Случай Чарльза Декстера Варда
Chapter 1
OnlyfromcertaincloselyconfidentialfriendsofWillettandtheseniorWardhaveanycluesbeengained,andeventhesearetoowildlyfantasticforgeneralcredence.Theonefactwhichremainsisthatuptothepresenttimenotraceofthemissingmadmanhasbeenunearthed.
CharlesWardwasanantiquarianfrominfancy,nodoubtgaininghistastefromthevenerabletownaroundhim,andfromtherelicsofthepastwhichfilledeverycornerofhisparents’oldmansioninProspectStreetonthecrestofthehill.Withtheyearshisdevotiontoancientthingsincreased;sothathistory,genealogy,andthestudyofcolonialarchitecture,furniture,andcraftsmanshipatlengthcrowdedeverythingelsefromhissphereofinterests.Thesetastesareimportanttorememberinconsideringhismadness;foralthoughtheydonotformitsabsolutenucleus,theyplayaprominentpartinitssuperficialform.Thegapsofinformationwhichthealienistsnoticedwereallrelatedtomodernmatters,andwereinvariablyoffsetbyacorrespondinglyexcessivethoughoutwardlyconcealedknowledgeofbygonemattersasbroughtoutbyadroitquestioning;sothatonewouldhavefanciedthepatientliterallytransferredtoaformeragethroughsomeobscuresortofauto-hypnosis.TheoddthingwasthatWardseemednolongerinterestedintheantiquitiesheknewsowell.
