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。