“He must be mad.”

“Perhaps.  I don’t know.  If he is, he can put his madness to you very lucidly, very ingeniously.”

Valentine stroked the white back of Rip meditatively with his foot.

“You have never sat, have you?” he asked.

“Never.”

“Nor I. I have always thought it an idiotic and very dull way of wasting one’s time.  Now, what on earth can a table have to do with one’s soul?”

“I don’t know.  What is one’s soul?”

“One’s essence, I suppose; the inner light that spreads its rays outward in actions, and that is extinguished, or expelled, at the hour of death.”

“Expelled, I think.”

“I think so too.  That which is so full of strange power cannot surely die so soon.  Even my soul, so frigid, so passionless, has, you say, held you back from sins like a leash of steel, And I did not even try to forge the steel.  If we could exchange souls, would yours hold me back in the same way?”

“No doubt.”

“I wonder,” Valentine said thoughtfully.  After a moment he added, “shall we make this absurd experiment of sitting, just for a phantasy?”

“Why not?  It would be rather fun.”

“It might be.  We will just do it once to see whether you can get some of my feelings, and I some of yours.”

“That’s it.  But you could never get mine.  I know you too well, Val.  You’re my rock of defence.  You’ve kept me straight because you’re so straight yourself; and, with that face, you’ll never alter.  If anything should happen, it will be that you’ll drag me up to where you are.  I shan’t drag you down to my level, you old saint!”

And he laid his hand affectionately on his friend’s shoulder.

Valentine smiled.

“Your level is not low,” he said.

“No, perhaps; but, by Jove, it could be, though.  If you hadn’t been chucked into the world, I often think the devil must have had me altogether.  You keep him off.  How he must hate you, Val.  Hulloh!  What’s that?”

“What?”

“Who’s that laughing outside?  Has Wade got a friend in to-night?”

“Not that I know of.  I didn’t hear anything.”

Valentine touched the electric bell, and his man appeared.

“Any one in with you to-night, Wade?” he asked.

The man looked surprised.

“No, sir; certainly not, sir.”

“Oh!  Don’t sit up; we may be late to-night.  And we don’t want anything more, except—­yes, bring another couple of sodas.”

“Yes, sir.”

He brought them and vanished.  A moment later they heard the front door of the flat close.  The butler was married and slept out of the house.  Valentine had no servant sleeping in the flat.  He preferred to be alone at night.

CHAPTER III

EPISODE OF THE FIRST SITTING

“Now, then,” said Valentine, “let us be absurd and try this sitting.  Shall we clear this little table?”