Chapter 14 Chapter Thirteen

One day a few weeks later, Dr. Bojoet sat in his quiet low room full of books, overlooking the Seine from the window, immersed in a pleasant melancholy.The scorching sun shines on the noisy streets of Paris. Even in an apartment on the Ile Saint-Louis, you can feel the noise of a big city.The doctor thought of the cloud-strewn sky of his hometown, and the salty freshness of the southwestern wind.In my memory, Brest is always drizzled, and the lights from the cafes on the street are reflected on the rain-wet sidewalk, which has a kind charm.Even in bad weather, sailors who struggled through the wind and rain gave a strange sense of comfort.The smell of the sea mixed with the sense of freedom of the Atlantic is a heartfelt delight.Then he thought of the green grass and fragrant heather in the wilderness, the wide road connecting the ancient towns, the "sorry" that can be heard from time to time, and the gentle and sad crowd.Dr. Bojoe sighed softly.

"It's a good thing to be born in Brittany," he said with a smile. At this moment the maid led Susie in, and the doctor got up and greeted her with a smile.She had been in Paris for some time and had frequent meetings with the doctor.She was fascinated by all kinds of esoteric and bizarre things that doctors usually study, and he also enjoyed this empathy with her very much.The doctor guessed her love for Arthur, and appreciated her courage in keeping her feelings secret.They often ate together in a quiet restaurant named "Snow Queen" opposite Cluny, and talked about various topics, and gradually they became very good friends.

"I'm ashamed to have been bothering you here," said Susie, as soon as she entered the door. "Matilde has begun to look at me suspiciously." "It's very kind of you to come and accompany me, this annoying old man." He smiled and took Susie's hand, "I have a lot of things to tell you, so if you don't come this afternoon, I would be very disappointed." "Tell me quickly." Susie sat down. "I found a manuscript in the Arsenal library this morning and no one knows what it is." He was very proud of it, as if the achievement had national importance.Susie had a special tolerance for his naive fanaticism, and although she knew it was nothing more than an incomprehensible occult book, she congratulated him sincerely.

"This is the original manuscript of Paracelsus. I haven't read it carefully, because the handwriting is too illegible. While browsing, one place caught my attention. It records a terrible fact: Pala Celsus fed the rudimentary humans he created with human blood. I wonder where he got the human blood." Dr. Bojoe noticed Susie startled slightly. "what happened to you?" "Nothing," she said quickly. He stared at her for a moment, then resumed the subject that had fascinated him. "One day you must go to the Arsenal library with me. There is no other place with a rich collection of occult books. And you also know that the Fire Court with a very symbolic name is located in Arsenal, which specializes in dealing with witchcraft. Cases of Art and Magic."

"I really don't know," said Susie, smiling. "I always thought that many of the ancient trials had references to those rare and treacherous manuscripts and ancient documents in the library. Many poor people died tragically because of those innocent-looking scrolls. Some were hanged, others were tortured. Burning at the stake. You can’t even imagine how many people of high status, wealth, and knowledge were involved in the heinous killing during the reign of Louis XIV.” Susie didn't answer.She was paying close attention to these things now, because it could all have something to do with the situation she had discussed countless times with Dr. Bojoy.During their discussions, the doctor had never been absolutely sure of his belief in the occult.What happened to Susie and the others was indeed very strange, but no one could explain why.In this regard, the doctor found similar examples from his profound memory.He gave Susie many books until Susie could no longer cram any other knowledge of the occult into her head.For a moment she felt impatient to throw the books aside, but at the same time she grew to believe that anything was possible.

Dr. Bojo stood up and made a meditative gesture.He liked to speak in this pleasant academic manner, which had always amused Susie when she first met Dr. Bojoy, because the gesture contrasted sharply with his brilliant words. "Wizards have a strange dream hidden in their hearts. They yearn for the love of those they care about, and they will revenge to the end for those who hate them. But before that, they first seek to surpass ordinary people and exercise the power of gods. In order to To achieve their goal, they spared no effort at all costs. Naturally, how could they let their secrets be taken away so easily? So they ignited the furnace in vain, studied books with illegible handwriting in vain, and summoned horrible undead in vain. Their The ending is tragic and frustrating—poverty, ridicule, torture, imprisonment, and an ignominious death. Yet perhaps there is a grain of truth lurking in the dark abyss."

"You've been saying 'maybe,'" Susie said, "and never given me a definite answer." "In this field, it's serious not to give a definite answer." He smiled and shrugged. "If a wise man devotes himself to the occult, his responsibility is not to laugh at all beings, but to tirelessly seek the truth in the long night full of illusions." At this moment Mathilde opened the door and interrupted their conversation.A visitor walks in.Susie cried out in surprise at the sight of Arthur Borden.She had just received a note from him two days ago, which said nothing about his coming to Paris.

"Great, both of you are here." Arthur said, shaking hands with the two. "What happened?" Susie yelled. His demeanor was restless, and it was hard to imagine that someone so calm could show uneasiness. "I saw Marguerite again," he said. "and then?" Susie and the doctor knew that he must have something important to tell them, but he couldn't seem to say it.He looked at them blankly, as if he had suddenly forgotten everything he was going to say. "I came right here." He said dull and dull, "Susie, I went to the place where you live to find you first, but you were not there, so I guessed that you were here."

"My dear boy, you look very tired." Dr. Bojoy looked at him and said, "Would you like Mathilde to make you a cup of coffee?" "That would be great," he replied wearily. "Rest for a while, collect yourself, and then tell us what you have to say." Dr. Bojoet hadn't seen Arthur for a long time. The last time he had seen him was that afternoon the year before in his studio in the rue du Rue d'Isle in Paris.The doctor watched Arthur worriedly as he drank his coffee.Arthur has changed dramatically.He was haggard from exhaustion, and his eye sockets were deeply sunken.But what worries the doctor most is that Arthur's personality seems completely warped.The ordeal of the past nine months had robbed him of his distinguishing qualities—strength of will and rational objectivity.Now Arthur has a nervous breakdown and is very nervous.

Arthur didn't speak.He stared at the ground sullenly, not knowing how to speak.He doesn't like to reveal his deepest thoughts to others, but now he has no choice but to ask the doctor for help.He was drawn into a terrible world, he struggled hard, but finally had to rely on the doctor's unique occult knowledge. After Margaret's escape, Arthur Borden returned to London and once again devoted himself to work.Work was his only solace, so he worked day and night like a slave. Although he could no longer feel any pleasure from it, he didn't care about it. He just hoped that the non-stop hard work would relieve some of his pain.But as time passed, a lingering sense of foreboding surged in his heart.This feeling became more and more intense, and even became a compulsive force, and he could not persuade himself to get rid of this worry at all.He was quite sure that Marguerite was in great danger.He couldn't say what the danger was, or why he felt the fear, but the feeling was with him, like a day and a night of regret.He grew restless, a vague sense of dread tormenting him deeply.He felt that Marguerite was in dire danger, but he did not know how to help her.Arthur thought Haddo had taken her back to Shane, but even if he had gone there, it was impossible to see her.To make matters worse, the director of St. Luke's Hospital was away, so Arthur had to stay in London in case there was a sudden operation.But all he could think about was Margaret, and every night he dreamed that Margaret was dying, and he was so heavy in chains that he couldn't reach out to save her.He felt that he must see her.Finally, he couldn't bear it anymore, and found a doctor friend, told him that he had some private matters to deal with, and he had to leave London for a few days, and handed over the work at hand to him.He didn't have any plan, and he rushed to a village called Wenning relying on his vague intuition.It was about three miles from Scheine.

Wenning is a very small place, with only one tavern for tourists.There were very few tourists there, so Arthur felt the need to make up a reason for coming here.He saw an advertisement for a farm to rent at the station, and told his inquisitive landlady that he had come to see the farm.He arrived at night, when there was nothing he could do, so he inquired carefully about the Hadows. Oliver is a local rich man, and even if he is not eccentric, his wealth is enough to make him the talk of people after dinner.The landlady called him frankly a madman, and gave a good example of his eccentricity.She tells Arthur that Hador does not allow any of the servants to spend the night in the house.After dinner every day, all the servants were sent to the cottage in the manor, leaving only him and his wife in the whole house.Arthur was terrified when he heard this, because it meant that Margaret had fallen into the clutches of a lunatic alone, and there was no one around to protect her.Although the landlady said only trivial things, Arthur still got very important information from it.He was surprised to find that in this sparsely populated town, people actually talked about Oliver's witchcraft and were afraid of it.The nagging woman told him solemnly that any farmer who offended Hador would suffer disaster for their crops and cattle.Once he had a fight with the housekeeper, and the man died within a year.There was a nearby landowner who refused to sell the land that now surrounds Scheiner, and then every animal on his farm got a strange disease, and he was a complete loser.Arthur noticed that, though she relayed the rumours with a mocking skepticism, saying they were only stories that ignorant country bumpkins and old women would believe, she actually believed them, and was terribly afraid.Hadow finally got the piece of land he wanted, and since no one dared to bid at the auction, he bought it for a very low price. After chatting for a while, Arthur asked Margaret as if nothing had happened.The landlady shrugged.No one knows anything about her.She never leaves the gates of the manor, and is occasionally seen wandering alone in the manor.No one can see her.Hadow had already fallen out with the celebrities around him, so he had no contact with them.When Marguerite first arrived, an old woman, the mother of a nearby landowner, came to visit, but she was also turned away.Afterwards, the Hadows did not pay a return visit. "Poor lady, I'm afraid she won't get better in the future," said the landlady of the hotel. "It is said that she is as beautiful as a painting." Arthur went back to his room and waited for daylight.It was not easy to see Margaret, and even guarding the gate of the manor was useless, because even the merchants only left the things they sold at the gatehouse.But she seemed to be walking alone in the mornings and afternoons, and she might be able to see her then.Arthur decided to sneak into the manor over the wall, hoping to meet her somewhere that would not be easily noticed. The next day, the late-summer heat had receded, and the overcast sky was black with thick clouds.Arthur inquired about the way to Shane, and set off on the three miles of country road.The whole country is gray and very barren.Here and there there are vast expanses of wasteland dotted here and there with boulders, as if prehistoric titans had fought violently here.There were trees everywhere, and they seemed unable to bear the fierce wind, their old branches bent by the storm.One tree caught Arthur's attention.It was split by lightning, and it was bare, without a leaf, and the lightning-damaged branches were strangely embedded in the trunk, and it looked like a poor man suffering endless torment.The bitter wind howled past.The scenery along the way made Arthur feel very heavy. He had never seen such a desolate countryside. At last Arthur came to the gate of the manor, and stood there for a moment in silence.At the end of the long boulevard, he could vaguely see the magnificent villa hidden in the bushes.He was walking along the wooden fence around the manor, and suddenly found that one of the wooden boards had fallen off.He looked around to make sure no one was watching him, then climbed up the low, steep ridge, removed another board, and sneaked in. Inside the fence was a dense forest, and because there was no ready-made path, Arthur walked forward very carefully.The bracken grows tall and dense, easily covering Arthur's figure as he walks through it.Obviously, the previous owner took good care of the land and planted many trees on the periphery alone, but now it has become a messy wild forest.The trees that were not pruned grew out of their teeth and claws, and the original regular layout could not be seen at all.The vegetation on the ground is very lush, like a remnant of the original forest, making it difficult for people to find their way forward.At last Arthur saw a grassy path, and walked cautiously along it.Suddenly, he heard a noise and stopped alertly, only to find it was only a pheasant clumsily flying through the undergrowth.As Arthur walked, he secretly thought about what to do if he met Oliver.The landlady of the hotel had once told him under oath that the landowner seldom went out and often locked himself in the large attic of his villa.There is always smoke coming out of the attic chimneys, even in the hottest summer, and then there are all sorts of bizarre stories about the attic's secrets. Arthur walked on, hoping to meet Margaret at the end of the grass path, but saw no one.The sky was gray and cold, and the vegetation, though still green, looked desolate and sad.There seemed to be a sad mystery about them.He saw a stone bench at the intersection of the woods.It occurred to Arthur that Margaret might come to sit here, for this was the only resting place nearby.So he hid in the bracken bushes and waited quietly.He didn't know how long he waited, maybe a few hours. Suddenly, his heart beat violently - he saw Margaret, but he had not heard any footsteps at all before.She sat on the stone bench.He didn't dare to move, fearing that the noise he made would startle her.He didn't know how she'd find him, had to do something to get her attention, and hoped she wouldn't start screaming. "Margaret," he whispered. She didn't respond.He raised his voice a little, and called again, but she remained motionless, so he went forward and stood before her. "Margaret." She looked at him quietly, as if she had never seen him before, but she could tell from her composure that she might have expected his presence. "Margaret, don't you know me?" "What do you want?" she said quietly. Such an answer made him unexpected, and he didn't know what to say for a moment.She continued to stare at him, and suddenly, she stood up excitedly, and the previous poise was completely gone. "Is it really you?" she exclaimed, very excitedly. "I thought it was just an imitation image of you." "What's the matter, Margaret? What's the matter?" She reached out and stroked him. "It's really me." He said, trying to squeeze a smile. She closed her eyes, as if trying to regain her composure. "I've been seeing hallucinations lately," she murmured, "I think maybe he's playing tricks on me again." Suddenly, she trembled. "What are you doing here? Go away. How did you get in? God, why are you bothering with me?" "I had a premonition that you were in danger, so I had to come." "For God's sake, go away. You can't save me. If he finds you here..." She didn't say any more.Her eyes were wide with fear.Arthur took her hand. "Margaret, I can't, I can't leave you like this. For God's sake, tell me what's going on. You're frightening me." It had only been two months since he last saw Margaret, but Arthur was shocked by the change in her.There was no luster on her face, it was as dark as a dead person.Strange lines appeared on her forehead, and there was an unnatural gleam in her eyes.She suddenly aged a lot, and looked like a woman suffering from a serious disease. "What's the matter?" he asked. "It's nothing." She looked at him anxiously, "Why don't you leave! How can you be so cruel!" "I have to do something for you," he insisted. She shook her head. "It's too late. It's useless now." She paused for a while, and when she spoke again, her voice was terrifying, as if speaking from the mouth of a dead person, "I finally know what he wants to use What do I do. He's going to use me for a great experiment, and now time is running out." "What do you mean he wants to use you?" "He's going to use—my life." Arthur cried out in horror, and Margaret covered his mouth. "It's useless to resist. I think I'll be happy when the moment comes and I can finally stop the pain." "You must be crazy." "I don't know, but I know he must be crazy." "If your life is really in danger, for God's sake get out of here. Either way, you're free and he has no power whatsoever to stop you." "I will come back to him like last time." She shook her head and said, "I thought I was free at the time, but gradually I felt that he was calling me. I tried to resist, but I couldn't control myself , can only go back to him." "The thought of leaving you alone with a madman kills me." "I'm safe now," she said quietly. "That experiment can only be done in very hot weather. If there is no such weather this year, I can live until next summer." "Margaret, for God's sake don't say any more. I love you, and I want you by my side forever. Won't you come with me and let me take care of you? I swear no harm will come to you. " "You don't love me anymore, you're just sorry for me." "It's not true." "It's true. I saw it when I was in the country. I don't blame you. I've changed a lot. I'm not the man you love. I'm no longer the Marguerite you knew." "In this world, I only love you." She put her hand on his arm. "If you ever loved me, listen to me and go away. You will only hurt me by coming here. When I die, you must marry Susie. She loves you very much and deserves your love." "Marguerite, don't go. Come with me." "Take care. He'll never forgive you, and he'd kill you if he could." She was startled suddenly, as if she heard something.Her face twitched with sudden fear. "For God's sake, go! Go!" She turned away quickly.Before he could stop her, she had disappeared.Arthur jumped back to the bracken with a heavy heart. Having said this, Arthur stopped and looked at Dr. Bojoy.The doctor walked thoughtfully to the bookshelf. "What do you want me to tell you?" he asked. "I think the man is crazy," said Arthur. "I have tracked down the asylum where his mother was, and had the good fortune to meet the director. He told me that he seriously suspected Haddo was insane, but that nothing could be done at the moment. Action. I'm here to get your opinion. Assuming that man is crazy, is it possible that he sacrificed his life for some kind of experiment?" "Nothing is more likely than that," said Dr. Bojoy gravely. Susie shuddered, remembering the rumors she had heard in Monte Carlo. "I heard when I was in Monte Carlo that he was trying to create life through some kind of magic." She glanced at the doctor, but said directly to Arthur, "Just before you came in, our friend was talking about Palasai In the book of Ersus, he talks about feeding the monsters he created with human blood." Arthur cried out in shock. "We all know what happened to Margaret, and I think that's the key point," Dr. Bojoy said. "All the writings on black magic say that virgins have the most powerful effects." "Then what should we do now?" Arthur said desperately, "We can't let her fall into the clutches of that madman." He suddenly turned pale, "As far as we know, she may be dead now." "Have you ever heard of the Baron Gilles de Rais?" recalled Dr. Bojoet. "That was a classic example of human martyrdom. I know the village where he lived, and the peasants there are still afraid to pass by at night." That deserted castle—that's where he committed a lot of blood." "It pained me to think of the terrible danger that would befall Marguerite, and that I could do nothing about it." "We'll just have to wait," said Dr. Bojoy. "Waiting will only lead to bitter fruit." "We live in a civilized age, and Haddo is not going to allow himself to be branded a murderer. I think we are too scared." In Susie's view, the most important thing now is to ease Arthur's emotions.She figured out a way to distract Arthur. "I'd like to go to Chartres with Mrs. Bloomfield for two days," she said. "Would you like to come with me? There's the most beautiful church in the world, and a walk there will surely calm you down. What are you doing now?" There's nothing you can do, whether it's staying here or going back to London. When you've calmed down, you might be able to think of something practical." Dr. Bojoy understood Susie's intentions, and he also helped to persuade Arthur to go to a place that would not arouse any memories in him for a day or two.Arthur had long since lost the strength to argue with them.Out of extreme fatigue, he agreed.The next day, Susie took Arthur to Chartres.Mrs. Bloomfield gave them no trouble at all, and Susie managed to keep Arthur in this pleasant, quiet town for a week.They frequented the august cathedrals, and spent a great deal of time in them, and they wandered about the surrounding countryside.Arthur was obliged to admit that the trip to Chartres had been of great benefit to him, and the anxieties which had plagued him for so long gradually subsided.At last Susie persuaded him to spend three or four weeks in Brittany with Dr. Bojoy, who wanted to revisit his country.They returned to Paris.When parting at the train station, Arthur and Susie made an appointment to meet in an hour's time at the restaurant where they had dined with Dr. Bojoy.He is very grateful for everything she does. "I was in a ridiculously hysterical state." He said, shaking her hand. "You were with me like an angel. I knew there was nothing I could do, but I couldn't help but want to do something. Now I I've collected myself. My sanity is almost gone, I almost believe in the so-called magic. Anyway, it's ridiculous to think that Haddo would harm Margaret. I'll see the lawyer when I get back to London , there will be a solution at that time. If he is really crazy, he can be detained, and Margaret will be free. I will never forget your kindness." Susie smiled and shrugged. She was sure that if Marguerite came back to him, he would leave the past behind.Thinking of this, her heart felt bitter.She blamed herself for being jealous.She loves him so should be happy to do anything for him. She returned to her residence, changed into a long skirt, and walked slowly towards the Black Dog Restaurant.She was cheered up every time she was back in Paris.She looked happily and affectionately at the sycamore trees beside the road, the rumbling trams, and the people strolling by.Dr. Bojoy was waiting for her when she got to the dining room.He was very happy to see Susie again, and Susie was very happy to see him again.They mentioned Arthur and wondered why he hadn't come yet. After a while, Arthur walked in.The two immediately guessed that something important must have happened. "God, I found you at last!" he yelled. He looked very flustered.They had never seen him so disturbed. "I went to your residence and just missed you. Why did you insist on me leaving at the beginning!" "What's the matter?" Susie asked loudly. "Margaret has had an accident." Susie yelped in surprise and stood up unconsciously. "How do you know?" she asked quickly. He stared at them for a moment, blushing.He continued to stare at them, as if forcing his audience to believe what he was about to say. "I feel it," he said hoarsely. "What's the meaning?" "I suddenly had a strong feeling, I couldn't tell what it was, I just knew something happened to her." He kept walking up and down, and fell into a kind of extreme anxiety, which was very scary to watch.Susie and Dr. Bojoy looked at him helplessly, trying to say something to calm him down. "If something really happened, we should get the news." He turned to Susie angrily. "Why do you say we will get news? She is very helpless now, like a mouse in a mousetrap!" "My dear friend, don't do that," said the doctor. "If a sick man came and said this to you, what would you say?" Arthur shrugged. "I would have thought him ridiculous and hysterical." "That being the case..." "I can't help myself. That feeling is there. You try to be tortured by it all night and you won't argue with me anymore. I can feel it in every bone. It's like seeing Mar Greet's body lay in front of me with certainty." Susie understood that it was useless to argue with him now, the only way was to accept what he said, and then try his best. "What do you want us to do?" she asked. "I want you to come with me to England at once. If you start now you should be able to catch the evening train." Susie didn't answer, but she stood up.She took the doctor's arm. "Let's go together, please." She said softly. The doctor nodded and took off the napkin on his vest. "I've ordered a carriage, and it's at the door," said Arthur. "What about Miss Susie's clothes?" asked the doctor. "There's no time," cried Arthur. "For God's sake, go!" Susie knew there was plenty of time to go back and get some necessities before the train left, but Arthur couldn't wait. "It's all right," she said, "you've got everything in England." Arthur hastily led them into the carriage, and bade the coachman hurry to the station as fast as he could. "Calm down, for God's sake," said Susie. "You're not doing anybody any good." "I think we're too late." "Nonsense! I'm sure you'll see Marguerite alive and kicking." He didn't answer.He breathed a sigh of relief when the carriage pulled into the yard of the station.