"You
may not believe it, Knox; I don't expect anybody to believe me;
but for more than a year I have been walking on the edge of Hell.
Do you know where I have been since I saw you last?"
I shook my head in answer.
"I have been half round the world, Knox, trying to find peace."
"You don't know where to look for it," I said.
"If only you knew," he whispered. "If only you knew," and sank
down upon the settee, ruffling his hair with his hands and
looking the picture of haggard misery. Seeing that I was still
set upon departure:
"Hold on a bit, Knox," he implored. "Don't go yet. There is
something I want to ask you, something very important."
He crossed to a sideboard and mixed himself a stiff whisky-and-
soda. He asked me to join him, but I refused.
"Won't you sit down again?"
I shook my head.
"You came to my place at Katong once," he began abruptly. "I was
damned drunk, I admit it. But something happened, do you
remember?"
I nodded.
"This is what I want to ask you: Did you, or did you not, see
that shadow?"
I stared him hard in the face.
"I remember the episode to which you refer," I replied. "I
certainly saw a shadow."
"But what sort of shadow?"
"To me it seemed an indefinite, shapeless thing, as though caused
by someone moving behind the curtain.
Pages:
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332