Случай Чарльза Декстера Варда
Chapter 4
Letterssoontoldofhissafearrival,andofhissecuringgoodquartersinGreatRussellStreet,London;whereheproposedtostay,shunningallfamilyfriends,tillhehadexhaustedtheresourcesoftheBritishMuseuminacertaindirection.Ofhisdailylifehewrotebylittle,fortherewaslittletowrite.Studyandexperimentconsumedallhistime,andhementionedalaboratorywhichhehadestablishedinoneofhisrooms.Thathesaidnothingofantiquarianramblesintheglamorousoldcitywithitsluringskylineofancientdomesandsteeplesanditstanglesofroadsandalleyswhosemysticconvolutionsandsuddenvistasalternatelybeckonandsurprise,wastakenbyhisparentsasagoodindexofthedegreetowhichhisnewinterestshadengrossedhismind.
InJune,1924,abriefnotetoldofhisdepartureforParis,towhichhehadbeforemadeoneortwoflyingtripsformaterialintheBibliothèqueNationale.Forthreemonthsthereafterhesentonlypostalcards,givinganaddressintheRueSt.Jacquesandreferringtoaspecialsearchamongraremanuscriptsinthelibraryofanunnamedprivatecollector.Heavoidedacquaintances,andnotouristsbroughtbackreportsofhavingseenhim.Thencameasilence,andinOctobertheWardsreceivedapicturecardfromPrague,Czecho-Slovakia,statingthatCharleswasinthatancienttownforthepurposeofconferringwithacertainveryagedmansupposedtobethelastlivingpossessorofsomeverycuriousmedievalinformation.
