re than a mile away, and Arthur hailed a cab. Susie told the driver
where they wanted to be set down. She noticed that Haddo, who was waiting
for them to start, put his hand on the horse's neck. On a sudden, for no
apparent reason, it began to tremble. The trembling passed through the
body and down its limbs till it shook from head to foot as though it had
the staggers. The coachman jumped off his box and held the wretched
creature's head. Margaret and Susie got out. It was a horribly painful
sight. The horse seemed not to suffer from actual pain, but from an
extraordinary fear. Though she knew not why, an idea came to Susie.

'Take your hand away, Mr Haddo,' she said sharply.

He smiled, and did as she bade him. At the same moment the trembling
began to decrease, and in a moment the poor old cab-horse was in its
usual state. It seemed a little frightened still, but otherwise
recovered.

'I wonder what the deuce was the matter with it,' said Arthur.

Oliver Haddo looked at him with the blue eyes that seemed to see right
through people, and then, lifting his hat, walked away. Susie turned
suddenly to Dr Porhoet.

'Do you think he could have made the horse do that? It came immediately
he put his hand on its neck, and it stopped as soon as he took it away.'

'Nonsense!' said Arthur.

'It occurred to me that he was playing some trick,' said Dr Porhoet
gravely. 'An odd thing happened once when he came to see me. I have two
Persian cats, which are the most properly conducted of all their tribe.
They spend their days in front of my fire, meditating on the problems of
metaphysics. But as soon as he came in they started up, and their fur
stood right on end. Then they began to run madly round and round the
room, as though the victims of uncontrollable terror. I opened the door,
and they bolted out. I have never been able to understand exactly what
took place.'

Margaret shuddered.

'I've never met a man who filled me with such loathing,' she said. 'I
don't know what there is about him that frightens me. Even now I feel his
eyes fixed strangely upon me. I hope I shall never see him again.'

Arthur gave a little laugh and pressed her hand. She would not let his
go, and he felt that she was trembling. Personally, he had no doubt about
the matter. He would have no trifling with credibility. Either Haddo
believed things that none but a lunatic could, or else he was a charlatan
who sought to attract attention by his extravag