Chapter 8 Chapter VII

On the morning when he and Susie made an appointment to drink tea together, Oliver Hadow placed many clusters of small chrysanthemums at the door of Margaret, so many that the original plain studio suddenly had a kind of ephemeral beauty.Although Marguerite hung ribbons on the walls, she never made the studio so beautiful.As soon as Arthur saw the little chrysanthemum, he was frustrated that he had never thought of it. "I'm so sorry," he said, "you must think me very inconsiderate." Margaret smiled and took his hand. "I like you precisely because you don't only care about this kind of thing like ordinary lovers."

"Margaret's a smart girl," said Susie, "and she knows that a man who sends flowers must have loved a lot of women." "I don't think the flowers were meant for me." Arthur Borden sat down and watched the roaring fire with pleasure.The drawn curtains and the lights gave the room a cozy and cosy feel, and the air was filled with a uniquely romantic atmosphere that is often found in studios.This atmosphere has a sense of freedom and can arouse people's various interesting thoughts.This atmosphere can make people serious but not arrogant, rash but not stupid.

After a few days of getting along, Arthur and Susie are already very familiar.Susie always liked to pose as an unmarried and out-of-age lady, and then deliberately told him some kind jokes.To her, he was just a stupid young man in love.At the same time, she lamented that no matter how smart a man is in love, he can become a complete fool.Margaret knew Susie, and knew that if she joked with Arthur, it was a sign that she approved of him.With the deepening of understanding, Susie gradually learned to appreciate Arthur's firm and stable character.She admired his ability to deal with the things he was supposed to do, and his straightforwardness in letting things take its course when he didn't understand.There was nothing artificial about him.Susie was also moved by Arthur's simple frankness, which gave his blunt words a convincing charm.Susie had the average woman's standard of good looks, but somehow liked his features, rough as a hastily hewn statue out of porphyry.His appearance is the exposure of his character. Once you see this face, you will feel that this man is firm but gentle, honest and simple. Although he is neither imaginative nor brilliant, he is reliable and trustworthy from the bottom of his heart.At this moment Arthur was sitting in a chair with Margaret's puppy on his lap.He is stroking the puppy's ears.Susie looked at him with a pang of sadness in her heart: why has no such man ever loved her?It's clear that he's the perfect partner, once in love, unwavering.

Then Dr. Bojoy came in, and sat quietly and suavely—one of his many charms.He is not talkative, and prefers to listen to young people chatting silently more often.The puppy jumped off Arthur's lap and ran to the doctor's feet, rubbing his leg affectionately.Under the soft light, everyone chatted and almost forgot that there was another guest.Margaret hoped fervently that Haddo would not come.She was more moving than ever this afternoon.She was busy preparing refreshments, and this housewife-like charm gave her a unique slender beauty.The delicacy of her beauty was softened at this moment, and one could not help but think of the amiable saints who walked the country and spread the passionate teachings of the Qur'an everywhere.

"How pleasant it is here!" said Dr. Bojoy, smiling.Whenever he couldn't express his emotions accurately in English, he couldn't help but speak French. The scene was like a painting by a famous master of a certain school, otherwise how could there be such a harmony, such a pleasant color tone, and how could the lines of the walls and the seated people be such elegant decorations.At this moment, the atmosphere in the room was extremely peaceful. There was a knock at the door, and Arthur got up and went to open it.The puppy followed closely behind Arthur.Oliver Hadow entered.Susie watched the puppy's reaction, but this time, she wasn't surprised by the animal's change.I saw that friendly little thing slipped quietly along the base of the wall to the farthest corner with its tail between its legs.It looked at Hado with vigilant and terrified eyes, and then buried its head in its body.The visitor was busy saying hello and didn't notice that there was a puppy in the room.He politely accepted Margaret's thanks for the little chrysanthemum, which was completely beyond everyone's expectations.His behavior also surprised everyone.He put away his posturing, and seemed to really like this cozy little studio.He asked to admire Marguerite's sketches.He looked at them with a genuine and keen interest.His comments hit the nail on the head.It can be seen that he has a fairly deep understanding of the topic he is talking about.He called himself an outsider, the kind of person who "knows what he likes" that painters mocked.His remarks are generalities, but it shows that he is by no means a fool.This left a deep impression on both ladies.After talking about sketches, he started talking about other things.This time, instead of bragging about himself, he talked happily and naturally about the places he had been.Obviously, he wanted to please them.Gradually, Susie understood why he, despite his affectation, had such an enormous influence on the undergraduates at Oxford.There was something legendary about his talk, and it was so funny that it never failed to get a laugh.He does lack wit, as Frank Herrier claims, but he makes up for it with funny jokes, or a sense of humor.Although Susie was amused by Haddo, she didn't ask him to come just to hear his jokes.Dr. Bojoy had lent her a self-entertaining book on ancient alchemists, and Susie wanted to take the opportunity to chat with Haddo, who was an expert in the field. Wonderful thing.She was very excited when she read that book, and the half-truth and half-legendary history of the occult made her whole blood boil.She is eager to learn more, whether it is those who have paid a huge price for the occult, or lost their fortunes, or have been persecuted or tortured, or those who have almost proven to be successful. .

She turned to Dr. Bojoy. "You asserted that the ancient alchemists really did make gold, which is quite bold," she said. "I didn't say that," he smiled slightly, "I just said that if a certain historical event can give conclusive evidence of the success of alchemy, it should be believed to be true. Impossible not to believe the exhaustive details." "I wish you could write a biography of Paracelsus as you say in your preface." Dr. Bojoy smiled and shook his head. "I can't write now," he said. "He is the most remarkable alchemist, because he has proposed the most difficult and fascinating propositions in alchemy. But it is impossible to know how much he is. A charlatan, or something of a serious science."

Susie glanced at Oliver Hadow.I saw him sitting quietly, his huge body motionless seemed very strange.His eyes were fixed on the speaking doctor, the soft light casting shadows on his fat face. "From the perspective of origin, his name is not as absurd as later generations describe it," the doctor continued. "He comes from the famous Bombest family. Their family's old house is called Hoinheim, which is near Stuttgart. A castle, after which people called them. The most interesting thing about his life is that because of the lack of documentation, it is impossible for future generations to describe his life accurately. He traveled to many countries, Germany, Italy, France, New Netherland, Denmark, Sweden, and Russia. He even went to India. He was captured by the Tartars and brought before the Great Khan, and he accompanied the Khan's son to Constantinople. Traversing a restless land in one of the most eventful years in history, what a foolish heart it would be to be unimpressed by the travels of this wandering genius. It was in Constantinople, according to a In the "Golden Fleece" about alchemy printed in Rorschach, Switzerland in the sixteenth century, he got the Philosopher's Stone from Solomon Trismosinus. He also possessed the elixir, which is said to be at the end of the seventeenth century There was also a French traveler who saw him. Afterwards Paracelsus passed through the countries along the Danube, and then arrived in Italy, where he worked as a surgeon in the royal army. I don't know why he didn't appear in Paracelsus. Battle of Via. He gathered information from all kinds of people, doctors, surgeons, alchemists; but also executioners, barbers, shepherds, Jews, gypsies, midwives, fortune-tellers; noble people , and the lowly, the learned, and the vulgar. In the book you are holding, I have mentioned his career in a general way, and I have quoted a few words from him. His interest in knowledge I was very moved by the understanding I gained.”

Dr. Bojoy took the book from Miss Boyd's hand, straightened the pages thoughtfully, and read a passage from the preface to the Review Book: "I have often risked my life in the pursuit of my art. I have never been ashamed to learn from wanderers, hangmen, and barbers what is useful to me. We all know that lovers travel far and wide to meet To meet the woman he loves, and to find the goddess of his dreams, the lover of wisdom will go above and beyond." He turned the page, found a few more sentences, and read again: "We should seek knowledge where it may be found. Why should anyone laugh at those who pursue it? Those who stay at home may be richer and more comfortable than those who travel, but I want Yes, not wealth, nor ease."

"My God! That's very well said!" said Arthur, standing up. These few bold and simple words moved him deeply, and no other rhetoric could compare with them.Influenced by them, he was all the more eager to devote his life to the arduous pursuit of knowledge.Dr. Bojoy gave him a wry smile. "However, alas, the man who said this was in many respects just a clown who liked to bluster and bluster in the glib language of a charlatan. He was vain and pompous, unscrupulous and pretentious. Listen to this passage: 'Follow me! Oh!' Avicenna, Galen, Lacis, and Montagnana! Follow me, and not I follow you. Those who came from Paris, Montpellier, Messen, and Cologne, who came from the Danube and O people of the nations upon the Rhine, and of the Isles of the Sea, I am sovereign, so it is not I who follow you. The time will come when none of you will be despised by the world, Nor will you curl up in dark corners anymore, for I who you follow will be king, and the supreme sovereign is I.'”

Dr. Bojoy closed the book. "Did you ever hear such nonsense in your lifetime? But he did do a very bold thing. He wrote it in German, not Latin, and by undermining his belief in authority, he made a contribution to the Free thought opened the way. He continued to travel from one place to another, followed by a large group of believers. Sometimes he would be tempted by interests to go to a rich city, and sometimes he would respond to a prince. Invited to live for a while at the court of a small country. His stupidity and the grudges of his rivals prevented him from staying anywhere for long. He cured many incurable diseases. The doctors of Nuremberg denounced him as a quack and a braggart To refute them, he asked the city council to allow him to treat terminally ill patients. So they sent him several elephantiasis patients, and he cured them all. Perhaps now in the Nuremberg archives there are still Can you find evidence of his good deeds. Later he died in a tavern quarrel and was buried in Salzburg. Legend has it that his astral body had already produced consciousness while he was alive, so after death he was with other like-minded people living somewhere in Asia with his astral body. There he still influences his followers and manifests to them now and then in a visible form."

"Listen," said Arthur, "didn't Paracelsus, like the rest, make some real contribution to the research?" "I prefer those unrealistic contributions," the doctor said frankly with a smile. "Take the natural tincture, which is the greatest alchemical secret. It is so valuable that no pope or emperor can afford it. A lot of occultism The writings call it the Red Lion, but before Paracelsus it was known to almost no one except Hermes and Albert the Great. It was very difficult to make because it required two very coordinated and equally skilled Warlocks. It is said to be a light red concoction. This concoction has many wonderful properties, one of which is the ability to convert all kinds of worthless metals into gold. This concoction is said to be buried in Bavaria Under an old church in the south. In 1698, some mixture seeped into the soil, and many people saw the miraculous sight and called it a miracle. Later, a church was built on that land, and it still stands today. It is a place of pilgrimage. Paracelsus concluded with the following words after introducing the method of making this mixture: If you are puzzled by this, remember that only those who desire it with all their hearts can find it the trick, that door will only open for those who try hard to knock." "I'll never try this," Arthur said, smiling. "There is also magic amber gold. Wise men have made it a mirror that can see not only past and present, but what people do day and night. They can see whoever writes or says export, and can see who said it and why he said it. But my favorite is the first lemon balm, which is said to have a detailed prescription that introduces the production method. This is a kind of Not only Paracelsus, but also his predecessors Galen, Arnold of Villanova, and Raymond Lully have worked hard to explore the elixir of life that can prolong life." "Will this drug bring me back to eighteen?" Susie yelled. "It should be possible," said Dr. Bojoet seriously. "Reese Blaine, a court physician of Louis XIV, once gave a description of the relevant experiments he witnessed. One of his friends prepared this to plant a drug, and his curiosity made him restless, impatient to see the effect of the drug for himself." "This is the real scientific spirit." Arthur said with a smile. "Every morning when the sun rose he drank a glass of white wine with this preparation. After fourteen days his nails fell off without pain at all. At this point he was a little frightened, so he took the The wine was given to an elderly maid. As a result, many parts of her body changed back to her youthful appearance, but the old woman did not know that she was drinking medicine, so she was terrified and refused to drink the preparation .Then the experimenter got some grains, dipped them in the medicine, and let an old hen eat it. On the sixth day, the chicken began to shed its hair, and slowly lost all its hair. The hen was back to being a chick. Within two weeks, the lucky hen had regrown its feathers, a fuller color than when it first developed, and the hen's comb stood on end Get up and go on laying eggs." Arthur laughed heartily. "I have to say, among so many stories, I like this one the most. Compared with other secret techniques, the effect of the first melissa is not so childish." "You think alchemy is childish?" Hadow who had been sitting quietly asked suddenly. "With all due respect, it's nasty." "You are arrogant." "Because I think people who study occultism are doing nothing more than vulgar and insignificant purposes? Forgive my humble opinion, it is very stupid to wake up the dead and listen to the ghosts chatting a few things. An alchemist who spends his whole life in alchemy is more respected than a person who goes out to do odd jobs in modern society." "But the pursuit of alchemy is actually the pursuit of the power that alchemy brings. It is for this power that warlocks explore the obscure mysteries day and night. Power is all the dreams of alchemists, not the dream of some people. A finite dominion over things worthless. What he sought was power over the whole world, power over all creation, control over every mystical element, and power over God himself. His desire was so boundless Infinity, so that he cannot stop exploring until the stars that follow the trajectory obey his will." This time, Haddo made no enigmatic gestures, and it was evident that he was intoxicated by his own words, and a new and strange look came over his face.A unique arrogance flashed in his shining eyes. "What people pursue in this life is, in the final analysis, only power. Some people want money, but they are only after power that comes with it, and people strive to acquire knowledge for power. Fools and drunkards want happiness, and real people The man of the world seeks nothing but power. Fascinated by the magic of the unknown, astrologers, magicians and alchemists yearn for greatness beyond the reach of ordinary men. They think scientifically and they study with perseverance , They are full of endurance, full of strength, full of willpower, full of imagination, because these are the most powerful weapons of a magician. They will finally gain the power to face the Father in person." Oliver Hadow moved his huge body to stand up from the low chair where he had been sitting, and paced back and forth in the studio.He fell into a strange state of excitement.This was unusual, because before this hulking man always made people wonder if he was serious. "You just said about Paracelsus," he said, "that he did an experiment that the doctor just didn't tell you about. It wasn't mean or mercenary, but it was horrific. I don't know anything about it. The description is not true, but it would be very interesting to try it for yourself." He looked around at the four people in front of him, who were staring at him closely.There was a strange restlessness in his demeanor, as if he cared deeply about what he had to say. "The ancient alchemists believed in the spontaneous generation of the origin of life. By combining psychic powers and magical essences, they claimed to have created various forms of life, the most wonderful of which were the men and women called rudiments. Ancient philosophers thought it impossible, Paracelsus flatly thought it achievable. I once came across a pamphlet in German on a trolley at London Bridge. The book is dirty, it has been turned many times, many pages are torn, and the whole book is falling apart. The book is called The Sphinx, and it is written by a man named Emil Bestny Compiled. It contains a detailed description of Count Johann Ferdinand von Kufestein's creation of living creatures with souls in Tyrol in 1775. The story in the book is partly derived from Masonic manuscripts, but It is mainly from the diary of a man named James Camerer. He was the earl's steward and personal assistant. This gives ten times more convincing force to what is said in the book, than even those who would lead people to believe The evidence of the authenticity of certain religious documents is more convincing. If it had not been for the fact that artificial man is so mysterious, you would not hesitate to believe every word you read. The count and an Italian Rosicrucian Abbe Geroni created ten prototypes in five weeks—James Camerer called them prefabricated souls—then placed them in jars where fruit was usually stored and filled them with water The mouth of the jar was sealed with a magic seal. The souls were about nine inches long, and the count was eager for them to grow, so they buried them under two cartloads of manure, and every day they sprinkled a little over the heap. A kind of strong wine concocted by experienced people with great painstaking efforts. Gradually, the manure pile began to ferment and steam, as if there was a fire roasting underneath. When they dug out the jars, they found that The soul grew to thirteen and a half inches long, and the male miniature even grew a thick beard and nails. There were two jars in which nothing could be seen but clear water, but when Abe read certain Hebrew When the words knocked on the seal of the altar three times, the water in the altar turned into a strange color, and then the faces of those souls appeared on the surface of the water, very small at first, and then the faces became clearer and clearer. It also gradually increased to a size similar to that of a human face. It was a very terrifying and ferocious expression." Hadow said, his voice low and trembling, as if the story had affected him so much that he could barely maintain his former poise.Obviously, this story moved him very much. "The Earl fed the creatures every three days with a rose-colored substance stored in a silver casket. The water in the altar was replaced with fresh, pure rainwater every week. This change had to be done very quickly, because When the prototypes are exposed to the air, they close their eyes, become weak, and even fall into a coma, as if they are dying. And when they are poured into the jar containing the invisible soul every once in a while When the blood was drawn, the miniature disappeared immediately. What is puzzling is that it was neither stained red nor showed any painful expression. Once they accidentally broke a jar, and the miniature inside was in pain After breathing deeply for a while, they died. They buried the body in the garden. After Abe left, the count tried again by himself, but it failed. He made a small thing like a leech, very weak, He also died shortly after." Haddo stopped, looking at Arthur, who was staring at him in surprise. "Even if it is true, what is the use of making such a thing?" Arthur said in amazement. "Use!" cried Hadow excitedly. "What could be more sensational than the solution of the greatest mystery of existence, than seeing lifeless matter come to life? Many famous people in history I've seen prototypes like Count Max Leinberg, Count Franz Josef von Thun, and many others. I've never doubted that artificial humans existed. If we're willing to try , with modern equipment and technology, how could it not be successful? Chemists today are laboriously doing various experiments to create primordial protoplasm from dead matter and organic matter from inorganic matter. I have studied them I know everything they know about their experiments. Why doesn’t anyone combine the knowledge of ancient able men with the discoveries of modern science? I don’t know what the results will be if that happens, it may be very strange, it may be very amazing. Sometimes a longing haunts my mind, longing to see inanimate matter come to life under my spell, longing to become a godlike being myself." He laughed.The laughter was deep and strange, both cruel and extravagant.Marguerite felt a sudden fright and shuddered.He sat down, and his whole body fell into the shadow of the light.Affected by the light, his eyes looked blood red.He stared straight ahead, that intense gaze was terrifying.Arthur was a little surprised, and gave him a questioning look.His laughter, that incredulous look in his eyes, that inexplicable emotion are all too unusual.The only explanation for this was that Oliver Hadow was crazy. The studio fell into an uncomfortable silence.Hadow's words were incompatible with the previous conversation.There was always a tinge of skeptical sarcasm in Dr. Bojoy's voice when he said things about magic, which added a touch of humor to the conversation, and Susie joked.But Hador's zeal for these mysteries disturbed and embarrassed them, for they did not believe in them.Dr. Bojoe stood up, ready to take his leave.He shook hands with Susie and Margaret.Arthur got up and opened the door for him.The gentle scholar looked around, but there was no sign of Margaret's puppy. "I have to say goodbye to your puppy." The puppy was so quiet that everyone forgot its existence for a moment. "Copper, come here," said Margaret. The little dog walked up to them tremblingly, and curled up at Margaret's feet in fear. "What's the matter with you?" she asked. "It's afraid of me," said Haddo, with a harsh laugh that made one uncomfortable. "Crap!" Dr. Bojoy bent down, stroked the puppy's neck, and shook its paw.Margaret picked it up and put it on the table. "Be good." She raised a finger and pointed at the puppy. Dr. Bojoy walked out of the studio smiling, and Arthur closed the door.Suddenly, as if possessed by an evil spirit, Copper threw himself at Haddo and bit his hand hard.Hadow screamed in pain, flung Copper off, and kicked him savagely.The poor dog rolled around on the ground a few times, let out a piercing bark, and then lay motionless on the ground, as if seriously injured.Margaret cried out in anger and horror.At this time, an inexplicable anger suddenly surged in Arthur's heart, which made him lose his mind for a while.The poor dog's suffering, Margaret's fright, and his own instinctive hostility to Hador all came together in a frenzied rage. "You bastard!" he muttered angrily. Then Arthur raised his clenched fist and struck Haddo in the face.Hadow staggered a few steps, and then Arthur grabbed him by the collar and kicked him with all his might.He shoved Haddo like a dog on a mouse, then slammed him to the ground.For some reason, Haddo offered no resistance, but fell utterly helpless to the ground.Arthur turned to Margaret, who was weeping sadly, holding the injured dog in her arms and trying to soothe its pain.They sat down by the fire, and Arthur carefully examined the puppy to see if it had broken a bone from Hador's kick.Susie lit a cigarette and collected herself.She strongly felt the presence of the man who fell to the ground in embarrassment behind her, which made her feel a sense of fear.She wondered what he would do next.She also wondered why he didn't leave.At the same time she was ashamed of the insult he had received.At this time, she realized that because he was so fat, it took a lot of effort to get up from the ground, which made her so nervous that her heart almost stopped.He leaned against the wall motionless, staring at them.The silence made her restless.The thought of him staring at them with those strange eyes made her want to scream.She couldn't even imagine his expression at this moment. Finally she couldn't bear it anymore, and turned slightly to an angle where she could catch a glimpse of him.Haddo was staring at Margaret so intently that he didn't even realize Susie was looking at him.His face was contorted with rage, and he looked horrific.There was a cruel malice in his fat body, and it was ugly with a murderous hatred.Then, his expression changed.The flush of excitement on his face faded and turned into a terrible paleness, and the scowl of deep hatred disappeared.There was a numb smile on his face, which was even more frightening than the previous frowning.How is this going?Susie wanted to scream, but found her tongue stuck in her throat.Then the smile disappeared, and Haddo assumed a more indifferent expression.At last Margaret and Arthur became aware of the strange eyes that were fixed on them, and both fell silent.The puppy also stopped whimpering.The studio was so quiet that everyone present could hear Hadow's heartbeat, which was unbearable. Then Oliver Hadow walked slowly towards them. "I hope you will forgive me for what I did just now," he said. "The dog bit me so badly that I lost my temper. I regret kicking him very much. Mr. Borden hit me rightly. I deserve it." His voice was very deep, but it was completely different from the previous low.Susie was stunned. She had never expected him to apologize humbly. He paused for a moment, waiting for Margaret's answer.Margaret didn't dare meet his eyes, for some reason, his apology made him look even more hideous.So when she spoke, her voice was barely audible. "If you don't mind, I think you'd better leave." Hadow bowed slightly, then looked at Borden. "I want to tell you that I don't resent what you did to me just now. I know you have every reason to be so angry." Arthur didn't answer.Haddo hesitated for a moment, then watched them silently.It seemed to Susie there was a smile in those eyes.She looked at him in astonishment and in great perplexity. He took his hat, bowed again, and left.