This is the publication of a typescript, originally written in 1951, when the Professor Thomas was still a fairly young man, and recently re-discovered by the author. It is the story of a student and his friends at college in Oxford who, almost by accident (almost!), become drawn in to the strange and ethereal world surrounding the denizens inhabiting a house in one of the side streets of the town. The story flows and builds at a measured pace, eventually becoming a heady liquor of dense imagery, drawing the reader inevitably into its surprising climax.

Although obviously a short story, the book is, as is noted by the author in his introduction, in parts reminiscent of the work of Arthur Machen and is an all-too-brief pleasure to read. One has to wonder how great a writer of fiction the author would have become, had he concentrated on this aspect of his writing, but although his impact on Cornish fictional literature would surely have been great, the sheer volume and quality of Professor Thomas' factual output more than makes up for any loss. ( )