Incident of the letter and picture.
There was a very curious old man (sufficient description to add).
Sent a small cardboard in which was a picture, a head, and over it
appeared to be placed a thin sheet of paper, gummed over the sides
to the back. He asked if I could tell him anything of the picture
which was visible through the thin paper. Having great curiosity, I
lifted up the thin paper, and at once there seemed to be printed off
from its underside a red circle surrounding the head on the board. In
one instance this circle turned black and so did the entire inside
space including the head which was then obliterated. In the other the
red circle seemed to get on fire inward, and then the whole included
portion burned up. On examining the thin paper on underside there were
traces of a circle, as if with paste.
He laughed and said that curiosity was not always rewarded.
Took it to several chemists in Paris, who said that they knew of no
substance that would do this. The old chemist in Ireland said a very
destructive thing called Flourine might be liberated thus and do it,
but that it was only a thing with chemists and analysts.
(_Note by the compiler._--In his travels Mr. Judge met many strange
people and saw some extraordinary sights. Now and again he would tell
one of these to be included in the novel, but just in this unfinished
and vague way. When asked to tell more, he would smile and shake his
head, saying: "No, No; little brothers must finish it.")
_Another Incident._
The temple on the site of the present city of Conjeveram was about to
be consecrated and the regular priests were all ready for the ceremony.
Minor ceremonies had taken place at the laying of the cornerstone,
but this was to exceed that occasion in importance. A large body of
worshippers were gathered not for the gratification of curiosity, but
in order to receive the spiritual benefits of the occasion and they
filled the edifice so that I could not get inside. I was thus compelled
to stand just at the edge of the door, and that was, as I afterwards
found out, the best place I could have selected if I had known in
advance what was to take place. A few days before a large number of
wandering ascetics had arrived and camped on a spot near the temple,
but no one thought much of it because used to seeing such people.
There was nothing unnatural about these men, and all that could be
said was that a sort of mysterious air hung about them, and one or two
children declared that on one evening none of the visitors could be
found at their camp nor any evidence that men had been there, but they
were not believed, because the ascetics were there as usual the next
morning. Two old men in the city said that the visitors were Devas in
their "illusionary form," but there was too much excitement about the
dedication to allow of much thought on the subject. The event, however,
proved the old men right.
At the moment when the people in the temple were expecting the priests
to arrive, the entire body of ascetics appeared at the door with
a wonderful looking sage-like man at their head, and they entered
the edifice in the usual formal way of the priests and the latter
on arriving made no disturbance, but took what places they could,
simply saying: "they are the Devas." The strangers went on with the
ceremonies, and all the while a light filled the building and music
from the air floated over the awestruck worshippers.
When the time came for them to go they all followed the leader in
silence to the door. I could see inside, and as I was at the door
could also see outside. All the ascetics came to the entrance but not
one was seen to go beyond it, and none were ever perceived by any man
in the city again. They melted away at the threshold. It was their
last appearance, for the shadow of the dark age was upon the people,
preventing such sights for the future. The occurrence was the topic of
conversation for years, and it was all recorded in the archives of the
city.