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night and I was a bit feverish and couldn’t sleep. After a time I fell asleep and I dreamed that I was in the chapel that was turned into a court of justice. The judge had just finished speaking; in fact, I went on with the dream exactly where I broke off years ago. Then the accused spoke, and I remember every word of his extraordinary story at this moment. I went with him to the old house, and I knew why I could not enter the forbidden door; I embarked in the fishing boat and we reached the rocky island”.
“Was he guilty?” asked Josephine; “and what was his crime?”
Peter pointed to the mass of manuscript on the floor and then turned his face to the wall. “I am dreadfully sleepy”, he said. Then he looked up suddenly. “One thing I noticed”, he said: “the man, Eustace Standish, wore the mysterious ring and the friend he gave it to was strangely like me”. The ring glimmered dully on his hand as it rested on the bedclothes.
A swift unreasoning anger shone in Josephine’s usually mild eyes; she feared for her brother’s intellect. She stooped down over him and drew off the ring. “I am going to put it away”, she said, firmly. “It has done its work, let me have it”.
He resisted feebly and then let it go. “Do go and let me have my sleep out!” he cried.
And Josephine put on her hat with her usual methodical neatness and took a 'bus to Albert Gate. Then she walked straight to the Serpentine and threw the ring as far as she could. It made a feeble splash and disappeared. No one noticed her except a policeman, who had seen these little tragedies before and drew his own conclusions.
And so the book was written at last and it made its mark, for it contained the rare combination of stirring incident with the fascination of a psychic problem. Beyond that it struck a note of horror which was somehow new. It revealed life under an unusual aspect, yet set forth with such conviction that the most improbable events appeared possible and even necessary. It was the only book of the sort Peter ever wrote and critics said that his after - work was disappointing. Perhaps that was owing to the fact that although in later life he very often invoked the aid of the Master of the Murmuring Courts, he never again succeeded in penetrating into that shadowy region “where the shapes of sleep convene”.
SEPTEMBER 1st, 1901
The Editors of The Kensington, desirous of supplying a want, will be glad to receive information from artists as to any work they may have in hand in the studios, as well as from organisers of art exhibitions and curators of museums concerning any matter of general interest. This information will be inserted monthly in The KENSINGTON, free of charge, and the Editors intend to make this department a special feature of the new issue. They have taken steps to secure news from the principal art centres abroad. The price of the magazine, as announced in the August number, will be raised to is. in October, but this will not affect subscribers who have prepaid up to March, 1902.
The first volume can be obtained, bound in blue linen or cloth with facsimile of design on the paper cover, or covers can be had separately. For particulars, apply to 4, Great Queen Street, Lincoln's Inn Fields.
