登陆注册
5188300000055

第55章

In his inner room were many statuettes, photographs of other Gurus of the faith, and on each of the four walls were mysterious symbols in plaster representing a snake curved in a circle, swallowing his tail, a five-pointed star, and in the centre another winged sphere.

Craig asked the Guru to explain the symbols, to which he replied with a smile: "The snake represents eternity, the star involution and evolution of the soul, while the winged sphere - eh, well, that represents something else.Do you come to learn of the faith?"At this gentle hint Craig replied that he did, and the utmost amicability was restored by the purchase of the Green Book of the Guru, which seemed to deal with everything under the sun, and particularly the revival of ancient Asiatic fire-worship with many forms and ceremonies, together with posturing and breathing that rivalled the "turkey trot," the "bunny hug," and the "grizzly bear."The book, as we turned, over its pages, gave directions for preparing everything from food to love-philtres and the elixir of life.One very interesting chapter was devoted to " electric marriage," which seemed to come to those only who, after searching patiently, at last found perfect mates.Another of the Guru's tenets seemed to be purification by eliminating all false modesty, bathing in the sun, and while bathing engaging in any occupation which kept the mind agreeably occupied.On the first page was the satisfying legend, "There is nothing in the world that a disciple can give to pay the debt to the Guru who has taught him one truth."As we talked, it seemed quite possible to me that the Guru might exert a very powerful hypnotic influence over his disciples or those who came to seek his advice.Besides this indefinable hypnotic influence, I also noted the more material lock on the door to the inner sanctuary.

"Yes," the Guru was saying to Kennedy, "I can secure you one of the love-pills from India, but it will cost you - er - ten dollars."I think he hesitated, to see how much the traffic would bear, from one to one hundred, and compromised with only one zero after the unit.Kennedy appeared satisfied, and the Guru departed with alacrity to secure the specially imported pellet.

In a corner was a sort of dressing-table on which lay a comb and brush.Kennedy seemed much interested in the table and was examining it when the Guru returned.Just as the door opened he managed to slip the brush into his pocket and appear interested in the mystic symbols on the wall opposite.

"If that doesn't work," remarked the Guru in remarkably good English, "let me know, and you must try one of my charm bottles.But the love-pills are fine.Good-day."Outside Craig looked at me quizzically "You wouldn't believe it, Walter, would you?" he said."Here in this twentieth century in New York, and in fact in every large city of the world - love-philtres, love-pills, and all the rest of it.And it is not among the ignorant that these things are found, either.You remember we saw automobiles waiting before some of the places.""I suspect that all who visit the fakirs are not so gullible, after all," I replied sententiously.

"Perhaps not.I think I shall have something interesting to say to-night as a result of our visits, at least."During the remainder of the day Kennedy was closely confined in his laboratory with his microscopes, slides, chemicals, test-tubes, and other apparatus.As for myself, I put in the time speculating which of the fakirs had been in some mysterious way connected with the case and in what manner.Many were the theories which I had formed and the situations I conjured up, and in nearly all I had one central figure, the young man whose escapades had been the talk of even the fast set of a fast society.

That night Kennedy, with the assistance of First Deputy O'Connor, who was not averse to taking any action within the law toward the soothsayers, assembled a curiously cosmopolitan crowd in his laboratory.Besides the Gilberts were Dudley Lawton and his father, Hata, the Pandit, the Swami, and the Guru - the latter four persons in high dudgeon at being deprived of the lucrative profits of a Sunday night.

Kennedy began slowly) leading gradually up to his point: "A new means of bringing criminals to justice has been lately studied by one of the greatest scientific detectives of crime in the world, the man to whom we are indebted for our most complete systems of identification and apprehension." Craig paused and fingered the microscope before him thoughtfully."Human hair," he resumed, "has recently been the study of that untiring criminal scientist, M.Bertillon.He has drawn up a full, classified, and graduated table of all the known colours of the human hair, a complete palette, so to speak, of samples gathered in every quarter of the globe.Henceforth burglars, who already wear gloves or paint their fingers with a rubber composition for fear of leaving finger-prints, will have to wear close-fitting caps or keep their heads shaved.Thus he has hit upon a new method of identification of those sought by the police.For instance, from time to time the question arises whether hair is human or animal.In such cases the microscope tells the answer truthfully.

同类推荐
  • Indian Summer of a Forsyte

    Indian Summer of a Forsyte

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 破琴诗

    破琴诗

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 北轩笔记

    北轩笔记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 金刚经新异录

    金刚经新异录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 蠡海集

    蠡海集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 扶天广圣如意灵签

    扶天广圣如意灵签

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 如何用互联网思维创富

    如何用互联网思维创富

    在互联网时代,如果对互联网的发展趋势缺乏足够的了解,将会给企业的战略决策和发展带来巨大的风险,而掌握了互联网思维的奥秘就等于掌握了致富的途径。《如何用互联网思维创富》不仅深刻、系统地解析了互联网思维的概念,而且从多个角度整理、揭示了互联网思维对人们生活的影响,以及互联网思维所具有的独特魅力,让读者在互联网快速发展的今天,学会用互联网思维致富。
  • 台湾舆图

    台湾舆图

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 归庐谭往录

    归庐谭往录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 樱花之国上的世界末日

    樱花之国上的世界末日

    平行世界中,山和黛的故事之一。世界末日,希望只会在平行世界。第1至3卷恶灵丧尸世界243章,第4卷幽游白书世界81章,第5卷火影世界324章。第6卷圣斗士世界81章,这算是下本书《米漫中的黑暗奋战之途》的前传。第7卷七龙珠世界81章,第8卷《生化末日之无限新时代》486章。第8卷是一个地球一个宇宙背景下的综漫类,包括学院孤岛,刀剑、默世录、大逃杀、行尸走肉,生化危机、银魂、航海王、一拳、高达等。从地球到150亿光年的宇宙,后半卷算是星际版的航海王,舰炮毁灭恒星,手撕宇宙战舰,个人武力与战舰机甲的结合。
  • 书记

    书记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 何求美人折

    何求美人折

    你有没有放弃过一个人?若是你后悔了,该要如何是好?他遍体鳞伤,伤的是这具肉体,也是这颗还在跳动的心脏。他不曾负天下人,却放弃了她。如今,他负了天下人,唯独不愿负她。这一切,都是恕罪。梨花树下梨花雨,她一揽芳华,坐拥王城,曾经的俘虏,今日的权势,流年逝去,回首间,却无一人。--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 中国古代四大发明

    中国古代四大发明

    四大发明是指中国古代对世界具有很大影响的四种发明。即造纸术、指南针、火药、活字印刷术。此一说法最早由英国汉学家李约瑟提出并为后来许多中国的历史学家所继承,普遍认为这四种发明对中国古代的政治、经济、文化的发展产生了巨大的推动作用,且这些发明经由各种途径传至西方,对世界文明发展史也产生了很大的影响。《中国文化知识读本:中国古代四大发明》为“中国文化知识读本”系列之一,以优美生动的文字、简明通俗的语言、图文并茂的形式,介绍了中国古代四大发明的有关内容。
  • 霸宠女将军:妖孽夫君太腹黑

    霸宠女将军:妖孽夫君太腹黑

    新书:爆笑小萌宝:仙君,么么哒,已发布,还望大家多多支持~前世,她是一名现代明星金牌保镖,一朝穿越,怎料,却成了朝堂上独当一面的女王爷、沙场上呼风唤雨的‘第一女将’。原以为这一切只是个开始,谁知……直到她在一次青楼之行中无意救下了他,于是,便展开了一段“养成”与“被养成”、“扑”与“被扑”、“吃”与“被吃”的精彩故事。妖孽正太腹黑夫君?绝代神医敌国王爷?……一连串的阴谋与智慧全部接踵而来。他说:“朕爱你,无关乎江山。”而他却说:“我只愿为你,放弃万顷良田。”刀光剑戟,共赴沙场,无怨无悔;笔墨丹青,共度韶华,一心一意;一曲终了后,终是谁先失了心?又是谁先输了情?
  • 酒经(现代生活百科)

    酒经(现代生活百科)

    《酒经》是宋朝的一本讲述酒的书籍。《酒经》是宋代酒文献的力作,全书分上、中、下三卷。上卷为总论,论酒的发展历史;中卷论制曲;下卷记造酒,是中国古代皎早全面、完整地论述有关酒的著述。