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with a wife？
Dismissing Mrs。 Potts from my mind； which； to tell the truth； seemed
to have no room for her shadowy and hypothetical entity； I fell to
examining the chest。 Oh！ it was lovely。 In two minutes the clock was
deposed and that chest became the sultana in my seraglio of beauteous
things。 The clock had only been the light love of an hour。 Here was
the eternal queen； that is； unless there existed a still better chest
somewhere else； and I should happen to find it。 Meanwhile； whatever
price that old slave…dealer Potts wanted for it； must be paid to him
even if I had to overdraw my somewhat slender account。 Seraglios； of
whatever sort； it must be remembered； are expensive luxuries of the
rich indeed； though； if of antiques； they can be sold again； which
cannot be said of the human kind for who wants to buy a lot of antique
frumps？
There were plenty of things in the chest； such as some odds and ends
of tapestry and old clothes of a Queen Anne character； put here； no
doubt； for preservation； as moth does not like this cypress wood。 Also
there were some books and a mysterious bundle tied up in a curious
shawl with stripes of colour running through it。 That bundle excited
me； and I drew the fringes of the shawl apart and looked in。 So far as
I could see it contained another dress of rich colours； also a thick
packet of what looked like parchment； badly prepared and much rotted
upon one side as though by damp； which parchment appeared to be
covered with faint black…letter writing； done by some careless scribe
with poor ink that had faded very much。 There were other things； too；
within the shawl； such as a box made of some red foreign wood； but I
had not time to investigate further for just then I heard old Potts's
foot upon the stair； and thought it best to replace the bundle。 He
arrived with the lantern and by its light we examined the chest and
the poker work。
〃Very nice；〃 I said； 〃very nice； though a good deal knocked about。〃
〃Yes； sir；〃 he replied with sarcasm； 〃I suppose you'd like to see it
neat and new after four hundred years of wear； and if so； I think I
can tell you where you can get one to your liking。 I made the designs
for it myself five years ago for a fellow who wanted to learn how to
manufacture antiques。 He's in quod now and his antiques are for sale
cheap。 I helped to put him there to get him out of the way as a danger
to Society。〃
〃What's the price？〃 I asked with airy detachment。
〃Haven't I told you it ain't for sale。 Wait till I'm dead and come and
buy it at my auction。 No； you won't； though； for it's going somewhere
else。〃
I made no answer but continued my examination while Potts took his
seat on the prayer…stool and seemed to go off into one of his fits of
abstraction。
〃Well；〃 I said at length when decency told me that I could remain no
longer； 〃if you won't sell it's no use my looking。 No doubt you want
to keep it for a richer man； and of course you are quite right。 Will
you arrange with the carrier about sending the clock； Mr。 Potts； and I
will let you have a cheque。 Now I must be off； as I've ten miles to
ride and it will be dark in an hour。〃
〃Stop where you are；〃 said Potts in a hollow voice。 〃What's a ride in
the dark compared with a matter like this； even if you haven't a lamp
and get hauled before your own bench？ Stop where you are； I'm
listening to something。〃
So I stopped and began to fill my pipe。
〃Put that pipe away；〃 said Potts； coming out of his reverie； 〃pipes
mean matches； no matches here。〃
I obeyed； and he went on thinking till at last what between the chest
and the worm…eaten Jacobean bed and old Potts on the prayer…stool； I
began to feel as if I were being mesmerized。 At length he rose and
said in the same hollow voice：
〃Young man； you may have that chest； and the price is ？0。 Now for
heaven's sake don't offer me ？0； or it will be ？00 before you leave
this room。〃
〃With the contents？〃 I said casually。
〃Yes； with the contents。 It's the contents I'm told you are to have。〃
〃Look here； Potts；〃 I said； exasperated； 〃what the devil do you mean？
There's no one in this room except you and me； so who can have told
you anything unless it was old Tom downstairs。〃
〃Tom；〃 he said with unutterable sarcasm； 〃Tom！ Perhaps you mean the
mawkin that was put up to scare birds from the peas in the garden； for
it has more in its head than Tom。 No one here？ Oh！ what fools some men
are。 Why； the place is thick with them。〃
〃Thick with whom？〃
〃Who？ why； ghosts； of course； as you would call them in your
ignorance。 Spirits of the dead I name them。 Beautiful enough； too；
some of them。 Look at that one there；〃 and he lifted the lantern and
pointed to a pile of old bed posts of Chippendale design。
〃Good day； Potts；〃 I said hastily。
〃Stop where you are；〃 repeated Potts。 〃You don't believe me yet； but
when you are as old as I am you will remember my words and believe
more than I do and seeclearer than I do； because it's in your soul；
yes； the seed is in your soul； though as yet it is choked by the
world； the flesh； and the devil。 Wait till your sins have brought you
trouble； wait till the fires of trouble have burned the flesh away；
wait till you have sought Light and found Light and live in Light；
then you will believe； /then/ you will see。〃
All this he said very solemnly； and standing there in that dusky room
surrounded by the wreck of things that once had been dear to dead men
and women； waving the lantern in his hand and staringat what was he
staring？really old Potts looked most impressive。 His twisted shape
and ugly countenance became spiritual； he was one who had 〃found Light
and lived in Light。〃
〃You won't believe me；〃 he went on； 〃but I pass on to you what a woman
has been telling me。 She's a queer sort of woman； I never saw her like
before； a foreigner and dark…hued with strange rich garments and
something on her head。 There； that； /that/；〃 and he pointed through
the dirty window…place to the crescent of a young moon which appeared
in the sky。 〃A fine figure of a woman；〃 he went on； 〃and oh！ heaven；
what eyesI never saw such eyes before。 Big and tender； something
like those of the deer in the park yonder。 Proud； too； she is； one who
has ruled； and a lady； though foreign。 Well； I never fell in love
before； but I feel like it now； and so would you； young man； if you
could see her； and so I think did someone else in his day。〃
〃What did she say to you？〃 I asked； for by now I was interested
enough。 Who wouldn't be when old Potts took to describing beautiful
women？
〃It's a little difficult to tell you for she spoke in a strange
tongue； and I had to translate it in my head； as it were。 But this is
the gist of it。 That you were to have that chest and what was in it。
There's a writing there； she says； or part of a writing for some has
gonerotted away。 You are to read that writing or to get it read and
to print it so that the world may read it also。 She said that 'Hubert'
wishes you to do so。 I am sure the name was Hubert； though she also
spoke of him with some other title which I do not understand。 That's
all I can remember； except something about a city； yes； a C