it
happens mine is May 2nd-again a two you see, so I am an almost pure
type. Moon people are intensely imaginative, artistic, romantic,
gentle by nature and not very strong physically. They are rather
over-sensitive and lacking in self-confidence, unsettled too, and
liable to be continually changing their plans, but most of them, of
course, have some balancing factor. Mocata gets all his imaginative
and psychic qualities from the Moon, but his birthday is April 24th
which adds up to six, and six being the number of Venus, he is very
strongly influenced by that planet. Venus people are extremely mag
netic. They attract others easily and are usually loved and
worshipped by those under them, but very often they are obstinate
and unyielding. It is that in his nature which balances the weakness
of the Moon and makes him so determined in carrying out his plans.'
'What do I come under?" Rex asked with sudden curiosity. 'My
names are so short that I'm generally known by all three.'
Again Tanith took the paper and quickly worked out the equivalent
of his name.
R=2
E=5
X=5
--- = 12
V=6
A=1
N=5
--- = 12
R=2
Y=1
N=5
--- = 8
---
32 and 3+2=5
She looked at him sharply. 'Yes, I am not surprised. Five is a
fortunate and magic number which comes under Mercury. Such people
are versatile and mercurial, quick in thought and decisions,
impulsive in action and detest plodding work. They make friends
easily with every type and have a wonderful elasticity of character
which can recover at once from any setback. Even though I do not
know you well, I am certain that all this is true of you. I expect
you are a born speculator as well and every type of risk attracts
you.'
'That certainly is so,' Rex grinned as she went on thoughtfully:
'But I should have thought that there was a good bit of the Sun
about you because you have such strong individuality and you are so
definite in your views.'
'I was born on the 19th of August if that gives you a line.'
She smiled. 'Yes, 19 is 1+9 which equals ten and 1+0 equals 1,
the number of the Sun. So I was right, and it is that part of you
which I think attracts me so much. Sun and Moon people always get on
well together.'
'I don't know anything about that,' Rex said softly. 'But I'm
dead sure I could never see too much of you.'
She lifted her eyes from his quickly as though almost in fright
and to break the pause that followed he asked: 'What number is Simon
associated with?'
'He was born under Saturn as we know only too well, and his
occult number is certain to be the Saturrdan eight,' Tanith replied
promptly, scribbling the name and numbers on the paper.
S=3
I=1
M=4
O=7
N=5
--- = 20
A=1
R=2
O=7
N=5
--- = 15
--
35 and 3+5=8
'By Jove! That's queer,' Rex murmured as he saw the name
worked out quite simple to the number she had predicted.
'He is a typical number eight person too,' she went on.
'They have deep, intense natures and are often lonely at heart
because they are frequently misunderstood. Sometimes they play a
most important part on life's stage and nearly always a
fatalistic one. They are almost fanatically loyal to persons
they are fond of or causes they take up, and carry things
through regardless of making enemies. It is not a fortunate
number to be born under as a rule, and such people usually
become great successes or great failures.'
Rex drew the paper towards him, and taking the pencil from
her began to work out for himself the numerical symbols of De
Richleau, Richard Eaton and Marie Lou.
R=2
I=1
D=4 C=3
E=5 H=5
--- = 9 A=1 M=4
R=2 R=2 A=1
I=1 D=4 R=2
C=3 --- = 18 I=1
H=5 E=5 E=5
L=3 A=1 --- = 13
E=5 T=4 L=3
A=1 O=7 O=7
U=6 N=5 U=6
--- = 26 --- = 22 --- = 16
-- -- --
35 = 8 40 = 4 29 = 11 = 2
'This is amazing,' Tanith exclaimed when he had finished. The
Duke not only comes under the eight like Simon, but their
compound number-thirty-five-is the same as well. He should have
immence influence with Simon through that affinity, just as
Mocata has over me, and the nine in his name gives him the
additional qualities of the born leader, independence, success,
courage and determination. If anyone in the world can save your
friend, that extraordinary combination of trength and sympathy
will enable De Richleau to do so.'
'But d'you see that the names Richleau and Ryn boil down to
eight as well, linking us both with Simon. That's strange, isn't
it?'
'Not altogether. Any numerologist who knew of your devotion to
each other would expect to find some such affinity in your
numbers. You will see, too, that your other friend, Richard
Eaton, is a four person, which accounts for his sympathy towards
you. The eight is formed by two halves or circles and, four
being the half of eight, persons with those numbers will always
which had a strong resemblance to that of Marlene Dietrich, came
over the wire as he placed the receiver to his ear.
'Is that you, Rex? Oh, I am so glad I have found you. I must see
you at once-quickly-without a moment's delay.'
'Tanith!' he exclaimed. 'How did you tumble to it that I was
here?'
'Oh, never mind that! I will tell you when I see you. But hurry,
please.'
'Where are you then?'
'At the village inn, no more than a mile from you. Do come at
once. It is very urgent.'
For a second Rex hesitated, but only for a second. Simon would be
safe enough in the care of Richard and Marie Lou, and Tanith's voice
had all the urgency and agitation of extreme fear. Anxiety for her
had been gnawing at his heart ever since he had heard of her crash
the previous evening. He knew that he loved her now-loved her
desperately.
'All right,' he answered, his voice shaking a little. Til be
right over.'
Running back across the hall, he explained breathlessly to Marie
Lou what had happened.
'You must go of course,' she said evenly. 'But you'll be back
before nightfall won't you, Rex?'
'Sure.' All his animation seemed suddenly to have returned to him
as, with a quick grin, he hurried out, snatched up his hat and,
leaving the house, set off at a long easy loping trot by the short
cut across the meadows to the village.
Unnoticed by him, a short figure entered the drive just as he
disappeared beyond the boundary of the garden. A few moments later
the newcomer was in conversation with Malin. The butler knew that
his master was upstairs sitting with his friend Mr. Aron while the
latter rested, and had given orders that he was not to be disturbed,
so leaving the visitor in the hall he crossed to Marie Lou's sitting-
room.
'There is a gentleman to see you, madam,' he announced quietly.'A
Mr. Mocata.'
22
The Satanist
For a moment Marie Lou hesitated, her eyes round with surprise,
staring at the butler. In the last hour she had heard so much about
this strange and terrifying visitor, but it had not occurred to her
for one instant that she might be called upon to face him in the
flesh so soon.
Her first impulse was to send upstairs for Richard, but like many
people who possess extremely small bodies, her brain was
exceptionally quick. Rex and the Duke were both absent, and, if she
sent for Richard, Simon would be left alone-the one thing that De
Richleau had been so insistent should not be allowed to happen.
True, she and Richard would have the principal enemy under
observation themselves, but he had allies. It flashed upon her that
this girl Tanith was one perhaps and had purposely decoyed Rex away
to the inn. Mocata might have others already waiting to lure Simon
out of the house while they were busy talking to him. Almost
instantly her mind was made up. Richard must not leave Simon, so she
would have to interview Mocata on her own.
'Show him in,' she told the butler evenly. 'But if I ring you are
to come at once-immediately, you understand?'
'Certainly, madam.' Malin softly withdrew, while Marie Lou seated
herself in an armchair with her back to the light and within easy
reach of the bell-push.
Mocata was shown in, and she studied him curiously. He was
dressed in a suit of grey tweeds and wore a black stock tie. His
head, large, bald and shiny, reminded her of an enormous egg, and
the several folds of his heavy chin protruded above his stiff
collar.
'I do hope you'll forgive me, Mrs. Eaton,' he began in a voice
that was musical and charming, 'for calling on you without any
invitation. But you may perhaps have heard my name.'
She nodded slightly, carefully ignoring the hand which he half
extended as she motioned him to the armchair on the opposite side of
the fireplace. Marie Lou knew nothing of Esoteric Doctrines, but
quite enough from the peasants' superstitions which had been rife in
the little village where she had lived, an outcast of the Russian
Revolution, to be aware that she must not touch this man, not offer
him any form of refreshment while he was in her house.
The afternoon sunshine played full upon Mocata's pink, fleshy
countenance as he went on, 'I thought perhaps that would be the
case. Whether the facts have been rightly represented to you, I
don't know, but Simon Aron is a very dear friend of mine, and during
his recent illness I have been taking care of him.'
'I see,' she answered guardedly. 'Well, it was hardly put to me
in that way, but what is the purpose of your visit?'
'I understand that Simon is with you now?'
'Yes,' she replied briefly, feeling that it was senseless to deny
it, 'and his visit to us will continue for some little time.'
He smiled then, and with a little shock Marie Lou suddenly
caught herself thinking that he was really quite an attractive
person. His strange light-coloured eyes showed a strong intelligence
and, to her surprise, a glint of the most friendly humour, which
almost suggested that he was about to conspire with her in some
amusing undertaking. His lisping voice, too, was strangely pleasant
and restful to listen to as he spoke again in perfect English
periods, only a curious intonation of the vowel sounds indicating
his French extraction.
'The country air would no doubt be excellent for him, and I am
certain that nothing could be more charming for him than your
hospitality. Unfortunately there are certain matters, of which you
naturally know nothing, but which make it quite imperative that I
should take him back to London tonight.'
'I am afraid that is quite impossible.'
'I see,' Mocata looked thoughtfully for a moment at his large
elastic-sided boots. 'I feared that you might take this attitude to
begin with, because I imagine our friend De Rich-leau has been
filling the heads of your husband and yourself with the most
preposterous nonsense. I don't propose to go into that now or his
reason for it, but I do ask you to believe me, Mrs. Eaton, when I
say that Simon will be in very considerable danger if you do not
allow me to take him back into my care.'
'No danger will come to him as long as he is in my house,' said
Marie Lou firmly.
'Ah, my dear young lady,' he sighed a little wistfully. 'I can
hardly expect anyone like yourself to understand precisely what will
happen to our poor Simon if he remains here, but his mental state
has been unsatisfactory for some little time, and I alone can cure
him of his lamentable condition. Chocolates!' he added suddenly and
irrelevantly as his eyes rested upon a large box on a nearby table.
'You'll think me terribly rude, but may I? I simply adore
chocolates.'
'I'm so sorry,' Marie Lou replied without the flicker of an
eyelash, 'but that box is empty. Do go on with what you were saying
about Simon.'
Mocata withdrew his hand, feeling himself unable to challenge her
statement by opening the box to see, and Marie Lou found it
difficult to repress a smile as he made a comically rueful face like
some greedy schoolboy who has been disappointed of a slice of cake.
'Really!' he exclaimed. 'What a pity. May I put it in the waste-
paper basket for you then? To leave it about is such a terrible
temptation for people like myself.' Before she could stop him he had
reached out again and picked up the box, realising immediately by
its weight that she had lied to him.
'No, please,' she put out her hand and almost snatched the box
from his pudgy fingers. 'I gave it to my little girl to put her
marbles in-we mustn't throw it away.' The box gave a faint rustle as
she laid it down beside her, so she added swiftly: 'She puts each
one in the little paper cups that the chocolates are packed in and
arranges them in rows. She would be terribly distressed if they were
upset.'
Mocata was not deceived by that ingenious fiction. He guessed at
once her true reason for denying him the chocolates and was quick to
realise that in this lovely young woman, who stood no taller than a
well-grown child, he was up against a far cleverer antagonist than
he had at first supposed. However, he was amply satisfied with the
progress he had made so far, sensing that her first antagonism had
already given way to a guarded interest. He must talk to her a
little, his eyes and voice would do the rest. For a moment they
stared at each other in silence. Then he opened his attack in a new
direction.
'Mrs. Eaton, it is quite obvious to me that you distrust me and,
after what your friends have told you, I am not surprised. But your
intelligence emboldens me to think that I am likely to serve my
purpose better by putting my cards on the table than by beating
about the bush.'
'It will make no difference what you do,' said Marie Lou quietly.
He ignored the remark and went on in his low, slightly lisping
voice. 'I do not propose to discuss with you the rights or wrongs of
practising the Magic Art. I will confine myself to saying that I am
a practitioner of some experience and Simon, who has interested
himself in these things for the past few months, shows great promise
of one day achieving considerable powers. Monsieur De Richleau has
probably led you to suppose that I am a most evil person. But in
fairness to myself I must protest that such a view of me is quite
untrue. In magic, there is neither good nor evil. It is only the
science of causing change to occur by means of will. The rather
sinister reputation attaching to it is easily accounted for by the
fact that it had to be practised in secret for many centuries owing
to the ban placed upon it by the Church. Anything which is done in
secret naturally begets a reputation for mystery and, since it dare
not face the light of day, the reverse of good. Few people
understand anything of these mysteries, and I can hardly assume that
you have more than vague impressions gathered from casual reading;
but at least I imagine you will have heard that genuine adepts in
the secret Art have the power to call certain entities, which are
not understood or admitted by the profane, into actual being.
'Now these are perfectly harmless as long as they are under the
control of the practitioner, just as a qualified electrician stands
no risk in adjusting a powerful electric battery from which a child,
who played foolishly with it, might receive a serious shock or even
death. This analogy applies to the work Simon and I are engaged
upon. We have called a certain entity into being just as workers in
another sphere might have constructed an electrical machine. It
needs both of us to operate this thing with skill and safety, but if
I am to be left to handle it alone, the forces which we have
engendered will undoubtedly escape and do the very gravest harm both
to Simon and myself. Have I made the position clear?'
'Yes,' murmured Marie Lou. During that long explanatory speech he
had been regarding her with a steady stare, and as she Listened to
his quiet, cultured voice expressing what seemed such obvious
truths, she felt her whole reaction to his personality changing. It
suddenly seemed to her absurd that this nice, charming gentleman in
the neat grey suit could be dangerous to anyone. His face seemed to
have lost its puffy appearance even while he was speaking, and now
her eyes beheld it as only hairless, pink and clean like that of
some elderly divine.
'I am so glad,' he went on in his even, silky tone. 'I felt quite
sure that if you allowed me a few moments I could clear up this
misunderstanding which has only arisen through the over-eagerness of
your old friend the Duke, and that charming young American, to
protect Simon from some purely imaginary danger. If I had only had
the opportunity to explain to them personally I am quite convinced
that I should have been able to save them a great deal of worry, but
I only met them for a few moments one evening at Simon's house. It
is a charming little place that, and he very kindly permits me to
share it with him while I am in England. If you are in London during
the next few weeks, I do hope that you will come and see us there.
We both know without asking that Simon would be delighted, and it
would give me the very greatest pleasure to show you my collection
of perfumes, which I always take with me when I travel.
'As a matter of fact, I am rather an expert in the art of
blending perfumes, and quite a number of my women friends have
allowed me to make a special scent for them. It is a delicate art,
and interesting, because each woman should have her own perfume made
to conform to her aura and personality. You have an outstanding
individuality, Mrs. Eaton, and it would be a very great pleasure if
you would allow me some time to see if I could not compound
something really distinctive in that way for you.'
'It sounds most interesting,' Marie Lou's voice was low and
Mocata's eyes still held hers. Really, she felt, despite his bulk,
he was a most attractive person, and she had been quite stupid to be
a little frightened of him when he first entered the room. The May
sunshine came in gently-moving shafts through the foliage of a tree
outside the window, so that the dappled light played upon his face,
and it was that, she thought, which gave her the illusion that his
unblinking eyes were larger than when she had first looked into
them.
'When will the Duke be back?' he asked softly. 'Unfortunately, my
visit today must be a brief one, but I should so much have liked to
talk this matter over quietly with him before I go.'
'I don't know,' Marie Lou found herself answering. 'But I'm
afraid he won't be back before six.'
'And our American friend-the young giant,' he prompted her.
"I've no idea. He has gone down to the village.'
'I see. What a pity, but of course your husband is here
entertaining Simon, is he not?'
'Yes, they are upstairs together.'
'Well, presently I should like to explain to your husband, just
as I have to you, how very important it is that I should take Simon
back with me tonight, but I wonder first if I might beg a glass of
water. Walking from the village has given me quite a thirst.'
'Of course,' Marie Lou rose to her feet automatically and pressed
the bell. 'Wouldn't you prefer a cup of tea or a glass of wine and
some biscuits?' she added, completely now under the strange
influence that radiated from hirn.
'You are most kind, but just a glass of water and a biscuit if I
may.'
Malin already stood in the doorway and Marie Lou gave orders for
these slender refreshments. Then she sat down again, and Mocata's
talk flowed on easily and glibly, while her ears became more and
more attuned to that faint musical lisping intonation.
The butler appeared with water and biscuits on a tray and set
them down beside Mocata, but for the moment he took no notice of it.
Instead he looked again at Marie Lou, and said: 'I do hope you'll
forgive me asking, but have you recently been ill? You are looking
as though you were terribly run down and very, very tired.'
'No,' said Marie Lou slowly. 'I haven't been ill.' But at that
moment her limbs seemed to relax where she was sitting and her heavy
eyelids weighed upon her eyes. For some unaccountable reason, she
felt an intense longing to shut them altogether and fall asleep.
Mocata watched her with a faint smile curving his full mouth. He
had her under his dominance now and knew it. Another moment and she
would be asleep. It would be easy to carry her into the next room
and leave her there, ring for the servant, ask him to find his
master and when Richard arrived, say that she had gone out into the
garden to find him. Then another of those quiet little talks which
he knew so well how to handle, even when people were openly
antagonistic to him to begin with, and the master of the house would
also pass Into a quiet, untroubled sleep. Then he would simply call
Simon by his will and they would leave the house together.
Marie Lou's eyes flickered and shut. With a shake of her head she
jerked them open again. 'I'm so sorry,' she said sleepily. 'But I am
tired, most awfully tired. What was it that you were talking about?'
Mocata's eyes seemed enormous to her now, as they held her own
with a solemn, dreamy look. 'We shall not talk any more,' he said.
'You will sleep, and at four o'clock on the afternoon of 7th May,
you will call on me at Simon's house in St. John's Wood.'
Marie Lou's heavy lashes fell on her rounded cheeks again, but
next second her eyes were wide open, for the door was flung back and
Fleur came scampering into the room.
'Darling, what is it?' Marie Lou struggled wide awake and Mocata
snapped his plump fingers with a little angry, disappointed gesture.
The sudden entrance of the child had broken the current of delicate
vibrations.
'Mummy-mummy,' Fleur panted. 'Daddy-sent-me-to-find-you. We'se
playing hosses in the garden, an' Uncle Simon says he's a dwagon,
an' not a boss at all. Daddy says you're to come and tell him
diffwent.'
'So tbis is your little daughter? What a lovely child,' Mocata
said amiably, stretching out a hand to Fleur. 'Come here, my ...'
But Marie Lou cut short his sentence as full realisation of the
danger to which she had exposed herself flooded her mind. 'Don't you
touch her!' she cried, snatching up the child with blazing eyes.
'Don't you dare! '
'Really, Mrs. Eaton,' he raised his eyebrows in mild protest.
'Surely you cannot think that I meant to hurt the child? I thought
too, that we were beginning to understand each other so well.'
'You beast,' Marie Lou cried angrily as she jabbed her finger on
the bell. 'You tried to hypnotise me.'
'What nonsense,' he smiled good-humouredly. 'You were a little
tired, but I fear I bored you rather with a long dissertation- upon
things which can hardly interest a woman so young and charming as
yourself. It was most stupid of me, and I hardly wonder that you
nearly fell asleep.'
As Malin arrived on the scene she thrust Fleur into the
astonished butler's arms and gasped: 'Fetch Mr. Eaton-he's in the
garden- quickly-at once.'
The butler hurried off with Fleur and Mocata turned on her. His
eyes had gone cold and steely. 'It is vital that I should at least
see Simon before I leave this house.'
'You shan't,' she stormed. 'You had better go before my husband
comes. D'you hear?' Then she found herself looking at him again, and
quickly jerked her head away so that she should not see his eyes,
yet she caught his gesture as he stooped to pick up the glass of
water from the table.
Furious now at the way she had been tricked into ordering
it for him, and determining that he should not drink, she sprang
forward and, before he could stop her, dashed the little table to
the ground. The plate caught the carafe as it fell and smashed it
into a dozen pieces, the biscuits scattered and the water spread in
a shallow, widening lake upon the carpet. Mocata swung round with an
angry snarl. This small, sensuous, catlike creature had cheated him
at the last, and the placid, kindly expression of his face changed
to one of hideous demoniacal fury. His eyes, muddled now with all
the foulness of his true nature, stripped and flayed her,
threatening a thousand unspeakable abominations in their unwinking
stare as she-faced him across the fallen table.
Suddenly, with a fresh access of terror, Marie Lou cowered back,
bringing up her hands to shield her face from those revolting
eyeballs. Then a quick voice in the doorway exclaimed: 'Hello! What
is all this?'
'Richard,' she gasped. 'Richard, it's Mocata! I saw him because I
thought you'd better stay with Simon, but he tried to hypnotise me.
Have him thrown out. Oh, have him thrown out.'
The muscles in Richard's lean face tightened as he caught the
look of terror in his wife's eyes and thrusting her aside he took a
quick step towards Mocata. 'If you weren't twice my age and in my
house, I'd smash your face in,' he said savagely. 'And that won't
stop me either unless you get out thundering quick.'
With almost incredible swiftness Mocata had his anger under
control. His face was benign and smiling once more, as he shrugged,
showing no trace of panic. 'I'm afraid your wife is a little upset,'
he said mildly. 'It is this spring weather, and while we were
talking together, she nearly fell asleep. Having heard all sorts of
extraordinary things about me from your friends, she scared herself
into thinking that I tried to hypnotise her. I apologise profoundly
for having caused her one moment's distress.'
'I don't believe one word of that,' replied Richard. 'Now kindly
leave the house.'
Mocata shrugged again. 'You are being very unreasonable, Mr.
Eaton. I called this afternoon in order to take Simon Aron back to
London.'
'Well, you're not going to.'
'Please,' Mocata held up his protesting hand. 'Hear me for
one moment. The whole situation has been most gravely
misrepresented to you, as I explained to your wife, and if she
hadn't suddenly started to imagine things we should be discussing it
quite amicably now. In fact, I even asked her to send for you, as
she will tell you herself.'
'It was a trick,' cried Marie Lou angrily. 'Don't look at his
eyes, Richard, and for God's sake turn him out!'
'You hear,' Richard's voice held a threatening note and his face
was white. 'You had better go-before I lose my temper.'
'It's a pity that you are so pig-headed, my young friend,' Mocata
snapped icily. 'By retaining Simon here, you are bringing extreme
peril both on him and on yourself. But since you refuse to be
reasonable and let me take him with me, let me at least have five
minutes' conversation with him alone.'
'Not five seconds,' Richard stood aside from the door and
motioned through it for Mocata to pass into the hall.
'All right! If that is your final word!' Mocata drew himself up.
He seemed to grow in size and strength even as he stood there. A
terrible force and energy suddenly began to shake his obese body.
They felt it radiating from him as his words came low and clear like
the whispering splash of death-cold drops falling from icicles upon
a frozen lake.
'Then I will send the Messenger to your house tonight and he
shall take Simon from you ah've-or dead!'
'Get out,' gritted Richard between his teeth, 'Damn you- get
out!'
Without another word Mocata left them. Marie Lou crossed herself,
and with Richard's arm about her shoulder they followed him to the
door.
He did not turn or once look back, but plodded heavily, a very
ordinary figure now, down the long, sunlit drive.
Richard suddenly felt Marie Lou's small body tremble against him,
and with a little cry of fright she buried her head on his shoulder.
'Oh, darling,' she wailed. 'I'm frightened of that man-frightened.
Did you see?'
'See what, my sweet?' he asked, a little puzzled.
'Why!' sobbed Marie Lou. 'He is walking in the sunshine -but he
has no shadow!'
23
The Pride of Peacocks
The inn which served the village near Cardinals Folly was almost
as old as the house. At one period it had been a hostelry of some
importance, but the changing system of highways in the eighteenth
century had left it denuded of the coaching traffic and doomed from
then on to cater only for the modest wants of the small local
population. It had been added to and altered many times; for one
long period falling almost wholly into disrepair, since its revenue
was insufficient for its upkeep, and so it had remained until a few
years earlier upon the retirement of Mr. Jeremiah Wilkes, the ex-
valet of a wealthy peer who lived not far distant.
Only the fact that Mr. Wilkes suffered from chronic sciatica,
which rendered it impossible for him to travel any more with his old
master, had made his retirement necessary, and through those long
years of packing just the right garments that his lordship might
need for Cowes, Scotland or the French Riviera and exercising his
incomparable facility for obtaining the most comfortable seats upon
trains which were already full, he had always had it in the back of
his mind that he would like to be the proprietor of a gentlemanly
'house.'
When the question of his retirement had been discussed, and
Jeremiah had named the ambition of his old age, his master had most
generously suggested the purchase and restoration of the old inn,
but voiced his doubts of Jeremiah's ability to run it at a profit;
stating that capital was very necessary to the success of any
business, and adding in his innocence that he did not feel Jeremiah
could have saved a sufficient sum despite the long period in his
employment.
In this, of course, his lordship was entirely wrong. Jeremiah's
wage might have been a modest one but, while protecting his master
from many generations of minor thieves, he had gathered in the time-
honoured perquisites which were his due and, since he had stoutly
resisted the efforts of his fellow servants to interest him in 'the
horses,' he owned investments in property which would have
considerably amazed his master.
Mr. Wilkes, therefore, had modestly stated that he thought he
might manage providing that his lordship would be good enough to
send him such friends or their retainers as could not be
accommodated at the Court when shooting parties and such like were
in progress. This having been arranged satisfactorily, Mr. Wilkes
underwent the metamorphosis from a gentleman's gentleman to host of
'The Pride of Peacocks.'
Very soon the old inn began to thrive again; quietly, of course,
since it was no road-house for noisy motorists. But it became well
known among a certain select few who enjoyed a peaceful weekend in
lovely scenery, and Mr. Wilkes' admirable attention to these,
together with his wife's considerable knowledge of the culinary art,
never caused them to question their Monday morning bill.
Jeremiah had further added to the attraction of the place by
stocking a cellar with variety and taste from his lordship's London
wine merchant on terms extremely advantageous to himself, and
moreover to the added well-being of the neighbourhood. The hideous
and childish tyranny of licensing hours never affected him in the
least for the simple reason that all his customers were personal
friends, including, of course, the magistrates upon the local bench,
and had some officious policeman from the town ever questioned the
fact that gentlemen were to be found there quite frequently in the
middle of the afternoon taking a little modest refreshment, they
would have quailed under the astonished and supercilious glance of
the good Mr. Wilkes, together with the freezing statement that this
was no monetary transaction, but the gentlemen concerned were doing
him the honour to give him their opinion upon his latest purchase in
the way ot port.
In short, it will be gathered that this ancient hostelry could
provide all the comfort which any reasonable person might demand,
and was something a little out of the ordinary for a village inn.
Rex, of course, knew the place well from his previous visits to
Cardinals Folly and, a little out of breath from the pace at which
he had come, hurried into the low, comfortably furnished lounge, the
old oak beams of which almost came down to his head,
Tanith was there alone. Immediately she saw him she jumped up
from her chair and ran to meet him, gripping both his hands in hers
with a strength surprising for her slender fingers.
She was pale and weary. Her green linen dress was stained and
mired from her terrible journey on the previous night, although
obviously she had done her best to tidy herself. Her eyes were
shadowed from strain and lack of sleep, seeming unnaturally large,
and she trembled slightly as she clutched at him.
'Oh, thank God you've come!' she cried.
'But how did you know I was at Cardinals Folly?' he asked her
quickly.
'My dear,' she sank down in the chair again, drawing her hand
wearily across her eyes. 'I am terribly sorry about last night. I
think I was mad when I stole your car and tried to get to the
Sabbat. I crashed of course, but I expect you will have heard about
that-and then I did the last five miles on foot.'
'Good God! Do you mean to say you got there after all?'
She nodded and told him of that nightmare walk from Easterton to
the Satanic Festival. As she came to the part in her story where,
against her will, she had been drawn down into the valley, her eyes
once more expressed the hideous terror which she had felt.
'I could not help myself,' she said. 'I tried to resist with all
my mind but my feet simply moved against my will. Then, for a
moment, I thought that the heavens had opened and an angry God had
suddenly decided to strike those blasphemous people dead. There was
a noise like thunder and two giant eyes like those of some nightmare
monster seemed to leap out of the darkness right at me. I screamed,
I think, and jumped aside. I remember falling and springing up
again. The power that had held my feet seemed to have been suddenly
released and I fled up the hill in absolute panic. When I got to the
top I tripped over something and then I must have fainted.'
Rex smiled. That was us in the car,' he said. 'But how did you
know where to find me?'
'It was not very difficult,' she told him. 'When I came to, I was
lying on the grass and there wasn't a sound to show that there was a
living soul within miles of me. I started off at a run without the
faintest idea where I was going-my only thought being to get away
from that terrible valley. Then when I was absolutely exhausted I
fell again, and I must have been so done in that I slept for a
little in a ditch.
'When I woke up, it was morning and I found that I was quite near
a main road. I limped along it not knowing what I should come to and
then I saw houses and a straggling street and, after a little, I
discovered that I had walked into Devizes.
'I went into the centre of the town and was about to go into an
hotel when I realised that I had no money; but I had a brooch, so I
found a jeweller's and sold it to them-or rather, they agreed to
advance me twenty pounds, because I didn't want to part with it and
it must be worth at least a hundred. An awfully nice old man there
agreed to keep it as security until I could send him the money on
from London. Then I did go to the hotel, took a room and tried to
think things over.
'Such an extraordinary lot seemed to have happened since you took
me off in your car from Claridges yesterday that at first I could
not get things straight at ail, but one thing stood out absolutely
clearly. Whether it was you or the vision of my mother, I don't
know, but my whole outlook had changed completely. How I could ever
have allowed myself to listen to Madame D'Urfe and do the things
I've done I just can't think. But I know now that I've been in the
most awful danger, and that I must try and get free of Mocata
somehow. Anyone would think me mad, and possibly I am, to come to
you like this when I hardly know you, but the whole thing has been
absolutely outside all ordinary experiences. I am terribly alone,
Rex, and you are the only person in the world that I can turn to.'
She sank back in her chair almost exhausted with the effort of
endeavouring to impress him with her feelings, but he leant forward
and, taking one of her hands in his great leg-of-mutton fist,
squeezed it gently.
'There, there, my sweet.' Speaking from his heart he used the
endearment quite naturally and unconsciously. 'You did the right
thing every time. Don't you worry any more. Nobody is going to hurt
a hair of your head now you've got here safely. But how in the world
did you do it?'
Her eyes opened again and she smiled faintly. 'My only hope was
to throw myself on your protection, so I had to find you somehow and
that part wasn't difficult. All systems of divination are merely so
many methods of obscuring the outer vision, in order that the inner
may become clear. Tea-leaves, crystals, melting wax, lees of wine,
cards, water, entrails, birds, sieve-turning, sand and all the rest.
'I wanted sleep terribly when I got to that hotel bedroom, but I
knew that I mustn't allow myself to, so I took some paper from the
lounge, and borrowed a pencil. Then I threw myself into a trance
with the paper before me and the pencil in my hand. When I looked at
it again I had quite enough information scribbled down to enable me
to follow you here.'
Rex accepted this amazing explanation quite calmly. Had he been
told such a thing a few days before he would have considered it
fantastic, but now it never even occurred to him that it was in any
way extraordinary that a woman desiring to know his whereabouts
should throw herself into a trance and employ automatic writing.
She glanced at the old grandfather clock which stood ticking away
in a corner of the low-raftered room. Half an hour had sped by
already and he was feeling guilty now at having left Simon. He would
never be able to forgive himself if, in his absence, any harm befell
his friend. Now that he knew Tanith was safe he must get back to
Cardinals Folly, so he announced abruptly: 'I'm mighty sorry, but
I've got Simon to look after so I can't stay here much longer.'
'Oh, Rex,' her eyes held his imploringly. 'You must not unless
you take me with you. If you leave me alone, Mocata will be certain
to get me.'
For a moment Rex hesitated miserably, wrestling with the quandary
that faced him. If Tanith was telling the truth, he couldn't
possibly leave her to be drawn back by that terrible power of evil.
But was she? So far she had been Mocata's puppet. How much truth was
there in this pretended change of heart? Had Mocata planted her
there in order to lure him deliberately away from Simon's side?
It occurred to him that he might take her back with him to
Cardinals Folly, for if she was speaking the truth she was in the
same case as Simon. They could keep the two of them together and
concentrate their forces against the black magician. But he
dismissed the idea almost as soon as it entered his mind. To do so
would be playing Mocata's game with a vengeance. If Tanith were
acting consciously or unconsciously under his influence, God alone
knew what powers she might possess to aid her master once they
accepted her as a friend in their midst. If he took her there it
would be like introducing one of the enemy into a beleaguered
fortress.
'What are you afraid might happen if I leave you?' he asked
suddenly.
'You can't-you mustn't,' her eyes pleaded with him, 'Not only for
my own sake, but your friends' as well. Mocata has a hundred means
of knowing where Simon is and where I am too. He may arrive here at
any moment. It's no good pretending Rex. I know beyond any question
that I cannot resist him and he'll work through me, however much my
will is set against it. He's told me a dozen times that he has never
met a woman who is such a successful medium for him as myself. So
you can be certain that he is on his way here now.'
'What d'you think he'll do when he turns up?'
'He will throw me into a trance and call Simon to him. Then if
Simon fails to come Mocata may curse him through me.'
Rex shrugged. 'Don't worry. De Richleau's a wily old bird. He'll
turn the curse aside some way.'
'But you don't seem to understand,' she sobbed. 'If a curse is
sent out it must lodge somewhere, and if it fails to reach its
objective because there is an equally strong influence working
against it, the vibrations recoil and impinge upon the sender.'
'Steady now.' He took her hands and tried to soothe her. 'If that
is so I guess we couldn't find a better way to tickle up Mocata.'
'No-no!! He never does things himself-at least I have never known
him to-just in case he fails, because then he would have to pay the
penalty. Instead, he uses other people -hypnotises them and makes
them throw out the thought or the wish. That is what he will do to
me. If he succeeds, you will no longer be able to protect Simon, and
if he fails, it is I who will pay the price. That is why you've just
got to stay with me and prevent him using me as his instrument.'
'Holy smoke! Then we're in a proper jam!' Rex's brain was working
swiftly. If she were telling the truth, she was in real danger. If
not, at least Simon still had Richard and Marie Lou to take care of
him until the Duke's return.
All his chivalry and his love for her which seemed to have
blossomed overnight welled up and told him that he must chance her
honesty and remain there to protect her. 'All right, I'll stay,' he
said after a moment.
'Oh, thank God!' she sighed. 'Thank God!'
'But tell me,' he went on, 'just why is it you're such a kingpin
medium to this man? What about old Madame D'Urfe and the rest? Can't
he do his stuff through them?'
Tanith looked at him through tear-dimmed eyes and shook her head.
'Not in the same way. You see there is rather an unusual link
between us. My number is twenty and so is his.'
Rex frowned. 'What exactly do you mean by that?' he asked in a
puzzled voice.
'I mean our astrological number,' she replied quietly. 'Give me a
piece of paper, and I will show you.'
Rex handed her a few sheets from a nearby table and a pencil from
his waistcoat pocket, then she quickly drew out a list of the
numerical values to the letters of the alphabet: -
A=1 K=2 S=3
B=2 L=3 T=4
C=3 M=4 U=6
D=4 N=5 V=6
E=5 O=7 W=6
F=5 P=8 X=5
G=3 Q=1 Y=1
H=5 R=2 Z=7
I or J=1
'There!' she went on. 'By substituting numbers for letters in
anyone's name and adding them up you get their occult number which
indicates the planet that influences them most in all spiritual
affairs. It must be the name by which they are most generally
known-even if it is a pet name. Now look!'
M=4 T=4
O=7 A=1
C=3 N=5
A=1 I=1
T=4 T=4
A=1 H=5
____ ____
20 2+0=2 20
2+0=2
'You see how closely our vibrations are attuned. Two is the value
of the Moon, to which both he and I are subject, and any names
having a total numerical value which reduce by progresssive
additions to two, such as eleven or twenty-nine or thirty-eight or
forty-seven, would give us some affinity, but that they actually add
up to the same compound number shows that we are attuned to a very
remarkable degree. That is why I have proved such an exceptionally
good medium for him to work through.'
'But you are utterly different from him,' Rex protested,
'Of course,' she nodded gravely. 'One's birth date gives the
material number, which is generally that of another planet and
modifies the influence of the spiritual number considerably. As it
happens mine is May 2nd-again a two you see, so I am an almost pure
type. Moon people are intensely imaginative, artistic, romantic,
gentle by nature and not very strong physically. They are rather
over-sensitive and lacking in self-confidence, unsettled too, and
liable to be continually changing their plans, but most of them, of
course, have some balancing factor. Mocata gets all his imaginative
and psychic qualities from the Moon, but his birthday is April 24th
which adds up to six, and six being the number of Venus, he is very
strongly influenced by that planet. Venus people are extremely mag
netic. They attract others easily and are usually loved and
worshipped by those under them, but very often they are obstinate
and unyielding. It is that in his nature which balances the weakness
of the Moon and makes him so determined in carrying out his plans.'
'What do I come under?" Rex asked with sudden curiosity. 'My
names are so short that I'm generally known by all three.'
Again Tanith took the paper and quickly worked out the equivalent
of his name.
R=2
E=5
X=5
--- = 12
V=6
A=1
N=5
--- = 12
R=2
Y=1
N=5
--- = 8
---
32 and 3+2=5
She looked at him sharply. 'Yes, I am not surprised. Five is a
fortunate and magic number which comes under Mercury. Such people
are versatile and mercurial, quick in thought and decisions,
impulsive in action and detest plodding work. They make friends
easily with every type and have a wonderful elasticity of character
which can recover at once from any setback. Even though I do not
know you well, I am certain that all this is true of you. I expect
you are a born speculator as well and every type of risk attracts
you.'
'That certainly is so,' Rex grinned as she went on thoughtfully:
'But I should have thought that there was a good bit of the Sun
about you because you have such strong individuality and you are so
definite in your views.'
'I was born on the 19th of August if that gives you a line.'
She smiled. 'Yes, 19 is 1+9 which equals ten and 1+0 equals 1,
the number of the Sun. So I was right, and it is that part of you
which I think attracts me so much. Sun and Moon people always get on
well together.'
'I don't know anything about that,' Rex said softly. 'But I'm
dead sure I could never see too much of you.'
She lifted her eyes from his quickly as though almost in fright
and to break the pause that followed he asked: 'What number is Simon
associated with?'
'He was born under Saturn as we know only too well, and his
occult number is certain to be the Saturrdan eight,' Tanith replied
promptly, scribbling the name and numbers on the paper.
S=3
I=1
M=4
O=7
N=5
--- = 20
A=1
R=2
O=7
N=5
--- = 15
--
35 and 3+5=8
'By Jove! That's queer,' Rex murmured as he saw the name
worked out quite simple to the number she had predicted.
'He is a typical number eight person too,' she went on.
'They have deep, intense natures and are often lonely at heart
because they are frequently misunderstood. Sometimes they play a
most important part on life's stage and nearly always a
fatalistic one. They are almost fanatically loyal to persons
they are fond of or causes they take up, and carry things
through regardless of making enemies. It is not a fortunate
number to be born under as a rule, and such people usually
become great successes or great failures.'
Rex drew the paper towards him, and taking the pencil from
her began to work out for himself the numerical symbols of De
Richleau, Richard Eaton and Marie Lou.
R=2
I=1
D=4 C=3
E=5 H=5
--- = 9 A=1 M=4
R=2 R=2 A=1
I=1 D=4 R=2
C=3 --- = 18 I=1
H=5 E=5 E=5
L=3 A=1 --- = 13
E=5 T=4 L=3
A=1 O=7 O=7
U=6 N=5 U=6
--- = 26 --- = 22 --- = 16
-- -- --
35 = 8 40 = 4 29 = 11 = 2
'This is amazing,' Tanith exclaimed when he had finished. The
Duke not only comes under the eight like Simon, but their
compound number-thirty-five-is the same as well. He should have
immence influence with Simon through that affinity, just as
Mocata has over me, and the nine in his name gives him the
additional qualities of the born leader, independence, success,
courage and determination. If anyone in the world can save your
friend, that extraordinary combination of trength and sympathy
will enable De Richleau to do so.'
'But d'you see that the names Richleau and Ryn boil down to
eight as well, linking us both with Simon. That's strange, isn't
it?'
'Not altogether. Any numerologist who knew of your devotion to
each other would expect to find some such affinity in your
numbers. You will see, too, that your other friend, Richard
Eaton, is a four person, which accounts for his sympathy towards
you. The eight is formed by two halves or circles and, four
being the half of eight, persons with those numbers will always