Випадок Чарльза Декстера Варда

           Someoftheupperlevelswerewhollyvacant,butmostofthespacewasfilledwithsmallodd-lookingleadenjarsoftwogeneraltypes;onetallandwithouthandleslikeaGrecianlekythosoroil-jug,andtheotherwithasinglehandleandproportionedlikeaPhaleronjug.Allhadmetalstoppers,andwerecoveredwithpeculiar-lookingsymbolsmouldedinlowrelief.Inamomentthedoctornoticedthatthesejugswereclassifiedwithgreatrigidity;allthelekythoibeingononesideoftheroomwithalargewoodensignreading’Custodes’abovethem,andallthePhaleronsontheother,correspondinglylabeledwithasignreading’Materia’.

           Eachofthejarsofjugs,exceptsomeontheuppershelvesthatturnedouttobevacant,boreacardboardtagwithanumberapparentlyreferringtoacatalogue;andWillettresolvedtolookforthelatterpresently.Forthemoment,however,hewasmoreinterestedinthenatureofthearrayasawhole,andexperimentallyopenedseveralofthelekythoiandPhaleronsatrandomwithaviewtoaroughgeneralization.Theresultwasinvariable.Bothtypesofjarcontainedasmallquantityofasinglekindofsubstance;afinedustypowderofverylightweightandofmanyshadesofdull,neutralcolor.Tothecolorswhichformedtheonlypointofvariationtherewasnoapparentmethodofdisposal;andnodistinctionbetweenwhatoccurredinthelekythoiandwhatoccurredinthePhalerons.Abluish-greypowdermightbebythesideofapinkish-whiteone,andanyoneinaPhaleronmighthaveitsexactcounterpartinalekythos.