Tales of Terror and Mystery
The New Catacomb
Kennedyhadoftenbeenseducedbywhimandpleasurefromhisstudies,buthismindwasanincisiveone,capableoflongandconcentratedeffortswhichendedinsharpreactionsofsensuouslanguor.Hishandsomeface,withitshigh,whiteforehead,itsaggressivenose,anditssomewhatlooseandsensualmouth,wasafairindexofthecompromisebetweenstrengthandweaknessinhisnature.
Ofaverydifferenttypewashiscompanion,JuliusBurger.Hecameofacuriousblend,aGermanfatherandanItalianmother,withtherobustqualitiesoftheNorthminglingstrangelywiththesoftergracesoftheSouth.BlueTeutoniceyeslightenedhissun-brownedface,andabovethemroseasquare,massiveforehead,withafringeofcloseyellowcurlslyingroundit.Hisstrong,firmjawwasclean-shaven,andhiscompanionhadfrequentlyremarkedhowmuchitsuggestedthoseoldRomanbustswhichpeeredoutfromtheshadowsinthecornersofhischamber.UnderitsbluffGermanstrengththerelayalwaysasuggestionofItaliansubtlety,butthesmilewassohonest,andtheeyessofrank,thatoneunderstoodthatthiswasonlyanindicationofhisancestry,withnoactualbearinguponhischaracter.Inageandinreputation,hewasonthesamelevelashisEnglishcompanion,buthislifeandhisworkhadbothbeenfarmorearduous.Twelveyearsbefore,hehadcomeasapoorstudenttoRome,andhadlivedeversinceuponsomesmallendowmentforresearchwhichhadbeenawardedtohimbytheUniversityofBonn.
