“His death had been very shocking, very sudden. People talked of a ruptured blood-vessel, a fall on his bedroom floor, a doctor not to be found when sent for; a series of fatalities that precluded the possibility of saving him; but those who pretended to know best affirmed that not all the doctors in Europe could have done any good, for when his servant went to call him in the morning he found his master lying stark and stiff, having been dead some hours. There was a pool of blood on his carpet; there were ashes of burnt letters in his fireplace; more, they whispered with meaning shrugs and solemn, awe-struck faces— ‘There was that across his throat Which you had hardly cared to see.’ “You can understand now that I believe in Vampires.” “What became of her?” I asked, rather eagerly, for I was interested in this Madame _de_ St. Croix. I like a woman who goes into extremes, either for good or evil. Great recklessness, equally with great sensibility, has its charm for such a temperament as mine. I can understand, though I cannot explain, the influence possessed by very wicked women who never scruple to risk their own happiness as readily as their neighbours’. I wanted to know something more about Madame _de_ St. Croix, but he was not listening; he paid no attention to my question. In a tone of abstraction that denoted his thoughts were many miles away, he only murmured, “Insatiate—impenetrable—pitiless. The others were bad enough in all conscience, but I think she might have spared the boy!” CHAPTER V GOLD FOR SILVER “The African Magician never minded all their scoffs and holloaings, or all they could say to him, but still cry’d _Who’ll change old Lamps for new ones?_ which he repeated so often about the Princess _Badroulbondour’s_ Palace, that that Princess, who was then in the Hall with the four-and-twenty Windows, hearing a Man cry something, and not being able to distinguish his Words, by reason of the holloaing of the Mob about him, sent one of her Women Slaves down to know what he cry’d. “The Slave was not long before she return’d, and ran into the Hall, laughing so heartily, that the Princess could not forbear herself. ‘Well, Gigler,’ said the Princess, ‘will you tell me what you laugh at?’ ‘Alas! Madam,’ answered the Slave, laughing still, ‘who can forbear laughing to see a Fool with a Basket on his Arm, full of fine new Lamps, ask to change them for old ones, which makes the Children and Mob make such a Noise about him?’” What a fool they thought him, and no wonder. Yet surely a magician need not come all the way from Africa to teach the public this strange rate of exchange. In Europe, Asia, and America too, as far as it has yet been colonised, such one-sided bargains are made every day.