Tales of Horror and the Supernatural

'I see you are a determined rationalist,' said the lady. 'Did you not
hear me say that I have had experiences even more terrible? I too was
once a sceptic, but after what I have known I can no longer affect to
doubt.'

'Madam,' replied Mr. Phillipps, 'no one shall make me deny my faith. I
will never believe, nor will I pretend to believe, that two and two make
five, nor will I on any pretences admit the existence of two-sided
triangles.'

'You are a little hasty,' rejoined the lady. 'But may I ask you if you
ever heard the name of Professor Gregg, the authority on ethnology and
kindred subjects?'

'I have done much more than merely hear of Professor Gregg,' said
Phillipps. 'I always regarded him as one of our most acute and
clear-headed observers; and his last publication, the _Textbook of
Ethnology_, struck me as being quite admirable in its kind. Indeed, the
book had but come into my hands when I heard of the terrible accident
which cut short Gregg's career. He had, I think, taken a country house
in the west of England for the summer, and is supposed to have fallen
into a river. So far as I remember, his body was never recovered.'

'Sir, I am sure that you are discreet. Your conversation seems to
declare as much, and the very title of that little work of yours which
you mentioned assures me that you are no empty trifler. In a word, I
feel that I may depend on you. You appear to be under the impression
that Professor Gregg is dead; I have no reason to believe that that is
the case.'

'What?' cried Phillipps, astonished and perturbed. 'You do not hint that
there was anything disgraceful? I cannot believe it. Gregg was a man of
clearest character; his private life was one of great benevolence; and
though I myself am free from delusions, I believe him to have been a
sincere and devout Christian. Surely you cannot mean to insinuate that
some disreputable history forced him to flee the country?'

'Again you are in a hurry.' replied the lady. 'I said nothing of all
this. Briefly, then, I must tell you that Professor Gregg left this
house one morning in full health both in mind and body. He never
returned, but his watch and chain, a purse containing three sovereigns
in gold, and some loose silver, with a ring that he wore habitually,
were found three days later on a wild and savage hillside, many miles
from the river. These articles were placed beside a limestone rock of
fantastic form; they had been wrapped into a parcel with a kind of rough
parchment which was secured with gut. The parcel was opened, and the
inner side of the parchment bore an inscription done with some red
substance; the characters were undecipherable, but seemed to be a
corrupt cuneiform.'

'You interest me intensely,' said Phillipps. 'Would you mind continuing
your story? The circumstance you have mentioned seems to me of the most
inexplicable character, and I thirst for an elucidation.'