Delapine

“ The professor had a habit of nervously playing with his fingers which spread over every object they touched like the tentacles of a medusa, as if they were eager to come into contact with the ultimate particles of matter.
Delapine stood nearly six feet high, with very dark glossy hair falling almost to his shoulders, and wearing a moustache with twisted ends and a short pointed beard. The professor was invariably attired in a black frock coat and cravat, the sombreness being relieved by the red ribbon of the Legion of Honour. He was a man who would command attention anywhere. ”

“ Villebois, impressed with the calmness and with the queer look of determination and severity in Delapine's eyes, ran back to the summer-house, and brought a fresh cup of coffee.
"Thank you so much: it is always better to repeat an experiment, especially when the result is so unexpected," said Delapine as he poured a few drops of the fresh coffee on another sun-dew plant. "How odd," he muttered, his grey eyes lighting up with a peculiar smile of surprise, mingled with severity.
"It is very strange," he continued, "in this case nothing whatever has happened—the tentacles have not even moved." ”

“ Immediately behind followed a second carriage with the Villebois family, while Monsieur and Madame Beaupaire with Violette and Marcel occupied a third one. Such a sight had not been witnessed for many years. The cheering was deafening. Delapine was obliged to keep bowing every moment along the route. "Vive Delapine!" could be heard on all sides until the cry became a mighty roar of voices all along the route.
On arriving at the Sorbonne he was ushered into a large room where a special banquet had been prepared for the professor and his party. Scientists were present from every part of France. ”

“ What a fool I was not to take the number of the watch; for, as the professor rightly says, it affords the only clue to its recovery."
"That is quite easy," said Delapine quietly. "The number is B40479, and the name of the maker is Bréguet."
"How can I prove that you are correct?" cried Payot, uncertain whether to be angry with the professor for making fun of him, or to be nonplussed at his uncanny knowledge.
"Nothing is more simple," answered Delapine. "My dear Villebois, would you mind touching the bell?" ”

“ Active, alert, with an imposing presence, he stood out from the crowd as one born to command. The pale, almost wax-like face, the [Pg 15] lofty brow, the firm compressed lips ever and anon breaking out into a smile, all contributed to form a personality which would be both respected and loved. Delapine was slow and measured in speech, and possessed a rich voice of peculiar charm and flexibility which impressed and delighted his audience. ”

“ The financier turned pale as death, while Renée trembled all over.
"I want Monsieur Delapine to retire to the cabinet, I think I can then collect power enough to appear and speak," was rapped out.
Delapine leaned over to Riche and whispered in his ear,
"Whatever you do, you must not disturb me nor touch any materialised form you may see without permission from the person. Get the camera ready and use your largest plate, and be prepared to expose by the magnesium light the instant when you get permission by the voice. Now put the red shade over the lamp and turn it down lower." ”

“ The cellar was quite dark save for a gleam of reflected daylight which issued through a ventilating grating near the ceiling. On the afternoon following their previous interview, father and son again met in the General's study to discuss further their plan of campaign in their endeavour to get the hated Delapine out of their path.
"By the way," said the General, "I don't suppose you'll have any objection to joining me in a glass of wine? Thoughts and words often flow more freely, and ideas spring more quickly under the gentle influence. ”

“ What on earth can Renée find to admire in a mad fossil like Delapine? Besides, he is as poor as a church mouse; he has nothing in the world beyond his pittance from the Government—a mere fifteen thousand francs a year. ”

“ Do you mean Professor Henri Delapine of the Sorbonne?"
"Yes, why do you ask?"
"My dear fellow, don't lose a minute. He is the very man for you. I know him intimately—an awfully good sort, and clever! Why he is the smartest man in Paris. I'll lay you a wager of any amount you like, that Delapine will pull you through. Shake," he said proffering his hand to Payot who grasped it warmly.
"Thank you with all my heart," said Payot; "we will see him immediately," and M. Beaupaire hailed a taxi, and they drove to the Villebois's. ”

“ That is the whole secret, [Pg 322] gentlemen—'Mens agitat molem' (the mind moves matter) is just as true to-day as it was when Vigil wrote these words nearly nineteen hundred years ago."
Thereupon Delapine took Renée by the hand, and bowing gracefully to the astonished and bewildered officials, and shaking hands with M. Eperon, he left the gendarmerie amid the applause of the crowd.
As his party were leaving the police court, Delapine gave a handsome present to each of the croupiers, and also paid a couple of detectives to assist in carrying the spoils in a large bag to the carriage. ”

“ We can only wait patiently until something happens."
A few days later Renée was lying in her bed about midnight in a semi-drowsy condition, when she suddenly saw a bright light floating like a nimbus over Delapine's head. She gave a little scream, and then becoming more and more awake gazed on it with intense fascination. At first it moved slightly, and then growing larger and larger began to condense into the form of a human face. ”

“ The head of the Administration gave a grim smile as he ordered the sum of half a million francs to be handed to him in crisp bank notes.
"Ah! that is better," replied Delapine as he put them very carefully away in his pocket-book.
"The whole secret, gentlemen," said the professor slowly and with great deliberation, "lies in my will power. It is the power of Mind over Matter. When I concentrate the whole of my will on the little ball, and resolve that it shall stop, it is obliged to do so. ”

“ In their excitement both the General and his son imagined they heard Delapine speaking.
"It is for you to fall on your knees, not for me," the spectre of the professor seemed to say very calmly, and then appeared to add by signs "Fire if you like, but I warn you of the consequences." ”

“ And then awake as from a pleasant sleep."
"I have often thought," interrupted Delapine who was listening most intently, "how I should like to leave this life, and then after a long sojourn in some other world, to wake up and find myself, like Juliet, once more at home. What countless problems one could solve, problems which have occupied the scientists for years. You cannot imagine, Renée, my intense longing to enter into the unknown and penetrate into the sealed mysteries of Nature. ”

“ Everyone roared with laughter, and Madame Villebois became very red and confused, and discreetly held her tongue.
A short silence ensued, and then Delapine awoke out of his reverie.
"The most astonishing thing about psychic phenomena," said Delapine, "is that nearly all men are profoundly ignorant of the very elements of the subject. The man in the street laughs at them, and the scientific man refuses to examine them, and yet the amount of literature which has been written on the subject is prodigious. ”

“ Renée was looking at her lover, and her hand trembled as she watched the change which came over his face. She caught hold of his hand.
"Don't worry your little head, Renée," said Delapine gently. "Riche," he continued, "I should be obliged if you and Marcel will do me the favour to follow that gentleman who has just left the salon, and let me know what he is doing and where he is living. Come and report to me at the hotel. I shall be leaving myself very soon. But be sure and don't let him see you, and don't tell a soul." ”

“ I remember turning round to see who he was, but he had vanished, and then I woke up."
"My dear Renée," said Madame terribly shocked, "you must not let the professor put such dreadful things into your little head, such dreams and ideas are only fit for crazy philosophers and not for young ladies in good society like yourself."
"I am quite old enough to take care of myself," said Renée, a little huffed, especially as she felt the remark was meant as much for Delapine as for herself.
Madame Villebois shrugged her shoulders and became suddenly occupied in absorbing her crême de vanille glacée. ”

“ Marcel said nothing, but chuckled inwardly, and looked very knowingly.
"There is only one infallible way to get the better of the bank," continued Delapine.
"Oh! please, professor, do tell us what that is," they all exclaimed.
"Hush," said Delapine, "not so loud. Only wait until to-morrow and you shall all see it for yourselves."
"Just look at that horrid old woman," said Violette in a half whisper. "I saw her distinctly grab the winnings of another party who had placed her gold piece on the line [Pg 306] between two squares (à cheval I think you call it.) ”

“ The spectre stretched out its hand and pointed at Pierre. A cold shudder went through Pierre's frame and his knees shook, but the General, doubly fortified by the glass of cognac and the revolver, felt courageous enough for anything.
"Down on your knees, and hold your hands up, or I fire," yelled Duval in a terrific outburst of passion. "Do you hear me? I am going to pull the trigger," he continued as Delapine showed no signs of obeying. ”

“ A female voice was heard behind the curtain, "Au revoir, Renée, my child, I shall soon see you again."
Villebois turned up the light and looked into the cabinet. Delapine was sleeping like a child. He stepped up to the professor as if to wake him, but Riche remembering his orders, sprang forward and pulled him back.
"Don't let anyone wake Delapine," he cried. "He warned me to allow no one to disturb him, but to let him wake up naturally."
Suddenly Marcel called out, "Riche, Riche come here quickly. Don't you smell something?" ”

“ Riche had a bed made up on the floor close by the side of Delapine's body, and turning down the light, got into bed.
In spite of the fact that he was dead tired with the excitement and horror of the recent events, his mind was so distracted that he could not sleep. Although his body was weary, his thoughts became abnormally active, and he kept tossing in bed, and turning over in his mind the strange events he had witnessed.
"Happy Delapine," he said with a sigh, "Death indeed is the only evil that can never touch us. When we are, death is not. ”

“ Payot replied testily, as he felt his amour propre wounded at the professor's display of mirth.
"Be careful what you say. I have a long memory," said Delapine, laughing.
Payot examined his watch carefully, and opened the case to make sure that the works had not been spirited away.
"This is the work of Satan. I am sure no one can believe in God who does such things," said Madame Villebois.
"Do you believe in God?" asked young Duval with a sudden inspiration, hoping to depreciate him in Renée's eyes.
"No," replied Delapine, "I do not, because I cannot. My conscience will not permit me." ”

“ Here are Charley and Ridgeway," said Beaupaire to Violette.
"How do you do," said Charley, taking off his hat to Violette and her father. "I suppose you are going into the Casino?"
"Yes, we are going there directly," said the professor, who overheard what had just been said.
"May we accompany you?" asked the two Englishmen.
"Certainly, by all means," replied Delapine, "but I would advise you not to play unless you can afford to lose."
"But we can afford to lose."
"Then you have no need to play," replied Delapine, smiling.
Charley and Ridgeway said nothing, but looked at each other and laughed. ”

“ I will be as serious as a clown at the pantomime."
"Well, you remember Delapine?"
"What, that youthful professor who gave such a wonderful course of lectures on physics in the laboratory at the Sorbonne?"
"The same," answered Villebois. "He is staying for some time with us at Passy, and is giving us the most wonderful exhibitions of his powers. Talk about a genius, the recitals of his experiences, his inventions, and his discoveries fairly dazzles one; and, in addition, he declares that he possesses such extraordinary mediumistic powers that he can call up spirits at will." ”

“ The financier at once commenced to search the butler's pockets, while Delapine stood behind him and held his arms. Sure enough the first article he pulled out was the pocket-book. "Now, Monsieur Payot, be good enough to let me see whether all the notes are there. I wish to convince myself," said Delapine. And taking the pocket-book out of Payot's hands, he rapidly counted the notes, and subtracting one of them said to François, "I acquit you of all blame. It was I who did it in order to convince Monsieur Payot of my powers. ”

“ Renée washed her face, and followed Madame Villebois downstairs into the dining-room, trying to smile all the time, but looking so dreadfully miserable that everyone felt distressed and sorry for her. Fortunately Pierre was not there, and as soon as she sat down next to Delapine she became calm at once.
The professor squeezed her hand under the table, and said something which evoked a happy smile.
"Courage, Renée ma chérie," he whispered. "Take courage. Some day it will all come right, but not yet—not yet. The night comes, and with it much sorrow—much sorrow first. ”