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European lines； and was able to retire at thirty…six with a handsome
fortune。 The rest of his life he devoted to travel and ratiocination； here is
the result。〃 Mr。 Scogan tapped the dummy books。 〃And now we come
to the 'Tales of Knockespotch'。 What a masterpiece and what a great man！
Knockespotch knew how to write fiction。 Ah； Denis； if you could only
read Knockespotch you wouldn't be writing a novel about the wearisome
development of a young man's character； you wouldn't be describing in
endless； fastidious detail； cultured life in Chelsea and Bloomsbury and
Hampstead。 You would be trying to write a readable book。 But then；
alas！ owing to the peculiar arrangement of our host's library； you never
will read Knockespotch。〃
〃Nobody could regret the fact more than I do；〃 said Denis。
〃It was Knockespotch；〃 Mr。 Scogan continued； 〃the great
Knockespotch； who delivered us from the dreary tyranny of the realistic
novel。 My life； Knockespotch said； is not so long that I can afford to
spend precious hours writing or reading descriptions of middle…class
interiors。 He said again； 'I am tired of seeing the human mind bogged in
a social plenum； I prefer to paint it in a vacuum； freely and sportively
bombinating。'〃
〃I say；〃 said Gombauld； 〃Knockespotch was a little obscure sometimes；
wasn't he？〃
〃He was；〃 Mr。 Scogan replied； 〃and with intention。 It made him
seem even profounder than he actually was。 But it was only in his
aphorisms that he was so dark and oracular。 In his Tales he was always
luminous。 Oh； those Talesthose Tales！ How shall I describe them？
Fabulous characters shoot across his pages like gaily dressed performers
on the trapeze。 There are extraordinary adventures and still more
extraordinary speculations。 Intelligences and emotions； relieved of all the
imbecile preoccupations of civilised life； move in intricate and subtle
dances； crossing and recrossing； advancing； retreating； impinging。 An
immense erudition and an immense fancy go hand in hand。 All the ideas
of the present and of the past； on every possible subject； bob up among the
Tales； smile gravely or grimace a caricature of themselves； then disappear
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to make place for something new。 The verbal surface of his writing is
rich and fantastically diversified。 The wit is incessant。 The。。。〃
〃But couldn't you give us a specimen；〃 Denis broke in〃a concrete
example？〃
〃Alas！〃 Mr。 Scogan replied； 〃Knockespotch's great book is like the
sword Excalibur。 It remains struck fast in this door； awaiting the coming
of a writer with genius enough to draw it forth。 I am not even a writer； I
am not so much as qualified to attempt the task。 The extraction of
Knockespotch from his wooden prison I leave； my dear Denis； to you。〃
〃Thank you；〃 said Denis。
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CHAPTER XV。
〃In the time of the amiable Brantome；〃 Mr。 Scogan was saying； 〃every
debutante at the French Court was invited to dine at the King's table；
where she was served with wine in a handsome silver cup of Italian
workmanship。 It was no ordinary cup； this goblet of the debutantes； for；
inside； it had been most curiously and ingeniously engraved with a series
of very lively amorous scenes。 With each draught that the young lady
swallowed these engravings became increasingly visible； and the Court
looked on with interest； every time she put her nose in the cup； to see
whether she blushed at what the ebbing wine revealed。 If the debutante
blushed； they laughed at her for her innocence； if she did not； she was
laughed at for being too knowing。〃
〃Do you propose；〃 asked Anne； 〃that the custom should be revived at
Buckingham Palace？〃
〃I do not；〃 said Mr。 Scogan。 〃I merely quoted the anecdote as an
illustration of the customs； so genially frank； of the sixteenth century。 I
might have quoted other anecdotes to show that the customs of the
seventeenth and eighteenth； of the fifteenth and fourteenth centuries； and
indeed of every other century； from the time of Hammurabi onward； were
equally genial and equally frank。 The only century in which customs were
not characterised by the same cheerful openness was the nineteenth； of
blessed memory。 It was the astonishing exception。 And yet； with what
one must suppose was a deliberate disregard of history； it looked upon its
horribly pregnant silences as normal and natural and right； the frankness
of the previous fifteen or twenty thousand years was considered abnormal
and perverse。 It was a curious phenomenon。〃
〃I entirely agree。〃 Mary panted with excitement in her effort to bring
out what she had to say。 〃Havelock Ellis says。。。〃
Mr。 Scogan； like a policeman arresting the flow of traffic； held up his
hand。 〃He does； I know。 And that brings me to my next point： the
nature of the reaction。〃
〃Havelock Ellis。。。〃
〃The reaction； when it cameand we may say roughly that it set in a
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little before the beginning of this centurythe reaction was to openness；
but not to the same openness as had reigned in the earlier ages。 It was to
a scientific openness； not to the jovial frankness of the past； that we
returned。 The whole question of Amour became a terribly serious one。
Earnest young men wrote in the public prints that from this time forth it
would be impossible ever again to make a joke of any sexual matter。
Professors wrote thick books in which sex was sterilised and dissected。
It has become customary for serious young women； like Mary； to discuss；
with philosophic calm； matters of which the merest hint would have
sufficed to