uences," he said, stopping before her and speaking earnestly and
quietly.
"A mistake?"
"We remembered everything, except that our wandering friend and Kafka
were very likely to meet, and that Kafka would in all probability refer
to his delightful journey to the south in my company."
"That is true!" exclaimed Unorna with an anxious glance. "Well? What
have you done?"
"I met the Wanderer in the street. What could I do? I told him that
Israel Kafka was a little mad, and that his harmless delusions referred
to a journey he was supposed to have made with me, and to an equally
imaginary passion which he fancies he feels for you."
"That was wise," said Unorna, still pale. "How came we to be so
imprudent! One word, and he might have suspected--"
"He could not have suspected all," answered Keyork. "No man could
suspect that."
"Nevertheless, I suppose what we have done is not exactly--justifiable."
"Hardly. It is true that criminal law has not yet adjusted itself to
meet questions of suggestion and psychic influence, but it draws
the line, most certainly, somewhere between these questions and the
extremity to which we have gone. Happily the law is at an immeasurable
distance from science, and here, as usual in such experiments, no one
could prove anything, owing to the complete unconsciousness of the
principal witnesses."
"I do not like to think that we have been near to such trouble," said
Unorna.
"Nor I. It was fortunate that I met the Wanderer when I did."
"And the other? Did he wake as I ordered him to do? Is all right? Is
there no danger of his suspecting anything?"
It seemed as though Unorna had momentarily forgotten that such a
contingency might be possible, and her anxiety returned with the
recollection. Keyork's rolling laughter reverberated among the plants
and filled the whole wide hall with echoes.
"No danger there," he answered. "Your witchcraft is above criticism.
Nothing of that kind that you have ever undertaken has failed."
"Except against you," said Unorna, thoughtfully.
"Except against me, of course. How could you ever expect anything of the
kind to succeed against me, my dear lady?"
"And why not? After all, in spite of our jesting, you are not a
supernatural being."
"That depends entirely on the interpretation you give to the word
supernatural. But, my dear friend and colleague, let us not deceive
each other, though we are able between us to deceive other people into
bel
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