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〃Yes； dear； quite ready。 Give me a kiss before you begin。〃
The doctor stooped and kissed her mouth； kindly enough。 〃Now shut
your eyes；〃 he said。 The girl closed her eyelids； as if she were tired； and
longed for sleep； and Raymond placed the green phial to her nostrils。
Her face grew white； whiter than her dress； she struggled faintly； and then
with the feeling of submission strong within her； crossed her arms upon
her breast as a little child about to say her prayers。 The bright light of the
lamp fell full upon her； and Clarke watched changes fleeting over her face
as the changes of the hills when the summer clouds float across the sun。
And then she lay all white and still； and the doctor turned up one of her
eyelids。 She was quite unconscious。 Raymond pressed hard on one of
the levers and the chair instantly sank back。 Clarke saw him cutting
away a circle； like a tonsure； from her hair； and the lamp was moved
nearer。 Raymond took a small glittering instrument from a little case；
and Clarke turned away shudderingly。 When he looked again the doctor
was binding up the wound he had made。
〃She will awake in five minutes。〃 Raymond was still perfectly cool。
〃There is nothing more to be done； we can only wait。〃
The minutes passed slowly； they could hear a slow； heavy； ticking。
There was an old clock in the passage。 Clarke felt sick and faint； his
knees shook beneath him； he could hardly stand。
Suddenly； as they watched； they heard a long…drawn sigh； and
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suddenly did the colour that had vanished return to the girl's cheeks； and
suddenly her eyes opened。 Clarke quailed before them。 They shone
with an awful light； looking far away； and a great wonder fell upon her
face； and her hands stretched out as if to touch what was invisible； but in
an instant the wonder faded； and gave place to the most awful terror。 The
muscles of her face were hideously convulsed； she shook from head to
foot； the soul seemed struggling and shuddering within the house of flesh。
It was a horrible sight； and Clarke rushed forward； as she fell shrieking to
the floor。
Three days later Raymond took Clarke to Mary's bedside。 She was
lying wide…awake； rolling her head from side to side； and grinning
vacantly。
〃Yes；〃 said the doctor； still quite cool； 〃it is a great pity； she is a
hopeless idiot。 However； it could not be helped； and； after all； she has
seen the Great God Pan。〃
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II
MR。 CLARKE'S MEMOIRS
Mr。 Clarke； the gentleman chosen by Dr。 Raymond to witness the
strange experiment of the god Pan； was a person in whose character
caution and curiosity were oddly mingled； in his sober moments he
thought of the unusual and eccentric with undisguised aversion； and yet；
deep in his heart； there was a wide…eyed inquisitiveness with respect to all
the more recondite and esoteric elements in the nature of men。 The latter
tendency had prevailed when he accepted Raymond's invitation； for
though his considered judgment had always repudiated the doctor's
theories as the wildest nonsense； yet he secretly hugged a belief in fantasy；
and would have rejoiced to see that belief confirmed。 The horrors that he
witnessed in the dreary laboratory were to a certain extent salutary； he was
conscious of being involved in an affair not altogether reputable； and for
many years afterwards he clung bravely to the commonplace； and rejected
all occasions of occult investigation。 Indeed； on some homeopathic
principle； he for some time attended the seances of distinguished mediums；
hoping that the clumsy tricks of these gentlemen would make him
altogether disgusted with mysticism of every kind； but the remedy； though
caustic； was not efficacious。 Clarke knew that he still pined for the unseen；
and little by little； the old passion began to reassert itself； as the face of
Mary； shuddering and convulsed with an unknown terror； faded slowly
from his memory。 Occupied all day in pursuits both serious and lucrative；
the temptation to relax in the evening was too great； especially in the
winter months； when the fire cast a warm glow over his snug bachelor
apartment； and a bottle of some choice claret stood ready by his elbow。
His dinner digested； he would make a brief pretence of reading the
evening paper； but the mere catalogue of news soon palled upon him； and
Clarke would find himself casting glances of warm desire in the direction
of an old Japanese bureau； which stood at a pleasant distance from the
hearth。 Like a boy before a jam…closet； for a few minutes he would hover
indecisive； but lust always prevailed； and Clarke ended by drawing up his
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chair； lighting a candle； and sitting down before the bureau。 Its pigeon…
holes and drawers teemed with documents on the most morbid subjects；
and in the well reposed a large manuscript volume； in which he had
painfully entered he gems of his collection。 Clarke had a fine contempt
for published literature； the most ghostly story ceased to interest him if it
happened to be printed； his sole pleasure was in the reading； compiling；
and rearranging what he called his 〃Memoirs to prove the Existence of the
Devil；〃 and engaged in this pursuit the evening seemed to fly and the night
appeared too short。
On one particular evening； an ugly December night； black with fog；
and raw with frost； Clarke hurried over his dinner； and scarcely deigned to
observe his customary ritual of taking up the paper and laying it down
again。 He paced two or three times up and down the room； and opened
the bureau； stood still a moment； and sat down。 He leant back； absorbed
in one of those dreams to which he was subject； and at length drew out his
book； and opened it at the last entry。 There were three or four pages
densely covered with Clarke's round； set penmanship； and at the beginning
he had written in a somewhat larger hand：
Singular Narrative told me by my Friend； Dr。 Phillips。
He assures me that all the facts related therein are
strictly and wholly True； but refuses to give either the
Surnames of the Persons Concerned； or the Place
where these Extraordinary Events occurred。
Mr。 Clarke began to read over the account for the tenth time； glancing
now and then at the pencil notes he had made when it was told him by his
friend。 It was one of his humours to pride himself on a certain literary
ability； he thought well of his style； and took pains in arranging the
circumstances in dramatic order。 He read the following story：
The persons concerned in this statement are Helen V。； who； if she is
still alive； must now be a woman of twenty…three； Rachel M。； since
deceased； who was a year younger than the above； and Trevor W。； an
imbecile； aged eighteen。 These persons were at the period of the story
inhabitants of a village on the borders of Wales； a place of some
importance in the time of the Roman occupation； but now a scattered
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hamlet； of not more than five hundred souls。 It is situated on rising
ground； about six miles from the sea；