Tales of Terror and Mystery
The Leather Funnel
Therewasnotraceofasceticismuponhisheavyface,buttherewasmuchmentalforceinhishuge,dome-likeskull,whichcurvedupwardfromamongsthisthinninglocks,likeasnowpeakaboveitsfringeoffirtrees.Hisknowledgewasgreaterthanhiswisdom,andhispowerswerefarsuperiortohischaracter.Thesmallbrighteyes,burieddeeplyinhisfleshyface,twinkledwithintelligenceandanunabatedcuriosityoflife,buttheyweretheeyesofasensualistandanegotist.Enoughoftheman,forheisdeadnow,poordevil,deadattheverytimethathehadmadesurethathehadatlastdiscoveredtheelixiroflife.ItisnotwithhiscomplexcharacterthatIhavetodeal,butwiththeverystrangeandinexplicableincidentwhichhaditsriseinmyvisittohimintheearlyspringoftheyear’82.
IhadknownDacreinEngland,formyresearchesintheAssyrianRoomoftheBritishMuseumhadbeenconductedatthetimewhenhewasendeavouringtoestablishamysticandesotericmeaningintheBabyloniantablets,andthiscommunityofinterestshadbroughtustogether.Chanceremarkshadledtodailyconversation,andthattosomethingverginguponfriendship.IhadpromisedhimthatonmynextvisittoParisIwouldcalluponhim.AtthetimewhenIwasabletofulfilmycompactIwaslivinginacottageatFontainebleau,andastheeveningtrainswereinconvenient,heaskedmetospendthenightinhishouse.
"Ihaveonlythatonesparecouch,"saidhe,pointingtoabroadsofainhislargesalon;"Ihopethatyouwillmanagetobecomfortablethere.
