AndatthatMr。Besselreturnedwithredoubledearnestnesstotheroomwheretheseancewasgoingon，andsosoonashehadthrusthimselfwithinsightoftheplacehesawoneofthemenwhostoodaboutthemediumlookingathiswatchasifhemeantthattheseanceshouldpresentlyend。Atthatagreatnumberoftheshadowswhohadbeenstrivingturnedawaywithgesturesofdespair。ButthethoughtthattheseancewasalmostoveronlymadeMr。Besselthemoreearnest，andhestruggledsostoutlywithhiswillagainsttheothersthatpresentlyhegainedthewoman’sbrain。Itchancedthatjustatthatmomentitglowedverybrightly，andinthatinstantshewrotethemessagethatDoctorWilsonPagetpreserved。AndthentheothershadowsandthecloudofevilspiritsabouthimhadthrustMr。Besselawayfromher，andforalltherestoftheseancehecouldregainhernomore。
Sohewentbackandwatchedthroughthelonghoursatthebottomoftheshaftwheretheevilspiritlayinthestolenbodyithadmaimed，writhingandcursing，andweepingandgroaning，andlearningthelessonofpain。Andtowardsdawnthethinghehadwaitedforhappened，thebrainglowedbrightlyandtheevilspiritcameout，andMr。Besselenteredthebodyhehadfearedheshouldneverenteragain。Ashedidso，thesilence——thebroodingsilence——ended；
heheardthetumultoftrafficandthevoicesofpeopleoverhead，andthatstrangeworldthatistheshadowofourworld——thedarkandsilentshadowsofineffectualdesireandtheshadowsoflostmen——vanishedcleanaway。
Helaythereforthespaceofaboutthreehoursbeforehewasfound。
Andinspiteofthepainandsufferingofhiswounds，andofthedimdampplaceinwhichhelay；inspiteofthetears——wrungfromhimbyhisphysicaldistress——hisheartwasfullofgladnesstoknowthathewasneverthelessbackoncemoreinthekindlyworldofmen。
“Youcan’tbeTOOcarefulWHOyoumarry，“saidMr。Brisher，andpulledthoughtfullywithafat-wristedhandatthelankmoustachethathideshiswantofchin。
“That’swhy——“Iventured。
“Yes，“saidMr。Brisher，withasolemnlightinhisbleary，blue-greyeyes，movinghisheadexpressivelyandbreathingalcoholINTIMATELY
atme。“There’slotsas’ave’adatryatme——manyasIcouldnameinthistown——butnone’avedoneit——none。“
Isurveyedtheflushedcountenance，theequatorialexpansion，themasterlycarelessnessofhisattire，andheavedasightothinkthatbyreasonoftheunworthinessofwomenhemustneedsbethelastofhisrace。
“IwasasmartyoungchapwhenIwasyounger，“saidMr。Brisher。
“I’admyworkcutout。ButIwasverycareful——very。AndIgotthrough……“
Heleantoverthetaproomtableandthoughtvisiblyonthesubjectofmytrustworthiness。Iwasrelievedatlastbyhisconfidence。
“Iwasengagedonce，“hesaidatlast，withareminiscenteyeontheshuv-a’pennyboard。
“Sonearasthat？“
Helookedatme。“Sonearasthat。Factis——“Helookedabouthim，broughthisfaceclosetomine，loweredhisvoice，andfencedoffanunsympatheticworldwithagrimyhand。“Ifsheain’tdeadormarriedtosomeoneelseoranything——I’mengagedstill。Now。“Heconfirmedthisstatementwithnodsandfacialcontortions。“STILL，“hesaid，endingthepantomime，andbrokeintoarecklesssmileatmysurprise。
“ME！“
“Runaway，“heexplainedfurther，withcoruscatingeyebrows。
“Come’ome。
“Thatain’tall。
“You’d’ardlybelieveit，“hesaid，“butIfoundatreasure。Foundaregulartreasure。“
Ifanciedthiswasirony，anddidnot，perhaps，greetitwithpropersurprise。“Yes，“hesaid，“Ifoundatreasure。Andcome’ome。ItellyouIcouldsurpriseyouwiththingsthathashappenedtome。“
Andforsometimehewascontenttorepeatthathehadfoundatreasure——andleftit。
Imadenovulgarclamourforastory，butIbecameattentivetoMr。
Brisher’sbodilyneeds，andpresentlyIledhimbacktothedesertedlady。
“Shewasanicegirl，“hesaid——alittlesadly，Ithought。“AND
respectable。“
Heraisedhiseyebrowsandtightenedhismouthtoexpressextremerespectability——beyondthelikesofuselderlymen。
“Itwasalongwayfrom’ere。Essex，infact。NearColchester。
ItwaswhenIwasupinLondon——inthebuildin’trade。Iwasasmartyoungchapthen，Icantellyou。Slim。’Adbestclo’es’sgoodasanybody。’At——SILK’at，mindyou。“Mr。Brisher’shandshotabovehisheadtowardstheinfinitetoindicateitsilkhatofthehighest。
“Umbrella——niceumbrellawitha’orn’andle。Savin’s。VerycarefulIwas……“
Hewaspensiveforalittlewhile，thinking，aswemustallcometothinksoonerorlater，ofthevanishedbrightnessofyouth。
Butherefrained，asonemaydointaprooms，fromtheobviousmoral。
“Igottoknow’erthroughachapwhatwasengagedto’ersister。
ShewasstoppinginLondonforabitwithanauntthat’ada’aman’beefshop。Thisauntwasveryparticular——theywasallveryparticularpeople，all’erpeoplewas——andwouldn’tlet’ersistergooutwiththisfellerexcept’erothersister，MYgirlthatis，wentwiththem。So’ebroughtmeintoit，sortoftoeasethecrowding。
WeusedtogowalksinBatterseaParkofaSundayafternoon。Meinmytopper，and’imin’is；andthegirl’s——well——stylish。Therewasn’tmanyinBatterseaPark’adthelarfofus。Shewasn’twhatyou’dcallpretty，butanicergirlInevermet。_I_liked’erfromthestart，and，well——thoughIsayitwhoshouldn’t——shelikedme。
Youknow’owitis，Idessay？“
IpretendedIdid。
“Andwhenthischapmarried’ersister——’imandmewasgreatfriends——whatmust’edobutarstmedowntoColchester，closebywhereShelived。NaturallyIwasintrojucedto’erpeople，andwell，verysoon，herandmewasengaged。“
Herepeated“engaged。“
“Shelivedat’omewith’erfatherandmother，quitethelady，inaverynicelittle’ousewithagarden——andremarkablerespectablepeopletheywas。Richyoumightcall’ema’most。Theyownedtheirown’ouse——gotitoutoftheBuildingSociety，andcheapbecausethechapwhohaditbeforewasaburglarandinprison——andthey’adabitoffree’oldland，andsomecottagesandmoney’nvested——allniceandtight:theywaswhatyou’dcallsnugandwarm。Itellyou，IwasOn。Furnituretoo。Why！They’adapianner。Jane——’ernamewasJane——usedtoplayitSundays，andverynicesheplayedtoo。
Therewasn’t’ardlya’imtooninthebooksheCOULDN’Tplay……
“Many’stheevenin’we’vemetandsung’imsthere，meand’erandthefamily。
“’Erfatherwasquitealeadin’maninchapel。Youshouldha’seenhimSundays，interruptin’theministerandgivin’out’ims。Hehadgoldspectacles，Iremember，andusedtolookover’ematyouwhilehesanghearty——hewasalwaysgreatonsinging’eartytotheLord——
andwhenHEgotouto’toon’arfthepeoplewentafter’im——always。
’Ewasthatsortofman。Andtowalkbe’ind’imin’isniceblackclo’es——’is’atwasabrimmer——madeoneregularproudtobeengagedtosuchafather-in-law。AndwhenthesummercameIwentdownthereandstoppedafortnight。
“Now，youknowtherewasasortofItch，“saidMr。Brisher。“Wewantedtomarry，meandJanedid，andgetthingssettled。But’EsaidI’adtogetaproperpositionfirst。ConsequentlytherewasaItch。
Consequently，whenIwentdownthere，IwasanxioustoshowthatIwasagoodusefulsortofchaplike。ShowIcoulddoprettynearlyeverythinglike。See？“
Imadeasympatheticnoise。
“Anddownatthebottomoftheirgardenwasabitofwildpartlike。
SoIsaysto’im，’Whydon’tyou’avearockery’ere？’Isays。
’It’udlooknice。’
“’Toomuchexpense，’hesays。
“’Notapenny，’saysI。’I’madabatrockeries。Lemmemakeyouone。’
Yousee，I’d’elpedmybrothermakearockeryinthebeergardenbe’ind’istap，soIknew’owtodoittorights。’Lemmemakeyouone，’Isays。’It’s’olidays，butI’mthatsortofchap，I’atedoingnothing，’Isays。’I’llmakeyouonetorights。’Andthelongandtheshortofitwas，hesaidImight。
“Andthat’s’owIcomeonthetreasure。“
“Whattreasure？“Iasked。
“Why！“saidMr。Brisher，“thetreasureI’mtellingyouabout，what’sthereasonwhyInevermarried。“
