Heturnedhismindtolocomotioninthisnewbodyinwhichhefoundhimself。Foratimehewasunabletoshifthimselffromhisattachmenttohisearthlycarcass。Foratimethisnewstrangecloudbodyofhissimplyswayed，contracted，expanded，coiled，andwrithedwithhiseffortstofreehimself，andthenquitesuddenlythelinkthatboundhimsnapped。Foramomenteverythingwashiddenbywhatappearedtobewhirlingspheresofdarkvapour，andthenthroughamomentarygaphesawhisdroopingbodycollapselimply，sawhislifelessheaddropsideways，andfoundhewasdrivingalonglikeahugecloudinastrangeplaceofshadowycloudsthathadtheluminousintricacyofLondonspreadlikeamodelbelow。
Butnowhewasawarethatthefluctuatingvapourabouthimwassomethingmorethanvapour，andthetemerariousexcitementofhisfirstessaywasshotwithfear。Forheperceived，atfirstindistinctly，andthensuddenlyveryclearly，thathewassurroundedbyFACES！
thateachrollandcoiloftheseemingcloud-stuffwasaface。
Andsuchfaces！Facesofthinshadow，facesofgaseoustenuity。
Faceslikethosefacesthatglarewithintolerablestrangenessuponthesleeperintheevilhoursofhisdreams。Evil，greedyeyesthatwerefullofacovetouscuriosity，faceswithknitbrowsandsnarling，smilinglips；theirvaguehandsclutchedatMr。Besselashepassed，andtherestoftheirbodieswasbutanelusivestreakoftrailingdarkness。Neverawordtheysaid，neverasoundfromthemouthsthatseemedtogibber。Allabouthimtheypressedinthatdreamysilence，passingfreelythroughthedimmistinessthatwashisbody，gatheringevermorenumerouslyabouthim。AndtheshadowyMr。Bessel，nowsuddenlyfear-stricken，drovethroughthesilent，activemultitudeofeyesandclutchinghands。
Soinhumanwerethesefaces，somalignanttheirstaringeyes，andshadowy，clawinggestures，thatitdidnotoccurtoMr。Besseltoattemptintercoursewiththesedriftingcreatures。Idiotphantoms，theyseemed，childrenofvaindesire，beingsunbornandforbiddentheboonofbeing，whoseonlyexpressionsandgesturestoldoftheenvyandcravingforlifethatwastheironelinkwithexistence。
Itsaysmuchforhisresolutionthat，amidsttheswarmingcloudofthesenoiselessspiritsofevil，hecouldstillthinkofMr。Vincey。
Hemadeaviolenteffortofwillandfoundhimself，heknewnothow，stoopingtowardsStapleInn，sawVinceysittingattentiveandalertinhisarm-chairbythefire。
Andclusteringalsoabouthim，astheyclusteredeveraboutallthatlivesandbreathes，wasanothermultitudeofthesevainvoicelessshadows，longing，desiring，seekingsomeloopholeintolife。
ForaspaceMr。Besselsoughtineffectuallytoattracthisfriend’sattention。Hetriedtogetinfrontofhiseyes，tomovetheobjectsinhisroom，totouchhim。ButMr。Vinceyremainedunaffected，ignorantofthebeingthatwassoclosetohisown。ThestrangesomethingthatMr。Besselhascomparedtoasheetofglassseparatedthemimpermeably。
AndatlastMr。Besseldidadesperatething。Ihavetoldhowthatinsomestrangewayhecouldseenotonlytheoutsideofamanasweseehim，butwithin。Heextendedhisshadowyhandandthrusthisvagueblackfingers，asitseemed，throughtheheedlessbrain。
Then，suddenly，Mr。Vinceystartedlikeamanwhorecallshisattentionfromwanderingthoughts，anditseemedtoMr。Besselthatalittledark-redbodysituatedinthemiddleofMr。Vincey’sbrainswelledandglowedashedidso。Sincethatexperiencehehasbeenshownanatomicalfiguresofthebrain，andheknowsnowthatthisisthatuselessstructure，asdoctorscallit，thepinealeye。For，strangeasitwillseemtomany，wehave，deepinourbrains——whereitcannotpossiblyseeanyearthlylight——aneye！Atthetimethis，withtherestoftheinternalanatomyofthebrain，wasquitenewtohim。Atthesightofitschangedappearance，however，hethrustforthhisfinger，and，ratherfearfulstilloftheconsequences，touchedthislittlespot。AndinstantlyMr。Vinceystarted，andMr。Besselknewthathewasseen。
AndatthatinstantitcametoMr。Besselthatevilhadhappenedtohisbody，andbehold！agreatwindblewthroughallthatworldofshadowsandtorehimaway。SostrongwasthispersuasionthathethoughtnomoreofMr。Vincey，butturnedaboutforthwith，andallthecountlessfacesdrovebackwithhimlikeleavesbeforeagale。
Buthereturnedtoolate。Inaninstanthesawthebodythathehadleftinertandcollapsed——lying，indeed，likethebodyofamanjustdead——hadarisen，hadarisenbyvirtueofsomestrengthandwillbeyondhisown。Itstoodwithstaringeyes，stretchingitslimbsindubiousfashion。
Foramomenthewatcheditinwilddismay，andthenhestoopedtowardsit。Butthepaneofglasshadclosedagainsthimagain，andhewasfoiled。Hebeathimselfpassionatelyagainstthis，andallabouthimthespiritsofevilgrinnedandpointedandmocked。
Hegavewaytofuriousanger。Hecompareshimselftoabirdthathasflutteredheedlesslyintoaroomandisbeatingatthewindow-
panethatholdsitbackfromfreedom。
Andbehold！thelittlebodythathadoncebeenhiswasnowdancingwithdelight。Hesawitshouting，thoughhecouldnothearitsshouts；
hesawtheviolenceofitsmovementsgrow。Hewatcheditflinghischerishedfurnitureaboutinthemaddelightofexistence，rendhisbooksapart，smashbottles，drinkheedlesslyfromthejaggedfragments，leapandsmiteinapassionateacceptanceofliving。
Hewatchedtheseactionsinparalysedastonishment。Thenoncemorehehurledhimselfagainsttheimpassablebarrier，andthenwithallthatcrewofmockingghostsabouthim，hurriedbackindireconfusiontoVinceytotellhimoftheoutragethathadcomeuponhim。
ButthebrainofVinceywasnowclosedagainstapparitions，andthedisembodiedMr。BesselpursuedhiminvainashehurriedoutintoHolborntocallacab。Foiledandterror-stricken，Mr。Besselsweptbackagain，tofindhisdesecratedbodywhoopinginagloriousfrenzydowntheBurlingtonArcade……
AndnowtheattentivereaderbeginstounderstandMr。Bessel’sinterpretationofthefirstpartofthisstrangestory。ThebeingwhosefranticrushthroughLondonhadinflictedsomuchinjuryanddisasterhadindeedMr。Bessel’sbody，butitwasnotMr。Bessel。
Itwasanevilspiritoutofthatstrangeworldbeyondexistence，intowhichMr。Besselhadsorashlyventured。Fortwentyhoursitheldpossessionofhim，andforallthosetwentyhoursthedispossessedspirit-bodyofMr。Besselwasgoingtoandfrointhatunheard-ofmiddleworldofshadowsseekinghelpinvain。HespentmanyhoursbeatingatthemindsofMr。VinceyandofhisfriendMr。Hart。
Each，asweknow，herousedbyhisefforts。Butthelanguagethatmightconveyhissituationtothesehelpersacrossthegulfhedidnotknow；hisfeeblefingersgropedvainlyandpowerlesslyintheirbrains。Once，indeed，aswehavealreadytold，hewasabletoturnMr。Vinceyasidefromhispathsothatheencounteredthestolenbodyinitscareer，buthecouldnotmakehimunderstandthethingthathadhappened:hewasunabletodrawanyhelpfromthatencounter……
AllthroughthosehoursthepersuasionwasoverwhelminginMr。Bessel’smindthatpresentlyhisbodywouldbekilledbyitsfurioustenant，andhewouldhavetoremaininthisshadow-landforevermore。
Sothatthoselonghourswereagrowingagonyoffear。Andeverashehurriedtoandfroinhisineffectualexcitement，innumerablespiritsofthatworldabouthimmobbedhimandconfusedhismind。
Andeveranenviousapplaudingmultitudepouredaftertheirsuccessfulfellowashewentuponhisgloriouscareer。
Forthat，itwouldseem，mustbethelifeofthesebodilessthingsofthisworldthatistheshadowofourworld。Evertheywatch，covetingawayintoamortalbody，inorderthattheymaydescend，asfuriesandfrenzies，asviolentlustsandmad，strangeimpulses，rejoicinginthebodytheyhavewon。ForMr。Besselwasnottheonlyhumansoulinthatplace。Witnessthefactthathemetfirstone，andafterwardsseveralshadowsofmen，menlikehimself，itseemed，whohadlosttheirbodiesevenitmaybeashehadlosthis，andwandered，despairingly，inthatlostworldthatisneitherlifenordeath。Theycouldnotspeakbecausethatworldissilent，yetheknewthemformenbecauseoftheirdimhumanbodies，andbecauseofthesadnessoftheirfaces。
Buthowtheyhadcomeintothatworldhecouldnottell，norwherethebodiestheyhadlostmightbe，whethertheystillravedabouttheearth，orwhethertheywereclosedforeverindeathagainstreturn。ThattheywerethespiritsofthedeadneitherhenorI
believe。ButDoctorWilsonPagetthinkstheyaretherationalsoulsofmenwhoarelostinmadnessontheearth。
AtlastMr。Besselchanceduponaplacewherealittlecrowdofsuchdisembodiedsilentcreatureswasgathered，andthrustingthroughthemhesawbelowabrightly-litroom，andfourorfivequietgentlemenandawoman，astoutishwomandressedinblackbombazineandsittingawkwardlyinachairwithherheadthrownback。HeknewherfromherportraitstobeMrs。Bullock，themedium。AndheperceivedthattractsandstructuresinherbrainglowedandstirredashehadseenthepinealeyeinthebrainofMr。Vinceyglow。Thelightwasveryfitful；sometimesitwasabroadillumination，andsometimesmerelyafainttwilightspot，anditshiftedslowlyaboutherbrain。
Shekeptontalkingandwritingwithonehand。AndMr。Besselsawthatthecrowdingshadowsofmenabouthim，andagreatmultitudeoftheshadowspiritsofthatshadowland，wereallstrivingandthrustingtotouchthelightedregionsofherbrain。Asonegainedherbrainoranotherwasthrustaway，hervoiceandthewritingofherhandchanged。Sothatwhatshesaidwasdisorderlyandconfusedforthemostpart；nowafragmentofonesoul’smessage，andnowafragmentofanother’s，andnowshebabbledtheinsanefanciesofthespiritsofvaindesire。ThenMr。Besselunderstoodthatshespokeforthespiritthathadtouchofher，andhebegantostruggleveryfuriouslytowardsher。Buthewasontheoutsideofthecrowdandatthattimehecouldnotreachher，andatlast，growinganxious，hewentawaytofindwhathadhappenedmeanwhiletohisbody。Foralongtimehewenttoandfroseekingitinvainandfearingthatitmusthavebeenkilled，andthenhefounditatthebottomoftheshaftinBakerStreet，writhingfuriouslyandcursingwithpain。Itslegandanarmandtworibshadbeenbrokenbyitsfall。Moreover，theevilspiritwasangrybecausehistimehadbeensoshortandbecauseofthepainmakingviolentmovementsandcastinghisbodyabout。
