Project Gutenberg's Three John Silence Stories, by Algernon Blackwood

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Title: Three John Silence Stories

Author: Algernon Blackwood

Release Date: January 7, 2004 [EBook #10624]
[This file last updated on August 3, 2010]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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Three John Silence Stories

ALGERNON BLACKWOOD

To M.L.W. The Original of John Silence

and

My Companion in Many Adventures

Contents

Case I: A Psychical Invasion

Case II: Ancient Sorceries

Case III: The Nemesis of Fire

CASE I: A PSYCHICAL INVASION

I

"And what is it makes you think I could be of use in this particular
case?" asked Dr. John Silence, looking across somewhat sceptically at
the Swedish lady in the chair facing him.

"Your sympathetic heart and your knowledge of occultism--"

"Oh, please--that dreadful word!" he interrupted, holding up a finger
with a gesture of impatience.

"Well, then," she laughed, "your wonderful clairvoyant gift and your
trained psychic knowledge of the processes by which a personality may be
disintegrated and destroyed--these strange studies you've been
experimenting with all these years--"

"If it's only a case of multiple personality I must really cry off,"
interrupted the doctor again hastily, a bored expression in his eyes.

"It's not that; now, please, be serious, for I want your help," she
said; "and if I choose my words poorly you must be patient with my
ignorance. The case I know will interest you, and no one else could deal
with it so well. In fact, no ordinary professional man could deal with
it at all, for I know of no treatment nor medicine that can restore a
lost sense of humour!"

"You begin to interest me with your 'case,'" he replied, and made
himself comfortable to listen.

Mrs. Sivendson drew a sigh of contentment as she watched him go to the
tube and heard 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 minds is posi