John Silence, Physician Extraordinary

The cover has been created and placed in the public domain by the transcriber using elements from the original cover.
JOHN SILENCE Physician Extraordinary
BY ALGERNON BLACKWOOD AUTHOR OF “THE LISTENER” “THE EMPTY HOUSE” ETC.
BOSTON JOHN W. LUCE & COMPANY 1909
TO M. L. W. THE ORIGINAL OF JOHN SILENCE AND MY COMPANION IN MANY ADVENTURES
JOHN SILENCE
“And what is it makes you think I could be of use in this particular case?” asked Dr. John Silence, looking across somewhat sceptically at the Swedish lady in the chair facing him.
“Your sympathetic heart and your knowledge of occultism——”
“Oh, please—that dreadful word!” he interrupted, holding up a finger with a gesture of impatience.
“Well, then,” she laughed, “your wonderful clairvoyant gift and your trained psychic knowledge of the processes by which a personality may be disintegrated and destroyed—these strange studies you’ve been experimenting with all these years——”
“If it’s only a case of multiple personality I must really cry off,” interrupted the doctor again hastily, a bored expression in his eyes.
“It’s not that; now, please, be serious, for I want your help,” she said; “and if I choose my words poorly you must be patient with my ignorance. The case I know will interest you, and no one else could deal with it so well. In fact, no ordinary professional man could deal with it at all, for I know of no treatment or medicine that can restore a lost sense of humour!”