Випадок Чарльза Декстера Варда

           ThisiscertainlyborneoutbyWard’salteredhabitsatthetime,especiallybyhiscontinualsearchthroughtownrecordsandamongoldburying-groundsforacertaingravedugin1771;thegraveofanancestornamedJosephCurwen,someofwhosepapersheprofessedtohavefoundbehindthepanelingofaveryoldhouseinOlneyCourt,onStampers’Hill,whichCurwenwasknowntohavebuiltandoccupied.Itis,broadlyspeaking,undeniablethatthewinterof1919-20sawagreatchangeinWard;wherebyheabruptlystoppedhisgeneralantiquarianpursuitsandembarkedonadesperatedelvingintooccultsubjectsbothathomeandabroad,variedonlybythisstrangelypersistentsearchforhisforefather’sgrave.

           Fromthisopinion,however,Dr.Willettsubstantiallydissents;basinghisverdictonhiscloseandcontinuousknowledgeofthepatient,andoncertainfrightfulinvestigationsanddiscoverieswhichhemadetowardthelast.Thoseinvestigationsanddiscoverieshavelefttheirmarkuponhim;sothathisvoicetrembleswhenhetellsthem,andhishandtrembleswhenhetriestowriteofthem.Willettadmitsthatthechangeof1919-20wouldordinarilyappeartomarkthebeginningofaprogressivedecadencewhichculminatedinthehorribleanduncannyalienationof1928;butbelievesfrompersonalobservationthatafinerdistinctionmustbemade.