If，whenyouwrote，youcouldwriteonTWOsheetssothatIcouldshowherone，andonthatoneifyoucouldshowclearlythatIreallyWASinJamaicathissummer，andhadcometherebybeingremovedfromaship，itwouldbeofgreatservicetome。Itwouldcertainlyaddtotheloadofmyobligationtoyou——aloadthatIfearIcanneverfullyrepay。Althoughifgratitude……“Andsoforth。
Attheendherepeatedhisrequestformetoburntheletter。
SotheremarkablestoryofMr。Ledbetter’sVacationends。Thatbreachwithhisauntwasnotoflongduration。Theoldladyhadforgivenhimbeforeshedied。
10。THESTOLENBODY
Mr。BesselwastheseniorpartnerinthefirmofBessel，Hart，andBrown，ofSt。Paul’sChurchyard，andformanyyearshewaswellknownamongthoseinterestedinpsychicalresearchasaliberal-mindedandconscientiousinvestigator。Hewasanunmarriedman，andinsteadoflivinginthesuburbs，afterthefashionofhisclass，heoccupiedroomsintheAlbany，nearPiccadilly。Hewasparticularlyinterestedinthequestionsofthoughttransferenceandofapparitionsoftheliving，andinNovember，1896，hecommencedaseriesofexperimentsinconjunctionwithMr。Vincey，ofStapleInn，inordertotesttheallegedpossibilityofprojectinganapparitionofone’sselfbyforceofwillthroughspace。
Theirexperimentswereconductedinthefollowingmanner:Atapre-
arrangedhourMr。BesselshuthimselfinoneofhisroomsintheAlbanyandMr。Vinceyinhissitting-roominStapleInn，andeachthenfixedhismindasresolutelyaspossibleontheother。Mr。Besselhadacquiredtheartofself-hypnotism，and，sofarashecould，heattemptedfirsttohypnotisehimselfandthentoprojecthimselfasa“phantomoftheliving“acrosstheinterveningspaceofnearlytwomilesintoMr。Vincey’sapartment。Onseveraleveningsthiswastriedwithoutanysatisfactoryresult，butonthefifthorsixthoccasionMr。VinceydidactuallyseeorimaginehesawanapparitionofMr。Besselstandinginhisroom。Hestatesthattheappearance，althoughbrief，wasveryvividandreal。HenoticedthatMr。Bessel’sfacewaswhiteandhisexpressionanxious，and，moreover，thathishairwasdisordered。ForamomentMr。Vincey，inspiteofhisstateofexpectation，wastoosurprisedtospeakormove，andinthatmomentitseemedtohimasthoughthefigureglancedoveritsshoulderandincontinentlyvanished。
Ithadbeenarrangedthatanattemptshouldbemadetophotographanyphantasmseen，butMr。Vinceyhadnottheinstantpresenceofmindtosnapthecamerathatlayreadyonthetablebesidehim，andwhenhedidsohewastoolate。Greatlyelated，however，evenbythispartialsuccess，hemadeanoteoftheexacttime，andatoncetookacabtotheAlbanytoinformMr。Besselofthisresult。
HewassurprisedtofindMr。Bessel’souterdoorstandingopentothenight，andtheinnerapartmentslitandinanextraordinarydisorder。Anemptychampagnemagnumlaysmasheduponthefloor；
itsneckhadbeenbrokenoffagainsttheinkpotonthebureauandlaybesideit。Anoctagonaloccasionaltable，whichcarriedabronzestatuetteandanumberofchoicebooks，hadbeenrudelyoverturned，anddowntheprimrosepaperofthewallinkyfingershadbeendrawn，asitseemedforthemerepleasureofdefilement。Oneofthedelicatechintzcurtainshadbeenviolentlytornfromitsringsandthrustuponthefire，sothatthesmellofitssmoulderingfilledtheroom。Indeedthewholeplacewasdisarrangedinthestrangestfashion。ForafewminutesMr。Vincey，whohadenteredsureoffindingMr。Besselinhiseasychairawaitinghim，couldscarcelybelievehiseyes，andstoodstaringhelplesslyattheseunanticipatedthings。
Then，fullofavaguesenseofcalamity，hesoughttheporterattheentrancelodge。“WhereisMr。Bessel？“heasked。“DoyouknowthatallthefurnitureisbrokeninMr。Bessel’sroom？“Theportersaidnothing，but，obeyinghisgestures，cameatoncetoMr。Bessel’sapartmenttoseethestateofaffairs。“Thissettlesit，“hesaid，surveyingthelunaticconfusion。“Ididn’tknowofthis。Mr。Bessel’sgoneoff。He’smad！“
HethenproceededtotellMr。Vinceythatabouthalfanhourpreviously，thatistosay，ataboutthetimeofMr。Bessel’sapparitioninMr。Vincey’srooms，themissinggentlemanhadrushedoutofthegatesoftheAlbanyintoVigoStreet，hatlessandwithdisorderedhair，andhadvanishedintothedirectionofBondStreet。
“Andashewentpastme，“saidtheporter，“helaughed——asortofgaspinglaugh，withhismouthopenandhiseyesglaring——Itellyou，sir，hefairscaredme！——likethis。“
Accordingtohisimitationitwasanythingbutapleasantlaugh。
“Hewavedhishand，withallhisfingerscrookedandclawing——likethat。Andhesaid，inasortoffiercewhisper，’LIFE！’Justthatoneword，’LIFE！’“
“Dearme，“saidMr。Vincey。“Tut，tut，“and“Dearme！“Hecouldthinkofnothingelsetosay。Hewasnaturallyverymuchsurprised。
Heturnedfromtheroomtotheporterandfromtheportertotheroominthegravestperplexity。BeyondhissuggestionthatprobablyMr。Besselwouldcomebackpresentlyandexplainwhathadhappened，theirconversationwasunabletoproceed。“Itmightbeasuddentoothache，“saidtheporter，“averysuddenandviolenttoothache，jumpingonhimsuddenly-likeanddrivinghimwild。I’vebrokenthingsmyselfbeforenowinsuchacase……“Hethought。“Ifitwas，whyshouldhesay’LIFE’tomeashewentpast？“
Mr。Vinceydidnotknow。Mr。Besseldidnotreturn，andatlastMr。Vincey，havingdonesomemorehelplessstaring，andhavingaddressedanoteofbriefinquiryandleftitinaconspicuouspositiononthebureau，returnedinaveryperplexedframeofmindtohisownpremisesinStapleInn。Thisaffairhadgivenhimashock。
HewasatalosstoaccountforMr。Bessel’sconductonanysanehypothesis。Hetriedtoread，buthecouldnotdoso；hewentforashortwalk，andwassopreoccupiedthathenarrowlyescapedacabatthetopofChanceryLane；andatlast——afullhourbeforehisusualtime——hewenttobed。ForaconsiderabletimehecouldnotsleepbecauseofhismemoryofthesilentconfusionofMr。Bessel’sapartment，andwhenatlengthhedidattainanuneasyslumberitwasatoncedisturbedbyaveryvividanddistressingdreamofMr。Bessel。
HesawMr。Besselgesticulatingwildly，andwithhisfacewhiteandcontorted。And，inexplicablymingledwithhisappearance，suggestedperhapsbyhisgestures，wasanintensefear，anurgencytoact。Heevenbelievesthatheheardthevoiceofhisfellowexperimentercallingdistressfullytohim，thoughatthetimeheconsideredthistobeanillusion。ThevividimpressionremainedthoughMr。Vinceyawoke。Foraspacehelayawakeandtremblinginthedarkness，possessedwiththatvague，unaccountableterrorofunknownpossibilitiesthatcomesoutofdreamsuponeventhebravestmen。Butatlastherousedhimself，andturnedoverandwenttosleepagain，onlyforthedreamtoreturnwithenhancedvividness。
HeawokewithsuchastrongconvictionthatMr。Besselwasinoverwhelmingdistressandneedofhelpthatsleepwasnolongerpossible。Hewaspersuadedthathisfriendhadrushedouttosomedirecalamity。Foratimehelayreasoningvainlyagainstthisbelief，butatlasthegavewaytoit。Hearose，againstallreason，lithisgas，anddressed，andsetoutthroughthedesertedstreets——deserted，saveforanoiselesspolicemanorsoandtheearlynewscarts——towardsVigoStreettoinquireifMr。Besselhadreturned。
Buthenevergotthere。AshewasgoingdownLongAcresomeunaccountableimpulseturnedhimasideoutofthatstreettowardsCoventGarden，whichwasjustwakingtoitsnocturnalactivities。Hesawthemarketinfrontofhim——aqueereffectofglowingyellowlightsandbusyblackfigures。Hebecameawareofashouting，andperceivedafigureturnthecornerbythehotelandrunswiftlytowardshim。HeknewatoncethatitwasMr。Bessel。ButitwasMr。Besseltransfigured。Hewashatlessanddishevelled，hiscollarwastornopen，hegraspedabone-handledwalking-caneneartheferruleend，andhismouthwaspulledawry。Andheran，withagilestrides，veryrapidly。
Theirencounterwastheaffairofaninstant。“Bessel！“criedVincey。
TherunningmangavenosignofrecognitioneitherofMr。Vinceyorofhisownname。Instead，hecutathisfriendsavagelywiththestick，hittinghiminthefacewithinaninchoftheeye。
Mr。Vincey，stunnedandastonished，staggeredback，losthisfooting，andfellheavilyonthepavement。ItseemedtohimthatMr。Besselleaptoverhimashefell。WhenhelookedagainMr。Besselhadvanished，andapolicemanandanumberofgardenportersandsalesmenwererushingpasttowardsLongAcreinhotpursuit。
Withtheassistanceofseveralpassers-by——forthewholestreetwasspeedilyalivewithrunningpeople——Mr。Vinceystruggledtohisfeet。Heatoncebecamethecentreofacrowdgreedytoseehisinjury。Amultitudeofvoicescompetedtoreassurehimofhissafety，andthentotellhimofthebehaviourofthemadman，astheyregardedMr。Bessel。Hehadsuddenlyappearedinthemiddleofthemarketscreaming“LIFE！LIFE！“strikingleftandrightwithablood-stainedwalking-stick，anddancingandshoutingwithlaughterateachsuccessfulblow。Aladandtwowomenhadbrokenheads，andhehadsmashedaman’swrist；alittlechildhadbeenknockedinsensible，andforatimehehaddriveneveryonebeforehim，sofuriousandresolutehadhisbehaviourbeen。Thenhemadearaiduponacoffeestall，hurleditsparaffinflarethroughthewindowofthepostoffice，andfledlaughing，afterstunningtheforemostofthetwopolicemenwhohadtheplucktochargehim。
Mr。Vincey’sfirstimpulsewasnaturallytojoininthepursuitofhisfriend，inorderifpossibletosavehimfromtheviolenceoftheindignantpeople。Buthisactionwasslow，theblowhadhalfstunnedhim，andwhilethiswasstillnomorethanaresolutioncamethenews，shoutedthroughthecrowd，thatMr。Besselhadeludedhispursuers。AtfirstMr。Vinceycouldscarcelycreditthis，buttheuniversalityofthereport，andpresentlythedignifiedreturnoftwofutilepolicemen，convincedhim。AftersomeaimlessinquirieshereturnedtowardsStapleInn，paddingahandkerchieftoanowverypainfulnose。
Hewasangryandastonishedandperplexed。ItappearedtohimindisputablethatMr。Besselmusthavegoneviolentlymadinthemidstofhisexperimentinthoughttransference，butwhythatshouldmakehimappearwithasadwhitefaceinMr。Vincey’sdreamsseemedaproblembeyondsolution。Herackedhisbrainsinvaintoexplainthis。ItseemedtohimatlastthatnotsimplyMr。Bessel，buttheorderofthingsmustbeinsane。Buthecouldthinkofnothingtodo。Heshuthimselfcarefullyintohisroom，lithisfire——itwasagasfirewithasbestosbricks——and，fearingfreshdreamsifhewenttobed，remainedbathinghisinjuredface，orholdingupbooksinavainattempttoread，untildawn。ThroughoutthatvigilhehadacuriouspersuasionthatMr。Besselwasendeavouringtospeaktohim，buthewouldnotlethimselfattendtoanysuchbelief。
Aboutdawn，hisphysicalfatigueasserteditself，andhewenttobedandsleptatlastinspiteofdreaming。Heroselate，unrestedandanxious，andinconsiderablefacialpain。ThemorningpapershadnonewsofMr。Bessel’saberration——ithadcometoolateforthem。
