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。“