Tales of Terror and Mystery

The Leather Funnel

           Canyoumakeoutanyletteringuponit?"

           Therewerecertainlysomescratchesuponit,almostobliteratedbytime.Thegeneraleffectwasofseveralletters,thelastofwhichboresomeresemblancetoaB.

           "YoumakeitaB?"

           "Yes,Ido."

           "SodoI.Infact,IhavenodoubtwhateverthatitisaB."

           "ButthenoblemanyoumentionedwouldhavehadRforhisinitial."

           "Exactly!That’sthebeautyofit.Heownedthiscuriousobject,andyethehadsomeoneelse’sinitialsuponit.Whydidhedothis?"

           "Ican’timagine;canyou?"

           "Well,Imight,perhaps,guess.Doyouobservesomethingdrawnalittlefartheralongtherim?"

           "Ishouldsayitwasacrown."

           "Itisundoubtedlyacrown;butifyouexamineitinagoodlight,youwillconvinceyourselfthatitisnotanordinarycrown.Itisaheraldiccrown—abadgeofrank,anditconsistsofanalternationoffourpearlsandstrawberryleaves,theproperbadgeofamarquis.Wemayinfer,therefore,thatthepersonwhoseinitialsendinBwasentitledtowearthatcoronet."

           "Thenthiscommonleatherfillerbelongedtoamarquis?"

           Dacregaveapeculiarsmile.

           "Ortosomememberofthefamilyofamarquis,"saidhe."Somuchwehaveclearlygatheredfromthisengravedrim."

           "Butwhathasallthistodowithdreams?"IdonotknowwhetheritwasfromalookuponDacre’sface,orfromsomesubtlesuggestioninhismanner,butafeelingofrepulsion,ofunreasoninghorror,cameuponmeasIlookedatthegnarledoldlumpofleather.

           "Ihavemorethanoncereceivedimportantinformationthroughmydreams,"saidmycompanioninthedidacticmannerwhichhelovedtoaffect.

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