He smiled, and did as she bade him. At the same moment the trembling
began to decrease, and in a moment the poor old cab-horse was in its
usual state. It seemed a little frightened still, but otherwise
recovered.

'I wonder what the deuce was the matter with it,' said Arthur.

Oliver Haddo looked at him with the blue eyes that seemed to see right
through people, and then, lifting his hat, walked away. Susie turned
suddenly to Dr Porhoët.

'Do you think he could have made the horse do that? It came immediately
he put his hand on its neck, and it stopped as soon as he took it away.'

'Nonsense!' said Arthur.

'It occurred to me that he was playing some trick,' said Dr Porhoët
gravely. 'An odd thing happened once when he came to see me. I have two
Persian cats, which are the most properly conducted of all their tribe.
They spend their days in front of my fire, meditating on the problems of
metaphysics. But as soon as he came in they started up, and their fur
stood right on end. Then they began to run madly round and round the
room, as though the victims of uncontrollable terror. I opened the door,
and they bolted out. I have never been able to understand exactly what
took place.'

Margaret shuddered.

'I've never met a man who filled me with such loathing,' she said. 'I