Indeed, to my mind, there is nothing more delightful than to walk
upon a country road, beneath a midsummer moon, when there is no
sound to break the stillness, save, perhaps, the murmur of wind
in trees, or the throbbing melody of some hidden brook. At such
times the world of every day--the world of Things Material, the
hard, hard world of Common-sense--seems to vanish quite, and we
walk within the fair haven of our dreams, where Imagination
meets, and kisses us upon the brow. And, at his touch, the
Impossible straightway becomes the Possible; the Abstract becomes
the Concrete; our fondest hopes are realized; our most cherished
visions take form, and stand before us; surely, at such an hour,
the gods come down to walk with us awhile.
From this ecstasy I was suddenly aroused by hearing once more
the sound of a footstep upon the road behind me. So distinct and
unmistakable was it that I turned sharp about, and, though the
road seemed as deserted as ever, I walked back, looking into
every patch of shadow, and even thrust into the denser parts of
the hedges with my staff; but still I found no one. And yet I
knew that I was being followed persistently, step by step, but by
whom, and for what reason?
A little farther on, upon one side of the way, was a small wood
or coppice, and now I made towards this, keeping well in the
shadow of the hedge. The trees were somewhat scattered, but the
underbrush was very dense, and amongst this I hid myself where I
could watch the road, and waited. Minute after minute elapsed,
and, losing patience, I was about to give up all hope of thus
discovering my unknown pursuer, when a stick snapped sharply
near by, and, glancing round, I thought I saw a head vanish
behind the bole of an adjacent tree; wherefore I made quickly
towards that tree, but ere I reached it, a man stepped out. A
tall, loose-limbed fellow he was, clad in rough clothes (that
somehow had about them a vague suggestion of ships and the sea),
and with a moth-eaten, fur cap crushed down upon his head. His
face gleamed pale, and his eyes were deep-sunken, and very bright;
also, I noticed that one hand was hidden in the pocket of his
coat. But most of all, I was struck by the extreme pallor of his
face, and the burning brilliancy of his eyes.
And, with the glance that showed me all this, I recognized the
Outside Passenger.