The vampire nemesis and other weird stories of the China coast Read Online Free PDF Page B

levity.
    " Nevertheless, you shall both pay dearly for that day's work," he repeated as he rose and sauntered away.
    I could not resist flinging back one taunt more ere he got out of earshot—
    " You had your chance, and failed to capture the prize. Your fault, my son, or—your misfortune !"

    I did not tell Ethel anything of this when she returned. I knew her generous soul enough to be sure she would worry herself and claim the blame for having allowed Rawdon to think too much of her, though I know that she never gave him a scrap of encouragement.

    III.
    Arnold Rawdon and his puerile threats of vague retribution passed quickly from my thoughts, or lingered but as a hazy memory of a humorous interview. I saw nothing more of him, except perhaps the passing glimpses that in a place like Shanghai are inevitable, for seven months; then we were once more thrown together at a social gathering at the house of a mutual friend in Range Road.
    There was a fairly large assembly, composed cheifly of young people, and I was anxious to avoid cause for a display of ill-humour on his part. I was agreeably astonished, therefore, to find that, in place of the morose taciturnity I expected, Rawdon greeted me affably, calmly ignoring the fact that we had parted last—on his side at least—in anger.
    In my relief at the prospect of the evening's harmony remaining undisturbed, I felt almost inclined to venture on a gentle gibe on the nature of the dreadful revenge he had wreaked upon us. Fortunately I restrained the impulse.
    For a wonder, I had come alone. Ethel had been indisposed, and refused to hear of my remaining to keep her company. It was more to please her—for she was reproaching herself—that I came at all.

    There was the usual questionable playing and the usual unquestionably bad singing, which no one wanted to hear and all were reluctant to do, but which for some occult reason everyone joined in soliciting each of the others to perform.
    Then we settled down to idle chatter; but the younger members of the party soon began to grow restless with the exuberance of youth. So games were proposed as an outlet for redundant spirits, but here age again was against them; most were at that transitional period of existence when parlour games are looked upon as "kiddish," and more staid forms of amusement have not yet begun to attract. At last, in a moment of happy inspiration, somebody proposed that we should try the good old experiment of making the table revolve by the force of animal magnetism. The sceptical were lured forward by the assurance that they (the narrators) had seen it done " dozens of times."
    " Simplest thing in the world," explained one young lady enthusiastically. " You only have to join hands on the table and think hard."
    " Oh, I say! " exclaimed a young man opposite.
    " No, Mr. Moore, I did not say join hands under the table," flashed the girl in answer to his estatic look, " I said on the table."
    The young man's face fell and he appeared to be losing in the discussion.

    " I don't think it is very good to think hard," announced a callow youth ; "ruins one's digestion."
    " You certainly ought to enjoy good health, Mr. Weir!" retorted the same damsel with a merry glance at his pasty face.
    She was the life of the party, that girl, and presently by sheer dint of coaxing and over-ruling all objections she had us gathered round a fairsized table, like so many sheep garnered into the fold.
    To heighten the effect and aid the required concentration of thought the lights were turned low, and we all sat with our hands on the circumference of the table, little fingers and thumbs in contact, and thought very hard of ghosts and graveyards, or' surreptitiously squeezed the finger of the girl next to us, to a running accompaniment of little squeals and half-suppressed giggles. Then, as the table still remained solid and immobile, one of us elder ones suddenly lifted his hands, thus destroying the circuit, and pronounced the