THE SLEEP OF SIALAM.
Deep was the silence, hushed were our breaths. Quick beat our hearts,
tearful were our eyes, for a greater than even Death was in that room on
the Boulevart de Luxembourg!
Seated in a large office-chair, his limbs stiff and cold with the damps
of dissolution; his face paler than the Genius of Consumption; his heart
and pulses totally moveless; his eyes wide open, and so upturned that
not a speck of aught but the uncolored portions thereof were visible,
was my friend. In previous years I had often seen him and hundreds of
others in both the mesmeric and odyllic trance--the latter being the
very common semi-comatic state into which sensitive persons often pass
by the merest effort of volition, and in which they give off such
high-sounding platitudes and call them philosophy transmitted direct
from spirit-land to erring mortals, when the fact is, that the whole
phenomena--when not simulated, which is not the case in over nine
hundred and ninety cases in each thousand of its display--is but the
concurrent action of a diseased body and an abnormal, unhealthy mind,
and in many cases morals also, for it makes no matter how good or
well-intentioned the subjects may be in the start, they are sure to
yield before the accursed blast, and only the fires of hell itself can
stop their mad career and turn them back to normal paths.
Not such a trance was that we now were witnessing. In the course of five
minutes there came a change in the sleeper’s face, which became lighted
up as if at that moment his soul beheld the ineffable glories of the
great Beyond.
He spoke: “Now!”
As this one word escaped his lips, the door of the room was silently
opened, and two men entered and were about taking seats, when the
Commissary of Police suddenly rose, made a low obeisance, saluted one of
them in military style, and exclaimed, “The Emp----”
“Silence!” said the person addressed; “all are strangers here!” And then
turning to Dhoula Bel, with whom he appeared quite familiar, this person
said to him, “At last?”
“At last!” echoed the latter; whereupon the two new comers helped
themselves to seats.
The whole affair had gone thus far so directly opposite to all my
calculations; events had taken such sudden and totally unexpected turns,
that I ceased to marvel at this new game of cross-purposes, but
determined to watch the results carefully, whatever they might be. Of
course I expected that the new comer would now take the lead of affairs.
But no; for Dhoula Bel, as I shall henceforth call him, addressed the
shorter of the two intruders as follows:
“Why do you, too, seek to thwart me? Many years ago I found you a
student of magic in your lonely prison, whither you had been consigned
because you had failed on two occasions. I rescued you, gave you
liberty, influence, power, prestige, and seated you firmly on the
proudest throne on earth; I have made you famed and feared; I have
humbled Britain in your name; for you I have broken the power of
ages--the Papacy; for you I have severed Austria, and built a new empire
on the earth. For you I have fomented the most awful war the world has
ever seen, and have divided a nation of brothers into two parties, each
thirsting for the other’s blood; and while you have been the silent
automaton, I have prompted your speech and moved the wires that govern
the world, asking nothing whatever in return, and yet you are here to
thwart me who have ever been your friend. Why is this?”
“I admit--nothing. I am a man of Destiny!”
“Shall I reveal it?”
“I care not.”
“Well, I forbear; but let this sleeper tell it.”
“I am content. Interrogate him. This is the hour, and this the scene for
which I long have waited. Let the oracle speak.”
“Listen to me,” said the taller of the two intruders. “Ye have both been
proxies of a power beyond us all; and even as I, the Stranger, have
foiled each of ye, yet my action was decreed. The drama of ages may end
to-day. Not one of us can read his own future; there is but one on earth
who can read it, and there is but one hour in which it may be done. That
person is here; that hour has come. Not with the magnetic afflatus of
puling, babbling somnambules; not with the boastful confidence of
self-styled explorers of mythical Summer Lands, or imaginary spheres;
but with a vision, simple, pure and accurate, shall yonder sleeper sweep
the horizon of the future, and reveal it. Therefore let there be
quietude and peace, while the mystic scroll is being read.”
Then turning to the slumberer, he said: “What seest thou, O Soul? Look!
investigate! reveal! What seest thou concerning France and her ruler?”
“France will experience another Revolution. It will begin in Water and
end in Blood and Fire! but the end will be delayed. Crown, Sceptre,
Dynasty--all are swept away before the resistless tide of Political
Reformation, and the last noble and priest shares the fate of the last
crowned head--exile and death.”
“What of the other Nationalities?”
“Prussia, under a new _régime_, becomes indeed a Fatherland to her
people; Belgium, Holland, and other of the Germanic lands, become
consolidated with empires now existing; Spain’s night draws near--her
colonies, erected into Black Republics, leave her to sink in loneliness,
until at last she becomes, with Rome, an integral part of the great
Italian Empire; Austria becomes dismembered; Hungary and Poland coalesce
and form a new power on the earth; Turkey passes into Greek hands; Syria
into Russian; England loses Canada, India, Oregon and Ireland, which
latter becomes a Republic; the United States, rejoined, absorbs Canada,
Mexico and all British America--her Black races found an empire which
will extend from her southern borders to Brazil, under the rule of a
series of Presidents; China, Christianized by the Taepings, becomes a
first-class power in the East, blotting out Japan and a score of lesser
kingdoms; while India and Australia become respectively an Empire and a
Republic; and all this within sixty-three years from the seventh decade
of the century!”
“What of Religious changes? Speak! Let us know!”
“All Religious systems in the world, outside of the Christian, will
gravitate toward, and finally be wholly absorbed by it; and while this
is taking place, there will be a quiet revolution occurring in that
system itself; Catholicism, modified and divested of certain
objectionable features, will become the right wing and conservative
portion of the Religion of the entire world, while the radical portion
of that Church, and of all other churches, will secede, rear the
standard of Free Thought, proclaim the Religion of Reason, espouse the
Reformatory men and principles of the age, declare itself a Positive,
Eclectic, and Progressive Faith, abjuring the doctrines of Original Sin,
the Adamic, Mosaic, Hebraic Atonement theories, and everything
affirmative of Miracle, Final Judgment, and a Hell. This party will be
in a minority, and the left wing of the grand Religious system of the
world; it will constantly receive accessions of recruits from the other
and barbaric element of society; but so rapid will be the human march,
that the right flank of the grand army will constantly crowd the left
and occupy its ground, while the latter will as constantly move on
toward new fields, as new ideas are developed and seen.”
“Now, Prophet, what of thyself?”
“Speedy death, relief from sorrow, a lot with other men, and comparative
happiness--on the other side of time.”
“What of the Rosicrucian System?”
“I have already sketched it under the name of the left wing. But ere
long there will arise a great man--a German--a Prussian, who will
declare that system to the world, and who will be _the_ Man of the 19th
century; and yet his astonishing power and influence will not be felt
until he shall be dead and the twentieth century shall reach its third
decade. That man lives to-day--in obscurity--totally unknown; he is in
America, but will arise to his work in Europe, and will be to the
intellectual and philosophical world, what Budha was to India, Plato to
Greece, Thothmes III. to Egypt, Moses to Jewry, Mahomet to Arabia,
Luther to Europe, and Columbus to the New World. THIS GERMAN IS THE
COMING MAN! He will first be heard of in New York city, in connection
with a small, but powerful journal that will soon see the light, and
begin its work in that great Metropolis. Supposing the whole field of
possible human progress and achievement to be embraced within the circle
of twenty-six, then this man’s field embraces the figures 3, 8, 1, 18,
12, 5, 19; 20, 18, 9, 14, 9, 21, 19,--and his motto will be TRY! The
figures are easily solvable. This man will be simple, earnest and
unostentatious, but firm, steadfast and uncompromising. His resources
will be millions, and he will command all the gold he needs for the
great work to be accomplished. He will boldly announce the grand
Doctrines of the THIRD AND CULMINATING Temple of the Rosie Cross; and
his followers will be as the sands of the sea in number, and their
principles will, in time, be as resistless as its waves. He will begin
his work personally, and by agency _before_ this great Rebellion in
behalf of Human Slavery shall have been ended. Mark that!”
As the sleeping man gave utterance to these inspired prophesies, the
less tall of the two strangers appeared disturbed, and almost rising to
his feet with excitement, he said:
“Then this man’s career will resemble my own?”
“As fire resembles ice. This man’s career will be peaceful; his path
will not be stained by one single drop of blood. No maimed men will
curse, no widows weep, no orphans cry for vengeance, nor will the
ignorance of the people constitute the lever of his power, nor be the
instrument by means of which he will vault into a throne!”
“But I am strong!--Mexico!--Empire!--The Latin race!--The
Church!--Maximilian! What can break this chain, supposing I establish
the last link, as I intend to?”
“Fate! The United States will, in that case, soon find time to breathe
upon France and the New Empire! That breath will settle as a cloud, but,
when it rises, _two_ dynasties will have disappeared _forever_!”
“Damnation!” exclaimed the questioner, and he stamped his feet and
ground his teeth with rage almost demoniac.
“There will be _two_ damned nations, if that programme is carried out,”
said the sleeping man, in tones musical and calm, as if he was
discussing the merits of a play rather than prophesying the fate and
destinies of Empires.
For a moment there was silence. At length Ravalette spoke--
“And now my turn. What, O sleeper! what of me?”
The seer smiled blandly, stretched forth his hands toward both the tall
personage and the Enigma. They went forward, grasped the sleeper’s hands
in their own, and--
“The Enmity of Ages is ended!”
“It is ended!” repeated the tall one.
“It is finished! Thy work is done--and mine--and thine”--indicating
Ravalette--said the seer. “Henceforward, there is rest for the
weary--there is rest for thee! No longer doomed to walk the earth, we
three quit it. Our paths diverge from this moment. Above our heads is a
scroll, on which is written--
‘YE MAY BE HAPPY YET!’”
“Thank Heaven!” said Dhoula Bel.
“Thank Heaven!” repeated the Stranger.
“It is finished!” said Beverly, and, as he spoke, Dhoula Bel moved
behind the screen, and, the very instant that he did so, there came the
sharp crack of fire-arms in the hall and on the stairs, accompanied with
any amount of oaths uttered in not very choice French.
Immediately, running to the door along with the Commissary of Police
and one of his comrades, I demanded to know the cause of the
disturbance.
“By the Holy Evangelists! I fired straight into his head, and it didn’t
faze him an inch!” said the sergeant.
“And I struck him square in the middle of the head, and _that_ didn’t
harm him in the least!” said another.
“And I put two Derringer bullets and four Colt’s fair into his breast,
at ten inches, and blast me if all six didn’t fly back and hit me!”
exclaimed a third.
“And I’ll swear that he didn’t come through the open door, for it was
fast shut, with my hand on the knob, every second of the time!” said the
fourth.
“It was the devil!” said a fifth.
“Or his imp!” said the sixth.
“And I’ll swear he never passed by me on the lower stair!” observed the
seventh man.
“Come hither into the room and tell us what you are driving at,” said
the Commissary.
“I’m driving at nothing just now,” said the sergeant, as he came in “but
I have been trying to drive some bullets through the devil! Do you
remember telling me not to let a certain person go out, even if I had to
shoot him to prevent it?”
“Certainly I do. Go on.”
“Well, the first thing I knew, that gentleman stood outside the door,
and said, as he made faces and ran out his tongue at me, ‘I’m going out
in spite of you, monsieur.’ ‘_Are_ you, indeed?’ ‘Of course I am: just
see me do it,’ said he, and he marched straight for the stairs, and
four of us undertook to clinch him, and did so. Gentlemen, have you ever
picked up a hot potatoe? Well, I have, and did not let it drop quicker
than we four let go of that individual; only that instead of burning us,
it felt for all the world like one feels at the Polytechnic when he
takes hold of those infernal things with wires to them, and which
discharge a quart or two of lightning into you before you can say Jack
Robinson! We let go of the gentleman very quickly, and he passed two or
three steps downward, all the while laughing at us, which made me
furious, and I fired point-blank at him, and we all attempted to cut him
down, but you might just as well have tried to kill a shadow. Messieurs,
that man disappeared in the smoke of our pistols! He never _passed out
in visible_ form!”
During the sergeant’s relation I had determined to see if Dhoula Bel had
really left the room, and for that purpose I carelessly walked toward
the window and past the screen. _There was nobody_ whatever behind or
near it. I walked back, said nothing, but resumed the seat I had
formerly occupied.
“Are you sure of what you tell us; that you are wide awake, and not
dreaming?” said the Commissary.
“As certain as I am that he is not now in this room.”
“Which shows how easily people may be deceived,” said a voice from
behind the screen, and instantly thereafter Dhoula Bel himself walked
out into the middle of the floor--stone floor it was--and after pointing
his finger scornfully at the sergeant and his men, he deliberately
walked back behind the screen again.
My hair stood up with fright and horror; not so the seven brave
Frenchmen; for with one accord they rushed toward the screen,
exclaiming: “But we have you now, man or devil!” dashed it away with a
single blow, and--
_There was no one whatever behind it._
The sergeant fell as if he had been shot.
Determined to preserve myself from surprise, I steadily kept my seat and
watched the Stranger and his companion. The latter rose from his chair,
advanced toward Hokeis and his daughter, who had both sat silent and
spell-bound during the whole of this extraordinary scene of diablerie,
and spoke a few words in a low tone to them.
While this was going on, the tall Stranger passed into the other room,
and within a period of twelve seconds I rose and followed, but he too
had disappeared!
* * *
There was a marriage in Paris next day. A son of Adam had wedded with a
daughter of Ish.
* * *
Two weeks later we carried an invalid to the baths of Switzerland. We
remained there two months, then, finding that he grew worse, conveyed
him back to Paris.
* * *
Three months elapsed. A funeral cortége wound up the paths of Père le
Chaise. A coffin was lowered into a new-made grave. Upon its brink stood
an old grey-haired man upholding and consoling a beautiful but
sorrow-hearted woman--one who had but recently been a bride.
* * *
Four months passed: I was on the eve of quitting France. I went to the
cemetery, and for an hour sat by a tombstone, on which was sculptured
these words--
“BEVERLY, THE ROSICRUCIAN.
“_Je renais de Mes Cendres!_”
That was all!
* * *
Across the sea, I tread my native soil again. I have availed myself of
the knowledge imparted by my friend.
* * *
Last night, in returning from the Rosicrucian lodge to which I have the
honor to belong, I called upon a lady friend in the ----th Avenue. In
her arms she held a bright and glowing child--“a boy,” said she. “Is he
not beautiful? Is he not like his father?”
“Wonderfully like,” I replied. “What is its name?”
“Osiris Budh! Curious name, isn’t it?”
“Very!” I replied, as I took my leave--“very!”
CONSUMMATUM EST.
Transcriber’s Notes
Variations in spelling, punctuation and hyphenation have been retained
except in obvious cases of typographical error (see list below).
Page ii: added missing period after B
P. B. Randolph
Page 7: added missing “ at begin of poem
“In the most high and palmy days of Rome,
Page 10: changed : to ;
The good prevailed;
Page 12: changed analagous to analogous
but something analogous to that
Page 29: added period in heading
CHAPTER III.
Page 30: changed : to ;
first lines speedily wear away;
Page 36: changed : to ;
shameless harlots of the other;
Page 39: changed 2 occurrences of : to ;
but do me good; that his name was Ettelavar;
Page 59: changed unpronouncable to unpronounceable
with an unpronounceable name
Page 61: changed acompanying to accompanying
on the harp and piano, accompanying the performances vocally
Page 62: Added ’ at end of paragraph
if you but say the word!’
Page 90: changed by to my
my back nearly touching it.
Page 92: changed towards to toward
turning toward the man
Page 93: changed soundrel to scoundrel
of as great a scoundrel as ever went loose upon the world.
Page 108: added period at end of sentence
to tell the danger I and the house had been in.
Page 111: changed weired to weird
when the weird old man whispered in my ear that I
Page 114: changed distahce to distance
you perceive, of a dark brown color, but at a distance,
Page 115: changed ” to ’
Now that glass disk before you contains such a liquid, thus
compounded--’
Page 141: completed quote with !’
in an almost indistinguishable tone, the words, ‘It shall be!’
Page 147: added period at end of sentence
for the entire jewel was not larger than a golden dollar.
Page 160: added ’ at end of paragraph
just as I fixed it an hour or two after Ravalette paid me.’
Page 164: completed unclear end of line
left the street of Michel le Compte, and turned up that of the
Temple.
Page 165: removed ’
assist in piling up the horripilant.
Page 174: changed gardiner to gardener
I put the same question to the proprietor that I had to the gardener
Page 174: changed . to ,
Not yet content, I made inquiries
Page 181: changed ” to ’
Now, my dear, was all this hum-bug?’
Page 203: changed griping to gripping
fastens upon its victim, is merciless, gripping, stern and
unrelenting.
Page 212: added ’ at end of paragraph
quite as interesting as anything you have yet beheld. Look!’
Page 230: added ” at and of paragraph
“‘Beverly!’”
Page 249: changed . to ,
Across the sea, I tread my native soil again.