A Son of Perdition an Occult Romance By
A SON OF PERDITION AN OCCULT ROMANCE BY FERGUS HUME AUTHOR OF "THE MYSTERY OF A HANSOM CAB," "LADY JIM OF CURZON STREET," "THE MOTHER OF EMERALDS," "THE JEW'S HOUSE," ETC., ETC. NEW & CHEAPER EDITION. LONDON WILLIAM RIDER & SON, LTD. TO MRS. ANNIE BESANT PRESIDENT THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY WHO IS ELOQUENT, WISE, PATIENT, AND TOLERANT NOTE The Author is indebted for the description of the Star-Worship contained in Chapter XV to Mr. C. W. Leadbeater's articles on "Ancient Chaldea," which appeared in the February, March, and April numbers of "The Theosophical Review" during the year 1900. CHAPTER I LOVE IN IDLENESS "How can any one hope to transfer that to canvas?" asked the artist, surveying the many-coloured earth and sky and sea with despairing eyes. "Easily enough," replied the girl at his elbow, "those who see twice as vividly as others, can make others see once as vividly as they do. That is what we call genius." "A large word for my small capabilities, Miss Enistor. Am I a genius?" "Ask yourself, Mr. Hardwick, for none other than yourself can answer truly." Outside his special gift the artist was not over clever, so he lounged on the yielding turf of the slope to turn the speech over in his mind and wait results. This tall solidly built Saxon only arrived at conclusions by slow degrees of laborious reflection. With his straight athletic figure, closely clipped fair hair and a bronzed complexion, against which his moustache looked almost white, he resembled a soldier rather than a painter. Yet a painter he was of some trifling fame, but being only moderately creative, he strove to supply what was wanting by toilsome work.
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