WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.200 --> 00:00:08.880 The pipe by anonymous Randolph Crescent n W. My dear Pew, 2 00:00:09.599 --> 00:00:11.400 I hope you will like the pipe which I send 3 00:00:11.400 --> 00:00:14.160 with this. It is rather a curious example of a 4 00:00:14.160 --> 00:00:17.879 certain school of Indian carving, and as a present from yours, 5 00:00:18.000 --> 00:00:23.199 jruly Joseph Tress. It was really very handsome of Tress. 6 00:00:23.320 --> 00:00:26.719 Very handsome, the more especially as I was aware that 7 00:00:26.760 --> 00:00:30.359 to give presents was not exactly in Tress's line. The 8 00:00:30.440 --> 00:00:32.479 truth is that when I saw what manner of pipe 9 00:00:32.479 --> 00:00:35.439 it was, I was amazed. It was contained in a 10 00:00:35.520 --> 00:00:39.719 sandalwood box, which was itself with some remarkable specimens of carving. 11 00:00:40.159 --> 00:00:44.679 I used the word remarkable advisedly, because although the workmanship 12 00:00:44.759 --> 00:00:48.039 was undoubtedly in its way artistic, the result could not 13 00:00:48.159 --> 00:00:51.520 be described as beautiful. The carver had thought proper to 14 00:00:51.600 --> 00:00:54.000 ornament the box with some of the ugliest figures I 15 00:00:54.039 --> 00:00:57.320 remember to have seen. They appeared to me to be devils, 16 00:00:57.840 --> 00:01:01.200 or perhaps they were intended to represent deity, appertaining to 17 00:01:01.280 --> 00:01:05.159 some mythological system with which, thank goodness, I am unacquainted. 18 00:01:06.040 --> 00:01:08.159 The pipe itself was worthy of the case in which 19 00:01:08.200 --> 00:01:11.719 it was contained. It was of Mersham, with an amber mouthpiece. 20 00:01:12.120 --> 00:01:15.239 It was rather too large for ordinary smoking. But then, 21 00:01:15.359 --> 00:01:18.760 of course one doesn't smoke a pipe like that. There 22 00:01:18.760 --> 00:01:21.079 are pipes in my collection which I should as soon 23 00:01:21.159 --> 00:01:23.840 think of smoking as I should have eating. Ask a 24 00:01:23.920 --> 00:01:26.719 China maniac to let you have afternoon tea out of 25 00:01:26.760 --> 00:01:29.799 his old chelsea, and you will learn some home truths 26 00:01:29.799 --> 00:01:33.760 as to the durability of human friendships. The glory of 27 00:01:33.799 --> 00:01:37.159 the pipe, as Tress had suggested, lay in its carving. 28 00:01:38.120 --> 00:01:40.959 Not that I claimed that it was beautiful, any more 29 00:01:41.000 --> 00:01:42.920 than I make such a claim for the carving on 30 00:01:43.040 --> 00:01:45.680 the box. But as Tress said in his note, it 31 00:01:45.760 --> 00:01:49.239 was curious. The stem and the bowl were quite plain, 32 00:01:49.719 --> 00:01:51.760 But on the edge of the bull was perched to 33 00:01:51.799 --> 00:01:54.480 some kind of lizard. I told myself it was an 34 00:01:54.480 --> 00:01:57.079 octopus when I first saw it, but I have since 35 00:01:57.120 --> 00:01:59.680 had reason to believe that it was some almost unique 36 00:01:59.719 --> 00:02:03.799 memory of the lizard tribe. The creature was represented as 37 00:02:03.840 --> 00:02:06.000 climbing over the edge of the bowl down toward to 38 00:02:06.040 --> 00:02:10.120 the stem, and its legs or feelers or tentacula, or 39 00:02:10.159 --> 00:02:12.800 whatever the things are called, where, if I may use 40 00:02:12.840 --> 00:02:17.159 a vulgarism, sprawling about all over the place. For instance, 41 00:02:17.520 --> 00:02:19.840 two or three of them were twined about the bowl. 42 00:02:20.080 --> 00:02:22.759 Two or three of them were twisted round the stem, 43 00:02:22.879 --> 00:02:26.680 and one, a particularly horrible one, was uplifted in the air, 44 00:02:27.000 --> 00:02:28.599 so that if you put the pipe in your mouth, 45 00:02:28.639 --> 00:02:32.800 the thing was pointing straight at your nose. Not the 46 00:02:32.879 --> 00:02:36.000 least agreeable feature about the creature was that it was 47 00:02:36.120 --> 00:02:39.479 hideously lifelike. It appeared to have been carved in amber, 48 00:02:39.759 --> 00:02:42.520 but some coloring matter must have been introduced, for inside 49 00:02:42.560 --> 00:02:46.120 the amber. The creature was of a peculiarly ghastly green. 50 00:02:47.159 --> 00:02:49.360 The more I examined the pipe, the more amazed I 51 00:02:49.479 --> 00:02:53.400 was at Trest's generosity. He and I are rival collectors. 52 00:02:53.639 --> 00:02:56.000 I'm not going to say in so many words that 53 00:02:56.080 --> 00:02:59.599 his collection of pipes contains nothing but rubbish, because as 54 00:02:59.599 --> 00:03:01.520 a matter of fact, he has two or three rather 55 00:03:01.639 --> 00:03:04.960 decent specimens. But to compare his collection to mine would 56 00:03:04.960 --> 00:03:08.319 be absurd. Tress is conscious of this, and he resents it. 57 00:03:08.800 --> 00:03:10.680 He resents it to such an extent that he has 58 00:03:10.719 --> 00:03:13.639 been known, at least on one occasion to declare that 59 00:03:13.719 --> 00:03:16.800 one single pipe of his I believe he alluded to 60 00:03:16.840 --> 00:03:21.120 the brum again relic preposterously attributed to Sir Walter Raleigh, 61 00:03:21.919 --> 00:03:25.039 was worth the whole of my collection put together. Although 62 00:03:25.080 --> 00:03:27.759 I have forgotten this, as I hope I always shall 63 00:03:27.840 --> 00:03:31.000 forgive remarks made when envious passions get the better of 64 00:03:31.039 --> 00:03:34.840 our nobler nature, even of a Joseph Truss, it is 65 00:03:34.879 --> 00:03:37.919 not to be supposed that I have forgotten it. He 66 00:03:38.080 --> 00:03:41.159 was therefore not at all the sort of person from 67 00:03:41.199 --> 00:03:44.240 whom I expected to receive a present, and such a present. 68 00:03:44.479 --> 00:03:46.599 I do not believe that he himself had a finer 69 00:03:46.599 --> 00:03:48.759 pipe in his collection, and to have given it to 70 00:03:48.800 --> 00:03:52.000 me I had misjudged the man. I wondered where he 71 00:03:52.039 --> 00:03:54.280 had got it from. I had seen his pipes, I 72 00:03:54.360 --> 00:03:57.080 knew them off by heart, and some nice trumper he 73 00:03:57.159 --> 00:03:59.639 has among them, too, But I had never seen that 74 00:03:59.719 --> 00:04:02.599 by me before. The more I looked at it, the 75 00:04:02.599 --> 00:04:06.000 more my amazement grew. The beast perched upon the edge 76 00:04:06.000 --> 00:04:08.639 of the bowl was so lifelike. Its two beadlike eyes 77 00:04:08.680 --> 00:04:12.439 seemed to gleam at me with positively human intelligence. The 78 00:04:12.520 --> 00:04:14.960 pipe fascinated it to such an extent that I actually 79 00:04:15.000 --> 00:04:21.920 resolved to smoke it. I filled it with perik. Ordinarily 80 00:04:21.959 --> 00:04:24.639 I used bird's eye, But on those very rare occasions 81 00:04:24.639 --> 00:04:28.439 on which I use a specimen, I smoked perique. I 82 00:04:28.519 --> 00:04:31.480 let it up with a small sensation of excitement. As 83 00:04:31.519 --> 00:04:34.519 I did so, I kept my eyes perforce fixed upon 84 00:04:34.560 --> 00:04:38.600 the beast. The beast pointed its upraised tentacle directly at 85 00:04:38.639 --> 00:04:43.040 me as I inhaled the pungent tobacco. That that tentacle 86 00:04:43.079 --> 00:04:46.279 impressed me with a feeling of actual uncanniness. It was 87 00:04:46.319 --> 00:04:49.160 broad daylight, and I was smoking in front of the window. 88 00:04:49.439 --> 00:04:52.000 Yet to such an extent was I affected that it 89 00:04:52.040 --> 00:04:55.279 seemed to me that the tentacle was not only vibrating, which, 90 00:04:55.680 --> 00:04:58.639 owing to the peculiarity of its position, was quite within 91 00:04:58.680 --> 00:05:03.480 the range of probability, but actually moving, elongating, stretching forward, 92 00:05:04.000 --> 00:05:06.800 that is, farther towards me and toward the tip of 93 00:05:06.839 --> 00:05:10.079 my nose. So impressed was I by this idea, that 94 00:05:10.160 --> 00:05:12.800 I took the pipe out of my mouth and minutely 95 00:05:12.839 --> 00:05:18.120 examined the beast. Really, the delusion was excusable, So cunningly 96 00:05:18.120 --> 00:05:20.879 had the artist wrought that he succeeded in producing a 97 00:05:20.879 --> 00:05:24.759 creature which such was as its uncanniness I could only 98 00:05:24.839 --> 00:05:30.879 hope had no original in nature. Replacing the pipe between 99 00:05:30.879 --> 00:05:34.560 my lips, I took several whiffs. Never had smoking had 100 00:05:34.600 --> 00:05:37.480 such an effect on me. Before either the pipe or 101 00:05:37.519 --> 00:05:41.759 the creature on it exercised some singular fascination, I seemed, 102 00:05:41.839 --> 00:05:44.959 without an instant's warning, to be passing into some land 103 00:05:45.000 --> 00:05:48.040 of dreams. I saw the beast, which was perched upon 104 00:05:48.120 --> 00:05:51.920 the bowl, writhe and twist. I saw it lift itself 105 00:05:52.040 --> 00:05:57.879 bodily from the Meresham Feeling better now, I looked up. 106 00:05:58.079 --> 00:06:01.639 Joseph Chress was speaking, What's the matter? Have I been ill? 107 00:06:02.439 --> 00:06:04.439 You appear to have been in some kind of swoon. 108 00:06:04.959 --> 00:06:09.600 Trest's tone was peculiar, even a little dry swoon. I 109 00:06:09.680 --> 00:06:11.600 never was guilty of such a thing in my life, 110 00:06:12.360 --> 00:06:16.839 nor was I until I smoked that pipe. I sat up. 111 00:06:17.519 --> 00:06:19.519 The act of sitting up bade me conscious of the 112 00:06:19.560 --> 00:06:22.959 fact that I had been lying down, conscious too, that 113 00:06:23.040 --> 00:06:25.600 I was feeling more than a little dazed. It seemed 114 00:06:25.600 --> 00:06:29.000 as though I was waking out of some strange lethargic sleep, 115 00:06:29.480 --> 00:06:31.639 a kind of feeling which I have read of and 116 00:06:31.720 --> 00:06:37.040 heard about, but never before experienced. Where am I? Ye're 117 00:06:37.120 --> 00:06:39.519 on the couch in your own room. You were on 118 00:06:39.560 --> 00:06:41.240 the floor, but I thought it would be better to 119 00:06:41.240 --> 00:06:44.000 pick you up and place you on the couch. Though 120 00:06:44.040 --> 00:06:46.920 no one performed the same kind office to me. When 121 00:06:46.920 --> 00:06:50.959 I was on the floor again, Tress's tone was distinctly dry. 122 00:06:52.079 --> 00:06:56.279 How came you here, Ah, that's the question. He rubbed 123 00:06:56.279 --> 00:06:58.959 his chin, a habit of his which has annoyed me 124 00:06:59.040 --> 00:07:02.480 more than once before. Or do you think you're sufficiently 125 00:07:02.519 --> 00:07:06.519 recovered to enable you to understand a simple explanation. I 126 00:07:06.560 --> 00:07:09.720 stared at him, amazed. He went on stroking his chin. 127 00:07:10.519 --> 00:07:12.240 The truth is that when I sent you the pipe, 128 00:07:12.240 --> 00:07:17.079 I made a slight omission. And omission I omitted to 129 00:07:17.120 --> 00:07:22.240 advise you not to smoke it. And why because well, 130 00:07:23.319 --> 00:07:26.560 I have reason to believe the thing is drugged, drugged 131 00:07:27.240 --> 00:07:31.959 or poisoned poison. I was wide awake enough. Then I 132 00:07:32.040 --> 00:07:36.720 jumped off the couch with a celerity which proved it. 133 00:07:36.720 --> 00:07:39.120 It is this way I became its owner, in rather 134 00:07:39.240 --> 00:07:43.360 a singular manner. He paused as if for me to 135 00:07:43.399 --> 00:07:46.800 make a remark, but I was silent. It is not 136 00:07:46.839 --> 00:07:49.360 often that I smoke a specimen. But for some reason 137 00:07:49.399 --> 00:07:52.199 I did smoke this. I commenced to smoke it. That 138 00:07:52.319 --> 00:07:55.079 is how long I continued to smoke it is more 139 00:07:55.120 --> 00:07:57.519 than I can say. It had on me the same 140 00:07:57.560 --> 00:08:00.000 peculiar effect which it appears to have had on you. 141 00:08:01.079 --> 00:08:03.680 When I recovered consciousness, I was lying on the floor, 142 00:08:04.600 --> 00:08:09.959 on the floor, on the floor, and about as uncomfortable 143 00:08:10.040 --> 00:08:13.600 a position as you can easily conceive. I was lying 144 00:08:13.639 --> 00:08:16.680 face down, ruth with my legs bent under me. I 145 00:08:16.759 --> 00:08:19.199 was never so surprised in my life as when I 146 00:08:19.240 --> 00:08:22.959 found myself where I was. At first, I supposed that 147 00:08:23.000 --> 00:08:25.519 I had had a stroke, But by degrees it dawned 148 00:08:25.600 --> 00:08:28.040 upon me. I didn't feel as though I had had 149 00:08:28.079 --> 00:08:32.159 a stroke. Dress, by the way, has been an army surgeon. 150 00:08:33.440 --> 00:08:37.080 I was conscious of distinct nausea. Looking about, I saw 151 00:08:37.120 --> 00:08:40.080 the pipe with me. It had fallen on the floor. 152 00:08:40.799 --> 00:08:43.759 I took it for granted, considering the delicacy of the carving, 153 00:08:43.840 --> 00:08:46.039 that the fall had broken it. But when I picked 154 00:08:46.080 --> 00:08:49.320 it up, I found it quite uninjured. While I was 155 00:08:49.720 --> 00:08:53.080 examining it, a thought flashed to my brain. Might it 156 00:08:53.120 --> 00:08:55.600 not be answerable for what had happened to me? Suppose, 157 00:08:55.639 --> 00:08:59.600 for instance, it was drugged. I had heard of such things. Besides, 158 00:08:59.679 --> 00:09:03.960 in my case were present all the symptoms of drug poisoning. 159 00:09:04.200 --> 00:09:06.039 Though what drug had been used I couldn't in the 160 00:09:06.159 --> 00:09:09.240 least conceive. I resolved that I would give the pipe 161 00:09:09.279 --> 00:09:13.720 another trial, on yourself or on another party, meaning me, 162 00:09:15.360 --> 00:09:18.919 on myself, my dear phew, on myself. At that point 163 00:09:18.919 --> 00:09:21.320 of my investigations, I had not begun to think of you. 164 00:09:21.840 --> 00:09:27.000 I lit it up and had another smoke. With what result, well, 165 00:09:27.240 --> 00:09:29.559 that depends on the standpoint from which you regard the 166 00:09:29.600 --> 00:09:32.279 whole thing. From one point of view, the result was 167 00:09:32.320 --> 00:09:35.679 wholly satisfactory. I proved that the thing was drugged, and more, 168 00:09:36.879 --> 00:09:41.679 did you have another fall? I did, and something else besides. 169 00:09:43.120 --> 00:09:45.799 On that account, I presume you resolved to pass the 170 00:09:45.799 --> 00:09:49.320 treasure on to me, partly on that account and partly 171 00:09:49.360 --> 00:09:54.360 on another. On my word, I appreciate your generosity. You 172 00:09:54.440 --> 00:09:58.399 might have labeled the thing as poison exactly, But then 173 00:09:58.440 --> 00:10:00.279 you must remember how often you have told told me 174 00:10:00.320 --> 00:10:05.519 that you never smoke your specimens. That was no reason 175 00:10:05.519 --> 00:10:07.399 why you shouldn't have given me a hint that the 176 00:10:07.440 --> 00:10:10.879 thing was more dangerous than dynamite. That did occur to 177 00:10:10.879 --> 00:10:14.840 me afterwards. Therefore, I called the supply the slight omission. 178 00:10:15.279 --> 00:10:18.360 Slight omission you call it. I wonder what you have 179 00:10:18.360 --> 00:10:21.279 called it if you had found me dead, if I 180 00:10:21.279 --> 00:10:23.840 had known that you intended smoking it, I should not 181 00:10:23.960 --> 00:10:27.679 have been at all surprised if I had, really, Tress, 182 00:10:27.720 --> 00:10:31.519 I appreciate your kindness more and more. Where is this 183 00:10:31.840 --> 00:10:35.759 example of your splendid benevolence. Have you pocketed it, regretting 184 00:10:35.759 --> 00:10:39.320 your laps in the unaccustomed paths of generosity? Or is 185 00:10:39.360 --> 00:10:42.519 it smashed to atoms? Neither the one nor the other. 186 00:10:43.200 --> 00:10:46.039 You will find the pipe upon the table. I neither 187 00:10:46.120 --> 00:10:49.279 desire its restoration, nor is it in any way injured. 188 00:10:49.679 --> 00:10:52.559 It is merely an expression of personal opinion when I 189 00:10:52.600 --> 00:10:55.159 say that I don't believe that it could be injured. 190 00:10:55.960 --> 00:11:00.360 Of course, having discovered its deleterious properties, you will want 191 00:11:00.399 --> 00:11:03.159 to smoke it again. You will therefore be able to 192 00:11:03.279 --> 00:11:06.240 enjoy the consciousness of being the possessor of what I 193 00:11:06.279 --> 00:11:10.279 honestly believe to be the most remarkable pipe in existence. 194 00:11:11.000 --> 00:11:14.320 Good day, Peugh. He was gone before I could say 195 00:11:14.360 --> 00:11:18.000 a word. I immediately concluded from the precipitancy of his 196 00:11:18.120 --> 00:11:21.440 flight that the pipe was injured. But when I subjected 197 00:11:21.480 --> 00:11:25.000 it to close examination, I could discover no signs of damage. 198 00:11:25.840 --> 00:11:28.919 While I was still eyeing it with jealous scrutiny, the 199 00:11:28.960 --> 00:11:33.519 door reopened and Tress came in again. By the way, Peugh. 200 00:11:34.000 --> 00:11:36.399 There's one thing I might mention, especially as I know 201 00:11:36.480 --> 00:11:40.279 it won't make any difference to you. That depends on 202 00:11:40.320 --> 00:11:42.279 what it is. If you have changed your mind and 203 00:11:42.320 --> 00:11:44.519 want the pipe back again, I tell you frankly that 204 00:11:44.600 --> 00:11:47.679 it won't, and my opinion, a thing once given is 205 00:11:47.720 --> 00:11:51.120 given for good. Quite so I don't want it back again. 206 00:11:52.159 --> 00:11:54.360 You may make your mind easy on that point. I 207 00:11:54.440 --> 00:11:57.840 merely wanted to tell you why I gave it to you. 208 00:11:57.840 --> 00:12:01.720 You have told me that already, only partly, my dear pew, 209 00:12:01.919 --> 00:12:05.120 only partly. You don't suppose I should have given you 210 00:12:05.159 --> 00:12:07.639 such a pipe as that merely because it happened to 211 00:12:07.679 --> 00:12:11.440 be drugged scarcely. I gave it to you because I discovered, 212 00:12:11.440 --> 00:12:19.440 from indisputable evidence, and to my cost, that it was haunted. Haunted, yes, haunted. 213 00:12:20.399 --> 00:12:24.120 Good day. He was gone again. I ran out of 214 00:12:24.159 --> 00:12:26.879 the room and shouted after him down the stairs. He 215 00:12:27.000 --> 00:12:30.320 was already at the bottom of the flight dress. Come back. 216 00:12:30.759 --> 00:12:33.720 What do you mean by talking such nonsense? Of course, 217 00:12:33.720 --> 00:12:36.879 it's only nonsense. We know that sort of thing always 218 00:12:36.919 --> 00:12:39.720 is nonsense. Are you sure to have any reason to 219 00:12:39.759 --> 00:12:43.120 suppose that there is something in it. Besides nonsense. You 220 00:12:43.200 --> 00:12:45.440 may think it worth your while to make inquiries of me, 221 00:12:46.200 --> 00:12:48.120 but I won't have that pipe back again in my 222 00:12:48.159 --> 00:12:51.840 possession on any terms. Mind that the bang of the 223 00:12:51.840 --> 00:12:53.879 front door told me that he had gone out into 224 00:12:53.919 --> 00:12:57.080 the street. I let him go, I laughed to myself 225 00:12:57.080 --> 00:13:00.240 as I re entered the room, haunted. That was not 226 00:13:00.279 --> 00:13:02.559 a bad idea of his. I saw the whole position 227 00:13:02.639 --> 00:13:05.519 at a glance. The truth of the matter was that 228 00:13:05.559 --> 00:13:08.679 he did regret his generosity, and he was ready to 229 00:13:08.720 --> 00:13:11.159 go to any lengths if he could only succeed in 230 00:13:11.240 --> 00:13:14.679 conjoling me into restoring his gift. He was aware that 231 00:13:14.759 --> 00:13:17.759 I have views upon certain matters which are not wholly 232 00:13:17.799 --> 00:13:20.720 in accordance with those which are popularly supposed to be 233 00:13:20.759 --> 00:13:23.639 the views of the day, and particularly that on the 234 00:13:23.720 --> 00:13:27.039 question of what are commonly called supernatural visitations, I have 235 00:13:27.120 --> 00:13:30.519 a standpoint of my own. Therefore, it was not a 236 00:13:30.559 --> 00:13:32.639 bad move on his part to try to make me 237 00:13:32.679 --> 00:13:34.759 believe that about the pipe on which he knew I 238 00:13:34.759 --> 00:13:37.080 had set my heart, there was something which could not 239 00:13:37.159 --> 00:13:41.080 be accounted for by ordinary laws. Yet, as his own 240 00:13:41.159 --> 00:13:43.480 sense would have told him, it would do if he 241 00:13:43.519 --> 00:13:46.639 had only allowed himself to reflect for a moment. The 242 00:13:46.720 --> 00:13:49.799 move failed because I am not yet so far gone 243 00:13:49.799 --> 00:13:52.840 as to suppose that a pipe a thing of mercham 244 00:13:52.919 --> 00:13:55.879 and amber in the sense in which I understand the word, 245 00:13:56.200 --> 00:14:01.240 could be haunted a pipe a mere pipe. Hoo. I 246 00:14:01.279 --> 00:14:03.720 thought the creature's legs were twined right round the bull. 247 00:14:04.000 --> 00:14:06.240 I was holding the pipe in my hand, regarding it 248 00:14:06.279 --> 00:14:09.320 with the affectionate eyes with which a connoisseur does regard 249 00:14:09.360 --> 00:14:14.399 a curio. When I induced to make this exclamation, I 250 00:14:14.480 --> 00:14:17.159 was certainly under the impression that when I first took 251 00:14:17.200 --> 00:14:19.879 the pipe out of the box, two, if not three, 252 00:14:19.879 --> 00:14:23.120 of the feelers had been twined about the bull, twined 253 00:14:23.399 --> 00:14:26.879 tightly so that you could not see daylight between them 254 00:14:26.879 --> 00:14:31.200 and it. Now they were almost entirely detached, only the 255 00:14:31.320 --> 00:14:35.879 tips touching the mersham, and those particular feelers were gathered up, 256 00:14:35.960 --> 00:14:37.720 as though the creature were in the act of taking 257 00:14:37.759 --> 00:14:41.720 a spring. Of course, I was under a misapprehension the 258 00:14:41.720 --> 00:14:45.200 feelers couldn't have been twined a moment before. I should 259 00:14:45.200 --> 00:14:47.000 have been ready to put a thousand to one that 260 00:14:47.080 --> 00:14:51.360 they were. Still. One does make mistakes, and very egregious 261 00:14:51.360 --> 00:14:54.399 mistakes at times. At the same time, I confess that 262 00:14:54.440 --> 00:14:57.320 when I saw that dreadful looking animal poised on the 263 00:14:57.360 --> 00:14:59.759 extreme edge of the bowl for all the world, as 264 00:14:59.759 --> 00:15:02.240 though were just going to spring at me, I was 265 00:15:02.279 --> 00:15:06.039 a little started. I remembered that when I was smoking 266 00:15:06.039 --> 00:15:08.480 the pipe, I did think I saw the uplifted tentacle 267 00:15:08.519 --> 00:15:11.799 moving as though it were reaching out to me. And 268 00:15:11.879 --> 00:15:14.039 I had a clear recollection that, just as I had 269 00:15:14.080 --> 00:15:17.399 been sinking into that strange state of unconsciousness, I had 270 00:15:17.440 --> 00:15:20.240 been under the impression that the creature was writhing and twisting, 271 00:15:20.600 --> 00:15:24.759 as though it had suddenly become instinct with life. Under 272 00:15:24.759 --> 00:15:28.960 the circumstances, these reflections were not pleasant. I wished Trest 273 00:15:29.240 --> 00:15:31.840 had not talked that nonsense about the thing being haunted. 274 00:15:32.879 --> 00:15:34.879 It was surely sufficient to know that it was drugged 275 00:15:34.919 --> 00:15:38.919 and poisonous. Without anything else, I replaced it in the 276 00:15:38.960 --> 00:15:43.000 sandalwood box. I locked a box in the cabinet. Quite 277 00:15:43.000 --> 00:15:45.360 apart from the question as to whether that pipe was 278 00:15:45.759 --> 00:15:49.200 or was not haunted, I know what haunted me. It 279 00:15:49.240 --> 00:15:51.360 was with me in a figurative which was worse than 280 00:15:51.399 --> 00:15:55.440 actual since all the day, still worse. It was with 281 00:15:55.480 --> 00:15:57.919 me all the night. It was with me in my dreams. 282 00:15:58.000 --> 00:16:01.840 Such dreams possibly not yet wholly recovered from the effects 283 00:16:01.840 --> 00:16:05.399 of that insidious drug. But whether or no, it was 284 00:16:05.559 --> 00:16:07.799 very wrong of trust to set my thoughts into such 285 00:16:07.840 --> 00:16:10.879 a channel. He knows that I am of a highly 286 00:16:10.879 --> 00:16:14.279 imaginative temperament, and that it is easier to get morbid 287 00:16:14.279 --> 00:16:16.559 thoughts into my mind than to get them out again. 288 00:16:17.399 --> 00:16:19.759 Before that night was through, I wished very heartily that 289 00:16:19.840 --> 00:16:22.399 I had never seen the pipe. I awoke from one 290 00:16:22.480 --> 00:16:25.799 nightmare to fall into another. One dreadful dream was with 291 00:16:25.919 --> 00:16:28.799 me all the time of a hideous green reptile which 292 00:16:28.840 --> 00:16:33.159 advanced toward me out of some awful darkness, slowly inch 293 00:16:33.279 --> 00:16:35.960 by inch, until it clutched me around the neck, and, 294 00:16:36.399 --> 00:16:39.759 gluing its lips to mine, sucked the life's blood out 295 00:16:39.799 --> 00:16:43.360 of my veins as it embraced me with a slimy kiss. 296 00:16:44.200 --> 00:16:48.399 Such dreams are not RESTful. I woke anything but refreshed 297 00:16:48.399 --> 00:16:51.159 when the morning came, and when I got up and dressed, 298 00:16:51.200 --> 00:16:53.919 I felt that on the whole it would perhaps have 299 00:16:53.960 --> 00:16:57.000 been better if I never had gone to bed. My 300 00:16:57.120 --> 00:17:01.240 nerves were unstrung, and I had that generally tremulous feeling, 301 00:17:01.279 --> 00:17:04.680 which is I believe an inseparable companion of the more 302 00:17:04.759 --> 00:17:09.880 advanced stages of dipsomnia. I ate no breakfast. I am 303 00:17:09.920 --> 00:17:13.119 no breakfast eater as a rule, But that morning I 304 00:17:13.160 --> 00:17:18.640 had absolutely nothing. If this sort of thing is to continue, 305 00:17:18.799 --> 00:17:21.480 I will let Trust have his pipe again. He may 306 00:17:21.519 --> 00:17:23.960 have the laugh of me, but anything is better than this. 307 00:17:26.200 --> 00:17:29.640 It was with almost funeral foreboding, so that I went 308 00:17:29.680 --> 00:17:31.599 to the cabinet in which I had placed the sandal 309 00:17:31.599 --> 00:17:34.759 wood box. But when I opened it, my feelings of 310 00:17:34.839 --> 00:17:39.119 gloom partially vanished. Of what fantasies had I been guilty? 311 00:17:39.839 --> 00:17:42.599 It must have been entire delusion on my part to 312 00:17:42.720 --> 00:17:46.160 suppose those tentacula had ever been twined about the bowl. 313 00:17:47.039 --> 00:17:49.799 The creature was in exactly the same position in which 314 00:17:49.839 --> 00:17:52.680 I had left the day before, As of course I 315 00:17:52.720 --> 00:17:55.640 knew it would be poised as if about to spring. 316 00:17:56.359 --> 00:17:58.759 I was telling myself how foolish I had been to 317 00:17:58.839 --> 00:18:01.119 allow myself to dwell for a moment on trust His 318 00:18:01.200 --> 00:18:06.519 words when Martin Brasher was shown in Brasher is an 319 00:18:06.519 --> 00:18:10.240 old friend of mine. We have a common ground ghosts, 320 00:18:10.839 --> 00:18:13.839 only we approach them from different points of view. He 321 00:18:13.920 --> 00:18:18.960 takes the scientific, psychological and query side. He's always anxious 322 00:18:18.960 --> 00:18:20.640 to hear of a ghosts that he may have an 323 00:18:20.640 --> 00:18:24.640 opportunity of showing it up. I have something in your 324 00:18:24.680 --> 00:18:27.920 line here, I observed, as he came in in my line. 325 00:18:28.039 --> 00:18:32.200 How so I'm not pipe mad, No, but you're ghost mad, 326 00:18:32.599 --> 00:18:36.720 and this is a haunted pipe, a haunted pipe. I 327 00:18:36.759 --> 00:18:39.720 think you're rather more mad about my ghosts, my dear pew, 328 00:18:39.799 --> 00:18:43.839 than I am. Then I told him all about it. 329 00:18:44.039 --> 00:18:46.720 He was deeply interested, especially when I told him that 330 00:18:46.799 --> 00:18:49.759 the pipe was dropped. But when I repeated Truss's words 331 00:18:49.799 --> 00:18:52.920 about its being haunted and mentioned my own delusion about 332 00:18:52.920 --> 00:18:55.559 the creature moving, he took a more serious view of 333 00:18:55.559 --> 00:18:59.160 the case than I had suspected he would do. I 334 00:18:59.240 --> 00:19:02.440 propose that we have on Trust's suggestion, and go and 335 00:19:02.480 --> 00:19:06.039 make inquiries of him. But you don't really think that 336 00:19:06.079 --> 00:19:09.400 there is anything in it on these subjects. I never 337 00:19:09.400 --> 00:19:12.440 allow myself to think at all. There are Trust's words, 338 00:19:12.720 --> 00:19:15.839 and there is your story. It's agreed on all hands 339 00:19:15.839 --> 00:19:19.559 that the pipe has peculiar properties. It seems to me 340 00:19:19.640 --> 00:19:22.400 that there is a sufficient case here to merit inquiry, 341 00:19:23.559 --> 00:19:27.319 he persuaded me. I went with him the pipe and 342 00:19:27.400 --> 00:19:31.799 the sandalwood box went to trust received us with a grin, 343 00:19:32.359 --> 00:19:35.039 a grin which was accentuated when I placed the sandalwood 344 00:19:35.079 --> 00:19:39.559 box on the table. You understand he said that a 345 00:19:39.599 --> 00:19:43.279 gift is a gift on known terms. Will I consent 346 00:19:43.319 --> 00:19:47.680 to receive that pipe back in my possession. I was 347 00:19:47.759 --> 00:19:51.480 rather nettled by his tone. You need be under no alarm. 348 00:19:52.000 --> 00:19:54.480 I have no intention of suggesting anything of the kind. 349 00:19:55.160 --> 00:19:58.799 Our business here, began Brasher. I must own that his 350 00:19:58.880 --> 00:20:02.599 manner is a little p is of a scientific I 351 00:20:02.680 --> 00:20:05.319 may say, also, and at the same time of a 352 00:20:05.400 --> 00:20:09.920 judicial nature. Our object is the pursuit of truth and 353 00:20:09.960 --> 00:20:14.400 the advancement of inquiry. Have you been trying another smoke? 354 00:20:14.599 --> 00:20:19.279 Inquired Tress, nodding his head toward me. Before I had 355 00:20:19.319 --> 00:20:23.160 time to answer, Brasher went droning on. Our friend here 356 00:20:23.200 --> 00:20:26.160 tells me that you say this pipe is haunted. I 357 00:20:26.279 --> 00:20:30.319 say it is haunted because it is haunted. I looked 358 00:20:30.319 --> 00:20:33.880 at Truss. I half suspected that he was poking fun 359 00:20:33.880 --> 00:20:37.839 at us, But he appeared to be serious enough in 360 00:20:37.920 --> 00:20:41.000 these matters, remarked Brasher, as though he were giving utterance 361 00:20:41.000 --> 00:20:44.039 to a new and important truth. There is a scientific 362 00:20:44.400 --> 00:20:49.400 and a non scientific method of inquiry. The scientific method 363 00:20:49.519 --> 00:20:51.960 is to begin at the beginning. I ask how this 364 00:20:52.119 --> 00:20:56.519 pipe came into your possession. Tress paused before he answered, 365 00:20:57.400 --> 00:21:00.279 you may ask. He paused again, Oh you, sir, certainly 366 00:21:00.279 --> 00:21:03.200 they may ask. But it doesn't follow that I shall 367 00:21:03.240 --> 00:21:08.480 tell you. Surely your object like ours can be. But 368 00:21:08.640 --> 00:21:14.119 spreading about of the truth, I don't see it at all. 369 00:21:14.480 --> 00:21:16.759 It is possible to imagine a case in which the 370 00:21:16.799 --> 00:21:20.279 spreading about of the truth might make me look a 371 00:21:20.279 --> 00:21:25.880 little awkward. Indeed, Rasher pursed up his lips. Your words 372 00:21:25.960 --> 00:21:28.359 almost lead one to suppose that there was something about 373 00:21:28.400 --> 00:21:31.640 your method of acquiring the pipe which you have good 374 00:21:31.720 --> 00:21:35.359 and weighty reasons for concealing. I don't know why I 375 00:21:35.359 --> 00:21:38.359 should conceal the thing from you. I don't suppose either 376 00:21:38.400 --> 00:21:40.160 of you is any better than I am. I don't 377 00:21:40.160 --> 00:21:42.359 mind telling you how I got the pipe. I stole it, 378 00:21:43.000 --> 00:21:48.559 stole it. Rasher seemed both amazed and shocked, But I, 379 00:21:48.640 --> 00:21:51.440 who had previous experience of Trest's methods of adding to 380 00:21:51.480 --> 00:21:56.279 his collection, was not at all surprised. Some of the 381 00:21:56.279 --> 00:21:59.240 pipes which he calls his. If only the whole truth 382 00:21:59.519 --> 00:22:03.720 about or publicly known, would send him to jail. That's nothing, 383 00:22:03.759 --> 00:22:07.599 he continued, all collector steal. The ethh commandment was not 384 00:22:07.680 --> 00:22:11.359 intended to apply to them. Why Pew there has conveyed 385 00:22:11.480 --> 00:22:14.359 three fourths of the pipe which he flatters himself, are his. 386 00:22:15.599 --> 00:22:17.880 I was so dumbfoundered by the charge that it took 387 00:22:17.920 --> 00:22:22.880 my breath away. I sat in an astounded silence. Tress 388 00:22:22.960 --> 00:22:26.400 went raving on. I was so shy of this particular 389 00:22:26.480 --> 00:22:28.440 pipe when I had obtained it that I put it 390 00:22:28.480 --> 00:22:31.880 away for quite three months. I took it out to 391 00:22:31.920 --> 00:22:34.079 have a look at it. Something about the thing so 392 00:22:34.240 --> 00:22:37.440 tickled me that I resolved to smoke it, owing to 393 00:22:37.599 --> 00:22:41.160 peculiar circumstances attending the manner in which the thing came 394 00:22:41.200 --> 00:22:45.799 into my possession on which I need not dwell. You 395 00:22:45.839 --> 00:22:48.200 don't like to dwell on those sort of things, do you, Pew. 396 00:22:49.359 --> 00:22:52.440 I knew really nothing about the pipe, as was the 397 00:22:52.480 --> 00:22:56.559 gaze with pew. One peculiarity. I learned from actual experience. 398 00:22:57.200 --> 00:22:59.519 It was also from actual experience that I learned that 399 00:22:59.559 --> 00:23:04.000 the thing was well, I said, haunted. But you may 400 00:23:04.079 --> 00:23:08.319 use any other word you like. Tell us as briefly 401 00:23:08.319 --> 00:23:13.160