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.
