C. B. felt that this was John's party; so he waited for him to speak, and John, having decided on the way there that a tactful approach was essential to any hope of success, replied quietly
`A lot has happened since we saw you last night, Mr. Beddows; so we thought we ought to come and report.'
`Why? I'm not employing you.' Beddows gave him a chilly stare.
`No; but I'm sure you are not indifferent to Chris ... to
Ellen's fate; otherwise you would not have gone to such trouble to hide her in the South of France. What is more, you are vitally concerned in the outcome of this affair yourself.'
`I can't stop you talking, if you want to,' came the ungracious reply; `but if you think you are going to wheedle me into taking any action you might as well save your breath.'
`We've come to you partly because we want your advice.!
'All right.' Beddows' voice sounded as though he was slightly reassured. `Advice costs nothing. Go ahead.!
'Thanks.' Feeling a trifle awkward standing there, John took a step forward and sat down on the floor as near as he could get to Beddows while remaining outside the pentacle. As C. B. followed his example, he began to give an account of all that had happened that day. When he had done, he went on
'Now! One of the things we wanted to ask you, Mr. Beddows, is can the Canon perform his ritual with the homunculus and Ellen anywhere, or will he have to bring them back to do the job to morrow night in his own crypt?'
`He needn't bring them back, but he can't do it anywhere. The ceremony must be performed on an altar that has been properly dedicated to the Lord Satan.'
`We feared as much. Are there many such altars in the South of France?'
`A certain number. There is at least one in every big city in the world. All over Europe they are scattered in the. country parts too; mostly ruined abbeys, old castles and such.'
`Do you know the whereabouts of any of those on the Riviera?'
Beddows shook his head. `No; I've never attended a ceremony outside England.'
After a moment John asked, `What do you really think of the Canon's prospects of getting Ellen out of prison?'
`It is difficult to say. To do so he has got to temporarily paralyze a system. That is a far more formidable undertaking than enforcing sleep on the members of an ordinary household. No one of average powers would even attempt it; but he is an Ipsissimus, and there are few things impossible to a Mage of that highest grade. There is, too, one thing in his favour. If he can succeed in bemusing the jailers into unlocking the right doors, he will have no difficulty with Ellen. He will have only to call her on the astral, and she will walk out.'
`Yes; that is just what we fear. Can you suggest any means by which we might cause her to resist his will?'
`Only a White Magician who has greater power than Copely Syle could cause her to do that.'
`Do you know of one?'
`No. I've naturally kept clear of anyone I believed to be working on the Right Hand side.'
Again John paused, then he said, `I take it from what you were telling us last night that Ellen's subservience to evil during the dark hours is not part of her nature, but entirely due to the fact that you ... you had her baptised into the Satanic faith?'
`That's so.'
`If she were re baptised into the Christian faith, would that destroy the influence that the Dark Powers have over her?'
`No. There is no point in hiding the truth. It was I who sold her to the Devil; so only I can redeem her.' `How would you do that?'
Beddows gave a harsh laugh. `I wouldn’t! Is it likely? It would mean my abjuring Satan.'
`But if you did? Say you abjured Satan here and now, on her behalf and on your own, would that take immediate effect? Would it result in her resisting when the Canon calls her to night on the astral, and remaining in her cell?'
`Yes. The effect would be instantaneous. Of course, she would still be subject to hypnotic suggestion, like her jailers or anyone else, in normal circumstances in the future; but not to night. Such an act would restore the powers of her Guardian Angel, who has been chained all these years. Once freed, he would give her everything he'd got, and throw an aura round her which would protect her from every harmful thought.'
Beddows ceased speaking for a moment, then added suddenly in an aggressive voice, `But don't think what I've told you is going to get you anywhere. If you've come here to try to get me to abjure, you've backed the wrong horse. I've no intention of being struck dead by an apoplectic fit and frying for all Eternity.'
`Is that what it would mean for you?'
`Yes. Hell is real! Don't you believe these modem parsons who are fools enough to tell their congregations otherwise. I know, because I've seen it. Copely Syle showed it to me the night that he initiated me as a Neophyte of the Left Hand Path. And it is gaping wide with great tongues of flame for anyone like me should I betray the Master.'
`The mercy of God is infinite,' said John quietly.
`Maybe,' sneered Beddows. `But not till after one has paid the price for what one has taken at Satan's hands. God would leave me to burn for a thousand years before
He even had a look at me. If you think I'd give a blank cheque of that kind to save Ellen you must be crazy.'
John remained silent long enough for Beddows to cool down, then he said, `There is another thing we wanted to ask you about. Last night you told us that for a time you gave up your engineering studies on account of a personal attachment. Would you tell us about that?'
`Why? It has nothing whatever to do with this business of Copely Syle and Ellen.'
`I'm not so sure. I think it might have. Every major emotional experience in your life must have had some bearing on your present situation. Please tell us about it.'
Beddows shrugged. `Very well. Since I've told you the rest of the story, I may as well fill in the gap. When I first came here as chauffeur old Mrs. Durnsford had a companion. She was a girl named. Isobel a frail, gentle little thing, but very beautiful and the sort that is too good for this world. The old girl made her life hell, but she had to grin and bear it. You see, she was a poor relation, with no other relatives to go to, and neither the training nor the stamina to take any other job; so she had no alternative to staying on here.
`When I had been here for a bit Mrs. Durnsford had the idea that I should teach Isobel to drive the car. She didn't want to, and I didn't want to teach her, as I thought it might result in my being given the sack; but it was an order. Things being like that, Isobel's progress was not very fast; so I had plenty of opportunity to get to know her. At first she was very shy, but gradually we got to confiding in one another. I found then that behind her timid manner lay a wonderful mind, filled with courage, unselfishness and an infallible understanding of all the things that really matter.
`She held that money, birth and position counted for nothing; that real happiness could be gained only by giving happiness to others; that God always provided for His children if they did the right thing; that one should never strive to pile up possessions, but only to make people kinder to one another; and that one should live from day to day, so that if death came unexpectedly one could face it with the certainty that one's heart would weigh no more in the scales of judgment than the feather of truth.
`I fell in love with her; and, although I have never understood why, she fell in love with me. When she had got the hang of driving the car sufficient for there to be no excuse to give her further lessons, we continued to meet, but in secret, at any odd times we could snatch. Naturally I had told her all about my engineering ambitions, but she wasn't in favour of that. Partly because it would have meant living in a town, but more, really, because I had frankly admitted that my object in taking it up was solely to make money out of it.
`She had money coming to her: not a lot, but enough. Under a trust Mrs. Durnsford enjoyed the income on condition that she gave Isobel a home until she was twenty five. It could not be touched before that, but then the capital had to be handed over with no strings attached. We had eighteen months to go, but we were content to wait. Isobel wanted to start a small school for crippled and backward children. She would have given them the indoor lessons and I was to teach them gardening, carpentry, and a bit about the inside of cars, and generally run
