| Case I: A Psychical Invasion |
| Case II: Ancient Sorceries |
| Case III: The Nemesis of Fire |
To
M.L.W.
The Original of John Silence
and
My Companion in Many Adventures
“And what is it makes you think I could be of use in this particularcase?” asked Dr. John Silence, looking across somewhat sceptically at theSwedish lady in the chair facing him.
“Your sympathetic heart and your knowledge of occultism—”
“Oh, please—that dreadful word!” he interrupted, holding up afinger with a gesture of impatience.
“Well, then,” she laughed, “your wonderful clairvoyant giftand your trained psychic knowledge of the processes by which a personality maybe disintegrated and destroyed—these strange studies you’ve beenexperimenting with all these years—”
“If it’s only a case of multiple personality I must really cryoff,” interrupted the doctor again hastily, a bored expression in hiseyes.
“It’s not that; now, please, be serious, for I want yourhelp,” she said; “and if I choose my words poorly you must bepatient with my ignorance. The case I know will interest you, and no one elsecould deal with it so well. In fact, no ordinary professional man could dealwith it at all, for I know of no treatment nor medicine that can restore a lostsense of humour!”
“You begin to interest me with your ‘case,’” hereplied, and made himself comfortable to listen.
Mrs. Sivendson drew a sigh of contentment as she watched him go to the tube andheard him tell the servant he was not to be disturbed.
“I believe you have read my thoughts already,” she said;“your intuitive knowledge of what goes on in other people’s mindsis positively uncanny.”
Her friend shook his head and smiled as he drew his chair up to a convenientposition and prepared to listen attentively to what she had to say. He closedhis eyes, as he always did when he wished to absorb the real meaning of arecital that might be inadequately expressed, for by this method he found iteasier to set himself in tune with the living thoughts that lay behind thebroken words.
By his friends John Silence was regarded as an eccentric, because he was richby accident, and by choice—a doctor. That a man of independent meansshould devote his time to doctoring, chiefly doctoring folk who could not pay,passed their comprehension entirely. The native nobility of a soul whose firstdesire was to help those who could not help themselves, puzzled them. Afterthat, it irritated them, and, greatly to his own satisfaction, they left him tohis own devices.
Dr. Silence was a free-lance, though, among doctors, having neitherconsulting-room, bookkeeper, nor professional manner. He took no fees, being atheart a genuine philanthropist, yet at the same time did no harm to hisfellow-practitioners, because he only accepted unremunerative cases, and casesthat interested him for some very special reason. He argued that the rich couldpay, and the very poor could avail themselves of organised charity, but that avery large class of ill-paid, self-respecting workers, often followers of thearts, could not afford the price of a week’s comforts merely to be toldto travel. And it was these he desired to help: cases often requiring specialand patient study—things no doctor ca