as it were, hitherto unproved: here, some of the phrases, some of
the senseless half-lines, some even of the individual words affected
me in similar fashion--as with the aroma of an idea, rousing in me
a great longing to know what the poem or poems might, even yet in
their mutilation, hold or suggest.

I copied out a few of the larger shreds attainable, and tried hard
to complete some of the lines, but without the least success. The
only thing I gained in the effort was so much weariness that, when
I went to bed, I fell asleep at once and slept soundly.

In the morning all that horror of the empty garret spaces had left
me.




CHAPTER IV

SOMEWHERE OR NOWHERE?

The sun was very bright, but I doubted if the day would long be
fine, and looked into the milky sapphire I wore, to see whether the
star in it was clear. It was even less defined than I had expected.
I rose from the breakfast-table, and went to the window to glance at
the stone again. There had been heavy rain in the night, and on the
lawn was a thrush breaking his way into the shell of a snail.

As I was turning my ring about to catch the response of the star
to the sun, I spied a keen black eye gazing at me out of the milky