The Man who Could Work Miracles by H.G. Wells
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not really .. .I wonder what Hades is like ! "

he sat on_the bed taking off his boots . struck by a happy thought he transferred the constable to San_Francisco, and without any more interference with normal causation went soberly to bed . in_the night he dreamt of_the anger of Winch .

the next_day Mr Fotheringay heard two interesting items of news . someone had planted a most beautiful climbing rose against the elder Mr Gomshott's private house in_the Lullaborough road, and_the river as far as Rawling's mill was to_be dragged for constable Winch .

Mr Fotheringay was abstracted and thoughtful all that day, and performed no miracles except certain provisions for Winch, and_the miracle of completing his day's work with punctual perfection in_spite of all the bee- swarm of thoughts that hummed through his mind . and_the extraordinary abstraction and meekness of_his manner was remarked by several people, and made a matter for jesting . for_the most part he_was thinking of Winch .

on Sunday evening he went to chapel, and oddly enough, Mr Maydig, who took a certain interest in occult matters, preached about " things that_are_not lawful ." Mr Fotheringay was not a regular chapelgoer, but the system of assertive scepticism, to_which I_have already alluded, was now very_much shaken . the tenor of_the sermon threw an entirely new light on_these novel gifts, and he suddenly decided to consult Mr Maydig immediately after_the service . so soon as_that was determined, he_found himself wondering why he had_not done so before .

Mr Maydig, a lean, excitable man with quite remarkably long wrists and neck, was gratified at a request for a private conversation from a young man whose carelessness in religious matters was a subject for general remark in_the town . after a few necessary delays, he conducted him to_the study of_the manse, which_was contiguous to_the chapel, seated him comfortably, and, standing in front of a cheerful fire-- his legs threw aRhodian arch of shadow on_the opposite wall--requested Mr Fotheringay to state his business .

at first Mr Fotheringay was a little abashed, and found some difficulty in opening the matter ." you_will scarcely believe me, Mr Maydig, I_am afraid"-- and so forth for some_time . he tried a question at last, and asked Mr Maydig his opinion of miracles .

Mr Maydig was still saying " well" in an extremely judicial tone, when Mr Fotheringay interrupted again: " you don't believe, I suppose, that some common sort of person-- like myself, for instance-- as it might_be sitting here now, might_have some sort of twist inside him that made him able to_do things by his will ."

" it's possible," said Mr Maydig ." something of_the sort, perhaps, is possible ."

" if I_might make free with something here, i_think I_might show you by a sort of experiment," said Mr Fotheringay ." now, take that tobacco- jar on_the table, for instance . what i_want to_know is whether what I_am going to_do with it_is a miracle or not . just half a minute, Mr Maydig, please ."

he knitted his brows, pointed to_the tobacco- jar and said: " be a bowl of VI' lets ."

the tobacco- jar did as it_was ordered .

Mr Maydig started violently at_the change, and stood looking from_the thaumaturgist to_the bowl of flowers . he_said nothing . presently he ventured to lean over the table and smell the violets; they were fresh- picked and very fine ones . then he stared at Mr Fotheringay again .

" how did you do_that ? " he asked .

Mr Fotheringay pulled his moustache ." just told it-- and there you_are . is_that a miracle, or is_it black art, or what_is it ? and what do_you_think's the matter with me ? that's what i_want to ask ."

" it's a most extraordinary occurrence ."

" and this day last week I_knew no more that I_could do things like that than you_did . it came quite sudden . it's something odd about_my will, I suppose, and_that's as far as I_can_see ."

" is_that-- the_only_thing . could you_do other things besides that ? "

" lord, yes ! " said Mr Fotheringay ." just anything ." he thought, and suddenly recalled aconjuring entertainment he had seen ." here ! " he pointed, " change into a bowl of fish-- no, not that-- change into a glass bowl full of water with goldfish swimming in_it . that's better ! you_see that, Mr Maydig ? "

" it's astonishing . it's incredible . you_are either a most extraordinary .. . but no----"

" I_could change it into anything," said Mr Fotheringay ." just anything . here ! be a pigeon, will_you ? "

in another moment a blue pigeon was fluttering round the room and making Mr Maydig duck every time it came near him ." stop there, will_you ? " said Mr Fotheringay; and_the pigeon hung motionless in_the air ." I_could change it back to a bowl of flowers," he_said, and after replacing the pigeon on_the table worked that miracle ."I expect you_will want your pipe in a bit," he_said, and restored the tobacco- jar .

Mr Maydig had followed all these later changes in a sort of ejaculatory silence . he stared at Mr Fotheringay and in a very gingerly manner picked up the tobacco- jar, examined it, replaced it on_the table ."_Well ! " was_the only expression of_his feelings .

" now, after_that it's easier to explain what I_came about," said Mr Fotheringay; and proceeded to a lengthy and involved narrative of_his strange experiences, beginning with_the affair of_the lamp in_the long dragon and complicated by persistent allusions to Winch . as he went on, the transient pride Mr Maydig's consternation had caused passed away; he became the very ordinary Mr Fotheringay of everyday intercourse again .Mr Maydig listened intently, the tobacco- jar in_his hand, and_his bearing changed also with_the course of_the narrative . presently, while Mr Fotheringay was dealing with_the miracle of_the third egg, the minister interrupted with afluttering, extended hand .

" it_is possible," he_said ." it_is credible . it_is amazing, of_course, but it reconciles a number of amazing difficulties . the power to work miracles is a gift--a peculiar quality like genius or second sight; hitherto it has_come very rarely and to exceptional people . but in this_case .. . I_have always wondered at_the miracles of Mahomet, and at Yogi's miracles, and_the miracles of Madame Blavatsky . but, of_course-- yes, it_is simply a gift ! it carries out so beautifully the arguments of_that great thinker"-- Mr Maydig's voice sank--" his grace the duke of Argyll . here we plumb some profounder law-- deeper than_the ordinary laws of nature . yes-- yes . go on . go on ! "

Mr Fotheringay proceeded to_tell of_his misadventure with Winch, and Mr Maydig, no longer overawed or scared, began to jerk his limbs about and interject astonishment ." it's this what troubled me most," proceeded Mr Fotheringay; " it's this I'm most mijitly in want of advice for; of_course he's at San_Francisco-- wherever San_Francisco may_be-- but of_course it's awkward for both of us, as_you'll see, Mr Maydig .I don't see how he_can understand what has happened, and I daresay he's scared and exasperated something tremendous, and trying to_get at me .I daresay he keeps on starting off to_come here .I send_him back, by a miracle, every few hours, when i_think of it . and, of_course, that's a thing he won't be_able to understand, and it's bound to annoy him; and, of_course, if he takes a ticket every time it_will cost him alot of money .I done the best I_could for him, but, of_course, it's difficult for him to_put himself in my place . i_thought afterwards that his clothes might_have got scorched, you_know-- if Hades is all it's supposed to_be-- before I shifted him . in_that case I suppose they'd have locked him up in San_Francisco . of_course I willed him a new suit of clothes on him directly i_thought of it . but, you_see, I'm already in adeuce of a tangle----"

Mr Maydig looked serious ." I_see you_are in a tangle . yes, it's a difficult position . how you_are to end it .. ." he became diffuse and inconclusive .

" however, we'll leave Winch for a little and discuss the larger question .I don't think this_is a case of_the black art or anything of_the sort .I don't think there_is any taint of criminality about_it at all, Mr Fotheringay-- none whatever, unless you_are suppressing material facts . no, it's miracles-- pure miracles--miracles, if I_may say so, of_the very highest class ."

he began to pace the hearthrug and gesticulate, while Mr Fotheringay sat with_his arm on_the table and_his head on_his arm, looking worried ."I don't see how I'm to manage about Winch," he_said .

"A gift of working miracles--apparently a very powerful gift," said Mr Maydig, " will_find a way about Winch-- never fear . my dear_Sir, you_are a most important man--a man of_the most astonishing possibilities . as evidence, for example ! and in other ways, the things you_may do .. ."

" yes, I've thought of a thing or two," said Mr Fotheringay ." but-- some_of_the things came a bit twisty . you saw that fish at first ? wrong sort of bowl and wrong sort of fish . and i_thought I'd ask someone ."

"A proper course," said Mr Maydig, "a very proper course-- altogether the proper course ." he stopped and looked at Mr Fotheringay ." it's practically an unlimited gift . let_us test your powers, for instance . if_they really are .. . if_they really are all they seem_to_be ."

and so, incredible as it may seem, in_the study of_the little house behind the congregational chapel, on_the evening of Sunday, Nov .10, 1896, Mr Fotheringay, egged on and inspired by_Mr Maydig, began to work miracles . the reader's attention is specially and definitely called to_the date . he_will object, probably has already objected, that certain points in_this story are improbable, that if any things of_the sort already described had indeed occurred, they_would_have been in all the papers at_that_time . the details immediately following he_will_find particularly hard to accept, because among other things they involve the conclusion that he or she, the reader in_question, must_have been killed in a violent and unprecedented manner more than a year ago . now a miracle is nothing if_not improbable, and as a matter of fact the reader was killed in a violent and unprecedented manner in 1896 . in_the subsequent course of_this story that_will become perfectly clear and credible, as every right- minded and reasonable reader will admit . but this_is_not the place for_the end of_the story, being but little beyond the hither side of_the middle . and at first the miracles worked by_Mr Fotheringay were timid little miracles-- little things with_the cups and parlour fitments, as feeble as_the miracles of Theosophists, and, feeble as_they were, they were received with awe by his collaborator . he_would_have preferred to settle the Winch business out of hand, but Mr Maydig would_not let him . but after they had worked a dozen of_these domestic trivialities, their sense of power grew, their imagination began to show signs of stimulation, and their ambition enlarged . their first larger enterprise was due to hunger and_the negligence of Mrs Minchin, Mr Maydig's housekeeper . the meal to_which_the minister conducted Mr Fotheringay was certainly ill-laid and uninviting as refreshment for two industrious miracle-workers; but they were seated, and Mr Maydig was descanting in sorrow rather than in anger upon his housekeeper's shortcomings, before it occurred to Mr Fotheringay that an opportunity lay before him ."Don't you_think, Mr Maydig," he_said, " if_it isn't a liberty, I_----"

" my dear_Mr Fotheringay ! of_course ! no--I didn't think ."

Mr Fotheringay waved his hand ." what shall we_have ? " he_said, in a large, inclusive spirit, and, at Mr Maydig's order, revised the supper very thoroughly ." as for_me," he_said, eyeing Mr Maydig's selection, " I_am always particularly fond of a tankard of stout and a nice Welsh rarebit, and I'll order that .I ain't much given to Burgundy," and forthwith stout and Welsh rarebit promptly appeared at his command . they sat long at their supper, talking like equals, as Mr Fotheringay presently perceived, with a glow of surprise and gratification, of all the miracles they_would presently do ." and, by- the- by, Mr Maydig," said Mr Fotheringay, " I_might perhaps be_able to help_you-- in a domestic way ."

"Don't quite follow," said Mr Maydig, pouring out a glass of miraculous old Burgundy .

Mr Fotheringay helped himself to a second Welsh rarebit out of vacancy, and took a mouthful ." i_was thinking," he_said, " I_might_be able (_chum, chum_) to work (_chum, chum_) a miracle with Mrs Minchin (_chum, chum_)-- make her a better woman ."

Mr Maydig put down the glass and looked doubtful .

" she's---- she strongly objects to interference, you_know, Mr Fotheringay . and-- as a matter of fact-- it's well past eleven and she's probably in bed and asleep . do_you_think, on_the whole----"

Mr Fotheringay considered these objections ."I don't see that_it shouldn't be_done in her sleep ."

for a time Mr Maydig opposed the idea, and then he yielded .Mr Fotheringay issued his orders, and a little less at their ease, perhaps, the two gentlemen proceeded with their repast .Mr Maydig was enlarging on_the changes he might expect in_his housekeeper next_day, with an optimism, that seemed even to Mr Fotheringay's supper senses a little forced and hectic, when a series of confused noises from upstairs began . their eyes exchanged interrogations, and Mr Maydig left the room hastily .Mr Fotheringay heard him calling up to_his housekeeper and then his footsteps going softly up_to her .

in a minute or so the minister returned, his step light, his face radiant ." wonderful ! " he_said, " and touching ! most touching ! "

he began pacing the hearthrug ."A repentance--a most touching repentance-- through_the crack of_the door . poor woman ! a most wonderful change ! she had got up . she must_have got up at once . she had got up out of her sleep to smash a private bottle of brandy in her box . and to confess it too ! .. . but this gives us-- it opens--a most amazing vista of possibilities . if_we_can work this miraculous change in her .. ."

" the thing's unlimited seemingly," said Mr Fotheringay ." and about Mr Winch----"

" altogether

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