Speaker 1: Section twenty one of Amusement Only. This is a LibriVox
Speaker 1: according all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For
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Speaker 1: Recording by Kerlyn Amusement Only by Richard marsh his First Experiment,
Speaker 1: Chapter one. The Lady. Last winter, George Poundsby spent some
Speaker 1: weeks at the Empire Hotel. One morning, he was coming
Speaker 1: along the corridor leading from the smoking room, where he
Speaker 1: met missus Pratt. The ladies stopped. What is that you
Speaker 1: have in your hand? She asked. Mister Poundsby had in
Speaker 1: his hand a slim pamphlet in a green paper cover.
Speaker 1: He held it up. I've got it. No, yes, oh,
Speaker 1: why say? These remarks are not given here as examples
Speaker 1: of English conversation, but with a view of presenting the
Speaker 1: reader with an accurate report of what was spoken. There
Speaker 1: was a pause. Then the lady said, with great solemnity,
Speaker 1: you don't mean to say that has actually come I do.
Speaker 1: Mister Poundsby held out the slim pamphlet at arm's length
Speaker 1: in front of him. He pointed at it with the
Speaker 1: index finger of his other hand. How to hypnotize a
Speaker 1: practical treatise hints to amateurs with full instructions for marvelous experiments,
Speaker 1: praise sevenpence post three eight stamps. Oh, mister Poundsby, I'm
Speaker 1: so sorry, sorry, missus Pratt. Why it was at your
Speaker 1: instigation I plunged to the extent of those eight stamps.
Speaker 1: But you don't understand my husband's coming. I have to
Speaker 1: meet him at the station at twelve thirty two. Mister
Speaker 1: Poundsby stroked his mustache. There was not much, but he
Speaker 1: was fond of stroking what there was of it. Missus
Speaker 1: Pratt's husband had been rather a joke. People who winter
Speaker 1: in hotels are as a role quite prepared to be
Speaker 1: epigrammatic at the expense of a pretty unmarried woman whose
Speaker 1: husband is not in evidence, and missus Pratt's husband had
Speaker 1: not been in evidence as yet. I don't quite follow you.
Speaker 1: Mister Poundsby spoke with litttle malice. Whence your sorrow because
Speaker 1: your husband is coming by the twelve thirty two. Don't
Speaker 1: you see? I want to be the first to be
Speaker 1: experimented on. I've been waiting for that book two days,
Speaker 1: and now just comes when I can't stay. Don't you
Speaker 1: think there's time, come into my sitting room. They went
Speaker 1: into her sitting room. When they were there, the lady
Speaker 1: again assailed the gentleman with inquiry, don't you think there's time?
Speaker 1: It depends. I think you're going too fast to commence with.
Speaker 1: I've been looking through this thing in the smoking room,
Speaker 1: and I believe it's a swindle. A swindle. Oh, don't
Speaker 1: say that. It's nothing but a hush of old mesmeric
Speaker 1: tricks I've seen performed at country fairs. But doesn't it
Speaker 1: tell you how to do them? It pretends to. It
Speaker 1: gives some ridiculous directions, but I don't believe they can
Speaker 1: be done that way. Try do on me, mister Poundsby laughed,
Speaker 1: missus pratt amused him, and not for the first time either.
Speaker 1: To begin with, we have to sit face to face
Speaker 1: and stare at each other for ten minutes or a
Speaker 1: quarter of an hour. Come along, let's begin. The lady
Speaker 1: brought forward a couple of chairs, and they sat down
Speaker 1: on them, face to face and very close together. Opening
Speaker 1: the pamphlet, mister Poundsby searched for further instructions. You're not
Speaker 1: staring at me, remarked the lady. Half a minute I'm
Speaker 1: looking for what comes next? What does it say? Read
Speaker 1: it aloud. After I've stared at you long enough, it
Speaker 1: doesn't sound civil, does it. Never mind, the civility go on.
Speaker 1: After I've stared at you long enough, you begin to
Speaker 1: feel queer. Then, mister Poundsby read from the pamphlet. Place
Speaker 1: the thumb of your left hand on the subject's forehead.
Speaker 1: You're the subject, just above the nose and level with
Speaker 1: the eyebrows. Missus Pratt placed her pretty little hand above
Speaker 1: her pretty little nose to point out the exact spot denoted.
Speaker 1: Mister pounds Bey read on, this is the locality of
Speaker 1: the phrenological organ of individuality? Is it? Said missus Pratt
Speaker 1: in an awe struck whisper. The reader continued, Rest the
Speaker 1: ends of your fingers on the top of the subject's head.
Speaker 1: At the same time, take hold of the left hand
Speaker 1: with your right hand, applying the insight part of your
Speaker 1: thumb to the middle of the palm of the hand.
Speaker 1: I am punctuating this, interpolated mister pounds By, as I
Speaker 1: go on. The man who printed it seems to have
Speaker 1: had a fount of type containing no other stops but commas.
Speaker 1: The object of This is for the operator to get
Speaker 1: into contact with two very important nerves that pass on
Speaker 1: the palm of the hand, which are called ulna and
Speaker 1: median nerves. I don't know if that's true or what
Speaker 1: it means, but it says so. Here, with your left
Speaker 1: hand still, keep the thumb on the forehead between the
Speaker 1: eyes and the fingers resting on the subject's head, which
Speaker 1: must be inclined slightly back. Say look into my eyes.
Speaker 1: After gazing in his eyes intently for a few seconds,
Speaker 1: say in a loud, clear, firm tone of voice, close
Speaker 1: your eyes quite tight. Let him remain a few seconds
Speaker 1: like this, and the trick is done. There is a
Speaker 1: lot more in none since to follow. But when you've
Speaker 1: remained for a few seconds like that, you're supposed to
Speaker 1: be mesmerized or hypnotized or whatever they call the thing. Really,
Speaker 1: it sounds quite simple. It does simple. Folly, hush. You
Speaker 1: shouldn't speak like that. Perhaps if you don't believe, you
Speaker 1: mayn't succeed. It says something to that effect in these
Speaker 1: previous pages. Then try to believe. Let us begin. They began.
Speaker 1: The lady was pre naturally solemn, but the gentleman was
Speaker 1: tortured by desire to smile. He felt that the lady
Speaker 1: might resent his laughter. Under these circumstances that ten minutes
Speaker 1: stare was trying. Missus Pratt had sweet blue eyes which
Speaker 1: were large and round, the sort of eyes which the
Speaker 1: average man would not object to stare at for ten
Speaker 1: minutes or even longer. As the appointed space of time
Speaker 1: drew to a conclusion, even mister Poundsby became reconciled to
Speaker 1: his lot. He placed his left thumb on the lady's forehead,
Speaker 1: above her nose. Is that level with my eyebrows? She inquired?
Speaker 1: He reproved her. I don't think you ought to speak.
Speaker 1: You destroy the connection. Missus Pratt was dumb. Mister Poundsby
Speaker 1: proceeded in accordance with the directions contained in the pamphlet.
Speaker 1: He rested the tips of his fingers on the top
Speaker 1: of the lady's head. He took hold of her left hand.
Speaker 1: With his right. He applied the inside part of his
Speaker 1: thumb to the center of her palm. He said, to her,
Speaker 1: look into my eyes. She looked into his eyes, her
Speaker 1: head inclined a little backwards. This part of the proceedings was,
Speaker 1: so far as the gentleman was concerned, on the whole agreeable.
Speaker 1: He gazed fixedly into her pretty eyes. Then he added,
Speaker 1: in a loud, clear, firm tone of voice, close your
Speaker 1: eyes quite tight. She closed her eyes. There was a
Speaker 1: pause for a few seconds. Remembering the instructions contained in
Speaker 1: the pamphlet, he proceeded another step. You cannot open your eyes,
Speaker 1: he said. Your eyes are fast, quite fast. The pamphlet
Speaker 1: had it, should the subject be very sensitive, he will
Speaker 1: be unable to open them. Apparently the subject, though in
Speaker 1: this case feminine, was very sensitive. At least Missus Pratt,
Speaker 1: kept her eyes shut fast. Mister Poundsby was a little startled.
Speaker 1: He removed his touch from her brow and released her hand.
Speaker 1: Missus Pratt, are you hypnotized already? Missus Pratt was silent.
Speaker 1: Missus Pratt, you don't mean you're really hypnotized? Still silence.
Speaker 1: He leaned forward and stared at the lady, not in
Speaker 1: the same way he had done before, but quite as fixedly.
Speaker 1: By jove, I believe she is. He got up from
Speaker 1: the chair. He glanced at the pamphlet. He wanted to
Speaker 1: know how to reverse the process, how to bring the
Speaker 1: lady to again. This is a pretty state of things.
Speaker 1: The thing is not such a swindle as I thought
Speaker 1: it was. But it's all nonsense. She can't be magnetized
Speaker 1: or mesmerized, or hypnotized or whatever it is. If she is,
Speaker 1: the thing is as easy as winking. If I'd only
Speaker 1: known it, I'd have been mesmeorizing people since the days
Speaker 1: of childhood Missus Pratt. But missus Pratt was silent. If
Speaker 1: she was not hypnotized, then she was in some condition,
Speaker 1: which was equally curious. She sat back in her chair
Speaker 1: with her face turned up to the ceiling, in a
Speaker 1: state of the most complete quais sense. Something in her
Speaker 1: appearance struck mister Pansby as even unpleasantly ought. He recommenced
Speaker 1: searching down the pages of the green covered pamphlet for
Speaker 1: the re diverse her process. It was beautifully simple. In
Speaker 1: order to release him, the pamphlet said. Throughout the rider
Speaker 1: had taken it for granted that the subject would be masculine.
Speaker 1: Blow a sharp cold wind from your mouth on his eyes,
Speaker 1: and say, with authority, now you can open them. Repeat
Speaker 1: if necessary. It is important to recollect that a cold
Speaker 1: wind blown from the operator destroys the effect and demagnetizes
Speaker 1: One could not but suspect that some subjects might not
Speaker 1: like this, but its simplicity was charming. If that was
Speaker 1: all that was necessary, then, so far as mister Poundsby
Speaker 1: was concerned, the whole science of hypnotism was already mastered.
Speaker 1: He approached Missus Pratt. He bent over her, devoutly, hoping
Speaker 1: that no one might enter the room. As he engaged
Speaker 1: in doing so, Quite as shook went through him. As
Speaker 1: he advanced his face towards hers. The expression of her
Speaker 1: countenance was so very much like death. He blew a
Speaker 1: cold wind on her eyes, those pretty blue eyes, whose
Speaker 1: cerulean hue he had veiled. Now you can open them.
Speaker 1: The words were spoken with as much authority as he
Speaker 1: could muster in the then agitated state of his mind,
Speaker 1: But Missus Pratt did not open them. The pamphlet said,
Speaker 1: repeat if necessary. Mister Poundsby repeated. He blew, and he blew.
Speaker 1: He blew the cold wind all out of him, so
Speaker 1: that the beads of perspiration stood upon his brow. But
Speaker 1: still the subject gave no signs. Missus Pratt, Missus Pratt,
Speaker 1: I say, Missus Pratt, for Heaven's sake, do look at me.
Speaker 1: All signs of authority? Had gone from him now, But
Speaker 1: wind and voice alike were ineffectual. Apparently it was easier
Speaker 1: to hypnotize than to do the other thing. In his trouble,
Speaker 1: mister Poundsby told himself that the writer of that pamphlet
Speaker 1: was well untrustworthy, or else something had gone wrong in
Speaker 1: the working. But what could it be? He looked at
Speaker 1: his watch half past twelve. I shall have her husband
Speaker 1: here directly. I imagine that he will make some observations if
Speaker 1: he finds his wife like this. Such a contingency was
Speaker 1: only to be expected when a man, after a long
Speaker 1: absence from his wife, returns to find a stranger experimenting
Speaker 1: on her, and she in a hypnotic condition from which
Speaker 1: the stranger cannot release her. His first feelings toward that
Speaker 1: stranger are not in civilized countries invariably friendly. Mister Poundsby,
Speaker 1: when he had blown the cold wind all out of him,
Speaker 1: arrived at a resolution. I will tell Doris. I must
Speaker 1: get her to help me. It is quite certain that
Speaker 1: whatever happens, I mustn't let that man come and find
Speaker 1: me alone with his wife. It was only the dread
Speaker 1: of such a catastrophe that brought him to the sticking
Speaker 1: point of this resolution. Miss Hasseltine Chrysaint Doris, was mister
Speaker 1: Poundsby's betrothed. She was also wintering in the hotel with
Speaker 1: her mamma. Mister Poundsby was aware, even painfully aware, that
Speaker 1: the young lady's feelings towards missus Pratt were not of
Speaker 1: the warmest possible kind. He was equally conscious that her
Speaker 1: impression was that his feelings were, if anything, too warm.
Speaker 1: He would rather anything had happened almost than that he
Speaker 1: should have been reduced to the necessity of acquainting Miss
Speaker 1: Hasseltine with the situation he was in, but it was
Speaker 1: certainly impossible for him to allow the returning husband to
Speaker 1: come in and find him there alone with his wife,
Speaker 1: and she apparently in a chronicle not a condition, so
Speaker 1: he went in search of the young lady. Of course,
Speaker 1: he found her where he would have least wished to
Speaker 1: find her, in the drawing room with the ladies. He
Speaker 1: had to call her out, and at first she wouldn't come,
Speaker 1: But as it would have been impossible for him to
Speaker 1: tell his tale in the presence of a dozen sharp
Speaker 1: eared and sharp toned women, he protested that there was
Speaker 1: something of the utmost importance, which he must say to
Speaker 1: her alone. Well, what is it? She asked directly. He
Speaker 1: had got her outside the door. He perceived that she
Speaker 1: was not in one of her sentimental moods. Perhaps something
Speaker 1: in his manner had roused her suspicions. Missus Pratt has fainted. Indeed,
Speaker 1: what has that to do with me? Let her faint?
Speaker 1: She looks to me as though she were that sort
Speaker 1: of person who could feign at pleasure. Doris, for goodness,
Speaker 1: say hear me out. I want your help. It's through me.
Speaker 1: She's fainted. Pray, what do you mean it's it's this
Speaker 1: confounded thing. Mister Poundsby held out the slim green covered pamphlet.
Speaker 1: You know I told you i'd written for that pamphlet
Speaker 1: how to hypnotize. Well, the thing came this morning. Here
Speaker 1: it is. I've been experimenting on her, and I've not
Speaker 1: only hypnotized her, but by George, I can't get her
Speaker 1: round again. A pretty state of things. Upon my word,
Speaker 1: don't pitch in to me now, Doris, don't there. She
Speaker 1: is in her sitting room in a fit or something.
Speaker 1: I don't know what's the matter with her and her
Speaker 1: husband's coming this morning he is coming at last, is he?
Speaker 1: I expect him every moment. He's due at twelve thirty two.
Speaker 1: She seems to have told you all about it. She
Speaker 1: told me so much. At any rate. I know I've
Speaker 1: been an ass I can see that now. But lend
Speaker 1: me a hand first and let me have it afterwards.
Speaker 1: I was obliged to come to you. I couldn't let
Speaker 1: him find me alone with her in such a state
Speaker 1: as that. Come and see what you can do for her.
Speaker 1: There's a darling do after all. It's for me, you
Speaker 1: know not her. Miss Hasseltone yielded so far as to
Speaker 1: advance with him along the corridor. There was a fresh
Speaker 1: arrival when there reached the hall, a gentleman. He was
Speaker 1: speaking to the young lady who acted as a bookkeeper
Speaker 1: through the office window. My name is Pratt, Julia J. Pratt.
Speaker 1: I believe my wife is staying here. Mister Poundsby clutched
Speaker 1: Miss Haselton's arm. It's he, he whispered. There is a
Speaker 1: missus Pratt staying here, replied the bookkeeper. Her sitting room
Speaker 1: is number thirteen. The new arrival was about to be
Speaker 1: ushered into number thirteen when mister Poundsby interposed, he hurried
Speaker 1: across the hall and touched him on the shoulder. Excuse me,
Speaker 1: May I speak to you? My name is Poundsby. The
Speaker 1: new arrival turned and faced him. As he did so,
Speaker 1: mister Pansby perceived a little dimly perhaps what sort of
Speaker 1: a man he was. He was of medium height, slightly built,
Speaker 1: about forty years of age, very dark, with a clean
Speaker 1: shaven face, and a pair of keen black eyes which
Speaker 1: looked at mister Poundsby as though they meant to pierce him.
Speaker 1: Delighted to hear you speak, or any man, even if
Speaker 1: his name is not pounds By. Directly the words were spoken,
Speaker 1: mister Poundsby became conscious that this new arrival was an American.
Speaker 1: I believe you are mister Pratt, Missus Pratt's husband. I
Speaker 1: am worse luck. Ah. She intended to meet you at
Speaker 1: twelve thirty two. She dare, did she? That's her all
Speaker 1: through as she is to be. She never did get
Speaker 1: farther than intentions. It's about two years since I saw her,
Speaker 1: and I don't see her now. Have you a message
Speaker 1: to deliver? Does she desire that I should go away
Speaker 1: for another two years? If so, I'm willing as This
Speaker 1: was said out loud, without the slightest attempt at concealment,
Speaker 1: so that every word was audible, not only to mister Poundsby,
Speaker 1: to whom the remarks were addressed, but also to miss Hasseltyne,
Speaker 1: and the bookkeeper, and the porter, and the boots, and
Speaker 1: the waiter, and the chambermaid, and any other staggler who
Speaker 1: might happen to be within fifty yards or so. Hit
Speaker 1: would seem that in her husband, Missus Pratt possessed a
Speaker 1: man of character, but mister Poundsby was not fond of
Speaker 1: such publicity. Can I say a word to you alone? No, sir,
Speaker 1: you cannot. If you have a message from my wife,
Speaker 1: say it. If not, lead on to number thirteen. The
Speaker 1: fact is, mister Pratt, e Missus Pratt, is not them
Speaker 1: quite well? Is that so? I'm glad to hear it.
Speaker 1: It's a comfort to know that only sickness would keep
Speaker 1: her from her husband, though it wouldn't need much of
Speaker 1: that to keep her from a chance of seeing me.
Speaker 1: The fact is, I wish, mister Pratt, you would let
Speaker 1: me speak to you alone. No, sir, I will not
Speaker 1: if she is dead. Don't spare my feelings. If she
Speaker 1: has left me for a better man. Don't spare my
Speaker 1: feelings either. The fact is she's in a hypnotic state.
Speaker 1: In what a state? A hypnotic state? What state is that?
Speaker 1: Hypnotic's a new word, it's been brought in lately. It
Speaker 1: means miss Merrick. Mister Pratt paused before replying. He looked
Speaker 1: to mister Poundsby up and down. Look here, mister, I
Speaker 1: think you mentioned Poundsby. I don't know who you are,
Speaker 1: but you seem a friendly kind of man. Take my
Speaker 1: advice and get something off your chest. I see you've
Speaker 1: got it on. Mister Poundsby smiled rather faintly. He did
Speaker 1: not lack presents of mind as a rule, though just
Speaker 1: then the situation was as much as he could manage.
Speaker 1: He made a dash, added, I wish you would give
Speaker 1: me half a minute alone. Since you will not, I
Speaker 1: must try to tell my story where we are. You
Speaker 1: see this book, mister Poundsby held up the Fatal Treaties.
Speaker 1: It contains instructions for the performance of Miss Merrick experiments.
Speaker 1: Missus Pratt insisted on my performing one of them on her.
Speaker 1: I succeeded in producing the mesmeric state, but I i
Speaker 1: couldn't get her out of it. There was a curious
Speaker 1: twinkle in mister Pratt's eyes. I don't catch on, he said.
Speaker 1: I say that I hypnotized her that is produced the
Speaker 1: Miss Merrick state, but that I I couldn't get her
Speaker 1: out of it. Well, she's in it now, in what
Speaker 1: the missmeric State? Does she seem to like it? That
Speaker 1: is more than I can say. I had just induced
Speaker 1: Miss Hasseleteyne to come to my assistance when we were
Speaker 1: so fortunate as to encounter you. Then I am to
Speaker 1: understand that when she ought to have been at the
Speaker 1: depot looking out for me, she was engaged in looking
Speaker 1: out for the Miss Merrick State along with you. Is
Speaker 1: that so, I'm afraid it is? Where is she in
Speaker 1: her sitting room? Number thirteen? Lead on to number thirteen?
Speaker 1: The procession started. The waiter went first, Mister Pratt next,
Speaker 1: and after him Miss Hasseltine and mister pounds by. Miss
Speaker 1: Hasseletyne's demeanor was severe. Either her severity or something else
Speaker 1: seemed to weigh upon her lover, who did not appear
Speaker 1: to be altogether at his ease. They reached number thirteen,
Speaker 1: the waiter knocked. There was no reply. He knocked again,
Speaker 1: still no reply. Mister Pratt turned towards mister Poundsby. I
Speaker 1: guess she's still in that state of yours. I think
Speaker 1: we'll all go in. He turned the handle of the
Speaker 1: door and entered. I guess she's quitted. The room was empty.
Speaker 1: End of chapter one of his first Experiments, Section twenty
Speaker 1: two of Amusement Only. This is a LibriVox recording. All
Speaker 1: LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information,
Speaker 1: not to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording by
Speaker 1: Carolyn Amusement Only by Richard marsh his first experiment, Chapter
Speaker 1: two and the Gentleman. It was undoubtedly the case, unless
Speaker 1: they were to suppose that she had hidden under the
Speaker 1: sofa or behind the curtains. Mister Poundsby looked about him,
Speaker 1: conscious of a slight feeling of bewilderment. There were the
Speaker 1: two chairs exactly as he had left them, but the
Speaker 1: one which missus Prattt occupied was vacant. It's very odd,
Speaker 1: he murmured, how she was certainly unconscious when I left her.
Speaker 1: Perhaps the knowledge that she was failing in her duty
Speaker 1: as a wife came to her in that mesmeric state
Speaker 1: came to her so strongly that she started off to
Speaker 1: the depot just then and there to look for me.
Speaker 1: If she said the depot now in the state, you
Speaker 1: say she was, I guess she'll soon be popular. Don't
Speaker 1: you think i'd better go and look for her. I
Speaker 1: do not. If she is gone, she's gone, and if
Speaker 1: she comes back again, she comes. But I am not
Speaker 1: the man to put my friends out for a trifle.
Speaker 1: My friend, if you will allow me to call you so,
Speaker 1: give me your hand. Before mister Poundsby was quite aware
Speaker 1: of it, mister Pratt had possession of his hand. I
Speaker 1: thank you. You have placed me under an obligation to
Speaker 1: you this day. But it may be that I shall
Speaker 1: cry you even yet. Let's liquor. Perhaps the young lady
Speaker 1: will pull in. Miss Haseltine, however, making some inaudible remark
Speaker 1: having a reference to her Mamma, vanished out of sight.
Speaker 1: Mister Pratt was not at all abashed. He addressed the
Speaker 1: waiters champagne, a large bottle and a bucket of ice.
Speaker 1: Mister Poundsby protested, you are very kind, but I don't
Speaker 1: drink at this hour of the day, and only so
Speaker 1: mister Pratt cut him short, fetch the drink. The waiter fled.
Speaker 1: If after performing those pleasing experiments on the wife, you
Speaker 1: refused to drink with the husband, I shall take it
Speaker 1: quite unkindly. But don't you think some inquiries ought to
Speaker 1: be made for missus Pratt? I do not. What I
Speaker 1: do think is that I ought to cultivate your friendship
Speaker 1: now that I have the chance. A man who knows
Speaker 1: the wife so well should know something of the husband too.
Speaker 1: The drink came, mister Pratt saw two bumpers filled. Mister Poundsby,
Speaker 1: who was an abstemious man, had difficulty in escaping, being
Speaker 1: compelled to drain his strawd bring another bottle. When I ring,
Speaker 1: said mister Pratt, as the way to left the room.
Speaker 1: The two gentlemen were left alone. Mister Poundsby still did
Speaker 1: not feel quite easy in his mind. Champagne generally disagreed
Speaker 1: with him at any time, always in the morning. He
Speaker 1: had some glimmerings of an idea that if he refused
Speaker 1: to drink, mister Pratt would seek in his refuse on
Speaker 1: an occasion to quarrel. He had heard and read of
Speaker 1: some curious customs in the States, how for instance, to
Speaker 1: refuse under certain circumstances. To drink with the citizen of
Speaker 1: the Great Republic was to place on him an insult
Speaker 1: which could only be wiped out by blood, blood in
Speaker 1: which six shooters played a part. He half suspected that
Speaker 1: mister Pratt was a citizen like that. Certainly he was
Speaker 1: unlike any American he had ever seen. His indifference to
Speaker 1: his wife's fate was almost brutal. Mister Poundsby felt this,
Speaker 1: but he also felt that it was impossible for him
Speaker 1: to insist on making inquiries if the husband declined to
Speaker 1: sanction them. Nor was his uneasiness lessened by mister Pratt's
Speaker 1: appearance of entire ease. That gentleman leaned back in his
Speaker 1: chair the one his wife had occupied, his summer coat unbuttoned,
Speaker 1: his hat tilted on to the back of his head.
Speaker 1: So you hypnotized my wife, mister Poundsby smiled faintly. The
Speaker 1: subject was beginning to be unpleasant. Hypnotize me, mister Poundsby started,
Speaker 1: I suppose you're joking. Why my wife had an inquiring mind?
Speaker 1: Why shouldn't I have too? Perhaps you preferred trying those
Speaker 1: sort of experiments on wives rather than on their husband's
Speaker 1: mister Poundsby was not quite sure if this remark was
Speaker 1: intended disagreeably. It made him WinCE. Perhaps you think I've
Speaker 1: been trying these experiments all my life until this pamphlet
Speaker 1: was brought in by this morning's post, I knew no
Speaker 1: more about hypnotism than you do. My first experiment was
Speaker 1: tried at her own urgent request upon your wife. I
Speaker 1: take after her. I'm fond of experiments too. That book
Speaker 1: must be a treasure. Oblige me with a glance at it.
Speaker 1: Mister Poundsby handed it to him. Mister Pratt began reading.
Speaker 1: At the end, there's a nice little bit as a finish,
Speaker 1: Mister Pratt read it aloud. In conclusion, I would earnestly
Speaker 1: ask all my readers to remember that this valuable science
Speaker 1: should not be abused, especially in the case of females,
Speaker 1: and that in all cases, when making experiments, they should
Speaker 1: have friends or other persons present. That's sound advice. Did
Speaker 1: you notice it? I I think it caught my eye.
Speaker 1: Mister Pansby seemed a little fidgety. Mister Pratt turned to
Speaker 1: the beginning. I see it mentions that the subject is
Speaker 1: to stare at the operator, and the operator is to
Speaker 1: stare at the subject for about ten minutes or a
Speaker 1: quarter of an hour. Did you work the thing like that?
Speaker 1: I followed to the best of my ability the instructions
Speaker 1: contained in the pamphlet. Did you stare at my wife?
Speaker 1: It sounds uncivil, but I'm afraid I did for ten
Speaker 1: minutes or a quarter of an hour about that? And
Speaker 1: did my wife stare you? Mister Poundsby laughed. He was
Speaker 1: conscious that mister Pratt's line of examination was tending to
Speaker 1: place him in a false position. I perceive you've marked
Speaker 1: this work with your pencil where it says place the
Speaker 1: thumb of your left hand on the subject's forehead, just
Speaker 1: above the nose and level with the eyebrows. Did you
Speaker 1: place the thumb of your left hand on my wife's forehead,
Speaker 1: just above the nose, level with the eyebrows. Certainly, mister Pratt.
Speaker 1: I can only say that, with the view of making
Speaker 1: a little experiment, I followed to the best of my
Speaker 1: ability the instructions. Generally, you seem to have seen the
Speaker 1: thing well through. It says that you've next to rest
Speaker 1: the ends of your fingers on the top of the
Speaker 1: subject's head. Did you rest the ends of your fingers
Speaker 1: on the top of my wife's head. You may take
Speaker 1: it for granted that I did whatever the book directs.
Speaker 1: May I that's kind, and you increase my sense of obligation.
Speaker 1: Then you're to say to the subject, look into my eyes?
Speaker 1: Did you ask my wife to look into your eyes?
Speaker 1: I did, certainly, certainly. Of course you're thorough like the book.
Speaker 1: The man who put this book together had seen it
Speaker 1: done before. Then you're to say, close your eyes quite tight?
Speaker 1: Did you tell my wife to close her eyes quite tight?
Speaker 1: I did. It was at that point that she went
Speaker 1: off into the hypnotic state. Was it? Now? That is
Speaker 1: really interesting? And what did you do next? I tried
Speaker 1: to bring her too. Now, hark at that, and after
Speaker 1: all that trouble you had taken to sent her off?
Speaker 1: And did she come? I'm sorry to say, as I
Speaker 1: have already explained to you, that my efforts were not
Speaker 1: attended with success. That was mean of her, real mean.
Speaker 1: And I suppose that when you were performing these little
Speaker 1: experiments of yours upon my wife, this room was filled
Speaker 1: with a large assemblage. We were alone together. I wish
Speaker 1: now it had been otherwise. Why, after the questions you
Speaker 1: have already put to me that needs no answer. Think
Speaker 1: not well, let me fill up your glass for you,
Speaker 1: mister Poundsby. I am obliged to you, but must beg
Speaker 1: you to excuse me. Is that so you don't show
Speaker 1: yourself so friendly towards me as towards my wife. Perhaps,
Speaker 1: mister Poundsby, you're not aware that for the last two
Speaker 1: years I've been trotting around the world picking up the
Speaker 1: pieces to throw into her lap. She is English and
Speaker 1: I am American. She is not at all times fond
Speaker 1: of me, and we sometimes differ, but I love her
Speaker 1: in my way. So you may think that when the
Speaker 1: first thing I hear when I come to catch a
Speaker 1: sight of her after a two years parting, is this
Speaker 1: little tale of yours. I find it a pleasing tale entirely.
Speaker 1: I find it that. I do assure you now. The
Speaker 1: only thing I should like you to do would be
Speaker 1: to play those little tricks on me which he played
Speaker 1: upon my wife. I should like to be hypnotized uncommonly
Speaker 1: if I were to attempt to do so, I don't
Speaker 1: think that I should succeed. But in any case, after
Speaker 1: my experience of this morning, it will be a long
Speaker 1: time before I make any more experiments on any one,
Speaker 1: is that? So think it over, mister Poundsby, while I
Speaker 1: lock this door and slip the key into my pocket.
Speaker 1: Mister Pratt locked the door and slipped, as he called it,
Speaker 1: the key into his pocket. Mister Pratt, I insist upon
Speaker 1: your unlocking that door, mister Poundsby. I was raised out west,
Speaker 1: and I was raised fighting, and I learned to smell
Speaker 1: a fight when it was coming. And there's as big
Speaker 1: a fight now coming as ever I yet smelled. Why
Speaker 1: do you use this language, sir to me? It's my ignorance, maybe,
Speaker 1: But in those parts where I was raised, when one
Speaker 1: man played upon another man's wife, the tricks you've played
Speaker 1: up mine, it generally ended up in fighting. You bet
Speaker 1: it's going to end in fighting now. Mister Poundsby made
Speaker 1: a movement towards the bell. Mister Pratt sprang in front
Speaker 1: of him. You can ring the bell, sir, afterwards, but
Speaker 1: first you listen to me. They'll have to break the
Speaker 1: door down to get into this room, and that'll be
Speaker 1: a scandal. And while they're breaking it down, I'll be
Speaker 1: whipping you. You'd better take it fighting. I've got a
Speaker 1: shooter putting his hand to his pistol pocket. Mister Pratt
Speaker 1: flushed the barrel of a revolver in mister Poundsby's face.
Speaker 1: But I know your English notions and I don't want
Speaker 1: to use it in a little affair like this. Let's
Speaker 1: strip to the waist and clear the furniture out of
Speaker 1: the middle of the room and have a little price
Speaker 1: fight all to ourselves. Do you take me for a madman,
Speaker 1: mister Pratt? If you don't immediately unlock the door, I
Speaker 1: shall summon assistance, and if you use any violence towards me,
Speaker 1: I shall give you into the charge of the police.
Speaker 1: Is that your line? That's mine? Dropping the hand which
Speaker 1: held the revolver, mister Pratt delivered with his left delivered
Speaker 1: so neatly in the center of mister Poundsby's forehead that
Speaker 1: that gentleman was hurled backwards on to the floor. If
Speaker 1: you like, you can take it lying down, and you
Speaker 1: can summon assistance while you are taking it. But you'll
Speaker 1: take it somehow, that you bet. Mister Poundsby, lying on
Speaker 1: the floor, looked up at mister Pratt's standing over him.
Speaker 1: Let me get up. He got up. The blow had
Speaker 1: cut the skin and the blood was trickling through with
Speaker 1: his handkerchief, he staunched the floe. In America, mister Pratt,
Speaker 1: they may think the sort of thing you propose heroic.
Speaker 1: In England they consider a row of any sort ridiculous.
Speaker 1: Consider it isn't what they consider I'm thinking of. It's
Speaker 1: how you're going to take it. Mister Poundsby fixed his
Speaker 1: glance upon miss mister Pratt's keen, black eyes. He smiled,
Speaker 1: take it. I'll take it fighting like the converter of
Speaker 1: Colonel Quagg. I thought you would. I smelt it coming
Speaker 1: on as he spoke. Mister Pratt placed his revolver on
Speaker 1: the mantel shelf. Mister Poundsby was still smiling. Do you
Speaker 1: propose to settle it now? I do? I propose to
Speaker 1: settle it before you leave this room. In that case,
Speaker 1: don't you think we'd better pull the blind down or
Speaker 1: people walking on the terrace will be able to see
Speaker 1: the fun. If we are going to make asses of
Speaker 1: ourselves to me as well, do it as far as
Speaker 1: possible in private. Mister Pratt pulled the blind down. The
Speaker 1: sun was shining outside the room was still quite light.
Speaker 1: I guess, said mister Pratt. We had better clear the
Speaker 1: furniture out of the middle of the room. Mister Poundsby
Speaker 1: assisted him in doing so. What little there was to clear.
Speaker 1: The bottle of champagne and the two glasses they placed
Speaker 1: with the revolt on the mental shelf. They then proceeded
Speaker 1: to strip. As they were doing so, mister Poundsby asked
Speaker 1: the question, how shall we manage about time? We will
Speaker 1: call time when we feel we wanted. You understand this
Speaker 1: is not only a fight, it's a whipping. I'm whipping you.
Speaker 1: Mister Poundsby smiled as he answered, I understand. Exactly. When
Speaker 1: they were in position, there was not much so far
Speaker 1: as appearance went for a lover of the fancy to
Speaker 1: choose between the two. Now that they were peeled, both
Speaker 1: seemed thoroughly fit as fit, almost as though they had
Speaker 1: been trained. Mister Poundsby was fair, mister Pratt was dark.
Speaker 1: That was about the only difference. Both would have turned
Speaker 1: the scale at something near eleven stone, and both measured
Speaker 1: something under five foot eight. Nor did it take long
Speaker 1: to show that both could use their hands. There was
Speaker 1: none of that waiting for each other which so often
Speaker 1: tries the patience of the spectators round a ring. Mister
Speaker 1: Pratt came at once to business with perhaps rather too
Speaker 1: much self confidence. He was apparently under the impression that
Speaker 1: it was going to be a case of whipping his
Speaker 1: opponent from the first, which was the reason doubtless that
Speaker 1: mister Poundsby succeeded in returning the compliment which had been
Speaker 1: paid himself, and landing mister Pratt upon his back. That
Speaker 1: gentleman seemed surprised, I say, he asked, lying where he
Speaker 1: had fallen. What's this? Mister Poundsby replied politely, I hope
Speaker 1: I haven't heard you. You haven't heard me much. You've
Speaker 1: surprised me more. I reckon, we'll continue. The proceedings recommenced,
Speaker 1: But this time mister Pratt had changed his tactics. Instead
Speaker 1: of coming up with the apparent intention of wiping his
Speaker 1: opponent off the face of the earth with a single blow,
Speaker 1: he played his game more cautiously. He fenced, but, becoming
Speaker 1: tired of this, and feeling possibly that the whipping was
Speaker 1: not proceeding fast enough, he led off with his right
Speaker 1: and followed with his left, and mister Poundsby counted and
Speaker 1: returned returned with such effect that for half a minute
Speaker 1: mister Pratt was dancing about while mister Poundsby was performing
Speaker 1: on him in the fashion which the regimental drummer beats
Speaker 1: to quarters on his drum. Time he cried the round
Speaker 1: was over. A pause ensued, during which his feelings were
Speaker 1: plainly too deep for words. Have you ever had a
Speaker 1: whipping before? He asked? Mister Poundsby smiled. It was evident
Speaker 1: that his smile was a smile of enjoyment. At last
Speaker 1: one or two he said like this, not exactly In England,
Speaker 1: we don't, as a rule indulge in this form of
Speaker 1: amusement in the private sitting room of a hotel, don't
Speaker 1: you wallats as well? I smelt that a big fight
Speaker 1: was coming in. Come. I'm going to enjoy myself entirely.
Speaker 1: You've closed up one of my eyes, I should say,
Speaker 1: from the feel of it forever. You've broken the bridge
Speaker 1: of my nose. What they'll be to pay for the
Speaker 1: blood upon the carpet, and there's a cart gone from
Speaker 1: me already is more than I quite care to think.
Speaker 1: Before I've finished whipping you, I reckon I'll be slain. Come,
Speaker 1: mister Pratt. Don't you think this foolish business had better sees?
Speaker 1: If you require an apology, I'm willing to tender one
Speaker 1: in any form you like. What passed between your wife
Speaker 1: and myself was simply in the nature of a little
Speaker 1: scientific experiment. It'll be in the nature of a little
Speaker 1: scientific experiment. What's going to pass between us too. I'm
Speaker 1: fond of experiments as well as you. Time mister Pratt
Speaker 1: fell into position, he's struck at mister Poundsby. Mister Poundsby
Speaker 1: laughed as he warded off the blow. Come, mister Pratt,
Speaker 1: why will you persist in this absurdity? I'm going to
Speaker 1: whip you so her. In that case, you really must
Speaker 1: excuse me for putting on the steam. If a waier
Speaker 1: of some one were to come and find me engaged
Speaker 1: like this, I should never hear the last of it
Speaker 1: as long as I lived. Here goes it went. He
Speaker 1: had been warding off mister Pratt's blows while he was
Speaker 1: speaking when he seized the battle really joined. Mister Pratt's
Speaker 1: guards were nowhere. In spite of all that he could
Speaker 1: do to save himself, his antagonists proceeded to administer severe
Speaker 1: punishment in thoroughly workmanlike style. The blows rang out upon
Speaker 1: his head and body. Mister Poundsby wound up with one
Speaker 1: under the chin, which lifted him off his feet and
Speaker 1: laid him on his back. He lay waere he fell.
Speaker 1: The blow had knocked him senseless. Mister Poundsby proceeded to
Speaker 1: revive him with the remains of the champagne. This, he murmured,
Speaker 1: opening his eyes and looking up. Is nice. Mister Poundsby
Speaker 1: propped him up upon a chair. You compelled me to
Speaker 1: rush to the thing. But I hope I haven't heard
Speaker 1: you much, well, said mister Pratt. You haven't killed me quite.
Speaker 1: I never enjoyed whipping a man so much before, say, stranger,
Speaker 1: is this the first little fight you've had? I've sparred
Speaker 1: for the amateur championship, and I won it twice. I'm
Speaker 1: going in for it again next week. You might have
Speaker 1: mentioned that before the game began. If the inherent absurdity
Speaker 1: of your proposal could not deter you, I doubt if
Speaker 1: any information I might have imparted would have been of
Speaker 1: much avail. There's something in that time. Mister Pratt rose
Speaker 1: from his chair. He stood on his feet rather doubtfully.
Speaker 1: What do you mean, asked mister Poundsby. I'm going on
Speaker 1: whipping you. Look here, mister Pratt, each time you stand up,
Speaker 1: I shall simply knock you down again. Of course, you
Speaker 1: can go on with that sort of thing as long
Speaker 1: as you like. That is so I can, and that
Speaker 1: that's the sort of thing of which one doesn't care
Speaker 1: to get more than enough. Mister Pratt rested his hand
Speaker 1: on the back of a chair. It seemed as though
Speaker 1: without some support of that kind he could not stand.
Speaker 1: Mister Poundsby advanced to him, mister Pratt, give me your hand.
Speaker 1: Mister Pratt gave it to him. It would seem mechanically.
Speaker 1: The two men stood looking at each other in silence,
Speaker 1: though one almost without a scratch, the other a battered ruin.
Speaker 1: While they were so engaged, the latch of the French
Speaker 1: window was opened from without. The blind was thrust aside,
Speaker 1: and a lady entered. It was missus Pratt. When she
Speaker 1: saw what met her eyes, she stared, which, as a
Speaker 1: breach of good manners, was under the circumstances, excusable. Mister Poundsby, Jilliet,
Speaker 1: what have you been doing. I've been whipping him, said
Speaker 1: mister Pratt. I must be off my ordinary, for I
Speaker 1: never whipped him out that way before mister Poundsby slipped
Speaker 1: on his jacket, he helped mister Pratt to put on
Speaker 1: his It's my fault, Missus Pratt, when I told you,
Speaker 1: a husband, of our little experiment, and that I had
Speaker 1: found myself unable to release you from the hypnotic state
Speaker 1: which I had induced, he thought I must have done
Speaker 1: you a serious injury, and that he naturally resented. Missus
Speaker 1: Pratt looked at mister Poundsby. There was a twinkle of
Speaker 1: intelligence in her sweet blue eyes. I see miss Haselton
Speaker 1: is looking for you. You'll find her in the drawing room.
Speaker 1: Thank you, said mister Poundsby. I I'll go and look
Speaker 1: for her. As he sneaked out of the room with
Speaker 1: his shirt and waistcoat under his arm, devoutly hoping that
Speaker 1: no one might encounter him. On his journey to his
Speaker 1: own apartment, he heard Missus Pratt make this remark to
Speaker 1: her husband, the first after two years absence. So jilly,
Speaker 1: that you've been at it again. He heard mister Pratt reply,
Speaker 1: I have. I've been raised fighting, and I reckon that fighting.
Speaker 1: I shall die if I have to whip that pounds
Speaker 1: be again. It is a certainty I shall end of
Speaker 1: chapter two of his first experiment,