Случай Чарльза Декстера Варда
Chapter 4
Charles,althoughhewasinordinatelylonginansweringthesummonsandwasstillredolentofstrangeandnoxiouslaboratoryodorswhenhedidfinallymakehisagitatedappearance,provedafarfromrecalcitrantsubject;andadmittedfreelythathismemoryandbalancehadsufferedsomewhatfromcloseapplicationtoabstrusestudies.Heofferednoresistancewhenhisremovaltootherquarterswasinsistedupon;andseemed,indeed,todisplayahighdegreeofintelligenceasapartfrommerememory.Hisconductwouldhavesenthisinterviewersawayinbafflementhadnotthepersistentlyarchaictrendofhisspeechandunmistakablereplacementofmodernbyancientideasinhisconsciousnessmarkedhimoutasonedefinitelyremovedfromthenormal.OfhisworkhewouldsaynomoretothegroupofdoctorsthanhehadformerlysaidtohisfamilyandtoDr.Willett,andhisfranticnoteofthepreviousmonthhedismissedasmerenervesandhysteria.Heinsistedthatthisshadowybungalowpossessednolibrarypossessednolibraryorlaboratorybeyondthevisibleones,andwaxedabstruseinexplainingtheabsencefromthehouseofsuchodorsasnowsaturatedallhisclothing.Neighborhoodgossipheattributedtonothingmorethanthecheapinventivenessofbaffledcuriosity.OfthewhereaboutsofDr.Allenhesaidhedidnotfeelatlibertytospeakdefinitely,butassuredhisinquisitorsthatthebeardedandspectacledmanwouldreturnwhenneeded.
