METROPOLIS The being stretched out the transparent hand in Wllich the bones shone silver, and, touching it with its finger-tips. moved the seal of Solomon. which glowed copperish. The door yielded back. Joh Fredersen went out after the being, which stepped downstairs before him. There was no light on the stairs, nor in the narrow passage. But a shimmel' carne from the being no stronger than that of a green-burning candle, yet strong enough to lighten up the stairs and the black walls. At the house-door the being stopped still and waited for Joh Fredersen, who was walking slowly along behind it. The house-door opened before him, lut not far enough for him to pass out through tIle opening. The eyes stared at him from the mass~head of the being, eyes as though painted on closed lids, with the expression of calm madness. . "Be courteous, my beautiful Parody," said a soft, far-off voice, which sounded as tnough the house were talking in its sleep. The being bowed. It stretched out a hand-a graceful skeleton hand. Transparent skin was stretched over the slender joints, which gleamed beneath it like dull silver. Fingers, snow-white and Heshless, opened like the petals of a crystal lily. Joh Fredersen laid his hand in it, feeling it, in the moment of contact, to be burnt by an unbearable coldness. He wanted to push the being away from him but the silver~ crystal Bngers held him fast. "Cood·bye," Joh Fredersen," said the mass head, in a voice full of a horrible tenderness. "Give me a face soon, Joh Fredersen'" A soft far-off voice laughed, as if the house were laughing in its sleep. The hand left go, the door opened, Joh Fredersen reeled into the street. The door closed behind him. In the gloomy wood of the door glowed, copper-red, the seal of Solomon, the pentagram. When Joh Fredersen was about to enter the brain·pan of
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