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Maugham, W. Somerset (William Somerset), 1874-1965

"The Magician"

The flames died down and only a
glow remained, but he seemed to have no difficulty in seeing what he was
about. Susie could not discern what figures he drew. Then he put more
twigs upon the braziers, and the flames sprang up once more, cutting the
darkness sharply as with a sword.
'Now come,' he said.
But, inexplicably, a sudden terror seized Susie. She felt that the hairs
of her head stood up, and a cold sweat broke out on her body. Her limbs
had grown on an instant inconceivably heavy so that she could not move.
A panic such as she had never known came upon her, and, except that her
legs would not carry her, she would have fled blindly. She began to
tremble. She tried to speak, but her tongue clave to her throat.
'I can't, I'm afraid,' she muttered hoarsely.
'You must. Without you we can do nothing,' said Arthur.
She could not reason with herself. She had forgotten everything except
that she was frightened to death. Her heart was beating so quickly that
she almost fainted. And now Arthur held her, so firmly that she winced.


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