Page:Walpole--portrait of man with red hair.djvu/169

 the draught went whispering on hands and feet round the room, "Do you believe in God, Mr. Harkness?"

"Yes," said Harkness.

"Yes,"said Crispin, in his lovely melodious voice; "but in a good God, a sweet God, a kind beneficent God. That is no God. God is first cruel, terrible, lashing, punishing. Then when He has punished enough, and the victim is in His power, bleeding at His feet, owning Him as Lord and Master, then He bends down and lifts the wounded brow and kisses the torn mouth, and in His heart there is a great and mighty triumph.... Even so will I do, even so will I be ... and greater than God Himself!"

There was silence in the room. Then he curled up in his chair as he had done before, and went on with his friendly air:

"Dear Mr. Harkness, it is good indeed of you to listen to me so patiently. Tell me at once when I bore you. My father died when I was seventeen and left me all his wealth. He died in a Turkish bath very suddenly—ill-temper with some casual masseur, I fancy.

"I realised that I had a power. The realisation was very satisfactory to me. I married and during the three years of my married life I collected most of the things that I have shown you this evening. I married a woman whom I was unfortunately unable to make happy. She could have been happy,