Possessed | Page 4

twenty times with every detail the same, have you? That's how I dream. I see these faces, real faces, again and again. I hear the same cries, the same words, vile words. Oh, I can't tell you how horrible it is!"
"But we are not responsible for our dreams," the doctor insisted.
She shook her head wearily. "That's just the point, it seems to me that I am responsible. I feel as if I enjoy these horrible dreams--while I am dreaming them. When I am awake, the very thought of them makes me shudder, but while I am dreaming I seem to be an entirely different person--a low, vulgar creature proud of the brutal strength and coarseness of her man. I seem to be a part of this human beast! When I wake up I feel as if my soul had been stained, dragged in the mire, almost lost. It seems as if I could never again feel any self-respect. Oh, doctor," Penelope's voice broke and the tears filled her eyes, "you must help me! I cannot bear this torture any longer! What can I do to escape from such a curse?"
Seldom, in his years of practice, had the specialist been so moved by a patient's confession as was Dr. Owen during Penelope's revelation of her suffering. As a kindly human soul he longed to help this agonized mortal; as a scientific expert he was eager to solve the mystery of this nervous disorder. He leaned toward her with a look of compassion.
"Be assured, my dear Mrs. Wells, I shall do everything in my power to help you. And in order to accomplish what we want, I must understand a great many things about your past life." He drew a letter from his pocket. "Let me look over what Captain Herrick wrote me about you. Hm! He refers to your married life?"
"Yes."
The doctor studied the letter in silence. "I see. Your husband died about four years ago?"
"Four years and a half."
"I judge that your married life was not very happy?"
"That is true, it was very unhappy."
"Is there anything in your memory of your husband, any details regarding your married life, that may have a bearing on your present state of mind?"
"I--I think perhaps there is," she answered hesitatingly.
"Is it something of an intimate nature that--er--you find it difficult to tell me about?"
"I will tell you about it, doctor, but, if you don't mind," she made a pathetic little gesture, "I would rather tell you at some other time. It has no bearing upon my immediate trouble, that is, I don't think it has."
"Good. We'll take that up later on. Now I want to ask another question. I understood you to say that when you did that brave act on the battle field you really wanted to--to have the whole thing over with?"
"Yes, I did."
"You did not go out to rescue Captain Herrick simply because you--let us say, cared for him?"
For the first time Penelope's face lighted in an amused smile. "I haven't said that I care for Captain Herrick, have I? I don't mind telling you, though, that I should not have gone into that danger if I had not known that Chris was wounded. I cared for him enough to want to help him."
"But not enough to go on living?"
"No, I did not want to go on living."
He eyed her with the business-like tenderness that an old doctor feels for a beautiful young patient. "Of course, you realize, Mrs. Wells, that it will be impossible for me to help you or relieve your distressing symptoms unless you tell me what is behind them. I must know clearly why it was that you did not wish to go on living."
"I understand, doctor, I am perfectly willing to tell you. It is because I was convinced that my mind was affected."
"Oh!" He smiled at her indulgently. "I can tell you, my dear lady, that I never saw a young woman who, as far as outward appearances go, struck me as being more sane and healthy than yourself. What gives you this idea that your mind is affected? Not those dreams? You are surely too intelligent to give such importance to mere dreams?"
Penelope bit her red lips in perplexed indecision, then she leaned nearer the doctor and spoke in a low tone, glancing nervously over her shoulder. Fear was plainly written on her face.
"No--it's not just the dreams. They are horrible enough, but I have faith that you will help me get rid of them. There's something else, something more serious, more uncanny. It terrifies me. I feel that I'm in the power of some supernatural being who takes a fiendish delight in torturing me. I'm not a coward, Dr. Owen," Penelope lifted her head proudly, "for I truly have no fear of real