IN THE SHADOW
If a white man had done that thing one would have arrested him, no matter how dangerous the horse; with Dessalines … please tell me, Dr. Leyden, why this race has not achieved great things? The force, the power of brain and body, and the compelling weight of such a personality! I do not see how other men can resist can refuse to obey the will projection of such a being; he is terrifying to me yet, I will admit, fascinating and and do you know I think that if he were to say to me, suddenly, 'bring me that footstool' …"
"You think nothing of the sort!" interrupted Leyden sternly. Virginia's eyes had assumed peculiar rapt expression, pupils dilated and focused beyond the point upon which the vision rested, voice of a peculiar flat tone; semi-autohypnosis. At the naturalist's brusque note she started, looked puzzled, vexed, then laughed nervously.
"What was I saying? You are an odd man, Dr. Leyden; one unclothes one's mind in your presence with a shocking lack of modesty. Speaking of Dessalines, there he is ahead of us."
"Yes, that is Dessalines; your genius! And now, for your soul's good, watch and I will show you something. You speak of his dominant force; it is inversely proportional to what he feels to be the subjugation of another mind to his; it is this which makes people of his race so imposing to those whom they feel to be ignorant of their limitations. I will demonstrate this for you now; perhaps he may have read me too deeply, but I think not. You will observe, Miss Moultrie …" the curt voice of the pedagogue had returned; the tone of the naturalist was that of a clinical chief exhibiting an illus-
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