"There was also a note from Mr. Marsden, saying that his scheme was

progressing favourably, and that he considered it would be better to

make Lord Vancome a bankrupt; he had got possession of all his bills,

and now only awaited instructions before taking final action.

"Without replying to either of the letters, I started for the North by

the night train, and slept nearly the whole time, instead of devoting it

to unravelling the entangled skein, which was probably the better plan,

for I was thoroughly tired. Consequently I arrived at Heather Lodge

refreshed, but without having the least idea of what course to pursue.

"Mr. Soudin had gone out, and I found Vera sitting alone, engaged in

reading a novel. She seemed pleased to see me, and we sat for some time

talking on trivial matters, which gave me an opportunity of reading her

thoughts, and thus finding out whether the memory of her journey to

Liverpool had returned. With some relief I soon discovered that, though

she had a dim remembrance of having intended to run away from home with

Vancome, and of a journey with some unknown lady, the intervening period

was still a blank; and, moreover, that she had been persuaded even this

remembrance was but a delusion owing to illness. After her return she

had suffered from a slight fever, brought on no doubt by the excitement;

and during recovery it was easy to make her believe that what

remembrance she retained was simply the effect of delirium. Though she

now disliked Vancome, it was not difficult to perceive that she had not

forgotten our former quarrel. Her father had apparently been urging her

strongly to accept my suit and had prevailed, but there was no sign that

she loved me; and this fact, considering the strange position in which

we were placed, ought to have caused me more relief than it did.

"I found it impossible to convince my heart that, considering the

circumstances, such a husband had any right over this girl; though at

the same time I fully realized how all hope of my marrying her was at an

end, and that my love must in future be unselfish, desiring neither any

return of affection nor other reward.

"You may think that from the time I became acquainted with the marriage,

it was my duty to stamp out all feeling of affection and accept this as

a sign that I had previously been mistaken in supposing our lives were

for all time to influence each other, or that I was still responsible

for the girl's future. In fact, considering her character, one so

placed might well, from a selfish point of view, have rejoiced in

regaining freedom from a burden that could only bring pain and trouble

through life. Such views have become the accepted canons of society,

and in most cases it would be foolish to fight against them. Marriage in

itself is a wise law fitted to the present condition of our lower animal

natures, and to tamper with it is not only a dangerous, but a retrograde

step. For it shadows forth the nobler union of souls, and in some few

cases may even bring a foretaste of future joy.

"On the other hand, it is equally false to assume that this legal or

so-called religious tie has any necessary spiritual significance; and

while at the present day the bond is often held too lightly, there are

some, who, conscious of nobler feelings and aspirations, regard wedlock

as a divine union of souls. This view, though correct as an ideal, finds

too seldom its realization; hence arises no little confusion of ideas

and much unnecessary trouble of heart. The scoffers ask, with the

Sadducees of old, which man's wife shall such a one be in the

resurrection, forgetting that the body is nothing, and that the passions

of the body are nothing but the trivialities of a transitory condition.

Such things are intended to seem important to us whilst on earth; and

bear an apparent significance out of all proportion to their spiritual

importance. Thus we live in a world full of heaven-sent delusions. No

observation of other lives can destroy them, for each man or woman must

learn the lesson by experience.

"Think of all that has been written and all that has been said about

love, and yet how year by year we see the same picture reproduced. When

first a girl attracts a youth, or may be a man of mature years, what are

his feelings? If only he can get her to consent to be his wife, he

believes that his whole existence must be changed to one of joy; that in

her company all other interests will be as nothing; that it must be

impossible to tire of her presence, to be a moment absent from her

without pain, that they will in fact continue lovers to the end. If he

looks round on his married acquaintances it is nothing to him that he

can find no such state of existence; others can never have felt as he

feels, for no one had like cause. He may be half conscious that he is

being tricked by his emotions, but he prefers not to question his mind

on the subject. Nature is too strong for reason, and having her work to

accomplish, fulfils her mission."

I was surprised to hear Sydney speaking in this way, and interrupted him

by asking if he did not believe in the possibility of an enduring and

true love on earth.

"Yes," he replied, "most certainly; but not in this fascination lasting.

True love can only be tested by those who have learned the lesson of

self-renunciation. If you wish to know whether you love or not, face

these questions--Is it for myself this possession is desired, or am I

striving only for the happiness of the one beloved? Should she change,

and the beauty, if there is beauty, turn to the most repulsive ugliness;

her apparent saintliness to sin; her affection to hatred, or her sanity

to madness, should I still love her? If you can truly say this, and

have sufficient imagination to realize fully the meaning of the change,

yours is love; and if in after times, when trial comes, your

self-confidence leaves you, such love may even then rest assured it is

eternal, because it is of God. But we see this devotion more often

exhibited in the passion of parent for child than in love between man

and wife. The reason of this being that the latter relationship begins

with the expectation of a love to be returned, and the former with a

ministry of tenderness which can at the time receive no active response.

It is ever owing to seemingly adverse circumstances that the finer

qualities of man's nature are drawn forth, and I have more reason to be

thankful for the misery and perplexity which my love for Vera brought

into my life than for all the hours of happiness which I have known.

Much, however, as we may appreciate these disguised blessings in

retrospect, it does not make them more agreeable to pass through; and

this time which I spent at Heather Lodge was perhaps, with one

exception, the most miserable period of my life.

"I felt that it was absolutely necessary to take the first opportunity

of letting Mr. Soudin know the truth. As soon as he returned, and I had

a chance of speaking to him alone, I started on the unpleasant task. He

listened patiently to the outline of the story till I came to the

marriage-licence, then turning livid with anger he lost all

self-control.

"'I don't believe it!' he said. 'It is outrageous--monstrous! Why, the

girl's not of age. He would have been bound to get my consent. You

must know that the thing's out of the question!'

"When I explained that the age had been altered, he grew still more

furious.

"'I'll have him up for perjury!' he cried. 'Get the marriage annulled,

for after all it was never consummated; the thing's preposterous. He

drugs the girl, gets her into his power, commits perjury, and hopes

thereby to live on me for the rest of his life; but he is mistaken; the

thing shall be put right at once!'

"As soon as he was a little calmer I tried to reason with him, and show

that it would be no easy matter to prove that Vera was not a consenting

party.

"'Had you not better,' I asked, 'go to Liverpool, and see the registrar

before whom the marriage took place, and also examine the signatures? A

prosecution for perjury might possibly fall upon your daughter if you

are not careful how you act.'

"At last he consented to take the course suggested, on the condition

that I did not leave until his return, and the following morning he

started for Liverpool.

"I was left practically alone with Vera, her mother being still confined

nearly all day to her room. I decided to let my powers, as far as

possible, lie dormant, and to watch her only as I should have done

before the development of my new sense; to see her as any other man

might, and endeavour to judge how much of her inner character was

obvious to those who came in contact with her in ordinary life.

"It is always easy thus to throw off a possession that has been recently

acquired, and it is often a relief to do so. My animal nature gained in

strength the moment it was released from the new spiritual bondage.

Moreover, my companion seemed conscious of a similar relief; I had never

seen her so bright and happy; she became at once a merry, playful child,

recklessly mischievous and fascinatingly coquettish.

"In the afternoon, the day after my arrival, we walked together over the

moors to a little village by the sea. Though the autumn was now far

advanced, it was one of those Indian summer days in which each act of

breathing becomes a separate joy, when every soft breath of wind helps

to intoxicate the brain. I felt as if with every mile I walked a year

of life dropped from me, till, when we reached the seashore, I had

arrived at boyhood and had cast away all care, all thoughts of the past.

"The girl beside me was no longer the wife of an enemy, but my

child-playfellow; our spirits acted and reacted upon each other. We

were alone with the seagulls and the waves. The cries of the former and

the music of the latter harmonized with the reckless exultation that

overwhelmed us. Barefooted we waded in the chilly water, or chased each

other over the warm sand with laughter and shouting. Among the rocks

and caves we hunted for curious sea-creatures, sadly missing our

childhood's buckets in which to place the captives. Near at hand was a

rocky basin, which became our aquarium; hither we brought, with mingling

sounds of exultation and fear, the wriggling captives, pride in each new

treasure demanding appreciation from the less fortunate.

"The clear pool was soon teeming with live creatures thus reluctantly

brought into close contact, and through the forest of delicate seaweed

we watched some fierce and deadly battles; whilst the more lymphatic

species lay around, allowing their bodies with equal complacency to be

made the stepping-stones to victory or the shelter from defeat.

"Thus in childish pleasure the hours went by, till, tired out with our

play, we sat down side by side to rest.

"'Whatever would people think if they could see us?' Vera said, covering

up her bare feet in the warm sand.

"It may have been her action, or something in the tone of her voice. In

a moment the happy, boyish feeling left me. The years began to hurry

back, the innocent pleasure to fade, and in its place the passion of

manhood came with overwhelming power, baffling and mocking me. I looked

at my companion--child-playmate no longer. Her face was flushed, her

uncovered head a mass of soft, light, waving curls; her eyes sparkled

with merry mischief, but beneath the mischief there was that look I had

surprised before, the reflection of my own feeling on the girl's nature;

but how differently did it affect me now! When first I had seen it,

Vera had promised to be my wife; now she was the wife of another. It

seemed almost incredible that a mere legal formality, such as her

marriage had been, could so entirely alter our relationship; but still

stranger how the knowledge of this alteration strengthened all the lower

passions of my nature, at the expense of the higher. Every feeling that

had hitherto been sanctified by love was now sacrilege against that

love. I made a desperate effort to regain the mastery over my weakness;

but, alas! I had kindled a new fire of temptation.

"Vera came close to me, and laying her hand on mine, said--'Alan, I

think that I will forgive you, after all. I like you better to-day than

ever before.'

"What had I done? My object having been to help this girl, my want of

success was pitiable. Having deprived her of the knowledge of her

marriage, and caused her to hate her husband, I was now bringing her

once more beneath the influence of a passion which could only end in

misery and degradation. Yet, as I looked at her, it seemed impossible to

withstand the temptation of taking her once more, if only once, into my

arms. She was waiting for my kiss of reconciliation; and more than

this, of the torrent of love long restrained. I was powerless, and

knowing that no strength of my own could save me, with one last cry for

help, I gave over the contest. At the same instant I was free.

"Of all the strange mysteries connected with our nature, nothing is more

remarkable than what is called the efficacy of prayer. As long as a man

fights against his temptations he but increases their force, especially

in such a contest as this. But should his will be really against the

temptation, a path is always open. Let him once acknowledge his own

weakness, and allow for a moment his spirit to cry for assistance, and

he will find himself lifted from the burden of the body, in a way that

those who have never experienced the sensation would think impossible.

One thing only is necessary, but that is essential: the cry must be an

honest desire of the heart, and not a weak prompting of habit.

"It is not that strength to resist the evil is sent as an answer to the

prayer, but that the temptation is utterly removed, the force of the

body being, as it were, for the time annihilated; so at least have I

ever found it, and so it proved in this case. I could look now at my

companion without fear, and love her with a love that I knew was

innocent. The very remembrance of my past thoughts filled me with a

wondering horror. Summoning all my strength of will, I strove to recall

to her mind the page which had been obliterated, and to bring back her

natural feeling towards Vancome, which had changed to hatred.

"Whilst doing this, I repeated the story, hoping thereby to assist her

memory, but, from a then unknown reason, I failed utterly, and the only

impression which she formed was that I had gone mad. When I tried to

take her hand in mine so as to gain more influence over her will, she

rose and left me.

"I could see her in the distance evidently getting ready to start for

home. I dared not follow her, knowing that had I done so, she would in

her fear have run bare-headed and bare-footed over the moor, rather than

let me come near her.

"She, however, seemed undecided in her mind, and for the first time that

day I began to be conscious of her thoughts. Seeing that I had made no

attempt to follow her, or to exhibit any further signs of insanity, the

sudden fear had evidently diminished, and she began to fancy that

probably I had only been fooling her for the pleasure of seeing if she

could be made to believe the story. At length, being satisfied that

this was the explanation, she began to walk slowly towards the place

where I was sitting, and then called to me, saying that it was time to

go back. I answered that I was quite ready, but that it seemed a pity

to go so soon. My voice still further reassuring her, she came and

looked over the rock, saying--

"'So you thought you could take me in with that rubbish, did you?'

"'Well,' I replied, 'that was my intention, but as it's evidently of no

use, I must give in. Your imagination is not so easily influenced as I

thought.'

"'I should think not,' she said. 'But you acted very well, and I really

thought for the moment you had gone mad. It was very nasty of you to

spoil our happy day in that manner. I suppose you did it in revenge.'

"'No, I did not, dear,' I answered. 'But come and sit down. We will

say no more about it.'

"She did as I asked her, protesting all the while that I was a brute;

but in five minutes I had managed to change the subject, and to get her

to take my hand. Then without speaking I willed her to sleep. Slowly

she leant further back; her head sank down, and in less than a minute

she was quite unconscious.

"There would, I now knew, be no difficulty in impressing on her mind

what had previously been obliterated, and moreover, there was plenty of

time to consider whether it might not be well to keep her still in

ignorance of some part of her experience with Vancome. But thinking the

matter over, I decided it would not under the circumstances be right to

interfere with the past. So I willed her to remember all, and to awake

with the same feelings towards her husband as those which she felt

before she left the ship; moreover, that she should not only understand

what course I had pursued, but my reason for pursuing it, and my

ignorance of the marriage.

"In her hypnotic condition she was able to answer my questions, and I

felt satisfied that when she recovered, she would be able clearly to

recall the past.

"Once more I laid my hand over her eyes, and bade her sleep, it being

easier and safer to recall the patient to a natural condition, from a

state of placid, rather than active, mesmerism. But on trying to rouse

her, I was again destined to failure. It was impossible to bring her

back to consciousness, or even to influence her now in any way. She lay

in one of those cataleptic trances, which no power then known could

break, and which form the chief danger connected with all such

experiments. Even now, though I should have little difficulty in

dealing with a case of this kind, I should be loath, except in

emergency, or where the life of the body was endangered, to recall the

spirit which is for the time free from its bodily trammels. But in

those days I was unable to do so.

"At length alarmed, I took her in my arms and carried her to the little

fishing village, where with some difficulty I managed to find a vehicle

to drive back to Heather Lodge. It is not necessary for me to go into

the details of the two anxious days which followed. During this time

all the efforts, not only of the local doctor, but of two consulting

physicians, had no effect in rousing Vera from her unnatural sleep. On

the third day, however, she awoke, and seemed little the worse for her

experience.

"Mr. Soudin had, in the meantime, returned in a state of the greatest

despondency, and as soon as the news of his daughter's recovery had

relieved my mind of an anxiety, which had made it impossible for me to

think of other matters, I had a long talk with him.

"His pride and reserve were broken, and I was relieved to find that he

intended to make a full confession of his present monetary difficulties.

In Liverpool his worst fears were realized. Not only had he seen Vera's

signature, but the registrar had told him that as far as it was possible

to judge, his daughter acted without the slightest constraint, and had

seemed perfectly reasonable and collected. 'She had given her age as

twenty-one, on oath, and had answered all his questions rationally. A

solicitor, when consulted, had given Mr. Soudin little hope of the

marriage being annulled, and had warned him that while the action would

probably lead to no good, it might possibly end in his daughter and

son-in-law being arrested for perjury. If, however, he continued, she

possessed means of her own, it might be wise to make an application to

have this money settled upon her.

"'Money!' cried Mr. Soudin, after repeating the lawyer's words, 'it is

little use troubling about that. Not only has she not a penny, but I may

as well tell you at once she never will have. I am ruined!' and saying

this he broke down, burying his face in his hands.

"'I knew this,' I replied, 'some time ago. You might as well have shown

sufficient confidence in me to mention it before; knowing that I should,

for your child's sake, have been only too glad to help you. But I

suppose it seemed safer to let the marriage take place first.'

"'It's all very well,' he gasped, still shaken with the sobs which he

could not suppress, 'for you to talk in that way now that the marriage

is impossible, and you are free to leave us all in our misery!

Generosity, I have found, is only to be trusted when the personal

interest of the giver is securely tied up with that of the recipient.'

"I felt inclined to retort that he, in common with most men, judged

others from the standpoint which he had adopted for personal usage, but

the abject misery of the man, and the fact that he was the father of

Vera, restrained me, and I said--

"'It is useless to talk of the past, which is irrevocable. The question

to decide is what can be done in the future.'

"'The workhouse is open,' he muttered, 'and I can hardly see how the

matter can interest you. Vancome is a beggar--we are all beggars. A

curse has come upon us since you first entered the house, and I

sometimes think that you brought it. You seem to possess some damnable

power which I neither understand nor wish any longer to experience. It

will be a relief to know that you have left the house.'

"'I feel sure you will later on regret such an accusation,' I answered,

'considering that you bought your bank shares before you ever saw me,

and that the bank has been insolvent for years. Moreover, as you know,

I did all in my power to prevent your daughter from marrying Lord

Vancome. I have, however, a proposition to make. It seems quite clear

that I cannot marry Vera, but there is no reason why I should not be

able to help her. She is now Lady Vancome, and though her husband is

penniless, the property which he once owned is in my hands, and will

before long be legally transferred to me. I have thought the matter

carefully over, and decided on certain conditions to settle these

estates upon your daughter for life. The income which she will derive

from them will be sufficient not only to enable her to keep up Vancome's

late home, but also to live there very comfortably.'

"My companion was staring at me in blank amazement, and at last he

said--'But to be candid, what are you to gain by this sacrifice? You

can hardly expect me to believe that you intend to hand over property

worth L100,000 for the benefit of a man you hate.'

"I did not reply for a moment; it was not the man's words but his

thoughts which made me mad with rage; for I saw that he had not only

placed the worst motive on my action, but that in his extremity he was

prepared to accept my offer even at the price of his daughter's honour.

"Seeing that I was silent, he continued--'Of course you will have to pay

Vancome an allowance for keeping out of the way.' Then a bright idea

seemed to strike him, and he continued--'Why not pay him a good round

sum to run off with some one else, and let us get a divorce? It is only

a matter of price, and desertion is as good a plea as cruelty.'

"'This may be your idea of what is best,' I said, 'but somehow it does

not appeal to me, nor would it fit in with my plans. I am going to

consult my lawyer; and if it should be necessary, so as to make it easy

for your daughter to protect herself, as well as the property, from her

husband, I may have to make Vancome an allowance. But should Vera

desire it, I shall place no obstacle in the way of his returning to his

old home; my only wish is to leave her independent. As soon as these

arrangements are made, I shall go abroad, and it is hardly probable you

will see me again for some years.'

"Having said this, and feeling it would be impossible to restrain my

temper any longer, I left the room. Had I remained with Mr. Soudin I

should most likely have read some of the plans which he doubtless then

was formulating, and so have been able to guard Vera more wisely, and

prevent much of the evil which followed.

"I felt utterly depressed and puzzled. Little as I had cared for or

believed in this man, the coarse selfishness of his nature, the want of

even natural affection nauseated me. Life itself, mankind, the Creator

of all things, seem degraded by the very existence of such a being. As

the unselfish love of a father for his child is the chosen illustration

of Godhead, so one in whom there is no sign of this love stands on the

outer edge of darkness; doubly damned by the chaos into which he has

wandered, and the reckless disregard of that one pure ray which might

have been his salvation.

"The next day, before leaving for London, I had a long talk with Vera.

She was now able to remember all that had passed during her absence from

home, and was evidently very nervous, wondering how I should receive her

after what had happened.

"'Mr. Sydney,' she began, 'I suppose you hate me, and perhaps your

hatred is deserved. I can only say that I am very sorry for acting

towards you in this way, and wish you good-bye.'

"'I am not angry with you, Vera,' I replied. 'We all must live to a

certain extent as our natures lead us. Tell me, do you love your

husband?'

"'I am not sure,' she answered; 'I suppose so, or I should not have

consented to run away with him; but you see it seems long ago, and as I

knew him for so short a time, it is difficult to be certain. It was

wrong of you to make me forget all about the marriage, but you thought

you were doing it for the best. How could you fancy that I should have

gone with him if we had not been married first?'

"'I thought he might have deceived you in some way,' I said. 'But I

acknowledge that my act was wrong, and ask your forgiveness. I have

done all that is possible to make amends, but your father will explain

about these details; and remember I shall always be ready to help you in

any way. You will not forget, will you, that whatever happens I am your

friend, and if you send for me I will come at once?'

"I was placing all the restraint I could on my manner, but I felt sick

and giddy with the strain. At no time before had I loved this girl as

now, when I had to leave her. She seemed to be conscious of this, but

did not take the right way to help me, for coming nearer, and laying her

hand on my arm, she said--

"'Alan, must you go? I want you to be near me. When you are by, I feel

stronger and better, and oh! at times I am so lonely; the world seems so

cold, so big, so evil, and I can trust you. Do stop, any way, till my

husband comes back; that is the least you might do, considering that it

was through your action we were parted.'

"'I dare not!' I answered. 'If it is pain to part now, how much worse

it would be for me then! Can you not see also that it would be taking

an unfair advantage of your husband? What I did at first, was done

ignorantly, and it was necessary after that to undo as much of the evil

as possible, but now I ought to go.'

"'Oh! I don't know what I shall do!' she cried, and the tears began to

come into her eyes.

"I might have been excused for thinking that at last she loved me; but I

was not mistaken, I knew her nature too well. Such a girl might weep

upon her lover's neck, feeling for the moment as though her heart were

breaking; and the next week under other influence throw him over for

some one near at hand, with the most formal apology, and feeling hardly

a sensation of pain. I felt sure that as soon as I had left, she would

forget, but the knowledge did not bring, as perhaps it should have done,

relief; rather it added to my pain. What hold could any one have upon

such an undeveloped character? In all such cases we can only wait till

the spirit is born. A flower is beautiful, we see it opening its

delicate coloured petals in the sunlight; the fairy butterfly is

hovering near, bearing the germ of fruition, but it passes by, and we

must wait. As some blossoms, once as beautiful as their more fortunate

neighbours, fall to the ground, having apparently missed, though we know

not why, the purpose of their existence here, so some men and women live

and die, having missed the object of their lives. The angel of love

touches them not; he hovers near, they feel the breath from his wings,

but the birth of the spirit is reserved for a future seed-time, and the

harvest is a failure.

"I left Scotland, and after making the money arrangements referred to,

threw my whole heart and mind into my work, trying to drown other

thoughts by the interest which each added power brought. Up to this

time, as you will have seen, my gift was a mixed blessing,

half-developed, and therefore more likely to lead to evil than to good;

but now I began to make progress, to feel my feet a little; every week

brought new and startling discoveries, power which I had hardly dared to

hope for; wisdom that humbled me to the dust. But as the story of my

year's work abroad, and the events that happened to Vera during the same

period in England will take me some time to relate, I shall leave them

till your next visit. I have already tired you enough, we had better

now rest a few hours, and if you like I will send you to sleep by

telling a short fairy story. It has been a habit of mine since boyhood

to mentally talk myself into dream-land, and without doubt you will find

my tale have an equally soothing effect upon your own mind."

So I lay back, courting sleep, whilst Sydney told me this fairy story.

"In a world like, yet unlike, our own, might once have been found men

fashioned as are the people of earth, save that they dwelt in profound

silence; they heard neither the sweet singing of birds, nor the roar of

their mighty torrents, nor the sweet murmuring of the streams.

Communication of thought was carried from one to the other by the

movement of the lips, by the sense of touch, or by writing; for though

their world was full of sound, they as yet had not the gift of hearing.

The time had not come when they should listen to the voices of the other

spirits who wandered unseen in their midst, for the songs of the fairy

folk contained much of the wisdom which it was better for the deaf and

dumb to discover for themselves through the lessons of life. Yet at

times, as the years rolled by, from every part of their world came

messages of growing superstitions, of a professed consciousness of

something which their written language failed clearly to convey, and of

impressions which had been experienced, but which were outside the

region of science. The wise men were greatly indignant at the growth of

this seeming folly; they challenged the dreamers to appear before them,

and prove the truth of their statements. Then one came forward, an old

man, and he made signs to those around; and this was the

interpretation--

"'Behold! as I stood among the hills, the heavens grew black around me,

and great drops of rain fell on either side; out of these dark clouds

there passed downwards to the earth a great fork-shaped flame which fell

on a lofty tree; as it touched the great branches they split asunder,

falling to the ground and leaving behind only a broken and shattered

trunk.'

"And the wise men answered, 'Though such things happen but seldom, and

in but few parts of the world, there is nothing new in what you have

told us.'

"But the man continued, 'It is not of that I came to speak; wonderful as

it seemeth to me, even though it may have happened in such manner

before, and though you may have given the mystery a name. But when this

flash had passed, I felt, yet I did not feel, something strike me; it

was as though I had received some mighty blow, yet nothing touched me,

and my head throbbed with pain, and my thoughts became confused.'

"But the wise men laughing, replied, 'It seemeth to us that the

confusion of thought hath still continued.'

"Then the old man brought forth a piece of flat metal, and a great iron

rod which he used for some work; and he began once more to address his

audience.

"'Yet,' he said, 'I have felt this sensation before, but not so

strongly, even when I have struck these two, one against the other,' and

he thereupon hit the metal plate a great blow. 'It is there!' he cried;

'once more I felt it pass through my brain.'

"Some of those present seemed also to feel a like sensation, and one

rose up, addressing the assembly thus--

"'For many years reports of strange sensations have come to us from all

countries and people; moreover, these reports all bear a great

resemblance to each other. Is it not well that we should investigate

the matter more fully than we have done hitherto?'

"But the greater number of those present was opposed to him, answering,

that already these so-called impressions had been tested from time to

time by scientific research, and that it had been proved beyond question

that they were all founded on delusion, as they could not by any

possibility have reached the brain through the sense of touch or sight

or smell; and that, therefore, necessarily they did not reach it at all.

"So the man returned to his own place; but some of the common people,

who read the report and had known similar impressions, were strengthened

in a belief, which was gaining ground year by year, namely, that the

wise men might perhaps not know everything, and that the learned of the

future might even laugh at the learned of to-day, as the latter now

mocked their predecessors.

"So the years went by, and the reports of wonders became more numerous

and more confusing. Some said that they had language conveyed to them,

which as yet they could hardly understand, and that this happened even

when their eyes were closed and no person was near to them. A few even

believed that they could partially understand this language, and these

were placed under restraint as madmen.

"During all this turmoil, a child was born, which grew up fair and

beautiful to look upon. None taught him, yet he became exceeding wise,

though his knowledge was not the knowledge of the savants. He was born

with the power of hearing developed, and soon learned the fairy

language; and the bright spirits taught him more wisdom than was to be

found in all the books of his world. But when he tried to convey to

those around the glory of sound, the sweetness of the fairies' songs,

the whispering melody of the leaves when the wind played with them, or

the ceaseless music of the waves, he found that there were no words in

the language capable of expressing his meaning, and had to try by

parables to give even a faint idea of the inexpressible.

"Moreover, most of his companions mocked him, but a few listened, even

those who had some foretaste of his gift, and these believed that he was

a god.

"As his fame spread abroad, men came from the ends of the earth to

learn, if possible, the language that needed no signs, that passed

mysteriously and invisibly from brain to brain. He found it possible to

awaken in a few of these the dormant sense which all possessed, and such

were able to work miracles among their fellows.

"And the savants stormed, and then when they found it impossible any

longer to ignore the new power, they themselves began to give names to

the mysteries; and having done this they were consoled, considering that

they had thereby exorcised the supernatural.

"But the waves beat no longer unheard upon the beach; and the birds are

loved by many for their voices as well as for their plumage. The mother

hears her child's cry, and the lover the footstep of the beloved.

"Some, however, are still deaf, and others have not yet learned the

language which is breathed so sweetly in the music of the fairies'

songs."

*PART II*

*CHAPTER VII*

It was some weeks before Alan Sydney again returned to the story of his

life. We often met, however, during this interval, both at his house

and at mine. He seemed anxious to let me become better acquainted with

his views and strange philosophy before describing any more of his

experiences. So interesting did I find these discussions that, though

still wishing to hear the conclusion of the tale, I did not press him to

continue it. One evening, however, our conversation led back to the

subject. We had been for some time discussing Buddhism; I had pointed

out that many of the conclusions at which he had arrived resembled in

certain ways the views professed by Eastern adepts.

"Truth is to be found in every faith," he replied, "and these occult

philosophers have cultivated one side of knowledge which has been

overlooked by European scientists. At the same time any one who has

taken the trouble personally to examine the foundation on which the

reports of marvellous powers possessed by certain Orientals are based

will, I feel sure, have arrived at the following conclusions--

"Firstly, the metaphysical knowledge of these men is far in advance of

their physical power to make use of it. In other words, they know many

secret laws of nature, but usually fail in manipulating these laws to

any useful purpose, often to any purpose at all. The reason for this is

obvious. They have cultivated one part only of the sixth sense, and

have done even this at the expense both of body and mind; instead of

perfecting every faculty and keeping their personality evenly balanced,

they have become deformed. It is as if a man hitherto deaf and suddenly

conscious of the sense of hearing, should shut himself tip in a dark

room and refuse to receive any impressions save those conveyed by sound;

he would probably make considerable progress in hearing, but he would

necessarily suffer deterioration in his other faculties.

"The knowledge and foretaste of power, which, through bodily and mental

weakness, they can seldom exercise, have led many of the more

unscrupulous seers to resort to trickery. Now and again they are able

to perform what men call a miracle, and probably every wonder that we

read of has at one time or another been performed, more or less

accidentally, by some Eastern ascetic, but knowing the powers that do

exist, and being unable to control them at will, they too frequently,

either for profit or fame, turn for assistance to the most barefaced

impostures.

"The spiritualists are not free from the same reproach. It is safe to

assume that as any one who possesses even a slight knowledge of how to

make use of the powers of a spiritual sense, will neither require money

nor desire fame, all spiritualistic or theosophic exhibitions, which

have either of these ends in view, should be regarded with distrust. At

the same time they should be interesting as exhibiting a craving on the

part of the performer and also of his audience for manifestations of

unrevealed yet partially conceived truths.

"Trickery is only powerful when it apes reality. The love of the

mysterious is after all a craving for felt possibilities. A conjurer,

scoffing at the supernatural which he strives to imitate, would lose his

occupation if he possessed sufficient eloquence to convince his audience

that there was no truth foreshadowed by means of his dexterity. As the

girl-child loves to play with her doll because the maternal instinct

lies undeveloped in her breast, so do men love to play with magic,

foretasting therein a part of the power which some day shall be

perfected. They both know better, but for the moment prefer a true

illuminating fancy to a false disillusionizing fact. Yet when some

motive of self-interest provokes the deception, only harm can come; the

parable is then turned into the lie, the prophet into the charlatan.

"Not long after my arrival in India I met a man who interested me

greatly. Up to this time I had little knowledge of Buddhism, and the

outcome which I had seen of this religion had given me so far an

unfavourable impression.

"Mr. Kanwick was of Scotch descent, though he had been born in Calcutta,

and lived in India the greater part of his life. When we met he was a

wealthy bachelor of about fifty-five years of age, with no occupation to

tie him down. His knowledge of Oriental subjects was well founded, for

he had spent most of his life in studying the manners, dialects, and

religions of Asia.

"He was at this time engaged in writing a book on the Vedic language and

religion, and I travelled with him in the East for many months, passing

from one place to another. We visited many of the countries in Central

Asia, and whilst he was engaged in studying one of the oldest and purest

forms of worship, I was busy perfecting a power which, even in the

earliest times, the Vedic philosophers seemed to have reached after.

Were I to describe the strange experiences through which we passed, how,

disguised, we found our way into sacred shrines never before visited by

Europeans, or the various dangers we encountered, in many of which we

narrowly escaped death, it would occupy all the time we are likely to

have together for the next six months. Aided by the sixth sense, by

free use of our wealth, and by my companion's knowledge of the various

dialects and customs of the people, we were able to overcome

difficulties which would have been impossibilities to ordinary

travellers. One evening, however, we met with an experience which

brought my travels to an abrupt termination, and in which my companion

lost his life.

"We had been staying a few days in a small town, and, having grown

over-confident, we determined to visit a temple which was situated about

five miles away. It was a foolhardy enterprise, for not only had no

unbeliever ever been permitted to approach this place, but none save the

priests of a special caste were allowed even to enter the sacred

enclosure in which it had been built. I must, however, tell you how we

came to find out this place, for it was so situated that but for an

accident we might have lived for years in the neighbourhood without

suspecting its existence.

"The country here is of very curious formation. On either side of the

city perpendicular rocks rise out of the plain forming miniature

table-lands, some hardly larger than a tomb, some with room enough on

them for small farms, with well-marked natural boundaries, sheer

precipices varying from fifty to over three hundred feet. The surface

of these rocks is very irregular, and often thickly coated with soil in

which grow many tropical trees.

"In a deep hollow on one of the largest and most wooded of these

plateaus this temple has been built, but owing to its situation it is

quite impossible to see any part of it until the top of the surrounding

rock has been reached.

"Now we had as a guide a high-caste Brahmin named Hinma. We had adopted

a method of paying him by results, which had proved so far highly

satisfactory; the more information he gave us, or the more interesting

the place to which he led us, the greater the number of rupees he

received at the end of the month. It so happened that for some weeks

past the value of his services had been small, and when he received his

pay I saw that he was dissatisfied, and read this pass through his mind:

"'_If I only could show the temple at Aphar! But it is forbidden. I

dare not even mention its existence; moreover, it would be absolutely

impossible for me, and still more for the foreigners, to get even a

distant sight of the place._'

"I answered his thought aloud. 'Why are you afraid to speak to me of

this temple? Do you not yet know that we are the all-powerful to whom

silver is as nothing, and against whom none dare lift their hands?'

"'The Sahib is as a god among men,' he replied, 'but the god of this

temple is more powerful than he. Thou seest into the hidden thoughts of

men, but he sees all things, and his vengeance is terrible. None save

his special servants may see his dwelling and live. Moreover to mention

the name thereof is to cause his anger!'

"So great was the man's fear of this deity that it took me an hour

before I could get the information required, and then it was chiefly

owing to the fact that his thoughts were less under his control than his

tongue.

"I reported my discovery to Kanwick, and on the following morning,

unaccompanied by our guide, we went to reconnoitre, and if possible to

devise some plan by which we might at least get a glimpse of this

mysterious abode of the god.

"There was little difficulty in finding the rocky citadel which

concealed this temple. We walked all round the foot of the precipice

which cut it off from the plain. The cliffs which rose above us varied

from two hundred to three hundred feet in height, and I judged that the

surface on the top of them must extend over at least one hundred acres.

But it seemed absolutely impossible to reach the higher land, though we

examined the sides of the rock most carefully. There was no indication

of a path which even a goat could climb; whoever ascended or descended

must do so apparently by the aid of a rope or ladder let down from

above. The plain on the side furthest from the town was thickly wooded,

and not wishing to excite the curiosity of any one who might be watching

us, we sat down in the shadow of some trees to talk the matter over.

The very mystery of the place tempted us the more to make some desperate

effort to overcome the difficulty of exploration.

"We were sitting about two hundred yards from the cliff, by the side of

a stream which, we had noticed, flowed from a fissure in the rock.

Whilst thus resting and talking, a strange thing happened. The noisy

stream which flowed at our feet suddenly became silent; we looked down

in surprise to find that now only a little trickle of water passed over

its rocky bed. My companion jumped up in excitement and looked towards

the crevice from which the water came. Signing to me to rise quietly,

he pointed to the cliff which we could see through a gap in the trees.

From out the fissure in the rock which a few minutes before was filled

with water, we saw two men pass, clad in the yellow robes of mendicant

priests. As they came out of the channel and made their way into the

wood, the water once more dashed out of the rock with more than usual

force, so that in another minute the stream at our feet was a roaring

torrent.

"'The key is in our hands if we can use it,' my friend said as soon as

he had satisfied himself that the priests were out of hearing. 'That is

the gateway, and no doubt the inhabitants have some arrangement inside

by which they can for a short time divert the water into a reservoir,

and thereby open the passage or close it at will.'

"'Yes,' I replied, 'but I cannot agree with you that we have the key;

they seem to keep that safely inside. If we want to get through we must

wait patiently until they open the door for their friends, and then take

French leave. Probably we shall soon wish we had kept outside. What do

you think of doing?'

"'I shall get in at all risk,' he answered. 'It is too good an

opportunity to lose; but let us go back now and make our plans, we can

do nothing more at present, and if we are noticed our presence may cause

suspicion.'

"During our evening meal we discussed the situation. I must own that I

tried to persuade Kanwick to give up the idea of forcing an entrance

into these sacred precincts. Cut off as we should be from all

possibility of rescue, the idea seemed foolhardy in the extreme; but

seeing that my friend had determined to go, I decided to share the risk.

"As soon as it was dark we agreed to start; and watch the entrance, as

our only chance of slipping through the tunnel unobserved would be

during the night-time.

"We had been in our place of concealment about two hours, and it must

have been nearly twelve o'clock when we heard steps approach. The

night, fortunately for our purposes, was dark, as the moon had not yet

risen. It was impossible therefore for us to see anything, but I judged

from the sound that the man, whoever he might be, was alone. He passed

about a hundred yards from our hiding-place, and the noise of the stream

made it impossible for my companion to distinguish the footsteps. Had I

not by this time been able to concentrate my sense of hearing on any

particular sound, I should have been equally helpless; as it was, we had

the advantage of being able to follow the stream without fear of

detection.

"When we came to the outskirts of the wood and were about ten yards from

the cliff, we paused. I could see the figure of a man standing by the

side of the crevice, and it seemed to me that he was groping for

something on the surface of the rock. In another moment the water began

to sink, and the figure disappeared into the gully through which the

stream had now ceased to flow. We ran quickly to the spot, and with no

little feeling of dread, began to follow the priest through the dark

channel. Fortunately he had struck a light which he held before him, or

we certainly should either have been drowned or swept back into the

plain, for instead of following the bed of the stream, he had turned up

a steep narrow passage to the right, and was now disappearing round a

sharp turning. The moment he was out of sight we hastened after him up

the incline, and were only just in time. There was a rush of water

behind us, which in a moment rose to our knees; the path through which

we had entered was once more the bed of a boiling torrent, but for the

time being we were safe. A few more steps and we were out of reach of

the water, standing in pitch darkness on the dry rock which formed the

footway of a winding tunnel.

"We waited a few moments, fearing to go further without a light, and

thinking it safer to let our guide get some way ahead before we struck a

match. We had thus far accomplished our purpose successfully, but I

fancy neither of us felt very comfortable. To return was now

impossible, and if the other end of this tunnel should be closed we

might find ourselves like rats caught in a hole, and either be starved

to death, or have to wait until we were found by the next party of

priests, when our fate would probably be as bad or even worse. I felt

for my pistol, and then by the light of a wax vesta we began to grope

our way up the winding staircase which had been cut into the rock. We

must have used about ten matches when a puff of wind extinguished the

one last lighted, and taking this as a sign that we were near the mouth

of the tunnel, we decided to finish our journey in the dark.

"I was a little ahead of my companion, and had felt my way carefully

over eight or ten more steps, when my hand touched the stem of a tree,

and looking up I could see the stars above me through some thick

foliage. I slipped aside into the underwood, and in a few moments

Kanwick was by my side. The wind blew freshly against our heated faces,

and it was with no little feeling of pleasure we realized that our first

great danger was past, and though we might be chained to a rock, we were

at least chained outside, not inside.

"We waited for a short time, uncertain what course to pursue. As we

thus stood talking in whispers, the moon rose, flooding the scene around

with light.

"We were on the wooded side of a steep slope which evidently led up to

the precipitous edge of the cliff. Some hundred feet below in a lovely

glen, the bottom of which must have been nearly on a level with the

surrounding plain, a stream flowed, and in one part widened out into a

small lake. Out of the centre of this lake rose the snow-white marble

walls of the temple. It is almost impossible to describe the beauty of

this building, so unlike is its style of architecture to anything else I

have ever seen. It is quite circular, and has been built on arches

which are supported by seventy square massive columns that rise out of

the lake. On the top of these arches is what may be called the

ground-floor of the structure. Round the outside of this level platform,

at equal distances apart, are seven hundred marble pillars, thirty feet

in height, and carved so as to resemble the trunks of trees, very

irregular in shape but of about equal girth. Resting on these pillars

is another platform, in the centre of which is also built a similar

structure of about half the size of the one on which it stands. This

building again supports a third, still smaller, on the roof of which

rise fourteen columns in a circle. From the top of each of these spring

three boughs, one towards the centre, and one on either side, the side

boughs meeting those from the adjacent columns, forming arches, and the

centre boughs joining together in a kind of open-work dome. The details

were of course indistinct, seen in the moonlight, but the exquisite

proportion of every part, which is after all the chief charm, was

clearly visible; the surroundings added also a kind of spiritual beauty

to the scene, for as the moon rose the surface of the lake was divided

by a silver line of light, the tropical foliage around cast a fairyland

of shadows on the water, and from the temple rose the soft sound of

music, the first chord of which had broken the silence of night when the

moon's rays fell upon the marble dome.

"'The dream of my life is fulfilled,' my companion whispered as we

looked out on the lovely scene. 'This is without doubt the temple of the

moon, of which I once read an account in an old manuscript. It is

reported to have been built by Zoroaster, and to have been kept in

perfect repair up to the date when the manuscript was written. But I

had supposed it to have been destroyed centuries ago, and there we see

it to-day perfect in all its original loveliness. No doubt its

preservation is due to its inaccessible position, and the care with

which it has been watched over by the priests. Truly if the Oriental

people know nothing else, they know how to preserve a secret. I am,

however, inclined to think, from the dress of the priests we saw this

morning, that the followers of Buddha must have now taken possession of

it; but in this borderland of many religions, all founded more or less

on Brahminism, we often find a combination of religious thoughts which

more resembles the earlier faith, and this may prove to be the centre of

some such creed; we shall doubtless soon have an opportunity of finding

out.'

"Hardly had he finished speaking, when down the steps which led from the

temple to the lake, a procession of white-robed priests could be seen

moving slowly, and a long, curiously-shaped boat glided out from where

it had been concealed by the trees. In a few moments it had reached the

steps and the priests entered it. Then through the night air rose the

sound of singing which harmonized with the music as the boat slowly

glided out of our sight behind the massive columns on which the temple

was built. Seven times the boat made a circle round the building, and

then, with the priests still on board, turned towards the trees beneath

us and was once more hidden from sight; the music and singing stopped,

and all was again in silence.

"'They are coming this way,' I said. 'What had we better do?'

"'Move further from the entrance,' Kanwick answered, 'and keep as quiet

as possible.'

"We crept with little noise to a thicket about fifty paces from the

tunnel, but as though guided by some superior power set on our

discovery, the procession came straight on to where we lay concealed.

When they had reached our hiding-place the priests spread out, forming a

circle round us, so that escape was impossible, and a voice spoke as

follows, in Persian--

("I am quick at learning languages, and as Persian is by far the most

useful in this part of the East, I had taken some trouble to learn it in

our travels, so I was able to understand what was said to us.)

"'Strangers, who have dared to enter the sacred enclosure in which rests

the shrine where the followers of the true religion worship, in the name

of Brahm, the only god, ruler of heaven and earth, we command you to

come forth! Should you have been led here by his divine ordinance, then

are you blessed, and shall be welcome to his holy shrine. Should

presumptuous curiosity have brought you hither, your fate shall be even

as the Almighty directs.'

"We both felt it would be useless to attempt flight, and folly to resort

to force, so getting up, we went in the direction from which the voice

proceeded. There, standing just inside the ring of priests, was a tall

and venerable-looking man; his hair and beard were white; his

complexion, for a Persian, was strangely fair; his features showed

nobility and strength; his expression purity and kindliness. Simply

telling us to follow, he turned into a path that led along the side of

the hill, and which kept about the same level above the lake. In a few

minutes we came to the mouth of a cave, and entering it passed through a

short passage into a lofty cavern. The sides of this cavern had been so

cut away as to form a perfect circular chamber, the domed roof of which

was covered with mosaic of various-coloured marbles formed into strange

devices and pictures. The floor on which we stood was the natural rock

highly polished. From the golden altar in the centre of the cave a

bright light cast various colours on the scene around, only upon the

ivory throne which stood opposite the entrance the rays fell very pure

and white. On all the other objects the colours were fitful, changing

from time to time into every shade which can be seen in the rainbow.

"When we had all entered, the high priest who had bidden us follow him,

having taken his seat upon the throne, spoke once more.

"'Followers of the Almighty, whom he has gathered together from all

lands, and taught from all creeds the syllables of his holy word till

the time came for you to be drawn to his holy temple, behold a new thing

has come to pass. For the first time without warning and without

welcome, whether through guile or led by the wisdom of the Highest, we

have two strange children of the Great Father in our midst. As all who

enter here by freedom of our will, and with full knowledge of the trial

awaiting them, must pass an ordeal of light, so must these strangers, of

whom we know nothing, but who have been sent to us for some great

purpose. Are your minds with my mind?'

"And the priests standing round answered, 'We are all of one spirit,

even of the spirit of the Highest, who speaketh by the lips of his

servant.'

"Then the high priest turned to us and said, 'By some influence you have

been drawn to the fountain of wisdom, but it must yet be seen if you are

worthy to receive the knowledge which shall make you free. Having forced

your way into this sacred enclosure, it is now too late to retrace your

steps; you must go onward to a nobler life, or pass into that state

which men call death. But have no fear, the destinies of all men are

decreed. Should you die it is but the sign that your new body awaits

the spirit. Moreover, here death is robbed of pain, and the vision of

the holy temple shall purify your spirit in the life hereafter.'

"Then pointing to my companion, he bade him go to the altar, and

standing before it act even as his spirit directed.

"Kanwick stepped fearlessly up the marble steps. As he did so a great

flame burst up, at the sight of which he shrank back, and in a moment

the cavern was in pitch darkness, but there was no sound. Then in that

awful stillness I knew all, for the thoughts of those around me spoke

even as the thought of one man. I knew that my friend was dead, and how

he had died, and why, and a great sorrow came over me. Yet hardly had I

time to think before the room was lighted as before, but there was no

sign of the dead body.

"When bidden to walk up to the altar, though I felt no fear for my own

safety, my limbs trembled as they passed over a large black slab of

marble, for I knew that beneath this revolving stone at some unfathomed

depth lay the body of Kanwick. There was a hidden meaning in the

priest's words, 'It is too late to retrace your steps.' When the fire

again burst forth, instead of moving back to avoid it, I threw myself

across the altar into the midst of the fire and immediately became

insensible.

"On recovering consciousness I found that I was lying in a small room

beautifully decorated; it was just such an apartment as you may find in

any wealthy Persian's house. I felt drowsy, and had some little

difficulty in recalling the scene in the cavern. The clothing

previously worn by me had been removed, and I was now dressed in a red

robe, similar in fashion to that worn by the priests. There was no

trace on my body of any effect from the fire, which had doubtless been

extinguished at the moment I had thrown myself forward, and I now know

that my insensibility was caused by the powerful narcotic fumes which at

the moment the flame bursts forth, rise from the altar and make death to

the unsuccessful painless, even as the priest had promised.

"I was under the impression that my ordeal was now over, and that I

should be admitted at once into the priesthood, but this was not the

case. I had been lying in this dreamy state for perhaps twenty minutes,

when one of the Persian hangings was pushed aside, and a young girl

entered the room. She was a Circassian, very fair and beautifully

formed; in her hand she carried a golden cup full of wine which she

handed to me, saying in Persian--

"'Drink, beloved of God, the wine of joy.'

"But as I held out my hand for the cup, and was about to drink it, being

parched with thirst, a feeling of fear restrained me, and I placed it at

my side.

"What could this girl be doing here? Might she not possess some

knowledge that it would be worth my while to find out? Her dress was

befitting a priestess of Venus, and strangely out of keeping with all

that I had observed before. Unless I was greatly mistaken in my

judgment of faces, the priests whom I had seen were men who had overcome

passion, and whose thoughts were absorbed in striving after spiritual

purity and perfection. How came it then that this young girl should be

in their midst, and why was she sent to me?

"'At whose bidding,' I asked, 'do you bring this cup of wine?'

"'It has been sent,' she replied, 'from the little temple where live the

daughters of the moon; the queen bade me bear it to thee as an offering

of love, and she has appointed me to be thy servant, to minister to thy

wants, and to obey thy will, even if I may find grace in thy sight.'

"I was very much perplexed. As far as I could make out, this girl knew

no more of the meaning of her visit than I did, and I was certain that

no evil thought was in her heart.

"'What,' I said, 'if I reject the cup of joy and send thee back?'

"She hung her head, then kneeling down by my side and looking

beseechingly at me answered--

"'Thou wouldst not send me from thee; I will do whatsoever thou

desirest, and serve thee faithfully. As the moon reflects the glory of

the sun, so is it dark with me if I may not see thy face!--as the flower

withers without light, so must I droop if hidden from thy presence. If

thou but drink the cup which the queen offers, thou wilt then know the

joy of love.'

"As she said this I suddenly became conscious that she was repeating a

lesson, acting a part, the meaning of which she did not understand; and

with this knowledge, all danger which the temptation might have had for

me was removed. Beginning to have some idea of the truth, I looked

straight into her eyes and said--

"'Who taught you this lesson? Who told you to say this to me?'

"Her part had been doubtless well prepared, but this question was not

one among those for which she had an answer ready, and after hesitating

a moment she spoke the truth.

"'The priest of temptation.'

"'And what would you have done had I drunk the wine and bidden you stay

with me?' I asked.

"'I should have stayed,' she answered simply, and her thoughts followed

her words.

"Then I said, 'Return to him who sent you, and speak these words--"He,

to whom you sent me, said--there are forces spiritual and forces

material against which all must contend ere they reach the borderland of

wisdom, but woe unto those who use the innocent children of the Highest

as brands to kindle the slumbering embers of passion!"'

"The girl would have pleaded with me again, but I silenced her, saying,

'Go, and if he bid you to return, you may do so.'

"I was not long left in solitude, for in a few minutes a priest in

yellow robes entered the room. He was not one of those I had previously

seen. His face was clean-shaven, and he did not look to be much over

forty years of age; his features were refined, but rather hard; his

expression noble, but cold. He bowed down as he entered the room, and

then addressed me in these words--

"'Thou who art a god amongst the children of men, wiser than the wisest,

pure as are the waters in the lake of Gitem, in whom the spirit of the

Almighty is reflected as in the crystal mirror of Tor, we beseech thee

to hear the prayer of thy servants. We, the priests of the Most High,

seeing that thou hast power beyond the sons of men, would offer thee

worship in the temple.'

"As he spoke, two other priests entered, one bearing a yellow robe

richly embroidered with gold and covered with jewels, and the other a

crystal crown, from which proceeded a strange mysterious light which

would have cast round the head of the wearer a radiant halo. As I

pictured the effect of one thus robed and crowned entering the temple, a

scene, doubtless called up in the mind of one of the priests, at the

same moment flashed across my brain. I saw men standing robed in white,

and in the centre of these I seemed to lie, dressed in the kingly garb,

and crowned with the shining crystal crown, but my forehead was covered

with the dew of death, and there was a look of pity on the faces of

those around.

"Then I realized that this was but a new temptation, and with some

slight show of anger answered---

"'The fools of the earth desire to be clad in fine raiment, and to feel

for a moment the glory of earthly power, but to those who have once seen

the light which proceeds from true wisdom, riches and honour are as

dust, the shouts of men as the hum of insects, and the kingdoms of earth

as ant-heaps. If there are among you men who have attained to even a

slight knowledge in the mystery of life, take, I pray you, this message

back to them from me: "I would rather be a disciple at the feet of my

Master, than rule over a dominion of fools. If there be none here

worthy to teach me, then is the wisdom of which you boast but the froth

of foolishness, and your power but the low cunning of the savage."'

"When I had finished speaking, the priest without answering turned, and

followed by his two attendants left the room. The curtain fell back

over the entrance, and I was once more alone.

"After this food and coffee were brought me, and feeling tired I lay

down and slept through the rest of this eventful day.

"When I awoke a light was burning in the room, and sitting by my side

was the high priest himself. As I looked into this man's noble face I

felt certain that my trials were over. It was impossible to believe

that he would descend to act the part of tempter; and in this view I was

correct.

"'You have,' he said, 'passed through the three temptations which for

centuries have been used to try those who are admitted to the

white-robed order of priesthood, the trials of perseverance, purity, and

meekness. In future, as you are one of us, no secret may be kept from

you, and any special wisdom you possess should be freely taught to all.

Your case is, however, one of unusual interest, as you are the first man

who has been admitted into our ranks without many years of careful

preparation. We have in various parts of the world disciples, whose

business it is to train those they may consider likely to become fitted

for the high calling, but it is not often that any of these converts

attain to the highest order, which you have now reached.'

"'Tell me,' I said, 'to what creed you belong.'

"'To no creed,' he replied. 'In this temple at one time the followers

of Zoroaster worshipped; then it fell into the hands of the Buddhists,

and became one of their most sacred shrines. But the wise, gathered

together as they were here, soon learned to cast off the errors which

spring up in a mixed community, and three hundred years ago one Zifanta

became high priest. He was a man possessed of unusual power, not such

as the scattered mystics possess, which can only be employed at certain

times, and under the most favourable circumstances. He was able to

leave the body at will, and to converse with the spirits of the dead,

whereby he acquired great wisdom and worked mighty miracles on earth.

He, moreover, changed the religion of his followers, bidding them to

seek in every creed and among all people the truth which Brahm, the one

and only God, whispers into the hearts of his faithful children, who are

scattered over the face of the earth. He preached against the

subjugation of the body after the manner employed by the Buddhist

adepts, saying that the body should not be regarded as the enemy of the

spirit, but rather for the time being as its helpmate. He affirmed that

without the aid of matter the spirit on earth was powerless; for as the

wing-feathers of a bird plucked from the pinions are scattered hither

and thither by every fitful breeze, so is matter helpless without the

forces of the spirit; but as a bird deprived of its plumage can no

longer leave the earth, and becomes the prey of any prowling beast, so

the spirit, when the body is injured or weakened, becomes a prey to

passing delusions, and is unable to accomplish any noble work.

Therefore, among our followers, have we many grades. Had you fallen in

the second trial, preferring the love of woman to entire devotion to

wisdom, the girl you saw might have become your wife, and you would have

joined the order of disciples, who live where they will, and act for us

in the outer world.'

"'But what,' I asked, 'if I had failed in the third trial?'

"'Any one who allows the crystal crown to be placed upon his head must

die, for without humility it is impossible to worship the Almighty, or

to rule the powers of earth; and this trial is applied to all, whether

they fail in the second trial, or whether they succeed, for it is

equally important for the disciple to be free from pride as it is for

the priest.'

"'But how did that girl come to be here?' I asked.

"'According to our doctrine,' he replied, 'men and women are equal in

the sight of Brahm, and without the female power no great progress can

be made; but here among those who are struggling after the higher life,

the priest and priestess live without carnal love, and for this cause it

is essential to test all who are admitted to the white-robed order. The

girl you saw is, however, a novice, one of those who are being trained,

and it may be that she will go back into the world and marry one of the

disciples, or she may, after certain trials, be deemed worthy of the

white robe of virginity.'

"'But,' I replied, 'does not this seem rather a careless, if not unholy,

way of bringing a man and woman together, and thereby perhaps deciding

their future life, even though they may be quite unfitted for each

other?'

"'What do you fancy,' he answered, 'is the guiding influence that as a

rule draws a man and woman together? Sometimes, but rarely, spiritual

attraction; more often animal fascination. We do not, however, decide

lightly, but after great care, and we believe that in our selection we

are guided by higher power. So far the marriages which have taken place

have been greatly blessed. It is a sign, probably, that this girl who

was rejected by you is destined to become a priestess, but at present

she knows not the meaning of love, and so it is impossible to say.

Innocence is not regarded here, as it is too often in the world, as a

sign of purity, for innocence is a negative, holiness a positive,

quality. But come, in a quarter of an hour the moon will rise, and it

is time to go to the temple.'

"I followed my guide out of the house and through a grove of trees, till

we came to the edge of the lake. A boat was waiting which, when we had

entered, carried us silently without any apparent means of progress, to

the temple steps, and after we had landed, as silently returned to its

former place. When we had walked up the steps and passed between the

marble pillars, I saw that a wide-open colonnade extended round a

circular inner shrine, which was enclosed with a solid wall. In this

wall, and opposite the steps, was a beautiful carved archway, the

entrance to which was closed with folding-doors of embossed silver. As

we drew near, they opened; at the same moment the moon rose, and I heard

again those soft strains of music which had reached me the preceding

night whilst I lay watching from the hill. I will try to give you some

idea of the scene which was presented to me as I followed the high

priest into the temple.

"At first the light was so dim that I found it difficult to distinguish

objects clearly; but as the moon rose higher, and my eyes became

accustomed to the light, the full beauty of the building was disclosed.

Although, from outside, the temple seemed divided into three floors, the

dome of this inner shrine extended to the summit of the building. The

second and third double rows of columns, through which the moonlight now

poured, supported the inner dome, and formed covered colonnades from

which it was possible either to look down into the temple, or out upon

the lake and woods around. As in the Taj of Agra, the walls were

covered with writing formed of crystals and other more or less precious

stones, while the floor was covered with marble mosaic worked into

various designs. In the centre was a clear deep pool, from the surface

of which rose seven thin columns of water, one rising fifty feet, and

the others which surrounded it about thirty, before they fell in light

spray into the circular basin. There were about a hundred persons

present, all robed in loose white tunics; some were standing, but the

greater number were reclining, or sitting upon tiers of broad marble

steps.

"With the exception of myself, there were only two present whose dress

in any way distinguished them from the others; one was the high priest,

who wore round his waist a golden girdle set with what appeared to be

precious stones; and the other a woman who was standing near him, on

whose breast lay a jewel cut in the shape of a heart, from which

proceeded a pale soft light. The woman, whom I rightly judged to be the

high priestess, must have been sixty years of age; she was tall and

still beautifully proportioned; her hair was silvery white, her

complexion smooth and clear; but at the time I hardly noticed any of

these details, so absorbed had I become in watching the varying

expressions on her face. She was standing in shadow, but the light from

the luminous jewel on her breast lit up her features so that they were

clearly visible.

"I have never seen any other face so radiant with divine love, meekness,

and purity, so full of gentle power and trustful calm. A strong impulse

came over me, and rising from my seat I went and knelt down before her;

as I did so she bent and kissed me on the forehead; then taking my hand,

she brought me to some steps which led to the central basin, and bade me

go down into the water. The music ceased, the fountains stopped, and

then through the silence that followed she spoke aloud, so that all the

assembly, who had risen, could hear.

"'Father of all, grant that as this water changes the blood-red robe of

thy child into the garment of purity, so may Thy spirit purify his

heart, changing fear to trust, passion to love, and pride to humility,

until as a pure and crystal mirror he may reflect on earth Thy beauty

and Thy light, even as yonder moon, now that the sun is hidden from our

eyes, reflects the glory which man may no longer behold.'

"From every side came the response, 'Grant this our prayer, O Father of

all!'

"When I rose out of the water, I was almost dazzled by the lustrous

whiteness of my robe, which had somehow been robbed of its scarlet

colour; moreover, both my spirit and body seemed strengthened and

purified. Then the high priest came near and welcomed me in the name of

all present, saying--

"'Child of the Most High, gladly do we, thy brothers and sisters,

welcome thee to our family of priesthood; may thy coming aid us in the

endless search for truth; may thy power, added to our power, hasten the

glorious time when the order of the universe shall no longer be arrested

by man's blindness, but the will of the Almighty be performed on earth

even as in the kingdoms that are around the earth.'

"As one by one the priests and priestesses came near to greet me, I

noticed that there appeared to be about an equal number of men and women

present; most of these were advanced in years, but among them were some

who could not have been much over twenty. On the faces of all, whether

old or young, fair or dark, the same calm expression of trust, purity,

power, and meekness was stamped.

"The moon had now risen, and its light fell upon the temple floor; on

this spot two of the priests laid a thick rug and cushions on which one

of the youngest girls lay down. The music once more began to play, but

now very softly. It was a strange and beautiful picture; the lovely

girl with her long dark hair falling over the white robe, lying thus in

the soft light; the priests and priestesses standing round in partial

shadow; the noble proportions of the temple, the lace-work of arches and

pillars between which the moon's rays fell. But I had little time to

think of all these things, for in a moment I saw--but not, as I know

now, through the medium of the bodily eye--the spiritual form of the

girl rise from the body, and as the dew is drawn from the earth, pass

upward and then vanish from sight.

"Ajar, the high priest, who was standing beside me, said, 'You are

conscious that the spirit of Mintor the priestess has left her body for

a time, and passed to some other sphere?'

"And I answered, 'Yes, I saw it pass upward.'

"'It is confusing,' he replied, 'to use the word see, for the eye, which

is an organ of the body, receives no impression from the spiritual form.

The spiritual perception we call _viam_, and the verb _view_ with us is

used for all impressions which reach the mind independently of the

bodily organs. I am glad that you possess this gift so far developed,

as there are but few present who have yet attained the power, except

under certain favourable conditions. Those who are worthy to wear the

white robe have each some special spiritual gift, but these gifts vary

greatly. Some can converse with those at a distance; some _view_ what

is passing in the world around; others, as in the case of Mintor, can

leave the body and pass into the spirit-world. This is the most coveted

of all gifts, as from those who possess it we can learn new wisdom. The

founder of our faith had still a greater power. He could, on leaving

the body, dissolve it into gaseous form, and his spirit, whithersoever

it went, was able to draw from nature the needed material, and to take

human form wherever or whenever it pleased; but since he left us, few

have been able to do this, and never with safety, for under certain

conditions they lost the power, and having as it were no root upon the

earth, their spirits were drawn to other spheres and returned no more.

The cause of this is, we know, physical weakness, and he who shall again

succeed must possess a body equally developed with his spirit; such a

one I believe you to be, and it is possible you may succeed, should you

be willing to undergo the training that is necessary. But we expect to

receive from Mintor, when her spirit returns, some guidance on the

matter.'

"Having said this, he took me by the hand and led me up to the place

where the body of the girl lay as though in deep sleep; then all those

present knelt down and seemed to be engaged in prayer.

"'The strength of the prayers of all present are with thee,' he

continued. 'Kneel down and take both of Mintor's hands in thine; see

whether it may be possible for thy spirit to join hers in the life

beyond, for in the spirit kingdom only can that knowledge be received

which can give power over the world of matter.'

"I did as bidden, and the light seemed to become more and more powerful,

then all grew dark, but through the darkness I heard a voice saying,

'Come.' A great pain passed over my body and I was free.

"It would be quite impossible for me to give you any true idea of the

exquisite delight I experienced when now for the first time conscious of

untrammelled life. No one would believe how much pain is inseparable

from every movement of even the healthiest body until he has once been

freed from the burden. We gauge pain and pleasure simply by the

sensations that are above or below the average of existence; when less

than usually burdened, we call life happy; if more than usually tried,

we call it painful. As a bird confined from birth in a tiny cage is

unconscious of its cramped suffering, so the spirit of man having no

remembrance of freedom, regards its present house with toleration, and

is even unwilling to be released. I could hardly feel surprised now that

unselfishness is a necessary condition of spiritual growth, as the love

of others could alone draw a free spirit back to its chains.

"Of what I passed through during this and similar experiences I shall

now say nothing. After I am dead you will find a sealed paper, on the

cover of which is written 'A spiritual autobiography. If you feel it

wise to open and read it, or even to publish part or all of it, you can

do so, for by that time you will have my influence to guide you, and I

shall be able to judge better which course is the wisest for you to

take.'

"I shall not continue my story any further this evening, as you are

anxious to ask me some questions, and it is already late."

"There is one thing," I replied, "which I cannot understand, namely, the

death of your companion. Considering the nobility and kindly disposition

of these priests, the tests of worthiness seem almost cruel and

barbarous."

"Your feeling," Sydney answered, "is very similar to that which I

experienced at the time, and though I have not dwelt on the subject for

fear of interrupting the narrative, the death of my friend was not only

a deep grief to me, but also caused a shock from which it was some time

before I could recover; but after my spiritual freedom in the temple I

was able to understand things better. Life, which we prize so dearly,

is looked upon by those who have the highest knowledge, not as a

pleasure, but as a necessary and painful lesson. Death is an upward

movement into a more perfect condition; moreover, through the knowledge

which these men possessed, they considered themselves but as merciful

instruments for saving pain. The duration of life is not determined by

an accident to the body, but solely by growth of the spirit. When a man

or woman has become fitted for another sphere, the outward growth must

be cast off. Sometimes this is done slowly, through disease; sometimes

in a moment through what men call accident; but in either case the thing

is inevitable. If men only knew it, they could shorten or lengthen life

by retarding or aiding the growth of the spirit, but in that way only."

"Do you," I asked, "then imply that the more slowly a man learns his

lesson the longer he lives?"

"Sometimes," he answered, "but there is another reason for death. An

evil bodily habit often retards the proper growth of the spirit, in

which case the soul has to be re-incarnated. How often do we see some

man with a fine and noble disposition utterly ruined by one bodily vice,

that, though hateful to him, has become too powerful for his will. The

fight up to a certain point is useful, and often lasts many years, but a

time comes when the spirit begins to suffer, and then the end is near.

I can often tell very nearly how much longer a man will live, by reading

his inmost thoughts. From a superficial view, deterioration seems

frequently to set in long before the end; but this is owing to the fact

that we judge by outward signs. As long as a man can cry from his soul,

if only in his better moments, to be delivered, he is learning, if no

other lesson, that of humility."

"Then there is one other question," I said. "Can it be right for one

man to try to lead another into temptation?"

"That is a very difficult question to answer," he replied, "and one

which I have spent many hours in discussing with Ajar the high priest.

There is much to be said on both sides. Of course in a state of

perfection it would be unnecessary, and one can easily picture a case in

which as a lesser of two evils it might be justifiable; but I believe

under these circumstances it was a mistake, and the practice is now

discontinued altogether, with many others which were relics of a past

superstition."

"Does this community still exist?" I asked.

"It does, and is likely to continue to do so," Sydney replied. "From

this centre flows forth the beginning of a new faith, which is slowly,

under many names, spreading over the earth. It is from rumours of this

hidden power that arise many of the mythical stories of Eastern magic;

but only those fitted to know the truth will ever be allowed to come

near the shrine, for the powers of the earth are nothing against the

powers of the spirit."

"Do you not often miss the companionship which you must have found among

these people?" I asked.

"I spend much of my time with them still," he answered. "Strange as it

may seem to you, who are for the present bound down by the limitation of

space, it is as easy for me to visit them as it is to come to your

house. Distance is unknown in the spirit-world, and even whilst man

remains on earth, as soon as he is able to control his spiritual

perceptions, the influence of the body becomes daily less noticeable.

But you will understand this better later on."

*CHAPTER VIII*

When I next met Sydney after the conversation given in the previous

chapter, he seemed to me far from well. His face was pale, and his eyes

shone with unnatural brightness.

"You are tired to-night," I said, when we were again sitting together in

his laboratory. "Do not trouble to go on with your story unless you

feel inclined to do so."

"I am not too tired to talk," he replied, "but have been trying an

experiment which fatigues the body; I can rest while continuing the

account of my experiences. It will, however, be necessary to pass

rather briefly over the time spent at Aphar, which is the name given to

the rocky plateau on which the temple stands. So much of my life was

connected with purely spiritual experiences, the full account of which

you will some day have the opportunity of reading, that it will be well

to confine myself at present only to those matters which are necessary

for the full understanding of my subsequent life in England, and to the

powers which during this time I developed and perfected.

"Each time that my spirit left the body and went, either by itself or in

company with other spirits, into the world of unseen life which

surrounds us here I gained more and more knowledge, until at last it was

considered safe for me to try that most difficult of all experiments,

the casting off for the time being of those materials which form the

body, in the hope of being able to recall similar elements at will in

whatever place the spirit might wish to regain its bodily form. I think

it highly probable, however, that I should not so soon have risked the

danger, had it not been for a certain knowledge gained during one of my

hours of spiritual freedom.

"I should explain that in the trance condition, when the soul is free to

wander untrammelled, and to come into communion with those who are

invisible to mortal eyes, it is also equally possible to visit those who

still live upon earth, though they will not be conscious of your

presence, unless they also possess some of the powers of the sixth

sense.

"I had a strong desire to see Vera again, and to find out if the

arrangements made for her future had worked satisfactorily. It was not

long, therefore, before I took the opportunity of discovering this by

the aid of my new gift, and I was horrified at finding that not only

were things far from satisfactory, but that unless I could interfere, a

still more serious evil would probably arise.