The Strand Magazine, Vol. 05, Issue 30, June 1893: An Illustrated MonthlyVarious
General
The Strand Magazine, Vol. 05, Issue 30, June 1893: An Illustrated Monthly
Various
English literature -- Periodicals; Short stories, English -- Periodicals
My conduct towards him at the breakfast table and throughout the day was
just the same as ever. It was far from a comfortable feeling, however,
to pass the wine to one who had taken another's life, and to offer an
after-dinner cigar to a murderer. The day passed. I slept during the
afternoon, for I was tired with my over-night watching, and could I but
put my inward plans into execution, it was more than probable that I
should be awake for many nights to come. I told my wife that Colensoe
was a somnambulist, and that he worked at the canvas equally as well
whilst sleeping as waking. I impressed upon her the absolute necessity
of silence on the subject, as I firmly believed that I was on the brink
of a great discovery. Seeing that I was a medical man, her curiosity was
in no way aroused. Indeed, she thought me foolish to give up my night's
rest.
That night, after Colensoe had gone to bed, I went into his studio. My
hand trembled somewhat as I placed on his easel a square piece of new
canvas. This done, I waited patiently. A step on the stairs rewarded me.
It was Colensoe walking again. His speech was louder this time, and more
impressively distinct; his dream was evidently more agonizing than the
night before. If he would only follow out the promptings of that
dream--if he would but work to-night--to-night! I watched him
breathlessly. He wandered about the room for some time, then suddenly,
as though impelled by some mysterious force within, crossed to the
cupboard where he kept his tools, took out his materials and walked to
the canvas.
"Huntingdon--Huntingdon!" he cried, and the first lines of his
everlasting vision were written on the hitherto untouched canvas. It was
the outline of a man's face! For two hours he worked, and then,
replacing his brushes and palette, went to bed. I took the canvas away.
Night after night for ten days I placed the canvas in position. Night
after night the artist got nearer to accomplishing his own condemnation.
And as the picture grew more like the man he had murdered, so his dream
became more intense. His features showed that. The rapidity of his brush
revealed the rush of thoughts within, of an anxiety to complete his
task. Never was such a true portrait painted, and when on the last night
he put the finishing touches to it, the face of Huntingdon seemed to
live on the canvas. It was the face which existed in the brain of the
painter. The last night's work was done. The sleeping man turned from
his easel and went to his bedroom once more.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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