,,the ,,angel ,,by ,,guy ,,thorne ,author of ,when ,it ,was ,dark1 ,made in ,his ,image1 ,first ,it ,was ,ordained1 ,etc4 ,g4 ,w4 ,,dillingham ,,company ,,publishers ,,new ,,york ,copyright1 #aijh1 by ,g4 ,w4 ,,dillingham ,,company ,,preface ,i do not think a book of this sort requires a very lengthy foreword1 but one or two things ,i feel it necessary to say concerning it4 ,in the first place1 ,i have to thank ,mr4 ,hamilton ,edwards for many valuable suggestions concerning it1 suggestions which1 undoubtedly1 helped me very much in the writing4 ,the story is an attempt to impress upon readers the fact that we are1 without doubt1 surrounded on our way through life by unseen presences1 unseen intelligences1 which guard or attack that real portion of us which is ourselves--the soul4 ,superficially1 but only superficially1 this is a very material age4 ,we are surrounded by so many material wonders that the unthinking person is inclined to believe1 at any rate to state1 that the material is everything4 ,yet there is nothing more unsatisfying than the purely material aspect of life1 after all4 ,how can any one be surprised if the ordinary man is perplexed when he is called upon to decide questions of economy and morality1 when the material point of view is all that he can see8 ,for all questions of morality must necessarily depend--as long ago ,plato pointed out--upon a belief in something which we cannot touch or see4 ,otherwise1 morality has no significance and no meaning1 except that of expediency4 ,if1 when our body dies1 our personality stops1 then ,i can see no logical reason whatever for trying to be good4 ,to get all this life in itself has to offer by means of any sort--provided they do not entail personal discomfort--is the logical philosophy of the materialist4 ,yet the materialist1 at the same time1 is very frequently an honest and good-living man4 ,this is not because he is a materialist1 for there is no reason for being honest1 unless one is found out in one's dishonesty1 but because there is implanted within that soul which he denies a spark of the ,divine ,fire4 ,of course1 amongst thinking and really educated men and women1 materialism is as out-moded as the bow and arrow in modern warfare1 yet the majority of people do not think very much1 nor are they well educated4 ,this story is an endeavour to point out that people who assert nowadays that ,matthew ,arnold's dogma1 miracles do not happen1 are hopelessly out of the run of modern thought4 ,men like ,sir ,oliver ,lodge are laboriously discovering some of the laws of the ,universe which give us portents and signs4 ,no one who knows to-day dares to sneer at parthenogenesis1 or to repeat the slander of ,celsus about the ,mother of ,god4 ,it is only men who do not know1 and men who have grown rusty in reposing on their past reputations1 who cannot see that ,materialism as a philosophy is dead4 ,day by day fresh evidence of the power of the ,spirit over ,matter bursts upon us4 ,a plea for philosophic doubt1 for ,professor ,huxley's infallibility1 is no longer necessary4 ,the very distinction between ,matter and ,spirit grows more and more difficult as ,science develops analytical power4 ,the minds of men are being again prepared to receive that supreme revelation which told of the wedding of the earth and ,heaven1 the taking of the ,manhood into ,god4 ,the processes by which the hero of this story--,joseph--became what he was have been carefully thought out1 in order to provide an opportunity for those who read the story1 to get near to the explanation of some of those psychical truths which need not necessarily be supernatural1 but only supernormal4 ,it seems to me the wildest of folly to say that because a thing is not capable of being explained by the laws of ,nature as we know them1 that it is above the laws of ,nature4 ,every week is a witness to the fact that the laws of ,nature are only imperfectly known by us1 and therefore1 to say that anything is outside ,nature is1 to put it plainly1 simply nonsense4 ,for ,nature does not exist1 nor is there any possibility that it has ever existed1 without a ,controlling ,power which created it4 ,at the very end of his famous and wonderful life1 ,lord ,kelvin himself stated it as his unalterable opinion1 after all the investigations he had made into the primary causes of phenomena as we know them1 that the only possible explanation was that a ,controlling ,intelligence animated and produced them all4 ,i was reading a few days ago one of a series of weekly articles which an eminent modern scientist1 ,sir ,ray ,lankester1 is writing in a famous newspaper4 ,he was speaking of ,darwin and ,the ,origin of ,species1 and he seemed to imagine that the great discovery of ,darwin finally disposed of the truth of the first chapter of ,genesis1 as we have it in the pages of the ,holy ,bible4 ,surely nothing was ever more limited than such a view as this6 ,god manifests ,himself in ,his own way1 at ,his own time1 and in a fashion which is modified and adjusted to the intelligences and opportunities of those who live at the time of this or that ,revelation in the progressive scheme of ,revelation itself4 ,to say that because modern science has proved that ,god did not1 as a human potter or modeller of clay would do1 make the whole of living things in full being1 and at a definite time1 that therefore the ,bible is untrue1 is simply the blindness of those who do not realize that ,truth must often wear a robe to hide its glory from the eyes of those who are unable to appreciate its full splendour and magnificence4 ,if we are descended or evolved from primeval protoplasm1 as ,i for one am quite prepared to believe1 one simply goes back to the simple question--,who made the protoplasm8 ,it is no use4 ,we cannot get away1 try as we will1 from the fact of ,god1 and we cannot also get away from the fact of the ,incarnation1 when ,god revealed ,himself more fully than ever before1 and when ,god ,himself became ,man4 ,my idea in this story is to show that1 by means of processes of which we have at present but little idea1 a man may be drained and emptied1 under special circumstances1 of himself and the influences of his past life1 and be made as a vessel for the special in-pouring of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,the death of ,lluellyn ,lys for ,joseph1 the mysterious interplay of a soul going1 and meeting on its way1 another soul about to go into the ,unknown1 aided by the special dispensation of ,god1 might1 ,i think1 well produce some such supernormal being as the ,joseph of this tale4 ,perhaps an angel1 one of those mysterious beings--whom ,christians believe to be the forces and the messengers of ,god--may have animated ,joseph in his mission1 without entirely destroying or obscuring his personality4 ,be this as it may1 ,i offer this story as an effort to attract my readers' minds towards a consideration of the ,unseen which is all around us1 and which--more probably than not--is the real world1 after all1 and one in which we1 as we are now1 walk as phantoms and simulacrums of what we shall one day be in the glorious hereafter4 ,,guy ,,thorne4 ,the ,angel ,,chapter ,i ,,and ,,god ,,spake---- ,two men stood outside a bird-fancier's shop in the ,east ,end of ,london4 ,the shop was not far from the docks1 and had a great traffic with sailors4 ,tiny emerald and gamboge love-birds squawked in their cages1 there was a glass box of lizards with eyes like live rubies set in the shop window1 while a hideous little ape--chained to a hook--clattered in an impish frenzy4 ,outside the shop door hung a cage containing a huge parrot1 and it was this at which the two men were looking4 ,hampson1 a little wrinkled man in very shabby clothes1 but of a brave and confident aspect1 pointed to the parrot4 ,i wonder if it talks8 he said4 ,immediately upon his words the grey bird1 its watchful eye gleaming with mischievous fire1 began a stream of disconnected words and sentences1 very voluble1 very rapid1 and very clear4 ,hampson shuddered4 ,do you know1 ,joseph1 he said1 ,i am always afraid when ,i hear that sound--that noise of a bird talking human words4 ,to me1 there is no more dreadful sound in the world4 ,hampson's companion1 a taller and much more considerable man1 looked at the little fellow with surprise4 ,afraid8 he said4 ,why should you be afraid8 ,the sound is grotesque1 and nothing more4 ,has hunger completed her work1 and privation conquered at last8 ,are your nerves going8 ,never better1 my dear ,joseph1 the little man replied cheerfully4 ,it will take a long time to knock me out4 ,it's you ,i'm afraid about4 ,but to return to the parrot4 ,has it ever struck you that in all nature the voice of a bird that has been taught to speak is unique8 ,there is no other sound even remotely resembling it4 ,we hear a voice using human words1 and1 in this instance1 and this alone1 we hear the spoken words of a thing that has no soul6 ,the other man started4 ,how fantastic you are1 he said impatiently4 ,the thing has a brain1 hasn't it8 ,you have in a larger and far more developed measure exactly what that bird has2 so have ,i4 ,but that is all4 ,soul6 ,there is no such thing6 ,the bird in the cage had caught the word1 which excited its mechanical and oral memory to the repetition of one of its stock phrases4 ,soul6 ,soul6 ',pon my soul1 that's too good4 ,ha1 ha1 ha6 said the parrot4 ,polly differs1 apparently1 ,hampson said drily1 as they moved on down the ,commercial ,road2 but what a hopeless materialist you are1 ,joseph4 ,you go back to the dogmatism of the pre-,socratic philosophers or voice the drab materialism of the modern animal man who thinks with his skin4 ,yet you've read your ,plato6--you observe that ,i carefully refrain from bringing in ,christian philosophy even6 ,you believe in nothing that you have not touched or handled4 ,because you can't find the soul at a post-mortem examination of the body you at once go and say there is no such thing4 ,scholars and men of science like you seem astonishingly blind to the value of evidence when it comes to religious matters4 ,you1 my dear ,joseph1 have never seen ,india4 ,yet you know a place called ,india exists4 ,how do you know it8 ,simply through the evidence of other people who have been there4 ,you have just as much right to tell the captain of a ,p4 ,o4 steamer that what he thought was ,calcutta was merely a delusion as to tell me or any other professing ,christian that there is no such thing as the ,kingdom of ,heaven6 ,well1 ,i must be off2 ,i have a bit of work to do that may bring in a few shillings4 ,there may be dinner to-night1 ,joseph6 ,with a quick smile1 ,hampson turned down a side street and was gone4 ,the man called ,joseph continued his way1 walking slowly and listlessly1 his head sunk upon his breast in thought4 ,the teeming life of the great artery of ,east ,london went on all round him2 but he saw nothing of it4 ,a ,chinaman1 with a yellow1 wrinkled face1 jostled up against him1 and he did not know it2 a bloated girl1 in a stained plush blouse1 wine-coloured like her face1 and with an immense necklace of false pearls1 coughed out some witticism as he passed2 a hooligan surveyed him at leisure1 decided that there could be nothing worth stealing upon him1 and strolled away whistling a popular tune--one and all were no more to the wanderer than a dream1 some dream dim-panelled upon the painted scenes of sleep4 ,shabbily dressed as he was1 there was yet something about the man which attracted attention4 ,he drew the eye4 ,he was quite unlike any one else4 ,one could not say of him1 ,here is an ,englishman1 or ,there is a ,german4 ,he would have looked like a foreigner--something alien from the crowd--in any country to which he went4 ,joseph's age was probably about thirty-three1 but time and sorrow had etched and graven upon his face a record of harsh experience which made him seem much older4 ,the cheeks were gashed and furrowed with thought4 ,looking carefully at him1 one would have discovered that he was a distinctly handsome man4 ,the mouth was strong and manly in its curves1 though there was something gentle and compassionate in it also4 ,the nose was ,greek1 straight and clearly cut2 the hair thick1 and of a dark reddish-brown4 ,but the wonder of the man's face lay in his eyes4 ,these were large and lustrous2 full of changing light in their dark and almost ,eastern depth4 ,they were those rare eyes which seem to be lit up from within as if illuminated by the lamp of the soul4 ,soul6 ,yes1 it was that of which those eyes told in an extraordinary and almost overwhelming measure4 ,the soul is not a sort of fixed essence1 as people are apt to forget4 ,it is a fluid thing1 and expands or contracts according to the life of its owner4 ,we do not1 for example1 see any soul in the eyes of a gross1 over-fed1 and sensual man4 ,yet this very man in the ,commercial ,road1 who denied the very existence of the soul with convinced and impatient mockery1 was himself1 in appearance1 at any rate1 one of those rare beings of whom we say1 ,that man is all soul4 ,the man's full name was ,joseph ,bethune4 ,to the tiny circle of his friends and acquaintances he was simply ,joseph4 ,if they had ever known his surname1 they had forgotten it4 ,he was one of those men who are always called by their ,christian names because1 whatever their circumstances may be1 they are real1 accepted1 and unquestioned facts in the lives of their friends4 ,joseph ,bethune's history1 to which he never referred1 had been1 up to the present1 drab1 monotonous1 and dismal4 ,when an event had occurred it was another failure1 and he could point to no red-letter days in his career4 ,joseph had never known either father or mother4 ,both had died during his infancy1 leaving him in the care of guardians4 ,his father had been a pastor of the ,methodist sect--a man of singular holiness of life and deep spiritual fervour4 ,possessed of some private means1 he had been able to leave a sufficient sum for his son's education upon a generous and liberal scale4 ,the boy's guardians were distant relatives in each case4 ,one was a clergyman1 the other a prosperous ,london solicitor4 ,the strange1 studious child1 quiet1 dreamy1 and devoted to his books1 found himself out of touch with both4 ,the clergyman was a ,low ,churchman1 but of the worst type4 ,there was nothing of the tolerant outlook and strong evangelical piety of a ,robertson in ,mr4 ,st4 ,john4 ,he was as narrow as his creed1 condemning all that he had not experienced1 or could not understand1 hating the devil more than he loved ,god4 ,if he had been sent to the rack he could not have truthfully confessed to an original thought4 ,joseph ,bethune was sent to an ,english public school of good1 though not of first1 rank4 ,here he was unpopular1 and made no friends4 ,his nature was too strong1 and1 even as a boy1 his personality too striking1 for him to experience any actual physical discomfort from his unpopularity4 ,he was never bullied1 and no one interfered with him2 but he remained utterly lonely4 ,in contradiction of the usual custom in the ,english public school of his day1 ,hamilton possessed splendid laboratories1 and great attention was paid to modern science and mathematics4 ,of these advantages ,joseph ,bethune availed himself to the full4 ,his temper of mind was accurate and inquiring1 and though his manner was dreamy and abstracted1 it was the romance of science over which he pored2 the cold1 glacial heights of the higher mathematics among which his imagination roamed4 ,he gained a scholarship at ,cambridge1 lived a retired and monotonous life of work1 shunning the natural and innocent amusements of youth while at the university1 and was bracketed ,third ,wrangler as a result of his degree examination4 ,by this time his moderate patrimony was nearly exhausted1 though1 of course1 his success in the schools had placed many lucrative posts within his reach4 ,he had actually been offered a fellowship and a tutorial post at his own college1 when he wrecked his university career by an extraordinary and quite unexpected proceeding4 ,at a great meeting in the ,corn ,exchange1 convened by the ,bishop of ,london for a discussion of certain vexed questions of the ,christian faith1 ,joseph ,bethune rose1 and1 in a speech of some fifteen minutes' duration1 delivered an impassioned condemnation of ,christianity1 concluding with a fierce avowal of his disbelief in ,god1 and in anything but the purely material4 ,we are tolerant enough nowadays4 ,the red horror of the ,inquisition has departed1 and men are no longer clothed in a shirt of living fire for a chance word4 ,a ,protestant ruler no longer hangs the priests of the ,italian ,mission for saying the ,mass4 ,any one is at liberty to believe what he pleases4 ,but men about to occupy official positions must not bawl unadulterated atheism from the housetops4 ,the offence was too flagrant1 the offer of the fellowship was withdrawn1 and ,joseph1 so far as ,cambridge was concerned1 was ruined4 ,it is perfectly true that there were many people who believed exactly as he did4 ,they sympathized with him1 but in secret1 and no word or hint of their sympathy ever reached him4 ,he had done the unpardonable thing3 he had dared to speak out his thoughts1 and men of the world do not care to champion openly one who is publicly disgraced4 ,the news got about in many quarters4 ,the man was not an agnostic--polite and windy word6 ,but he was an atheist6 ,terrible word1 recalling shuddering memories of ,tom ,paine and ,bradlaugh even in the minds of men and women who themselves believed in nothing at all4 ,some men would have only been locally harmed by such an episode as this4 ,but ,bethune's case was peculiar1 and it ruined him4 ,he had nothing to sell in any market but the academic4 ,he was a born lecturer2 demonstrator of scientific truth4 ,but he had just overstepped the limit allowed in even these liberal times4 ,moreover1 he was too young4 ,such a speech as he had made1 had it been delivered at sixty1 with a long and distinguished record behind the speaker1 would have been regarded as a valuable and interesting contribution to modern thought4 ,it might even have been taken as a sort of fifth ,gospel--the ,gospel according to ,st4 ,thomas the ,doubter6 ,joseph1 however1 was done for4 ,he disappeared from the university4 ,his name was no more heard1 and after the traditional nine days was utterly forgotten4 ,it is true that three or four men who saw further than their fellows realized that a force1 a potential but very real force1 had departed4 ,some one who1 as they believed1 was to have done extraordinary things was now crushed and robbed of his power4 ,they perceived that virtue had departed from the intellectual garment that shelters the men who can6 ,joseph tried1 and tried in vain1 to make such a living as his vast mental acquirements and achievements entitled him to4 ,obscure tutorships1 ill-paid lecturing to coteries of cock-cure ,socialists1 who believed in nothing but their chances of getting a slice of the wealth of men who had worked1 and not merely talked--these were his dismal and pitiful endeavours4 ,he came at last to the very lowest pitch of all4 ,he1 the high wrangler1 the eminent young mathematician1 earned a squalid and horribly precarious living by teaching elementary science to the sons of struggling ,east ,end shopkeepers who were ambitious of ,county ,council scholarships for their progeny4 ,his health was impaired1 but his spirit was as a reed bruised and shaken by the winds of adversity1 yet not broken4 ,he had known sorrow1 was acquainted with grief4 ,he had plumbed the depths of poverty1 and his body was a wreck4 ,want of food--the mean and squalid resting-places he had perforce to seek--the degradation and vileness of his surroundings1 had sapped the life blood4 ,he did not know the defiant trumpet words of a poet of our time1 but had he done so1 they would have well expressed his attitude-- ,out of the night that covers me1 ,black as the pit from pole to pole1 ,i thank whatever gods may be ,for my unconquerable soul4 ,in the fell clutch of circumstance ,i have not winced nor cried aloud2 ,under the bludgeonings of chance ,my head is bloody but unbowed4 ,he turned off into a by-street1 and walked on till he came to the docks4 ,his progress was quite aimless4 ,once he stopped and wearily asked himself whither he was going2 but the next moment he was lost in thought1 and moved on again4 ,once he stumbled over a steel hawser4 ,he nearly lost his balance1 and had his arm not shot out with an involuntary movement to clutch the bollard on his left1 he would have fallen over the granite-bound edge of the wharf into the foul1 black1 slimy depths below4 ,hardly giving a thought to the danger he had just escaped1 he moved on and on4 ,through open sheds--where freight was heaped up waiting the onslaught of stevedores and labourers--across jutting portions of cobbled space and shunting grounds1 he came to a remote corner1 far removed from the rattle of cranes and the shouts of the workmen4 ,something drew him out of himself1 and fixed his attention4 ,it was a shadow4 ,it caught his gaze1 and his eyes became fixed on it4 ,he knew that a shadow was only the phenomenon produced when streams of radiant energy are intercepted by an object which is unable to transmit them4 ,his scientific training had taught him that even sound shadows may be produced1 though to recognize the existence of them the ear must pass from the unshadowed to the shadowed part4 ,perhaps it was a symbol6 ,he himself was in darkness and shadow4 ,would his ear ever catch those mysterious harmonies that come to those who suffer8--,hampson heard them4444 ,a woman crept stealthily behind the wall1 and the shadow disappeared4 ,the woman bore a burden2 what it was he could not see4 ,but she held it close to her breast with the tense clasp of some fierce emotion4 ,she had not noticed the dreamer4 ,she stopped by some steps leading down to the waters of a small section of the dock4 ,joseph sat down on a capstan and looked steadily at her4 ,the woman unclasped the burden she bore1 drew aside a part of the covering1 and kissed--a baby face4 ,he knew at once what she was doing4 ,she was bidding it good-bye4 ,she was going to drown it4 ,and they say that there is a ,god1 ,joseph thought4 ,a conscious ,intelligence that directs human affairs4 ,even ,lord ,kelvin himself thought so6 ,yet ,god does nothing to save this woman from her sin--or rather crime6 ,he gazed fiercely4 ,those eyes1 through which his rebellious unconquerable soul shone out1 caught the startled stare of the woman as she saw the strange man who watched her4 ,the man said nothing4 ,the woman thought3 ,if he prevents me now1 ,i shall--,i must do it later4 ,he can't change me4 ,if he gives me in charge he can't prove it4 ,i've done nothing yet4 ,yet she looked again1 and this time did not turn away4 ,a strange magnetism which seemed to run through her1 projected from those eyes1 was making even her finger-tips tingle as with a new sensation1 and one she had never known before4 ,her purpose melted and dissolved in that flow of more than electric influence2 it changed as fire changes a material thing4 ,it melted like snow before the radiant energy of the sun4 ,slowly she unwrapped the bundle4 ,the paper1 the cloth wrappings she threw into the black and oily water1 but the child she clasped to her breast4 ,my baby1 she murmured1 very quietly1 but in tones that pierced the tense atmosphere and reached ,joseph's ear4 ,i bore you in shame1 and was about to kill you to save you from shame like mine2 but ,i will bear my cross and love you for the sake of ,jesus4 ,amen4 ,she stole away1 trembling4 ,there was a great fear and wonder at her heart1 and the watcher saw no more4 ,joseph smiled bitterly4 ,his brain seemed some detached thing1 a theatre upon the stage of which wild thoughts were the conflicting actors and his sub-conscious intelligence the spectator4 ,the simile of the shadow returned to him1 and was it not all a shadow--this dark1 unhappy life of his8 ,the words radiant energy1 the words ,god conscious force danced before him4 ,the whole sentient world was reeling--the blood that fed the grey matter of his brain was poor and thin--this was the reason4 ,yet1 was it the reason1 after all8 ,what had happened to him in the last few minutes8 ,he felt as he had never in his whole life felt before4 ,there was a sense of extraordinary impotence4 ,something had come into him2 something had gone out of him4 ,no6--something had gone through him--that was the way to describe it to himself4444 ,oh for food1 rich nourishing food1 quiet and fresh air--then all this sickness would go4444 99 99 99 99 99 ,joseph left the docks1 and was soon back in the teeming ,commercial ,road4 ,he walked1 lost in thought1 unconscious of all his surroundings4 ,nah1 then1 ,monkey ,brand1 'oo y'r shovin'8 ,i can see y'r gettin' a thick ear1 young feller-my-lad4 ,owns the bloomin' pyvement-- ,a string of obscene oaths and the above words brought ,joseph the dreamer down to earth again--the world of the ,commercial ,road4 ,he had stumbled against a typical bullet-headed1 wicked-eyed ,east ,end rough4 ,the man stepped close up to ,joseph1 lifting an impudent and dirty face1 holding the right arm ready to strike the short1 jabbing blow so dear to the hooligan4 ,then a strange thing happened4 ,joseph1 roused so suddenly and rudely from his bitter reverie1 became aware of what was toward4 ,he was about to apologize to the man when his words were checked in his mouth by the fellow's filthy profanity4 ,joseph suddenly1 instead of speaking1 turned his full face to him4 ,the great1 blazing eyes1 their brilliancy accentuated a hundred times by hunger and scorn1 seemed to cleave their way through the thick skull of the aggressor1 to pierce the muddy and besotted brain within1 to strike fear into the small leathern heart4 ,the man lifted his arm and covered his face1 just like a street child who expects a blow2 and then with a curious sound1 half whimper1 half snarl1 turned and made off in a moment4 ,it was an extraordinary instance of magnetic power inherent in this starving scholar who roamed the streets in a sad dream4 ,on his own part1 ,joseph's action had been quite unconscious4 ,he had no thought of the force stored up in him as in an electric accumulator4 ,some experiments in animal magnetism he had certainly made1 when he had taken a passing interest in the subject at ,cambridge4 ,he had cured his gyp of a bad attack of neuralgia once1 or at least the man said he had1 but that was as far as it had gone4 ,he turned his steps towards the stifling attic he called home4 ,after all1 he was better there than in the streets4 ,besides1 he was using up what little strength remained to him in this aimless wandering4 ,he had eaten nothing that day1 but at nine in the evening he had a lesson to give4 ,this would mean a shilling1 and there were two more owing from his pupil1 so that even if ,hampson1 who lived in the next garret1 failed to get any money1 both might eat ere they slept4 ,as he turned into the court and began to mount the stairs1 ,joseph thought with an involuntary sigh of hall at ,cambridge1 the groaning tables1 the generous fare1 the comely and gracious life of it all4 ,and he had thrown it all away--for what8 ,just for the privilege of speaking out his thoughts1 thoughts which nobody particularly wanted to hear4 ,with a sigh of exhaustion he sat down on the miserable little bed under the rafters1 and stared out of the dirty window over the roofs of ,whitechapel4 ,had he been right1 after all8 ,was it worth while to do as he had done1 to give up all for the truth that was in him4 ,the old spirit of revolt awoke4 ,yes1 he had been right a thousand times6 ,no man must act or live a lie4 ,but supposing it was all true8 ,supposing there was a ,god after all4 ,supposing that the ,christ upon whom that woman had called so glibly really was the ,saviour of mankind8 ,then--,the thought fell upon his consciousness like a blow from a whip4 ,he leapt to his feet in something like fear4 ,it's this physical exhaustion1 he said to himself aloud1 trying to find an anodyne to thought in the sound of his own voice4 ,my brain is starved for want of blood4 ,no one can live as ,i have been living and retain a sane judgment4 ,it was because the hermits of old starved themselves in the desert that they saw visions4 ,yet it is odd that ,i1 of all men1 should weaken thus4 ,i must go out into the streets again1 come what may4 ,the mind feeds upon itself and conjures up wild and foolish thoughts in a horrible little box like this4 ,with a heavy sigh he went slowly out of the room and down the steep stairs4 ,never in all his life had he felt so lost and hopeless2 so alone and deserted4 ,another man in his position would have called out upon ,god1 either with mad and puny revilings in that ,he had forsaken him1 or with a last piteous cry for help4 ,joseph did not believe in ,god4 ,all his life he had lived without ,god4 ,he had ignored the love of the ,father and the necessity of faith in ,his ,son ,jesus ,christ4 ,the temple of his body was all empty of the ,paraclete4 ,now he felt sure that there was no ,god2 never had been any ,god2 never would be any ,god4 ,he was at the darkest hour of all1 and yet1 with a strange nervous force1 he clenched one lean hand until the shrunken muscle sprang up in coils upon the back of it1 resolving that come what might he would not give in4 ,there was no ,god1 only a blind giant1 ,circumstance--well1 he would fight that6 ,his mental attitude was a curious one1 curiously illogical4 ,keen and well-balanced as the scientific side of him was1 the man--like all those who openly profess disbelief--was unable to see what might almost be called the grim humor of his attitude4 ,i do not believe in ,god6 the atheist cries1 and then immediately afterwards shakes his fist at the ,almighty and bids ,him to do ,his worst6 ,man challenging ,god6 ,there is no more grotesque and terrible thing in human life than this4 ,but1 as the world knows now1 ,god had a special purpose in his dealings with this man4 ,all unconscious of what was to befall him1 of his high destiny to come1 ,joseph walked aimlessly in ,whitechapel1 cursing in his heart the ,god in whom he did not believe1 and yet who had already chosen him to be the centre and head of mighty issues4444 ,a channel as we may think now4444 ,we may well believe that each single step that ,joseph took was known and regulated by unseen hands1 voices which were unheard by ear or brain1 but which the unconscious and sleeping soul nevertheless obeyed4 ,at last the ,almighty spoke1 and the first link in the chain of ,his mysterious operations was forged4 ,joseph was walking slowly past a great building which was in course of erection or alteration4 ,a network of scaffolding rose up into the smoky1 dun-colored sky4 ,the clipping of steel chisels upon stone1 the echoing noise of falling planks1 the hoarse voices of the workmen as they called to each other high up on their insecure perches1 all rose above the deep diapason note of the traffic in a welter of sharply-defined sound4 ,joseph stepped upon the pavement beneath the busy works4 ,he was1 he noticed1 just opposite the office of the small ,east ,end newspaper for which ,hampson1 the poor1 half-starved1 but cheery little journalist did occasional jobs4 ,hampson--good1 kind1 little ,hampson6 ,it was pleasant to think of him1 and as he did so ,joseph's thoughts lost their bitterness for a moment4 ,only the utterly vile can contemplate real unassuming goodness and unselfishness without a certain warming of the heart4 ,hampson was only half educated--he had the very greatest difficulty in making a living1 yet he was always bright and happy1 ever illuminated by some inward joy4 ,even as he thought of ,hampson--almost his only friend--,joseph saw the man himself coming out of the narrow doorway4 ,hampson saw the scholar at once in his quick1 bird-like way1 and waved his hand with a significant and triumphant gesture4 ,there was to be dinner1 then6 ,it was not so4 ,the two poor friends were not to share a humble meal together on that night1 at any rate4 ,high above ,joseph's head1 two planks were being slowly hauled upwards to the topmost part of the scaffolding4 ,they were secured by the usual halter knot round the centre4 ,the noose1 however1 had slipped1 as the rope was a new one1 and the two heavy pieces of timber hung downwards with the securing tie perilously near the upper end4 ,there was a sudden shout of alarm which sent a hundred startled faces peering upwards and then the planks fell right upon the man who stood beneath1 crushing him to the ground1 face downwards1 like a broken blade of grass4 ,with the magic celerity which is part of the psychology of crowds1 a ring of excited people sprang round the crushed1 motionless figure1 as if at the bidding of a magician's wand4 ,willing hands began to lift the great beams from it4 ,hampson had been one of the first to see and realize the accident4 ,he was by the side of his friend in three or four seconds after the planks had struck him down4 ,and he saw something that1 even in his horror and excitement1 sent a strange inexplicable throb through his blood and made all his pulses drum with a sense of quickening1 of nearness to the ,unseen1 such as he had never experienced in all his life before4 ,it is given to those who are very near to ,god to see visions1 sometimes to draw very close to the ,great ,veil4 ,the two planks of timber had fallen over ,joseph's back in the exact form of the ,cross4 ,to the little journalist1 if to no one else in the rapidly-gathering crowd1 the wood and the bowed figure below it brought back the memory of a great picture he had seen1 a picture of the ,via ,dolorosa1 when ,jesus fainted and fell under the weight ,he bore4 ,,chapter ,,ii ,,something ,,marvellous ,,is ,,going ,,to ,,happen ,in the drawing-room of a house in ,berkeley ,square1 ,lady ,kirwan--the wife of ,sir ,augustus ,kirwan1 the great banker--was arguing with her niece1 ,mary ,lys4 ,the elder lady was tall and stately1 and although not aggressive in any way1 her manner was distinctly that of one accustomed to rule4 ,her steady grey eyes and curved1 rather beak-like nose gave her an aspect of sternness which was genially relieved by a large1 good-humored mouth4 ,at fifty1 ,lady ,kirwan's hair was still dark and glossy1 and time had dealt very gently with her4 ,of the old ,welsh family of ,lys1 now bereft of all its great heritage of the past1 but with a serene and lofty pride in its great name still1 she had married ,sir ,augustus1 then ,mr4 ,kirwan1 in early girlhood4 ,as the years went on1 and her husband's vast wealth grew vaster still1 and he rose to be one of the financial princes of the world1 ,lady ,kirwan became a very prominent figure in society1 and at fifty she had made herself one of the hundred people who really rule it4 ,one daughter1 ,marjorie1 was born to ,sir ,augustus and his wife1 a beauty1 and one of the most popular girls in society4 ,you may say what you like1 but ,i have no patience at all with either you or your crack-brained brother1 ,mary6 ,lady ,kirwan exclaimed1 with an irritable rapping of her fingers upon a little lapis lazuli table at her side4 ,mary ,lys was a tall girl1 dressed in the blue uniform of a hospital nurse4 ,the cloak was thrown back over her shoulders1 and its scarlet lining threw up the perfect oval contour of her face and the glorious masses of black hair that crowned it4 ,if ,marjorie ,kirwan was generally said to be one of the prettiest girls in ,london--and the couple of millions she would inherit by no means detracted from her good looks--certainly ,mary ,lys might have been called one of the most beautiful4 ,the perfect lips1 graver than the lips of most girls1 almost maternal in their gentleness1 formed1 as it were1 the just complement to the great grey eyes1 with their long dark lashes and delicately-curved black brows4 ,the chin was broad and firm1 but very womanly1 and over all that lovely face brooded a holy peace1 a high serenity1 and a watchful tenderness that one sees in the pictures of the old masters when they drew the pious maids and matrons who followed the footsteps of ,our ,lord on earth4 ,her beauty was not the sort of beauty which would attract every one4 ,it was1 indeed1 physical beauty in perfection1 but irradiated also by loveliness of soul4 ,the common-minded man who prefers the conscious and vulgar prettiness of some theatre girl1 posed for the lens of the camera or the admiring glances of the crowd1 would have said3-- ,oh1 yes1 she's beautiful1 of course6 ,one can't help admitting that4 ,but she's not my style a bit4 ,give me something with a little more life in it4 ,but there were not wanting many men and women who said that they had thought that the mother of the ,saviour must have looked like ,mary ,lys4 ,no6 ,i've really no patience with either of you6 ,lady ,kirwan repeated4 ,but1 ,aunt ,ethel1 surely we ought to live our own lives4 ,i am quite happy with my nursing in the ,east ,end4 ,one can't do more good than by trying to nurse and cure the sick1 can one8 ,and ,lluellyn is happy also in his ,welsh mountains4 ,he lives a very saintly life1 auntie--a life of prayer and preaching and good works1 even if it is unconventional and seems strange to you4 ,i would not have it otherwise4 ,lluellyn is not suited for the modern world4 ,fiddlesticks1 ,mary6 ,lady ,kirwan answered4 ',modern world1' indeed6 ,you speak as if you said ',modern pestilence'6 ,who made the world1 ,i should like to know8 ,and what right have you and your brother to despise it8 ,i'm sick of all this nonsense4 ,how a girl with your looks and of your blood1 for there is hardly a peer in ,england with such a pedigree as that of our family1 can go on grubbing away nursing horrible people with horrible diseases in that dreadful ,east ,end ,i can't possibly imagine4 ,you've no money1 of course1 for your two hundred a year is a mere nothing4 ,but what does that matter8 ,haven't your uncle and ,i more than we know what to do with8 ,marjorie has already an enormous fortune settled upon her4 ,she is almost certain to marry the ,duke of ,dover next season4 ,well1 what do we offer you--you and ,lluellyn8 ,you are to be as our second daughter4 ,we will give you everything that a girl can have in this world4 ,you shall share in our wealth as if you were my own daughter4 ,with your looks and the money which is available for you1 you may marry any one4 ,we stand well at ,court4 ,his ,majesty is pleased when one of the great old families of the realm restores its fallen fortunes4 ,every chance and opportunity is yours4 ,as for your brother1 as ,i have so often written and told him1 he will be a son to us4 ,we have not been given a son2 he shall become one4 ,there is enough and to spare for all4 ,give up this nonsense of yours4 ,make ,lluellyn come to his senses and leave his absurd hermit life1 and this mad preaching about in the mountain villages4 ,come to us at once1 both of you4 ,what more could any one offer you1 child8 ,am ,i not pleading with you out of my love for you and my nephew1 out of a sincere desire to see you both take your proper place in the world8 ,lady ,kirwan stopped1 a little out of breath after her long speech1 every word of which had been uttered with the sincerest conviction and prompted by real affection4 ,there was probably no more worldly woman in ,london than the kindly wife of the great financier4 ,the world was all in all to her1 and she was as destitute of religion or any knowledge of spiritual things as the parish pump4 ,she would not have divided her last shilling with any one1 but she was generous with her superfluity4 ,and certainly one of the great wishes of her life was to see the ancient family from which she had sprung once more take a great place in life4 ,she felt within her veins the blood of those old wild princes of the stormy hills of ,wales--those ,arthurs and ,uthers1 ,caradocs and ,lluellyns innumerable1 who had kept their warlike courts in the dear mountains of her home4 ,it was monstrous1 it was incredible to ,lady ,kirwan that the last two survivors of the ,lys family in the direct line should live obscure1 strange lives away from the world4 ,mary ,lys a hospital nurse in the ,east ,end6 ,lluellyn ,lys a sort of anchorite and itinerant preacher6 ,it was inconceivable2 it must be stopped4 ,i will write to ,lluellyn again1 auntie1 ,mary said1 rising from her chair4 ,but1 honestly1 ,i fear it will be of little use4 ,and as for myself-- ,as she spoke the door opened1 and a footman entered the room4 ,miss ,marjorie has returned1 my lady1 he said4 ,she is waiting below in the motor-brougham4 ,i was to say that if ,miss ,lys was ready ,miss ,marjorie has a free hour1 and will drive ,miss ,lys back to the hospital4 ,there1 there6 ,lady ,kirwan said to her niece1 ,marjorie will take you back to that place4 ,it will be more comfortable than a horrid1 stuffy omnibus4 ,now don't give me any answer at present1 but just think over what ,i have said very seriously4 ,come again in a week1 and we will have another talk4 ,don't be in a hurry to decide4 ,and remember1 dear1 that with all your exaggerated ideas of duty1 you may owe a duty to your relations and to society quite as much as to indigent aliens in ,whitechapel4 ,run along1 and be a dear good girl1 and be sure you don't catch some dreadful infectious disease4 ,a couple of footmen in knee-breeches1 silk stockings1 and powdered hair stood on each side of the door4 ,a ponderous butler opened it1 another footman in motor livery jumped down from his seat beside the driver and held open the door of the brougham4 ,all this pomp and circumstance1 ,mary thought sadly1 to get a poor hospital nurse out of a house and into a carriage4 ,four great men are employed to do so simple a thing as that1 and whole families of my dear people are starving while the breadwinner lies sick in the hospital6 ,she sighed heavily1 and her face was sad as she kissed the brilliant1 vivacious cousin who was waiting in the brougham4 ,well1 you poor dear1 ,marjorie ,kirwan said4 ,and how are you8 ,i suppose the usual thing has happened8 ,mother has been imploring you to take a proper place in the world--you and my delightfully mysterious cousin ,lluellyn1 who is quite like an old ,hebrew prophet--and you have said that you prefer your grubby scarlet-fever friends in ,whitechapel6 ,mary nodded4 ,dear auntie1 she said4 ,she is wonderfully kind and good1 but she doesn't quite understand4 ,but don't let us talk about it4 ,very well1 then1 we won't1 ,marjorie answered affectionately4 ,every one must gang their own gait6 ,you don't like what ,i like2 ,i don't like what you like4 ,the great thing is to be happy1 and we're both that4 ,tell me something of your work4 ,it always interests me4 ,have you had any new adventures in ,whitechapel8 ,everything has been much the same1 she said1 except that a very wonderful personality has come into the hospital4 ,oh1 how delightful6 ,a man1 of course6 ,do tell me all about him6 ,his name is ,joseph4 ,it sounds odd1 but he doesn't seem to use his surname at all4 ,i did hear it1 but ,i have forgotten4 ,he is simply ,joseph4 ,he was hurt1 though not nearly as badly as he might have been1 by some falling planks from a house they were building4 ,but he was in a dreadfully exhausted and rundown condition--nearly starved indeed4 ,he is a great scholar and scientist1 but he was ruined some years ago because he made a speech against ,god and religion at ,cambridge1 before all the dignitaries4 ,and are you converting him8 ,no4 ,that is no woman's work1 with this man4 ,he is in a strange state4 ,we have nursed him back to something like health1 but his mind seems quite empty4 ,at first1 when we had some talks together1 he railed against ,god--always with the proviso that there wasn't any ,god6 ,now he is changed1 with returning health4 ,he is like an empty vessel1 waiting for something to be poured into it4 ,he neither disbelieves nor believes4 ,something has washed his mind clear4 ,how extraordinary6 ,extraordinary you say2 but listen6 ,three days ago--it was in the early evening--he called me to his bedside4 ,he drew his hand from the bedclothes and laid it on my arm4 ,how ,i thrilled at the touch1 ,i cannot explain4444 ,but1 my dear1 think of ,tom--,this is extraordinary6 ,i've thought of ,thomas2 but1 ,marjorie1 you cannot know--it was not that kind of love4 ,it was nothing like love4 ,perhaps ,i put it badly1 but you jumped to quite a wrong conclusion4 ,it was something quite different4 ,his eyes seemed to transfix me4 ,the touch--the eyes--the thrill they sent through me will remain as long as ,i live6 ,but listen4 ,he spoke to me as he hadn't spoken before4 ',mary1' he said-- ,did he call you ,mary8 ,he had never done so before--he did then4 ,before ,i had always been ',nurse' to him4 ,well1 go on1 dear--,i am quite interested4 ,he said1 ',mary1 you are going off duty in a few minutes4 ,go to the upper chamber of #bd1 ,grey ,street1 ,hoxton1 and walk straight in4 ,there is one that has need of you4' ,i was about to expostulate1 but he fell back in exhaustion1 and ,i called the house surgeon4 ,you surely didn't go8 ,yes1 ,i went1 ,mary went on rapidly4 ,something made me go4 ,the low door of ,number #bd was open4 ,i climbed till ,i got to the top4 ,there was no light anywhere4 ,it was a miserable foggy evening4 ,i felt for a door and found one at last4 ,it yielded to my hand and ,i entered an attic which was immediately under the roof4 ,nothing could be seen4 ,i had come unprepared for such darkness4 ,but taking courage ,i asked aloud if there was any one there4 ,there was no answer4 ,yet ,i felt--,i had a curious certainty--that ,i was not alone4 ,i waited--and waited4 ,then ,i moved slowly about the room4 ,i was afraid to move with any freedom for fear of stumbling over--something or other4 ,suddenly a costermonger's barrow came into the court below4 ,the naphtha lamps lit up the whole place and the room was suddenly illuminated with a flickering red light4 ,i could see quite well now4 ,i am accustomed to rather dreadful things1 as you know1 ,marjorie--or at least things which you would think rather dreadful4 ,but ,i will confess ,i was frightened out of my life now4 ,i gave a shriek of terror1 and then stood trembling1 utterly unable to move6 ,what was it8 ,i saw a man hanging by a rope to the rafters4 ,his jaw had fallen down1 and his tongue was protruding4 ,i shall never forget how the red light from the court below glistened on his tongue--,his eyes were starting out of his head4444 ,it was horrible4 ,oh1 how frightful6 ,i should have been frightened to death1 said ,marjorie1 and a cold shiver ran through her whole body1 which ,mary could feel as her cousin nestled closer to her in the brougham4 ,yes1 it was awful6 ,i had never seen anything so awful before--except once1 perhaps1 at an operation for cancer4 ,but do you know1 ,marjorie1 ,i was quite unlike my usual self4 ,i was acting under some strange influence4 ,the eyes of that poor man1 ,joseph1 seemed to be following me4 ,i acted as ,i never should have been able to act unless something very curious and inexplicable was urging me4 ,i knew exactly what ,i had to do4 ,i am experienced in these things1 as you know1 and ,i saw at once that the man who was hanging from the roof was not dead4 ,he was only just beginning the last agony4 ,there was a big box by the window1 and upon a little table ,i saw an ordinary table-knife4 ,i dragged the box to the man's feet1 put them upon it1 caught hold of the knife1 and cut him down4 ,he was a small man1 and fell limply back into my arms1 nearly knocking me over the box1 but ,i managed to support him1 and staggered down on to the floor4 ,then ,i got the rope from round his neck1 and tried to restore breathing by ,hall's method--you know1 one can use this method by oneself4 ,it is really the basis of all methods1 and is used very successfully in cases of drowning4 ,what did you do then8 ,marjorie asked4 ,as soon as he began to breathe again ,i rushed downstairs4 ,in a room at the bottom of the stairs1 which was lit by a little cheap paraffin lamp there was a horrid old woman1 an evil-looking young man1 and several children4 ,the old woman was frying some dreadful sort of fish for supper1 and ,i was nearly stifled4 ,to cut a long story short1 ,i sent the children out for a cab1 made the young fellow come upstairs1 and together we brought down the man1 who was in a semi-conscious state4 ,no questions were asked because1 as you know1 or at least1 as is a fact1 a nurse's uniform commands respect everywhere4 ,i took the man straight to the hospital and managed to hush the matter up1 and to arrange with the house surgeon4 ,of course ,i could not tell the doctors everything1 but they trusted me and nothing was said at all4 ,the man was discharged as cured a few days ago4 ,the poor fellow had attempted his life in a fit of temporary madness4 ,he was very nearly starving4 ,there is no doubt at all about it4 ,he proved it to the satisfaction of the hospital authorities4 ,and have you found out who he is8 ,he is a friend of ,joseph's--a comrade in his poverty1 a journalist called ,hampson1 and the garret was where ,joseph and he had lived together4 ,extraordinary is not the word for all this1 ,marjorie interrupted4 ,it almost frightens me to hear about it4 ,but even that is not all4 ,when ,i got back to the hospital after seeing the would-be suicide in safe keeping1 ,i went straight to my own ward4 ,joseph was awake4 ,he turned to me as ,i entered1 smiled1 and said in a sort of whisper1 ',inasmuch4' ,i could hear no more4 ,from that time his mind seemed to lapse into the same state--a state of complete blank4 ,he is waiting4 ,for what8 ,ah1 here comes the most strange part of it all4 ,i have received an extraordinary letter from ,lluellyn4 ,my brother has strange psychic powers1 ,marjorie--powers that have often been manifested in a way which the world knows nothing of1 in a way which you would find it impossible to believe4 ,in some way my brother has known of this man's presence in the hospital4 ,our minds have acted one upon the other over all the vast material distance which separates us4 ,he wrote to me3 ',as soon as the man ,joseph is recovered1 send him to me4 ,he will question1 but he will come4 ,the ,lord has need of him1 for he shall be as a great sword in the hand of the ,most ,high4' ,marjorie ,kirwan shivered4 ,you speak of mystical things1 she said4 ,they are too deep for me4 ,they frighten me4 ,mary1 you speak as if something was going to happen6 ,what do you mean8 ,i speak as ,i feel1 dear1 ,mary answered1 with a deep-ringing certainty in her voice4 ,how or why1 ,i do not know1 but a marvellous thing is going to happen6 ,i feel the sense of it4 ,it quickens all my life4 ,i wait for that which is to come4 ,a new force is to be born into the world1 a new light is to be kindled in the present darkness4 ,the lonely mystic of the mountain and the strange-eyed man who has come into my life are1 even now1 in mysterious spiritual communion4 ,this very afternoon ,joseph goes to ,lluellyn4 ,i said good-bye to him before ,i left the ,east ,end4 ,what will be the issue my poor vision cannot tell me yet4 ,through the hum the maiden of the world heard ,mary's deep1 steadfast voice4 ,something great is going to happen4 ,now is the acceptable hour6 ,it was utterly outside her experience4 ,it was a voice which chilled and frightened her4 ,she didn't want to hear voices like this4 ,even as ,mary spoke1 ,marjorie ,kirwan heard a change in her voice4 ,the brougham was quite still1 and the long string of vehicles which were passing in the other direction were motionless also4 ,mary was staring out of the window at a hansom cab that was its immediate vis--vis4 ,two men were in the cab4 ,one of them1 a small1 eager-faced man flushed with excitement1 was bowing to ,mary4 ,the other1 taller1 and very pale of face1 was looking at the hospital nurse with the wildest and most burning gaze the society girl had ever seen4 ,who are they8 ,marjorie whispered1 though even as she asked she knew4 ,the man ,i saved from death1 ,mary answered1 in a low1 quivering voice1 and the man ,joseph--,joseph6 ,she sank back against the cushions of the carriage in a dead faint4 ,,chapter ,,iii ,,nearer ,joseph turned to his companion4 ,his face was white and worn by his long illness1 but now it was suddenly overspread with a ghastly and livid greyness4 ,he murmured something far down in his throat1 and at the inarticulate sound1 ,hampson1 who had been bowing with a flush of gratitude to ,mary1 turned in alarm4 ,he saw a strange sight1 and though he--in common with many others--was to become accustomed to it in the future1 he never forgot his first impression4 ,joseph's head had sunk back against the cushions of the cab4 ,his mouth was open1 the jaw having fallen a little1 as though he had no control of it4 ,in a flash the terrible thought came to the journalist that his friend was in the actual throes of death4 ,then1 in another second or two1 just as the block in the traffic ceased1 and the cab moved on again1 he knew that ,joseph lived4 ,the eyes which at first were dark and lustreless--had seemed to be turned inward1 as it were--suddenly blazed out into life4 ,their expression was extraordinary4 ,it appeared to ,hampson as if ,joseph saw far away into an illimitable distance4 ,so some breathless watcher upon a mountain-top1 who searched a far horizon for the coming of a great army might have looked4 ,a huge eagle circling round the lonely summit of an ,alp might have such a strange light in its far-seeing eyes4 ,at what was the man looking8 ,surely it was no narrow vision bounded by the bricks and mortar1 the busy vista of the ,london ,strand6 ,then1 in a flash1 the journalist knew4 ,those eyes saw no mortal vision1 were not bounded by the material circumstance of place and time4 ,they looked into the future4 ,it was thus that ,jeremiah1 the son of ,hilkiah looked when the word of the ,lord came to him4 ,unconsciously ,hampson spoke a verse from ,holy ,writ3-- ,then the ,lord put forth ,his hand and touched my mouth4 ,and the ,lord said unto me1 ,behold1 ,i have put ,my words in thy mouth4 ,then ,joseph began to speak1 and never had his friend heard a man speak in this fashion4 ,the lips moved very little4 ,the fixed far-off light remained in the eyes1 the face did not change with the word's as the face of an ordinary man does4 ,i hear a voice2 and the voice says to me1 ',thou therefore gird up thy loins and arise1 and speak unto them all that ,i command thee3 be not dismayed at their faces1 lest ,i confound thee before them4' ,the words1 which seemed to come from a vast distance1 though they were very keen1 vibrant and clear1 dropped in tone1 and ceased for a moment4 ,then once more they began-- ,and ,i see the woman ,mary and the one that was with her4 ,they are with me upon an hill-top4 ,and they are as maids that have forgotten their ornaments1 and as brides that have not remembered their attire4 ,and below us ,i see great cities and busy markets1 the movements of multitudes1 and the coming and going of ships4 ,and ,i see that the maid and ,i and those others who are with us upon the mountain pray to ,god4 ,and ,god touches my mouth1 and ,i go down from the hill and those that are with me1 to root out1 to pull down and destroy1 and to throw down1 to build and to plant4 ,trembling with eagerness and excitement1 ,hampson listened to these extraordinary words4 ,ever since the black hour when he had been rescued from the consequences of his sudden madness1 the journalist had known that there was something very wonderful about his friend4 ,hampson could not in justice to himself blame himself for his attempt at suicide4 ,he knew that he had not been responsible for what he did4 ,the long privations of his life1 the sudden accident to ,joseph in the ,whitechapel ,road1 had been too much for a sensitive and highly-strung nature4 ,gradually but surely reason had been temporarily undermined1 and ,hampson had only a very slight remembrance of the events in the fortnight which had preceded his attempt4 ,it was in the hospital1 after the careful nursing and the generous food1 that his brain was restored to its balance4 ,and it was in the hospital also that ,mary ,lys had told him of the strange and supernatural occurrence that had saved his life4 ,nurse1 he had said to her1 ,i know nothing of what you tell me4 ,i was mad--quite unconscious of what ,i did4 ,but ,i have always known that there was something about my dear friend that tells me that he is not as other men are4 ,he is a man set apart1 though for what end ,i do not know1 and cannot foresee4 ,but one thing ,i plainly know and recognize--the ,almighty ,father chose ,joseph to be the medium by which ,i was saved4 ,god moves in a mysterious way1 but he has destined my friend for wonderful things4 ,mary ,lys had agreed with her patient4 ,i also have a prescience1 she had said1 that ,joseph has a work to do for ,god4 ,he does not know it4 ,he cannot realize it4 ,he has made no submission to the ,divine ,will1 but nevertheless he will be an instrument of ,it4 ,i know with a strange certainty that this is his high destiny4 ,the rapid and vivid remembrance of all this went through ,hampson's brain as a bullet goes through a board1 when he heard ,joseph's last words4 ,he caught him by the hand1 holding the long1 wasted fingers in his own1 chafing them to bring back some living warmth into their icy coldness4 ,the strange voice ceased finally1 and ,joseph closed his eyes4 ,the rigid tension of his face relaxed and a little color came back into it4 ,then he gave a long sigh1 shuddered and once more opened his eyes4 ,i feel unwell1 he said1 in faint and hesitating tones4 ,i saw our dear1 kind nurse in a carriage with another lady4 ,we were all stopped by a block in the traffic1 weren't we8 ,i saw ,nurse ,mary1 and then ,i can remember nothing more4 ,i have been in a faint4 ,i did not know ,i was still so weak4 ,don't you remember anything then1 ,joseph8 ,nothing at all4 ,but ,i feel exactly as ,i felt when ,i was lying in hospital1 and suddenly fainted there4 ,it was the time when ,i said those extraordinary words to nurse and she went and found you1 poor old chap1 just in the nick of time4 ,hampson quivered with excitement4 ,then you felt just the same sensation a few minutes ago as you did when you were inspired to save my life by some mysterious influence8 ,exactly the same4 ,it is a weird feeling4 ,it is as though suddenly my whole mind and body are filled with a great wind4 ,i seem to lose my personality entirely1 and to be under the dominion of an enormous overwhelming power and force4 ,then everything goes away like a stone falling through water1 and ,i remember nothing until ,i regain consciousness4 ,hampson took his friend's hand4 ,joseph1 he said in tones that were strangely moved and stirred1 have you yourself no explanation8 ,how do you account for the fact that you told ,nurse ,mary to go and save my life8 ,i suppose it was owing to some sort of telepathy4 ,the mind1 so ,i believe1 gives off waves of electricity exactly like the instrument which sends the wireless telegraphy messages4 ,you know that if a receiver in ,marconi's system is tuned exactly to the pitch of a transmitter it picks up the messages automatically1 even if they are not intended for it in the first instance4 ,some thought wave from your sub-conscious brain must have reached mine when you were preparing to hang yourself4 ,that is the only explanation possible4 ,no1 ,joseph1 ,hampson answered4 ,it is not the only explanation4 ,there is another1 and if you could know the words that you spoke in your trance but a few moments ago1 you would think as ,i do4 ,did ,i speak8 ,what did ,i say8 ,i think ,i will not tell you yet4 ,some day ,i will tell you4 ,but ,i am certain that every act of yours1 every word you say1 and every step you take1 are under special and marvellous guidance4 ,the ,holy ,spirit is guiding and leading you4 ,joseph made a slight movement with his hand4 ,there was something almost petulant in the gesture4 ,let us not talk of that1 he said4 ,i think we are agreed not to speak of it4 ,certainly ,i will own that some curious things have happened4 ,that there is a destiny that shapes our ends may possibly be true4 ,but that any man does know anything of the nature and qualities of that destiny ,i am unable to believe4 ,you and that dear1 sweet ,nurse ,mary have put your own interpretation on the strange events of the last few weeks4 ,certainly ,i seem to be the sport of some dominating influence4 ,i admit it1 my friend4 ,but it is coincidence1 and nothing more4 ,in my weaker moments ,i have something of this sense2 in my stronger ones ,i know that it cannot be so4 ,well1 ,joseph1 we shall see what the future has in store4 ,for my part ,i am certain it is big with events for you4 ,i shall owe everything to ,nurse ,mary1 ,joseph answered1 changing the conversation4 ,it was extraordinarily kind of her to write to her brother1 and ask him to have me as his guest until ,i recover6 ,such charity is rare in life4 ,i have not often met with it1 at any rate1 on my way through the world4 ,she is a saint1 ,hampson answered1 with deep reverence in his voice4 ,she is something very like it1 ,joseph answered4 ,some day ,i hope to repay her4 ,this long stay in the beautiful ,welsh hills will give me the necessary strength and quietness of nerve to get to work again4 ,the brother1 ,i understand1 is a sort of mystic4 ,he lives a hermit's life1 and is a sort of mountain prophet4 ,it is a strange thing1 ,hampson1 that ,i should be going as a pauper to stay with the brother of a dear girl who took pity on my misfortunes6 ,they have given me the money for my journey4 ,when ,i am well again ,i shall be given the money to return to ,london1 ,i1 who am a graduate of ,cambridge1 and ,i may say it without ostentation1 a mathematician of repute1 depend for my present sustenance upon the charity of strangers4 ,yet ,i don't feel in the least embarrassed4 ,that is more curious than anything else4 ,i have a sense that my troubles are over now1 that ,i shall come into my own again4 ,we are nearly at the station1 are we not8 ,hampson made some ordinary remark of assent4 ,he knew the history of the almost incredible circumstances which had led to this journey of ,joseph to ,wales4 ,he had seen the letter from ,lluellyn ,lys which bade ,mary to send the man ,joseph to him4 ,but ,joseph did not know4 ,the patient had been told nothing of the mysterious circumstances that had brought about this plan of his journey4 ,joseph simply thought that he was invited to stay with ,mary's brother1 so that he might get well and strong and recover power to enter the battle of life once more4 ,but ,hampson was quite certain that before many days had passed his friend would realize not only the truth about his mysterious summons1 but also the eternal truths of the ,divine forces which were animating his unconscious will and bringing him nearer and nearer to the consummation of a ,will which was not of this world1 and of which he was the instrument4 ,the cab was rolling through the wide squares and streets of ,bloomsbury4 ,in three or four minutes it would arrive at ,euston4 ,you will soon be in splendid health1 old fellow1 ,hampson said1 anxious to turn the conversation into an ordinary and conventional channel4 ,meanwhile1 ,i'll have a cigarette4 ,you mustn't smoke1 of course1 but you won't grudge me the single comfort that my poor health allows me8 ,he felt in his pocket for the packet of cigarettes that he had bought that morning4 ,then1 quite suddenly1 he paused4 ,a sense of the tremendous incongruity of the present situation came to him4 ,he was riding in a ,london cab to a ,london station4 ,he was going to see a sick friend start in a modern train for healing airs and a quiet sojourn among the hills4 ,and yet--and yet he firmly believed--almost knew1 indeed--that this friend1 this man who was called ,joseph1 was1 so to speak1 under the especial convoy of the ,holy ,ghost6 ,it was incredible6 ,were there indeed miracles going on each day in the heart of modern ,london8 ,was the world the same1 even now1 as it was in the old1 dim days when ,jesus the ,lord walked among the valleys and the hills of ,palestine8 ,euston and cabs1 and yet the modern world was full of mystery1 of wonder4 ,yes1 indeed1 ,god ruled now as ,he had always ruled4 ,joseph was going towards some divinely-appointed goal6 ,he had been told nothing of the vision which had made ,lluellyn ,lys1 the recluse of ,wales1 write to ,mary1 commanding her to send him to his mountains4 ,he was moving blindly to meet his destiny4 ,yet soon ,joseph also would know what his friends knew4 ,and with that knowledge-- ,hampson's thoughts had passed through his brain in a single instant1 while he was feeling for the cigarettes4 ,he withdrew his hand mechanically from his pocket and found that it grasped a letter--a letter which had not been opened4 ,hullo1 he said1 ,i have quite forgotten about my letter6 ,it came by the afternoon post just as ,i was leaving my room to go to the hospital and meet you4 ,i put it in my pocket and then thought no more about it4 ,he began to open the type-written envelope4 ,joseph said nothing1 but gazed out upon the panorama of the ,london streets with dreamy eyes4 ,he was thinking deeply4 ,suddenly he was startled by an exclamation from ,hampson4 ,turning1 he saw that the little man's face was alive with excitement and flushed with pleasure4 ,what is it1 my dear fellow8 he asked4 ,the most wonderful thing1 ,joseph6 ,fortune and prosperity at last6 ,the big newspaper firm of ,rees--,sir ,david ,rees is the head of it--have offered me the editorship of their religious weekly1 ,the ,sunday ,friend4 ,i have written a dozen articles or so for them from time to time1 and ,i suppose this is the result6 ,i am to go and see ,mr4 ,marston1 the managing editor1 to-morrow4 ,the words tumbled breathlessly from his lips--he could hardly articulate them in his enthusiasm and excitement4 ,joseph pressed his friend's hand4 ,he knew well what this opportunity meant to the conscientious and hard-working little journalist1 who had never had a chance before4 ,it meant freedom from the terrible and nerve-destroying hunt for food--the horrible living from meal to meal--the life of an animal in this regard1 at least1 but without the animal's faculties for satisfying its hunger4 ,it meant that ,hampson's real talent would now be expressed in its fullest power4 ,i cannot congratulate you enough1 dear friend1 he said in a voice which trembled with emotion4 ,of all men1 you deserve it4 ,i cannot say how happy this makes me1 my friend1 my brother--for it is as brothers that you and ,i have lived this long while4 ,i always knew your chance would come4 ,in the long run it always comes to those who are worthy of it4 ,to some it comes early1 to others late1 but it always comes4 ,it means everything to me1 ,joseph1 ,hampson answered4 ,and think what it will mean to you also6 ,when you return cured and robust from ,wales ,i shall be able to give you regular employment4 ,you will be able to write any amount of articles for me4 ,it means safety and a new start for us both4 ,for some curious reason ,joseph did not immediately reply4 ,then he spoke slowly1 just as the cab rolled under the massive archway which guards the station courtyard4 ,thank you1 indeed6 he answered4 ,but when you spoke1 ,i had a sort of presentiment that ,i should never need your aid4 ,i can't account for it1 but it was strong and sudden4 ,oh1 don't say that1 old fellow6 ,you must not be morbid1 you know4 ,you will outlive most of us1 without a doubt4 ,i did not mean that ,i felt that ,i should die1 ,hampson4 ,rather a sensation came to me that ,i was about to enter some new and strange life which-- ,the cab stopped4 ,you and the porter must help me down1 ,joseph said1 with a faint1 musing smile of singular sweetness and--so ,hampson thought--of inward anticipation and hope4 ,there was yet half an hour before the train was to start4 ,it had been thought better that ,joseph should make a night journey to ,wales4 ,the weather was very hot1 and he would have more chance of rest4 ,i'll take you to the waiting-room1 ,hampson said1 and then ,i will go and get your ticket and some papers4 ,i have told the porter who has your bag what train you are going by4 ,and the guard will come and see if you want anything4 ,joseph waited in the dingy1 empty room while ,hampson went away4 ,it was the ordinary bare1 uncomfortable place with the hard leather seats1 the colored advertisements of seaside resorts1 and the long1 heavy table shining with hideous yellow varnish4 ,hampson seemed a long time1 ,joseph thought1 though when he looked up at the clock over the mantel-shelf he saw that the journalist had only been gone about four minutes4 ,the waiting-room was absolutely silent save for the droning of a huge blue fly that was circling round and round in the long beam of dusty sunlight which poured in from one window4 ,the noise of the station outside seemed far away--a drowsy diapason4 ,joseph1 soothed by the distant murmur1 leaned back in his chair and emptied his mind of thought4 ,then his eye fell idly and carelessly upon an open book that lay upon the table4 ,the book was a copy of the ,holy ,bible1 one of those large print books which a pious society presents to places of temporary sojourn1 if perchance some passing may fall upon the ,word of ,god and find comfort therein4 ,from where he sat1 however1 ,joseph could not see what the book was4 ,nevertheless1 for some strange reason or other1 it began to fascinate him4 ,he stared at it fixedly1 as a patient stares at a disc of metal given him by the trained hypnotist of a ,french hospital when a trance is to be induced4 ,something within began to urge him to rise from his seat1 cross the room1 and see exactly what it was that lay there4 ,the prompting grew stronger and stronger1 until it filled his brain with an intensity of compulsion such as he had never known before4 ,he resented the extraordinary influence bitterly4 ,a mad1 unreasoning anger welled up within him4 ,i will not go6 he said aloud4 ,nothing in the world shall make me go6 ,all that an ordinary spectator--had there been one in the waiting-room--would have seen was a pale-faced man staring at the table4 ,yet1 nevertheless1 a wild battle was going on1 almost frightful in its strength and power1 though the end of it came simply enough4 ,the man could bear the fierce striving against this unknown and mysterious compulsion no longer4 ,his will suddenly dissolved1 melted away1 fell to pieces like a child's house of cards1 and with a deep sigh that was almost a groan he rose and moved unsteadily towards the table4 ,he looked down at the book4 ,at first there was a mist before his eyes2 then it rolled up like a curtain and these words sprang out clear and vividly distinct from the printed page3 ,but the ,lord was with ,joseph1 and showed him mercy4 ,,chapter ,,iv ,,on ,,the ,,mountain ,the long journey was over4 ,a company of grave-faced men had met ,joseph at a little wayside station4 ,on one side stretched the sea1 on the other great mountains towered up into the still1 morning air4 ,it was early dawn4 ,the sun in its first glory sent floods of joyous light over the placid waters4 ,how splendid the air was--this ozone-laden breeze of the ocean--how cool1 invigorating1 and sweet6 ,joseph turned to a tall1 white-haired old man who seemed to be the leader of the band of people who stood upon the platform4 ,i have come to a new world1 he said simply4 ,blessed be the name of the ,lord who has sent you to ,wales1 came the answer in deep and fervent tones4 ,joseph looked at the man and his companions with astonishment4 ,why had ,lluellyn ,lys1 the mysterious recluse and hermit of the mountains1 sent these people to meet him8 ,why was there such a look of respect1 almost of awe1 upon the face of each man there1 such eagerness and anticipation8 ,it was all incomprehensible1 utterly strange4 ,he felt at a loss what to do or say4 ,he bowed1 and then1 as if in a dream1 mingled with the group and passed out of the station4 ,a carriage with two horses was waiting4 ,by the side of it stood the station-master2 the man's peaked cap was in his hand1 and his face was lit up with welcome4 ,the ,teacher is waiting for you1 sir1 he said4 ,in a state of mind which was almost hypnotic ,joseph was helped into the carriage4 ,three of the people who had come to meet him entered also1 and they started up along the white mountain-road4 ,joseph felt that this progress was all too slow4 ,he was going to a definite goal2 he had come this vast distance to meet some one1 and he was impatient of delay4 ,he looked up4 ,high above his head the great slate mountain towered into the sky1 a white cap of cloud hid the summit4 ,the prospect was august1 and it thrilled him strangely4 ,in that great cloud--like the cloud upon ,sinai--what might lie hid8 ,he was conscious of strange unseen forces1 whose depths1 measures1 or intensity he could not understand1 round him and controlling him4 ,his life was utterly changed4 ,the hard wall of materialism against which he had leant his sick life for support was melting and dissolving4 ,he gazed upwards once more at the great mountain4 ,lluellyn ,lys1 the mysterious ,teacher1 was there6 ,who and what was this man of the mountains1 this teacher who was so revered8 ,mary's brother1 the brother of the beautiful girl who had saved him and sent him to these wild solitudes of ,wales4 ,mary's brother1 yes2 but what besides8 ,and what was ,lluellyn ,lys to be to him8 99 99 99 99 99 ,they came to a point at which the road ended and died away into a mere grass track4 ,the old man who sat by ,joseph's side rose from his seat and left the carriage4 ,master1 he said1 and1 as he said it1 ,joseph bowed his head and could not look at him4 ,master1 here the road ends1 and we must take you up the mountain-side to the ,teacher by a steep path4 ,another deep ,celtic voice broke in upon the old man's speech4 ,ay1 it is a steep path to the ,teacher1 ,lluellyn is ever near to ,heaven6 ,joseph had never heard ,welsh before4 ,he did not know a single word of that old tongue which all our ancestors of ,britain used before ever ,st4 ,augustine came to ,england's shores with the news and message of ,christ's death and passion4 ,yet1 at that moment ,joseph understood exactly what the man said4 ,the extraordinary fact did not strike him at the time1 it was long afterwards that he remembered it as one of the least of the wondrous things that had befallen him4 ,he answered at once without a moment's pause4 ,lead on1 he said2 ,i am with you4 ,take me to ,lluellyn1 the ,teacher6 ,joseph turned4 ,he saw that by the wayside there was a rough arm-chair hung between two long poles4 ,still moving as a man in a dream1 he sat down on it4 ,in a moment he was lifted up on the shoulders of four men1 and began to ascend a narrow1 winding path among the heather4 ,on and up6 ,on and up6 ,now they have passed out of ordinary ways1 and are high upon the trackless hills4 ,a dead silence surrounds them2 the air is keen and life-giving2 the workaday world seems very far away4 ,on and up6 ,joseph is carried to his fate4 ,suddenly the old man who walked in front stopped4 ,blessed be him who cometh in the name of the ,lord6 he cried1 in a deep1 musical voice that woke thunderous echoes in the lonely way4 ,for near upon an hour the strange procession continued among the heather and bracken1 through wild defiles and passes4 ,at last1 with singular and startling suddenness1 the party entered the huge mass of fleecy cloud that veiled the mountain-top4 ,all around was thick1 impenetrable mist4 ,everything was blotted out by the thick curtain1 the footsteps of the chair-bearers sounded like footsteps upon wool4 ,then1 without any other intimation than a few low words from the leader of the party1 the journey came to an end1 the chair was carefully lowered to the ground1 and ,joseph alighted4 ,a huge granite boulder stood close by4 ,he sat down upon it1 wondering with eager curiosity what was to happen next1 looking round him with keen1 searching eyes in a vain endeavor to pierce the ghostly1 swaying walls of mist which hemmed him in on every side4 ,the old man stepped up to him4 ,master1 he said again1 our business is at an end4 ,we have brought you to the place where we have been told to bring you1 and must say farewell until we meet again4 ,joseph started4 ,i do not understand1 he said1 in a voice into which something almost like fear had come4444 ,i do not understand4 ,do you mean to leave me here alone8 ,i am a sick man4 ,i know nothing of where ,i am4 ,where is ,lluellyn ,lys8 ,his voice sounded strained and almost shrill in its discomfort and surprise4 ,if the old man appreciated the intonation in the voice of his questioner he did not show it4 ,have no fear1 master1 he said4 ,what ,i do1 ,i do by command of the ,teacher4 ,no harm will come to you4 ,joseph suddenly seemed to wake from his dream4 ,a great sense of irritation1 almost of anger1 began to animate him4 ,he was once more the old ,joseph--the man who had walked with ,hampson in the ,commercial ,road before the accident had struck him down4 ,that's all very well1 he said sharply4 ,perhaps no harm will happen to me1 but will ,mr4 ,lluellyn ,lys come to me8 ,that is the question in which ,i am particularly interested at this moment4 ,i don't know in the least where ,i am6 ,i am too feeble to walk more than a few yards4 ,i can't stay here alone until-- ,he found that he was speaking to the air1 the white and lonely mist4 ,suddenly1 without a word of answer1 his strange conductors had melted away--withdrawn and vanished4 ,he was alone on a mountain-top in ,wales1 surrounded by an impenetrable curtain of mist1 unable to move in any direction4 ,what was all this8 ,was he the victim of some colossal trick1 some cruel hoax1 some immense and indefensible practical joke8 ,it was difficult to believe it1 and yet he cursed his folly in accepting this strange invitation to ,wales4 ,what a foolish and unconsidered business it all seemed--now that he sat alone in the white stillness1 the terrible solitude4 ,still1 mad as the action seemed to him now1 he remembered that it was the result of a long chain of coincidences4 ,certainly--yes1 of that there could be no doubt--he seemed to have been led to this place4 ,something stronger than himself had influenced him4 ,no1 he was not here by chance-- ,had he fallen asleep8 ,still he sat upon the lichen-covered boulder1 still the grey curtain of the mist hid all the mountain world4 ,yet what was that sound--that deep1 ringing voice which sounded in his ears1 falling from some distant height1 falling through the air like an arrow8 ,a voice6 ,a voice6 ,and these were the words it chanted-- ,rise up1 ,joseph1 and come to me6 ,fear not1 for ,god is with you6 ,come to me1 that the things that are appointed may be done6 ,the great voice rolled through the mist like a cathedral bell4 ,cold and trembling1 ,joseph rose to his feet4 ,one hand rested against the granite rock to support him as he answered1 in a loud cry of terror-- ,who are you8 ,what is this8 ,are you the man ,lluellyn8 ,i cannot come4 ,i know not where to come4 ,i am too weak to move4 ,i am frightened4 ,again the organ voice came pealing through the gloom4 ,joseph1 ,joseph1 rise up and come6 ,come and fear not1 for the power of the ,holy ,ghost broods upon the mountains4 ,joseph stood for a moment trembling1 and swaying from side to side4 ,then he was conscious of the most extraordinary sensation of his life4 ,through the mist1 invisible1 impalpable1 a great current of ,,force seemed flowing to him and around him4 ,it poured into every fibre of his being1 body1 mind1 and soul alike4 ,it was not a delusion4 ,it was wonderfully1 marvellously real4 ,each second he grew stronger1 power returned to his tired limbs1 the weariness left his brain4 ,he called out aloud-- ,teacher1 ,i am coming to you6 ,and1 with the swinging1 easy step of a man in perfect health1 together with the ease and certainty of a practised mountaineer1 he began to climb upward through the mist4 ,it was as though he was floating on air1 buoyant as a bird is4 ,on and on he went1 and all the while the invisible electric force poured into him and gave him strength and power4 ,suddenly thin yellow beams of sunshine began to penetrate and irradiate the thick white blanket of mist4 ,stronger and stronger they grew1 throwing a thousand prismatic colors on the thinning vapor1 until at last ,joseph emerged into full and glorious day4 ,this is what he saw4 ,the actual top of the mountain was only two or three yards above him1 and formed a little rock-strewn plateau some twenty or thirty yards square--now bathed in vivid sunshine4 ,against a cairn of boulders in the exact centre of the space a tall man was standing4 ,both his arms were stretched out rigidly towards ,joseph1 the fingers of each hand outspread and pointing to him1 as he emerged from the fog-belt with the sunshine4 ,the man1 who wore a long black cloak1 was well over six feet high1 and very thin4 ,his face was pale1 but the strong1 rugged features gave it an impression of immense vitality and force4 ,joseph stopped in sudden amazement at the sight of this strange figure up in the clouds4 ,he suddenly remembered a picture he had seen showing ,dante standing upon a great crag1 and looking down into the abyss of the ,inferno4 ,lluellyn ,lys looks like that--exactly like that1 ,joseph thought4 ,he went straight up to the ,teacher4 ,as he did so1 ,lluellyn's arms suddenly collapsed and fell loosely to his sides4 ,his eyes1 which had been fixed steadily upon ,joseph1 closed with a simultaneous movement1 and he leant back against the cairn as if utterly exhausted4 ,but this was only for a moment4 ,as ,joseph came up to him he roused himself1 and his face lit up with welcome4 ,the ,teacher's smile was singularly winning and sweet--it was just like ,mary's smile1 ,joseph thought--but it was also a very sad smile4 ,brother1 ,lluellyn said1 the peace of ,god be with you4 ,may you be full of the ,holy ,ghost1 that you may better accomplish those high things for which the ,father has destined you1 and for which ,he has brought you here4 ,joseph took ,lluellyn's hand1 and was about to answer him when the former sank back once more against the boulders4 ,his face grew white as linen1 and he seemed about to swoon4 ,you are ill6 ,joseph cried in alarm4 ,what can ,i do to help you8 ,it is nothing1 ,lluellyn answered in a moment or two4 ,i have been giving you of my strength1 ,joseph1 that you might mount the last stage of your journey4 ,the voice of the ,lord came to me as ,i communed here with ,him1 and the ,holy ,spirit sent the power to you through this unworthy body of mine4 ,joseph bowed4 ,i am moving in deep waters1 he said4 ,many strange and wonderful things have happened to me of late4 ,my mind is shaken1 and my old life with its old point of view already seems very far away4 ,but let me say1 first1 how much ,i appreciate your extreme kindness in asking me here1 through ,miss ,lys4 ,as ,miss ,mary will have told you1 ,i am a poor1 battered scholar with few friends1 and often hard put to live at all4 ,your kindness will enable me to recover after my accident4 ,lluellyn took ,joseph by the arm4 ,he led him to the edge of the plateau4 ,look6 he said4 ,the mist had gone4 ,from that great height they looked down the steep1 pine-clothed sides of the mountain to the little white village1 far1 far below4 ,beyond was the shining1 illimitable ocean4 ,the world is very fair1 ,joseph said4 ,the world is very fair because ,god is immanent in all things4 ,god is in the sea1 and on the sides of the hills4 ,the ,holy ,ghost broods over those distant waters1 and is with us here in this high place4 ,joseph1 from the moment when the cross-wise timbers struck you down in ,whitechapel1 until this very moment now1 you have been led here under the direct guidance of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,there is a certain work for you to do4 ,joseph looked at the tall man with the grave1 sweet smile in startled astonishment4 ,what do ,i bring8 he said4 ,i1 the poor1 battered wreck1 the unknown1 the downtrodden8 ,what do ,i bring you8 ,lluellyn looked ,joseph in the face1 and placed one long1 lean hand upon his shoulder4 ,ask rather what you bring ,god1 he said4 ,it were a more profitable question4 ,for me1 in the power and guidance of the ,lord1 it is ordained that you bring one thing only4 ,and what is that8 ,death6 said ,lluellyn ,lys4 ,,chapter ,v ,,the ,,pouring ,lluellyn ,lys lived in a cottage on the side of the mountain where ,joseph had first been taken to meet him4 ,his small income was enough for his almost incredibly simple wants1 and an ancient widow woman who loved and reverenced him more than anything else in the world kept the cottage for him1 milked the cow1 and did such frugal cooking as was necessary4 ,lluellyn was known far and wide in that part of ,wales4 ,the miners1 the small crofting farmers1 and the scattered shepherds revered and honored the mysterious ,teacher as men of ,god1 were revered in the old times4 ,his influence was very great in the surrounding mining villages2 he had been able to do what sometimes even the parish priests had tried in vain4 ,the drunkard1 the man of a foul and blasphemous tongue1 loose-livers and gamblers1 had become sober and ,god-fearing folk1 with their hearts set upon the ,eternal ,light4 ,no one knew when the tall ascetic figure would appear among them with a strange appropriateness4 ,it was said that he possessed the gift of second sight1 and many extraordinary stories were told of him4 ,his sermons were wonderful in their directness and force1 their strange magnetic power4 ,he had a mysterious knowledge of men's hearts1 and would often make a personal appeal to some sinner who had stayed to hear him--an appeal full of such accurate and intimate knowledge of his listener's inner life and secret actions that it appeared miraculous4 ,and in addition to this power of divination1 it was whispered that the ,teacher possessed the power of healing1 that his touch had raised the sick from couches of pain4 ,it was certain that several people who had been regarded as at death's door had recovered with singular rapidity after ,lluellyn had paid them one or two visits4 ,but in every case the folk who had got well refused to speak of their experiences1 though it was remarked that their devotion to the recluse became almost passionate4 ,a continual mystery enveloped him4 ,sometimes no one saw him for weeks4 ,he would spend day after day locked up in the room he used in the cottage1 and people who had climbed the mountain to seek him1 were told by the housekeeper that it was impossible1 and that she herself had not looked upon his face for many days4 ,occasionally some late returning shepherd or miner would see the tall1 dark figure kneeling1 lost in prayer1 on the summit of some cloudy peak1 or the edge of some terrible abyss--stark and sharply outlined in the moonlight4 ,and then again would come those sudden periods of mighty activity1 of great gatherings on the hillside1 fiery words of warning and exhortation in the villages4 99 99 99 99 99 ,joseph had been with ,lluellyn ,lys for ten days4 ,after the first strange meeting on the mountain1 when the ,teacher had uttered the enigmatic word ,death6 he had refused to give his newly arrived guest any explanation of his saying4 ,brother1 he said1 ask me not anything of the meaning of these things4 ,the time when they shall be revealed is not yet come1 neither do ,i myself see clearly in what manner they shall be accomplished4 ,lluellyn had prayed4 ,you are faint with the long journey1 ,joseph1 he said1 but my house is not far away1 where you will find food and rest4 ,but first let us pray for a blessing upon your arrival1 and that all things may befall as ,our ,lord would have them4 ,and there1 in the glorious noontide sunshine1 on the highest point of that great mountain from which they could survey the distant1 shining sea1 and range beyond range of mighty hills1 the two men knelt down and prayed4 ,joseph knelt with folded hands by the side of the ,teacher4 ,it did not seem strange to him that he should do this4 ,he no longer knew the fierce revolt of the intellect against the promptings of the conscience and the soul4 ,rebellion had ceased4 ,he bowed his head in prayer4 ,oh1 ,holy ,ghost1 descend upon us now1 upon two sinful men1 and fill us with ,thyself4 ,fill and permeate us with ,thy divine power4 ,send down ,thy blessing upon us1 and especially guard and influence ,joseph that those things which ,thou hast designed for him be not too heavy for him4 ,in the name of the ,father1 the ,son1 and the ,holy ,spirit1 ,three in ,one1 and ,one in ,three--,amen4 ,then had come a ten minutes' descent1 by an easier path on the other side of the principal cone1 till the house of the ,teacher was reached4 ,joseph1 after a simple meal1 had fallen asleep4 ,he was wearied to death1 and when the housekeeper told him that he had slept for a whole revolution of the clock hands his surprise was great4 ,for the first two or three days of his stay ,joseph saw but little of his host4 ,they met at the frugal midday and evening repasts1 but that was all4 ,even then ,lluellyn talked but little1 though his manner was always kind and almost deferential4 ,the ,teacher1 so his guest could not avoid thinking1 regarded him from some standpoint which he could not enter into4 ,lluellyn spoke to1 and regarded ,joseph as if he were a man set apart1 for some reason or other4 ,it was very mysterious and piqued the convalescent's curiosity1 sometimes to an almost unbearable degree4 ,there were constant veiled references to the future1 hints of a time to come--of some imminent happening of tremendous importance4 ,what was to happen8 ,how was he concerned in these matters8 ,this was the question that ,joseph constantly asked himself with growing impatience and nervous anticipation4 ,after the first three days ,joseph saw more of his host4 ,they went for walks together over the hills1 and once or twice the guest was present at a great gathering on the mountain-side1 when ,lluellyn preached to the people1 and swayed them as the wind sways a field of corn4 ,more and more ,joseph began to realize the holiness of this man with whom he lived4 ,his love for ,god and for men glowed within him like a white flame4 ,joseph no longer said or believed that there was no ,god4 ,his experiences had been too wonderful for that4 ,it was impossible for any sane mind to be with ,lluellyn ,lys daily and not to recognize that some influence which was supernormal both in essence and fact made him what he was4 ,but ,christ8 ,ah1 that was a different matter6 ,as yet the ,man of ,sorrows had touched no responsive chord in ,joseph's heart4 ,it was1 then1 under these conditions1 and while his mental development was just at this point1 that the finger of ,god moved at last1 and the stupendous drama of ,joseph's life began4 ,he had been alone all day1 and as evening fell went out to see if he could find ,lluellyn4 ,there was a sense of loneliness upon him4 ,for some reason or other he felt forsaken and forlorn4 ,after all1 life was empty1 and held very little for him4 ,such were his thoughts as he walked along a familiar path towards an ancient ,druid circle1 some half a mile from the cottage1 where he thought he might find his host4 ,a faint watery moonlight illuminated the path among the heather1 a wan and spectral radiance1 which gave the mountain-pass a strange1 unearthly aspect4 ,and as ,joseph walked there1 with a heavy heart1 he became aware that some one was coming towards him4 ,it was not ,lluellyn ,lys4 ,of that he was certain1 an instinct told him so4 ,the figure came rapidly and noiselessly over the heath1 and as it came ,joseph began to tremble4 ,his knees knocked together1 his tongue clave to the roof of his mouth1 the palms of his hands were wet4 ,yet1 as far as we may judge1 it was not unmixed fear that ,joseph felt4 ,never1 at any time1 did he describe his sensations at that supreme moment4 ,when questioned afterwards he was always silent4 ,but it was not all fear4 ,the figure drew nearer until at last it stood in the centre of the path1 closing the way to the wanderer4 ,the dark moors1 the faint and spectral sky1 the whole visible world flashed away4 ,there was a noise in ,joseph's ears as of many waters1 and through the great rush that was overwhelming him1 body1 mind1 and soul1 he seemed to hear a voice speaking-- ,then a thick darkness blotted out all sensation1 and he knew no more4 99 99 99 99 99 ,joseph tried to lift his arm4 ,he was conscious of the desire to do so1 but for some reason or other he was unable to move it for a moment4 ,the arm felt like lead4 ,slowly--and this also was with an effort--he opened his eyes4 ,he was in bed1 lying in the familiar room at ,lluellyn's cottage1 though how he had come there he had no idea whatever4 ,his eyes wandered vaguely round the place1 and as they grew accustomed to conscious use he saw that some changes had been made in the aspect of the room4 ,a table had been removed1 and a larger one substituted for it4 ,the new table was covered with bottles--square bottles with white labels pasted on them4 ,and there was a faint medicinal smell in the air also4 ,then1 a sofa-couch had made its appearance which had not been there before4 ,what did it all mean8 ,suddenly the memory of the figure that had walked towards him upon the moor when all was late and dark came back to him in a rush of sensation4 ,why had everything flashed away as that silent figure approached8 ,who or what was it that had come noiselessly upon him through the gloom8 ,why had he been struck down8 ,struck down8 ,yes2 that was what had happened4 ,he began to think a little more clearly4 ,he had been struck down1 and now1 of course1 he was ill4 ,they had found him on the moor probably1 and brought him back to the cottage4 ,he began to realize more and more that he was ill--very ill4 ,he tried to turn in bed1 and could hardly do so4 ,once more he endeavored to lift the arm that felt like a limb of lead1 and1 partially succeeding1 he saw that it was thin and wasted4 ,there was a chair standing not far away from the bed1 and on it a copy of a religious journal4 ,he started4 ,his eye had fallen upon the date of the paper4 ,slowly and painfully he recalled the date of his first arrival in ,wales--the expiration of time since his sojourn with the ,teacher began until the date indicated upon the front page of the journal4 ,there could be no doubt about it1 he had been lying unconscious of the outside world1 and heedless of the passage of time1 for at least eight days--possibly even more4 ,he gave a little gasp of astonishment--a gasp which was almost a moan--and as he did so the door of the bedroom opened1 and ,mrs4 ,price1 the old housekeeper1 entered4 ,she came straight up to the bedside and looked down upon ,joseph4 ,there was something very strange in the expression of the old1 wrinkled face4 ,it was changed from its usual expression of resigned and quiet joy4 ,there were red circles round the eyes1 as if she had been weeping2 the kind old mouth was drawn with pain4 ,ah1 my dear1 she said to ,joseph1 you've come to yourself at last6 ,it was what the doctor said--that it would be about this time that you would come to4 ,the ,lord be praised6 ,joseph tried to answer her4 ,the words came slowly from his lips4 ,he articulated with difficulty1 and his voice was strange to his own ears4 ,have ,i been ill long8 ,for near ten days1 sir1 you have lain at death's door4 ,the doctor from ,penmaenbach said that you would surely die4 ,but the ,teacher knew that you would not4 ,and oh1 and oh1 woe's the day when you came here6 ,with a sudden convulsive movement1 the old lady threw her hands up into the air1 and then burst into a passion of weeping4 ,joseph had heard her with a languid interest4 ,his question was answered2 he knew now exactly what had happened1 but he was still too weak and weary for anything to have much effect upon him4 ,yet the sudden tears and the curious words of the kindly old dame troubled him4 ,i am sorry1 he said faintly4 ,i know that ,i must have been a great trouble to you4 ,but ,i had no idea ,i should fall ill again4 ,for answer she stooped over and kissed him upon the forehead4 ,trouble6 she cried1 through her tears4 ,that's no word to say to me4 ,i spoke hastily1 and what ,i said ,i said wrongly4 ,it was the ,teacher that was in my mind4 ,but it is all the will of the ,lord to ,whom all must bow--you'll take your medicine now1 if you please4 ,so she ended1 with a sudden descent from high matters to the practical occupations of the ministering angel4 ,joseph drank the potion which the old lady held to his lips4 ,her arm was round his head as she raised it1 her brown1 tear-stained face was close to his4 ,he felt a sudden rush of affection for her4 ,in the past he had ever been a little cold in his relations with all men and women4 ,save1 perhaps1 for ,hampson1 the journalist1 he had not experienced anything like love for his kind4 ,yet now he felt his heart going out to this dear old nurse1 and1 more than that even1 something cold and hard within him seemed to have melted4 ,he realized in his mind1 as a man may realize a whole vast landscape in a sudden flash of lightning1 how much love there was in the world after all4 ,even as his whole weak frame was animated by this new and gracious discovery1 the door of the bedroom opened once more and ,lluellyn ,lys came in4 ,mrs4 ,price turned from the bed upon which ,joseph was lying1 and went up to the ,teacher4 ,she caught him by the arm--,joseph was witness of it all--and bowed her head upon it4 ,then once more she began to sob4 ,oh1 man1 man1 she said1 ,i've loved ye and tended ye for many years now4 ,and my father1 and my mother1 and my people for a hundred years before1 have served the house of ,lys4 ,but you have led me from the bondage of darkness and sin into peace and light4 ,ye brought me to the ,lord ,jesus1 ,lluellyn ,lys4 ,aye and the ,holy ,ghost came down upon me when ,i gave my heart to the ,lord6 ,and now1 'tis near over1 'tis all near done1 and my heart is bitter heavy1 ,lys4 ,master1 my heart is bowed down with woe and grief6 ,lluellyn gently took the poor old thing by the arm4 ,he led her to the bedside where ,joseph lay4 ,old friend1 he said--dear old faithful friend and servant1 it is not me whom you must call ,master any more4 ,my work is nearly done1 the time of my departure draws near4 ,here is your ,master4 ,the old dame1 clinging to ,lluellyn's arm1 looked down at ,joseph4 ,then she started violently1 and began to tremble like an autumn leaf in the wind4 ,the old face1 browned by a thousand days of mountain sun and storm1 grew pale under its tan4 ,she looked up into ,lluellyn's eyes with an interrogation that was almost fierce in its intensity4 ,i see something1 ,lys6 she said4 ,i see something6 ,what does it mean--what is it1 ,master8 ,i never saw it before6 ,lluellyn answered her gravely and slowly4 ,i know not1 he said1 save only that it is ,god's will4 ,all has not yet been revealed to me4 ,but ,i shall know soon1 very soon1 ,anna1 old friend4 ,and1 as you are a godly woman of the ,lord1 ,i charge you that you go with this man when he departs from this place4 ,leave us now1 ,anna4 ,i have somewhat to do with ,joseph4 ,as his voice fell and ceased1 the old lady went weeping from the room4 ,for some little time there was a dead silence in the place4 ,joseph's brain was in a whirl1 but his eyes were fixed upon the tall figure of the ,teacher4 ,lluellyn ,lys was strangely altered4 ,his thin form was thinner still4 ,always fragile in appearance1 he now seemed as if a breath would blow him away4 ,his face and hands were deathly white1 and his whole appearance suggested a man almost bloodless1 from whom all vitality had been literally drained away4 ,you are ill1 ,lluellyn1 ,joseph said at length4 ,the ,teacher shook his head4 ,no1 dear friend1 he answered4 ,i do what ,i have to do1 that is all4 ,as he spoke1 he drew a chair up to the bedside1 and1 stretching out his long1 thin hands1 placed the finger-tips of one upon ,joseph's forehead1 and those of the other upon his pulse4 ,a dim memory1 faint and misty1 came to ,joseph of his recent illness4 ,lluellyn had sat in this position before1 the touch of his fingers was familiar somehow or other1 the stooping form awoke a chord of memory4 ,why1 he said1 since ,i have been ill you have been doing this many times4 ,it is all coming back to me4 ,what are you doing8 ,lluellyn smiled faintly4 ,i am giving you strength for the work ,god intends you to do1 he said4 ,do not talk1 ,joseph4 ,lie very still1 and fix your thoughts on ,god4 ,already the ,teacher's voice seemed thin and far away to ,joseph4 ,it was as though he was moving rapidly away from ,lluellyn1 carried by a strange force1 a vital fluid which was pouring into his veins4 ,he experienced exactly the same sensation as when he had first climbed the mountain-top to meet ,lluellyn--that of receiving power1 of being a vessel into which life itself was flowing4 ,at some time or another most people have been under the influence of an ansthetic1 if only for the extraction of a tooth4 ,joseph now began to lose consciousness in exactly the same way1 rapidly1 with a sense of falling and a roaring noise in the ears4 ,the falling motion seemed to stop1 the noise ceased1 everything was dark4 ,then the black swayed like a curtain4 ,light came swiftly and silently1 and in one single moment ,joseph saw stretched before him and below him a vast panorama4 ,it was ,london that he saw1 but in a way that no human eye has ever beheld the modern ,babylon4 ,nor does the word saw accurately express the nature of the vision4 ,he apprehended rather than saw4 ,the inner spiritual eye conveyed its message to the brain far more clearly and swiftly than even the delicate lenses and tissues of the flesh can ever do4 ,color1 form1 movement1 all these were not seen physically1 but felt in the soul4 ,he had passed out of the dimensions of mortal things into another state4 ,london lay below him1 and in the spirit he heard the noise of its abominations1 and saw the reek of its sin hanging over it like a vast1 lurid cloud4 ,they say1 and the fact is well authenticated1 that a drowning man sees the whole of his past life1 clear1 distinct1 minutely detailed1 in a second of time4 ,it was with some such flash as this that ,joseph saw ,london4 ,he did not see a picture or a landscape of it4 ,he did not receive an impression of it4 ,he saw it whole4 ,he seemed to know the thoughts of every human heart1 nothing was secret from him4 ,his heart was filled with a terrible anguish1 a sorrow so profound and deep1 so piercing and poignant1 that it was even as death--as bitter as death4 ,he cried out aloud1 ,lord ,jesus1 purge this city1 and save the people4 ,forgive them1 ,o ,lord1 out of ,thy bountiful goodness and mercy6 ,i that am as dust and ashes have taken it upon me to speak to the ,lord4 ,o ,lord1 purge this city of its abominations1 and save this ,thy servant4 ,teach me to love ,thee and to labor for ,thee6 ,the vision changed4 ,into ,joseph's heart there came an ineffable glow of reverence and love4 ,in its mighty power it was supersensual1 an ecstasy for which there are no words1 a love in which self passed trembling away like a chord of music1 a supreme awe and adoration4 ,for he thought that a face was looking upon him1 a face full of the ,divine love1 the face of ,our ,lord4 ,a voice spoke in his heart--or was it an actual physical voice8-- ,lo1 this has touched thy lips1 and thine iniquity is taken away1 and thy sin purged4 ,also ,i heard the voice of the ,lord saying1 ',whom shall ,i send1 and who will go for us8' ,then said ,i1 ',here am ,i2 send me4' ,a silence1 a darkness of soul and mind1 the rushing of many waters1 falling1 falling1 falling4444 ,joseph awoke1 the voice rang in his ears still4 ,he saw the walls of the cottage room2 he had come back to the world and to life1 a terrible1 overmastering fear and awe shook him like a reed4 ,he cried out with a loud voice1 calling for his friend1 calling for the ,teacher4 ,lluellyn6 ,lluellyn ,lys1 come to me6 ,he was lying upon his back still1 in exactly the same position as that in which he had lost consciousness while ,lluellyn's hands were upon him giving him life and strength4 ,now he sat up suddenly1 without an effort1 as a strong and healthy man moves4 ,lluellyn6 ,lluellyn6 ,his loud call for help was suddenly strangled into silence4 ,lying upon the floor1 close to the bedside1 was the body of ,lluellyn ,lys1 a long white shell1 from which the holy soul had fled to meet its ,lord4 ,the ,teacher had given his life for his friend4 ,in obedience to some mysterious revelation he had received of the ,divine ,will1 ,lluellyn ,lys had poured his life into the body of another4 ,joseph stared for a moment at the corpse1 and then glanced wildly round the room4 ,he could call no more1 speech had left him1 his lips were shrivelled1 his tongue paralysed4 ,as he did so1 his whole body suddenly stiffened and remained motionless4 ,exactly opposite to him1 looking at him1 he saw once more the face of his vision1 the countenance of the ,man of ,sorrows4 ,in mute appeal1 powerless to speak1 he stretched out his arms in supplication4 ,but what was this8 ,even as he moved1 the figure moved also4 ,hands were stretched out towards him1 even as his were extended4 ,he leapt from the bed1 passed by the still1 white body upon the floor--and learned the truth4 ,a large mirror hung upon the opposite wall4 ,what he had thought to be the face of ,christ--the veritable face of his vision--was his own face6 ,his own face1 bearded1 changed1 and moulded by his illness1 altered entirely4 ,his own face had become as an image and simulacrum of the traditional pictures and representations of ,our ,lord's4 ,,chapter ,,vi ,,the ,,cross ,,at ,,st4 ,,paul',s ,hampson had been in the editorial chair of the religious weekly for nearly a month1 and the change in the little journalist's circumstances was enormous2 from the most grinding poverty1 the most precarious existence1 he had arrived at what to him was wealth4 ,he felt himself a rich man1 and1 indeed1 the big firm of newspaper proprietors which had singled him out to occupy his present position was not niggardly in the matter of salary4 ,with careful discrimination they sought out the best man for this or that post1 and when they found him paid him sufficiently well to secure his continued adherence to their interests4 ,hampson generally arrived at his office about eleven1 and opened his letters4 ,on the day of which this chapter treats he came earlier as he had to pass the paper for press4 ,a large amount of correspondence awaited him1 and he waded steadily through it for about an hour1 giving directions to his secretary as each letter was opened4 ,when the man had gone to his own room ,hampson leant back in his comfortable chair with a sigh4 ,his usually cheerful face wore an expression of perplexity and annoyance4 ,more than a fortnight had elapsed since he had received any communication from his friend ,joseph4 ,when ,joseph had first left ,london he had written every two or three days to ,hampson--brilliant1 if slightly caustic letters1 describing his new environment and the life he was leading on the mountain with ,lluellyn ,lys4 ,these letters had concealed nothing1 and had told the journalist exactly what had occurred4 ,yet every time that the writer recorded some strange happening1 or wrote of some unusual experience and sensation1 he had given a material explanation of it at considerable length4 ,the astonishing climb up the final peak of the mountain1 for example1 was recorded with great accuracy4 ,the voice of the ,teacher as it pealed down through the mist1 the sudden access of strength that made it possible for ,joseph to join his host--all this1 and much more1 was set down with orderly and scientific precision4 ,but the explanation had been that the tonic power of the mountain air had provided the muscular impetus necessary for the climb1 and that its heady influence upon a mind unaccustomed to so much oxygen had engendered the delusion of a supernatural force4 ,hampson had his own opinion about these strange things4 ,he saw further into them than ,joseph appeared to be able to see4 ,yet his friend's letters were a constant source of pleasure and inspiration to him--even while he deplored ,joseph's evident resolve to admit nothing into his life that did not allow of a purely material explanation4 ,and now the letters had stopped4 ,he had heard no single word for days and days4 ,his own communications had remained unanswered1 nor had he received any reply to an anxious inquiry after ,joseph's health1 addressed to ,lluellyn ,lys himself4 ,this morning1 again1 there was nothing at all1 and the faithful little man was gravely disturbed4 ,something serious had indubitably happened1 and how to find out what it was he did not know4 ,it was a day of thick and lurid fog4 ,london lay under a pall--the whole world around was sombre and depressing4 ,the well-furnished editorial sanctum1 with it's electric lights1 leather-covered armchairs1 gleaming telephones1 and huge writing-table was comfortable enough1 but the leaden light outside1 upon the ,thames ,embankment1 made ,london seem a city of dreadful night4 ,hampson rose from his chair1 and stood at the window for a moment1 lost in thought4 ,yes1 ,london was indeed a terrible city4 ,more terrible than ,babylon of old1 more awful when one remembered that ,christ had come to the world with ,his ,message of ,salvation4 ,the ancient city of palaces1 in its eternal sunlit majesty1 had never known the advent of the ,redeemer4 ,yet1 were those forgotten people who worshipped the ,god ,merodach really worse than the ,londoners of to-day8 ,only on the day before1 a ,west ,end clergyman had come to ,hampson with detailed statistics of the vice in his own parish in the neighborhood of ,piccadilly4 ,the vicar's statements were horrible4 ,to some people they would have sounded incredible4 ,yet they were absolutely true1 as ,hampson was very well aware--naked1 shameful horrors in ,christian ,london4 ,ah1 the clergyman said1 if only ,our ,lord came to ,london now how awful would ,his condemnation be6 ,as the editor looked out upon the gloom he felt that the material darkness was symbolic of a spiritual darkness which sometimes appalled him when he realized it4 ,the door opened1 and the sub-editor came in with pulls of the final sheets of the paper4 ,hampson had to read these carefully1 initial them1 and send them to the composing-room marked as ready for the printing-machines4 ,then his work was done for the day4 ,at lunch time1 the fog still continuing1 he left the office4 ,an idea had come to him which might be of service in obtaining news of ,joseph4 ,he would take a cab down to the ,east ,end ,hospital1 and ask ,mary ,lys if she knew anything about his friend4 ,probably she would know something1 her brother1 ,lluellyn ,lys1 would almost certainly have written to her4 ,hampson had met ,mary two or three times during the last weeks4 ,he reverenced the beautiful girl who had saved him from the consequences of his sudden madness1 with all the force of his nature4 ,in her he saw a simple and serene holiness1 an absolute abnegation of self which was unique in his experience4 ,she represented to him all that was finest1 noblest1 and best in ,christian womanhood4 ,since his appointment to the editorial chair he had gloried in the fact that he had been able to send her various sums of money for distribution among the most destitute of the patients under her charge4 ,at four o'clock he had an appointment with the clerk of the works at ,st4 ,paul's ,cathedral1 but until then he was free4 ,the ,sunday ,friend covered a very wide field1 and hardly any question of interest to religious people was left untouched4 ,at the moment grave fears were entertained as to the safety of the huge building upon ,ludgate ,hill4 ,the continual burrowing for various purposes beneath the fabric had caused a slight subsidence of one of the great central piers4 ,a minute crack had made its appearance in the dome itself4 ,hampson had obtained permission from the dean to inspect the work of repair that was proceeding1 knowing that his readers would be interested in the subject4 ,until four1 however1 he was perfectly free1 and he drove straight towards ,whitechapel4 ,his cab drove slowly through the congested arteries of the ,city1 where the black-coated business men scurried about like rats in the gloom4 ,but in half an hour ,hampson arrived at the door of the hospital1 and was making inquiries if ,nurse ,lys was off duty or no1 and that if she were would she see him4 ,he had not come at this time entirely on speculation4 ,he knew that1 as a general rule1 ,mary was free at this hour4 ,she proved to be so to-day1 and in a moment or two came into the reception-room where he was waiting4 ,she was like a star in the gloom1 he thought4 ,how beautiful her pure and noble face was1 how gracious her walk and bearing6 ,all that spiritual beauty which comes from a life lived with utter unselfishness for others1 the holy tranquillity that goodness paints upon the face1 the light ,god lends the eyes when ,his light burns within--all these1 added to ,mary's remarkable physical beauty1 marked her out as rare among women4 ,the little journalist worshipped her4 ,she seemed to him a being so wonderful that there was a sort of desecration even in touching her hand4 ,ah1 my friend1 she said to him1 with a flashing smile of welcome1 ,i am glad to see you4 ,to tell you the truth1 ,i have a melancholy mood to-day1 a thing so very rare with me that it makes me all the more glad to see a friend's face4 ,how are you1 and how is your work8 ,i am very well1 ,nurse ,mary1 thank you1 but ,i am troubled in mind about ,joseph4 ,i cannot get an answer to any of my letters1 though at first he wrote constantly4 ,i even wrote to ,mr4 ,lluellyn ,lys1 hoping to hear from him that all was well4 ,but ,i have received no answer to that letter either4 ,i came to ask you if you had any news4 ,mary looked at him strangely1 and with perplexity in her eyes4 ,no1 she said4 ,i have had no news at all from either of them for some time4 ,i have been disturbed in mind about it for some days4 ,of course ,i have written1 too1 but there has been no response4 ,that is why ,i have been feeling rather downhearted to-day4 ,it is curious that you1 ,mr4 ,hampson1 should have come to me with this question1 and at this moment4 ,they looked at each other apprehensively1 and for this reason3 they were not talking of two ordinary men and their doings4 ,both felt this strongly4 ,there had been too many unusual and inexplicable occurrences in connection with ,joseph's accident and arrival at the hospital for either ,mary or ,hampson to disregard any seeming coincidence4 ,both knew1 both had always felt1 that they were spectators of--or1 rather1 actors in--a drama upon which the curtain had but lately risen4 ,when did you last hear from ,joseph8 ,mary asked4 ,hampson mentioned the date4 ,it was1 though1 of course1 he did not know it1 the date of ,joseph's strange experience upon the midnight moor1 the date on which he had been struck down1 and on which his second illness began4 ,it was at that time that ,i received my last letter from my brother1 the girl answered--the exact day1 in fact4 ,the letter troubled me when it came2 it has troubled me ever since4 ,it spoke of the end of his work here1 hinted that he felt he had almost done what he was sent into the world to do1 though at the same time he bade me prepare myself for great events immediately imminent4 ,there was a silence in the big1 bare reception-room4 ,mary broke it4 ,what a dreadful day it is1 ,mr4 ,hampson1 she said1 with an effort to give the conversation a less gloomy turn4 ,i have rarely seen the fog lie so low over town4 ,oh1 for a breath of fresh air--just five short minutes of fresh1 unclouded air6 ,i think ,i would give almost anything for that at this moment4 ,a sudden thought came to the journalist4 ,do you know1 nurse1 he said1 ,i think ,i am one of the few men in ,london who can give you just what you ask at this moment2 that is1 if you don't mind doing something slightly unconventional8 ,oh1 convention6 she answered1 with the serene smile of the high-natured woman for whom the world has no terrors4 ,hampson explained where he was bound when he left the hospital1 and for what purpose4 ,there would be no difficulty in the matter at all1 if ,mary cared to accompany him to the roof of the cathedral4 ,it was certain1 also1 that the dome would rise high above the low belt of fog which was stifling ,london4 ,mary had three hours at her own disposal4 ,in ten minutes they were driving to the great church4 ,when they had ascended to the roof of ,st4 ,paul's they found the fog was not so dense4 ,the sun was setting over the modern ,babylon4 ,hampson pointed down at the nether gloom4 ,vanity ,fair6 he said4 ,vanity ,fair6 ,what would ,jesus ,christ say to ,london if ,he came to it now8 ,as he spoke the breeze suddenly freshened1 the fog clouds took new shapes1 the light of the western sun grew in the dark4 ,and then a thing happened that set their hearts beating furiously4 ,right ahead in the gloom1 flashing1 flame-like1 clear-cut1 and distinct1 a mighty cross hung over ,london4 ,it was at precisely this moment that ,joseph was staring1 trembling1 into the mirror1 at the foot of which lay the long white body of ,lluellyn ,lys1 and realizing his own exact resemblance to the ,man of ,sorrows1 ,jesus ,who came to save us all4 ,,chapter ,,vii ,,the ,,financier ,sir ,augustus ,kirwan1 the great financier1 was much disturbed by the news that his nephew ,lluellyn ,lys was dead4 ,both ,sir ,augustus and his wife had hoped that the recluse of the mountains might be induced to leave his solitudes and take an ordinary place in the world4 ,the baronet was sonless4 ,his wealth was enormous1 and he could leave his daughter ,marjorie enough money to make her one of the richest heiresses in ,england1 and still endow a male heir with a huge fortune4 ,this he would have done for his wife's nephew--his own nephew by marriage1 for though not a well-born man himself1 he had an immense reverence for ancient blood4 ,he reverenced it in his wife1 and was as well informed in the history of the ,house of ,lys as she was herself4 ,now1 however1 there was no longer any chance of reclaiming ,lluellyn from what ,sir ,augustus and ,lady ,kirwan had always regarded as the most incredible folly and semi-madness4 ,the last male ,lys in the direct line was gathered to his fathers4 ,there still remained ,mary ,lys4 ,my dear1 the baronet said to his wife1 ,lluellyn's death has been a great blow to you1 and1 indeed1 it has to me also1 for you know that ,i share your enthusiasm for your family and your hopes for it4 ,but ,mary is still with us4 ,she is young and beautiful4 ,we can give her a dowry that will attract a duke4 ,as soon as ,i am well again ,i shall put my foot down in no uncertain way4 ,this time1 whatever ,mary may say1 ,i shall compel her to leave this ridiculous slum-hospital work and take her proper place in society4 ,sir ,augustus spoke of his illness4 ,he was a man by no means indifferent to the pleasures of the table4 ,as he himself would have expressed it1 he did himself well in every particular4 ,but people who like white truffles from ,piedmont1 caviare from the ,volga1 comet year port1 and liqueurs of brandy at seven pounds a bottle1 must expect a ,nemesis4 ,two days before the news of ,lluellyn's death arrived ,sir ,augustus was seized with a bad attack of gout4 ,when ,mary ,lys1 in uncontrollable grief1 had hastened to her aunt's house in ,berkeley ,square1 carrying the sad message from ,joseph ,bethune which told her of her beloved brother's death1 the banker had been quite unable to move4 ,had it been in any way possible1 the worthy man would have hastened to ,wales to be present at the funeral of his nephew by marriage4 ,but the physicians had absolutely forbidden him the journey4 ,he would not1 however1 allow ,mary to travel to the principality by herself4 ,in the first place he had the not uncommon dislike of men to their womenkind attending funerals4 ,mary would not hear of this4 ,uncle1 she said1 shall ,i not go to see my dear and saintly brother's body put into the earth from which he will rise again when the trumpet of the ,resurrection ,day sounds8 ,this was rather above ,sir ,augustus4 ,tut1 tut1 my dear1 he said2 the--er--,resurrection trumpet is not very near to the nineteenth century4 ,but still1 if you must go1 ,i shall insist on your having a proper escort4 ,accordingly ,mary had been sent to ,wales in the charge of the ,kirwans' family solicitor1 who was instructed to see that everything was done decently and in order1 as befitted the obsequies of the last male member of the ,house of ,lys4 ,for her part1 ,mary did not in the least want the company of ,mr4 ,owen1 the solicitor4 ,she would have infinitely preferred to be left alone with her grief4 ,nevertheless she recognized the kindly feeling and family instinct that prompted ,sir ,augustus' action1 and submitted with the best grace possible4 ,lluellyn ,lys had been dead for seven days1 and it was now two days after the funeral4 ,sir ,augustus was not yet able to leave the house1 but his gout was better4 ,after the simple dinner--which was all that the doctor allowed him--he sat in his library reading the newspaper of that morning4 ,the first thing that caught his eye was a review of a new play which had just been produced under the title of ,the ,golden ,maiden4 ,sir ,augustus was an occasional patron of the burlesque stage4 ,the sort of entertainments provided by the theatres that produce musical comedy were quite to his taste4 ,kindly and generous as he was1 he was a man without any religious belief whatever and with no ideals4 ,to such a mind1 the indelicacy and lubricity of these plays appealed intensely1 and afforded him great amusement4 ,nor had he the slightest idea that any blame whatever could attach to him4 ,these places were crowded night after night by all sections of society--who was he to stay away8 ,sir ,augustus chuckled over the criticism4 ,the writer first gave a detailed synopsis of the plot--such as it was--and recorded his general impressions of the performance4 ,the critic was obviously a man of taste and decent feeling1 for he spoke in no measured terms of the gross indecency of the play1 which was1 to put it plainly1 little more nor less than a glorification of adultery4 ,and the pity of it is1 the writer concluded1 that all ,london will flock to see this immoral nonsense4 ,if the drama is to be thus degraded--and no other form of entertainment has an equal popularity with the one under discussion--then decent ,english men and women will begin to long for the return of the ,commonwealth1 with its stern and self-sacrificing simplicity4 ,sir ,augustus put the paper down4 ,silly fool1 he muttered4 ,i wonder he is allowed to write such hypocritical twaddle4 ,certainly1 from what he says1 they do seem to have gone a little too far this time4 ,nevertheless1 ,sir ,augustus made a mental resolve to look in at the ,frivolity for an hour or two as soon as ever his leg would let him4 ,he put down the paper and lit a cigar4 ,all round him were the evidences of enormous wealth4 ,the library was a large and beautiful room4 ,a fire of cedar logs glowed in the open hearth1 and threw flickering lights--rose-pink and amethyst--upon the gold and crimson books standing in their carved-oak shelves4 ,the parquet floor was almost hidden by priceless rugs from ,teheran--white1 brick-dust color1 and peacock-blue4 ,there was a marvellous console which had belonged to ,marie ,antoinette1 a buhl clock which had stood in the palace of ,sans ,souci1 and was a gift to ,frederick ,the ,great from ,voltaire4 ,as ,sir ,augustus looked round he forgot ,the ,golden ,maiden1 and sighed4 ,he was thinking of his dead nephew1 ,lluellyn ,lys1 and wishing that he had a son to succeed to all these splendors4 ,the door opened1 and ,lady ,kirwan entered1 tall1 stately1 and beautiful still1 in her flowing black dinner-gown and the heavy ropes of pearls around the white column of her neck4 ,she sat down on the opposite side of the fire to her husband4 ,my dear1 she said1 and there was distress in her voice1 ,i am so worried about ,mary4 ,about ,mary8 ,sir ,augustus replied1 with some little surprise4 ,oh1 you need not worry about ,mary1 ,julia4 ,of course1 this has been a great blow to her4 ,but she is young and level-headed in many ways4 ,time will heal her wounds4 ,oh1 it is not that1 ,augustus4 ,of course1 the poor dear girl will get over her grief4 ,besides1 she is religious1 you know1 and that certainly does seem to help certain natures4 ,i have often observed it4 ,but ,i am anxious about her now4 ,lluellyn was buried two days ago1 and except ,mr4 ,owen's telegram announcing the bare fact1 we have not heard a word from either of them4 ,mary ought to be back here now4 ,well1 my dear1 the baronet replied1 ,i really don't think there is the slightest reason for anxiety4 ,mary is in perfectly safe hands4 ,indeed1 ,i am particularly grateful to ,owen for accompanying her himself4 ,it is a thing ,i should hardly have ventured to ask him4 ,i quite imagined he would send one of the elderly confidential clerks--,mr4 ,simpson1 for instance--a most respectable and trustworthy person4 ,i hope it's all right1 ,i'm sure1 the dame replied4 ,but ,i can't see what is keeping the girl for two days after the funeral1 all the same4 ,and why is there no letter8 ,mary has a fortnight's leave of absence from that stupid hospital1 and she had arranged to come here and stay with us4 ,there was a silence4 ,then ,lady ,kirwan pressed a button in the panelled wall4 ,i will take my coffee in here1 she said4 ,sir ,augustus nodded1 and picked up the newspaper once more4 ,a footman with powdered hair and large shoulder-knots brought in a little nacre-encrusted table1 with a tiny silver cup1 a bowl of dark-brown sugar-candy from ,jamaica1 and the long-handled brass pan from ,turkey1 which held the coffee4 ,he had hardly left the room when ,lady ,kirwan was startled by a sudden loud exclamation from ,sir ,augustus4 ,she rose from her seat in alarm1 thinking that he was attacked by a sudden spasm of pain4 ,in a moment she was undeceived4 ,good ,heavens1 he said1 here are extraordinary goings on6 ,i never read such a thing in my life6 ,no wonder ,mary has not come back4 ,trembling with anxiety1 ,lady ,kirwan ran to the back of her husband's chair1 and1 leaning over it1 read the article1 headed in large type1 to which ,sir ,augustus pointed with a shaking finger4 ,,strange ,,religious ,,revival ,a ,,mountain ,,preacher ,,excites ,a ,,whole ,,countryside ,our ,north ,wales correspondents telegraph accounts of some extraordinary scenes in ,wales1 which are occurring on the mountains of the ,cader ,idris district4 ,it seems that for some years past a mysterious recluse has been living in a small cottage high up on the great slate-mountain of ,llan-y-,van4 ,this man was a ,mr4 ,lluellyn ,lys1 a member of a very ancient ,welsh family1 and possessed of small private means4 ,his method of life was peculiar4 ,imbued with a deeply mystical religious spirit1 he lived very much as the preaching hermits of the early days of the ,christian faith4 ,sometimes he would remain secluded for many days1 or be found upon the summit of some lonely mountain praying aloud to ,god4 ,at others he would go preaching through the villages1 exhorting every one to repentance and a holy life1 with marvellous eloquence and fervour4 ,in addition to this1 the ,teacher1 as this strange personality appears to have been known among the peasants and local miners1 would sometimes hold vast meetings upon ,sundays1 high up in the hills4 ,thousands of people from far and near would gather together1 and1 standing upon a rock in their midst1 ,lluellyn ,lys would speak with fiery exhortation1 and lead those great musical choruses and hymns of praise for which the ,celtic people are so famous4 ,a few weeks ago all those--and there seem to have been many thousands--who regarded the ,teacher as their spiritual adviser and leader1 became aware that he was entertaining a guest at his lonely mountain home1 for the first time within public remembrance4 ,a strange man had appeared at the little railway station in the valley1 and by ,mr4 ,lys' orders he was carried up the mountain by various of the ,teacher's adherents and disciples4 ,the man1 who was known only by the name of ,joseph1 was evidently recovering from a severe illness4 ,he remained in ,lluellyn's lonely cottage for some time1 and the two men were attended by an old widow lady whose name is ,mrs4 ,price4 ,during the stranger's sojourn strange rumors were spread round the countryside4 ,the ,teacher had more than once referred to him in public as the ,master1 and had hinted that he was about to conduct some great religious campaign1 the precise nature of which was never clearly specified4 ,it was also said1 and said very generally1 that some most extraordinary things were happening at the top of ,moel ,llan-y-,van4 ,incredible as it may seem to-day1 there are at the present moment hundreds of people in this part of ,wales who confidently assert1 and offer to prove1 that ,mr4 ,lluellyn ,lys possessed the gift of healing4 ,dozens of cures are attributed to his agency4 ,be this as it may1 the consensus of opinion not only credits the ,teacher with something like miraculous power1 but said that his strange visitor was possessed of even more wonderful attributes than he was4 ,a week ago ,lluellyn ,lys died4 ,it seems that1 in mystical language1 he had already foretold his decease4 ,and now we come to the strange part of this excessively strange story4 ,two days ago ,lluellyn ,lys was buried4 ,but his was no ordinary burial2 and1 moreover1 it is quite within the bounds of possibility that it may yet become the subject of an official inquiry4 ,when the news of the ,teacher's decease spread over the surrounding country1 from valley and mountain an enormous concourse of people assembled4 ,the body--it is described as being like a statue of white marble--was taken from the cottage without a coffin and buried on the very highest point of the mountain ,llan-y-,van--a spot where the dead preacher had been wont to pray4 ,it is understood that this was done by the dead man's wish and stipulation1 though1 probably quite contrary to law4 ,no one1 however1 interfered--and interference would1 of course1 have been useless against several thousand people1 who appeared to be in an ecstasy of grief1 and who were obviously determined to carry out the wishes of their dead friend to the letter4 ,if at this point readers of the ,daily ,wire express incredulity at what follows we can only say that we guarantee the substantial accuracy of our report in the completest way4 ,after the actual interment of the corpse1 and amid the wailing cries of the vast multitude of mourners1 a man mounted the cairn of boulders which forms the highest part of the mountain--the exact summit1 so to speak4 ,immediately the sounds of mourning were hushed1 as if at the beat of a conductor's bton4 ,our correspondents describe the scene as wonderfully impressive and without parallel in their very varied experience4 ,it was a cloudy morning1 and somewhat chill in those high places4 ,yet a beam of sunlight1 white and sudden1 fell upon the tall figure upon the cairn4 ,every one could see the man quite distinctly2 every one knew that this was the stranger known as ,joseph1 who had been the companion of ,lluellyn ,lys during the last weeks of his life4 ,the sudden silence was perhaps due to the fact of this universal knowledge1 but equally1 perhaps1 to another and extraordinary fact4 ,joseph in appearance resembles the traditional pictures of the ,christ in an astounding manner4 ,it seems almost irreverent to write these words4 ,but they are written with no such intention4 ,this man1 whoever he may be--charlatan and impostor1 or sincere saint and reformer of our own day--is the living1 walking image of that idea which all the world has of ,him who died upon the ,cross6 ,the words came2 not very many1 neither mystical nor obscure1 but plain statements of intention4 ,yet the voice hushed that vast multitude of people as if with a magician's wand4 ,deep and clear1 full of a music that our correspondents say no orator of our day can compass1 a voice that goes straight to the heart--so1 we are informed1 was the voice of this man ,joseph4 ,the substance of his speech was startling--an actual shorthand report of the words will be found upon another page3 ,this man1 call him what you will1 believes that he has a ,divine mission to come to ,london1 that he may warn it of its sins and bring its inhabitants to the foot of the ,cross4 ,with a band of disciples--we must use the word--he is even now speeding towards the metropolis4 ,a dozen or more people are with him1 and it is also said that the sister of the late ,teacher1 a very beautiful girl1 who was formerly a hospital nurse1 has joined the little band of fanatics4 ,one thing is quite certain4 ,london is on the eve of a new and most extraordinary sensation4 ,thus the article concluded4 ,lady ,kirwan gave a gasp of dismay4 ,augustus6 she cried1 what a terrible scandal6 ,what does it all mean8 ,i was right6 ,i knew something had happened to ,mary4 ,why hasn't ,mr4 ,owen looked after her properly8 ,the poor girl has lost her senses1 of course4 ,she is under the influence of some unscrupulous impostor4 ,oh1 this is awful1 awful6 ,to think that a member of the ,house of ,lys should come to this6 ,what shall we do8 ,what can we do8 ,something must be done at once6 ,she had but hardly finished speaking1 and both husband and wife were looking into each other's eyes with faces of perplexity and alarm1 when the door opened and the butler entered4 ,mr4 ,owen has returned1 ,sir ,augustus1 he said1 and asks to see you immediately4 ,in a moment or two a tall1 elderly gentleman1 with grey side-whiskers and a keen1 though benevolent face1 was ushered into the room4 ,he was in morning dress1 carried a plaid travelling-coat upon his arm1 and a hard felt hat in his hand4 ,he seemed anxious and distressed4 ,i can't get up1 ,owen1 ,sir ,augustus said at once4 ,i'm still a victim to this confounded gout4 ,what's all this preposterous stuff ,i see in the ,daily ,wire8 ,and where is my niece8 ,the lawyer choked and swallowed4 ,his face grew red and embarrassed4 ,for a moment or two he did not speak4 ,mr4 ,owen was a considerable man4 ,he was one of the best known family solicitors in ,london4 ,his reputation was unspotted2 he was the confidant of many great folk1 and he may or may not have been worth three hundred thousand pounds4 ,but he was1 at this moment1 obviously embarrassed1 and perhaps angry also4 ,kirwan1 he said1 at length1 we are old friends1 and we have been in business relations for many years4 ,you know1 ,i think1 that ,i am no fool4 ,you have entrusted vast interests to my care4 ,i have never failed you that ,i know of--until to-day4 ,what has happened1 dear ,mr4 ,owen8 ,lady ,kirwan asked1 terrified by the solemnity of the lawyer's manner4 ,where is ,mary8 ,i've only just arrived1 ,mr4 ,owen answered4 ,i came straight here from the station1 ,lady ,kirwan4 ,your niece1 ,miss ,mary ,lys1 has gone with that fellow they call ,joseph1 and his company of crack-brained fools4 ,short of force1 ,i did everything a man could do to restrain her2 but she beat me4 ,it was impossible to move her from her decision4 ,for my part1 ,i believe the girl's mad6 ,he paused1 and both ,sir ,augustus and his wife realized that this eminent man was considerably affected4 ,in the radiance of the electric light they could see the beads of perspiration starting out upon his forehead like little pearls4 ,the baronet's face had gone quite pale4 ,with difficulty he rose from his seat1 and an oath escaped him as he did so4 ,the little fool1 he cried--the fool6 ,it's not your fault1 ,owen4 ,of course1 ,i know that4 ,but where is she now8 ,where is this precious company of tomfools and madmen8 ,i have every reason to believe1 ,mr4 ,owen answered with quiet emphasis1 that the whole crew--and ,miss ,lys with them--are in ,london at the present moment6 ,,chapter ,,viii ,,the ,,golden ,,maiden ,the theatrical criticism of the ,daily ,wire was always printed on page #d2 the more important news on page #f1 over the leaf4 ,it was for this reason that ,hampson1 the editor of the ,christian ,friend1 never saw the news from ,wales1 and realized nothing of the stupendous happenings there until the extraordinary events of the same night in ,london4 ,he had arrived at his office for a long day's work4 ,among his letters was one from a young man who1 it appeared1 had but lately arrived in the metropolis to fill a situation as clerk in a big mercantile house4 ,hampson had inaugurated a special feature in the paper4 ,it was a sort of advice bureau1 and already he knew that he had been able to help hundreds of people in this way4 ,the letter from the clerk1 obviously a ,christian man who desired to live a godly life1 but was puzzled by the newness and strangeness of the modern ,babylon1 in especial asked one question4 ,he had been invited by one of his fellows to attend a theatrical performance at one of the musical comedy houses4 ,although he knew nothing of theatres1 save that there was a strong prejudice against them among his own people in the country1 he had declined the invitation4 ,the result had been that he had endured a good deal of ridicule1 and when asked to state his reasons for refusal1 had been unable to do so4 ,now he asked the editor's opinion upon the whole matter4 ,the question was one that ,hampson had never thoroughly gone into4 ,he had certainly a low opinion of the calling of an actor or actress4 ,he believed the body to be the temple of the ,holy ,ghost1 and therefore thought it wrong to nightly paint that body and expose its grace and beauty to the gaze of every one4 ,it was years1 however1 since he himself had entered the doors of a theatre4 ,while he was thinking the matter out1 and wondering what answer he should make to the inquirer1 his eye happened to fall upon the ,daily ,wire1 which lay open on the desk beside him4 ,he took up the paper and read the criticism of the new play at the ,frivolity--read it with very different feelings to those which animated ,sir ,augustus ,kirwan on the evening of the same day4 ,if this was what the theatre was coming to1 then let all decent men and women keep out of such places6 ,yet he was a cautious man1 and one who was averse to hasty judgments4 ,he had1 moreover1 a strict love of truth1 and an intense dislike for hearsay evidence4 ,an idea struck him4 ,he would himself go and see this play at the ,frivolity6 ,if it were really licentious and improper1 he knew that it could not harm him personally4 ,it would disgust him1 but that was all4 ,on the other hand1 the critic might have exaggerated1 or he might even have had some personal spite against the management of the theatre4 ,dramatic critics sometimes wrote plays themselves1 and these plays were rejected6 ,such things had been4 ,and it would be a good thing that his readers should have the impression of a cool and unbiassed mind upon a subject which was not without importance in the life of the modern ,christian in ,london4 ,accordingly he wrote a brief note to the business manager of the theatre1 explaining exactly why he wished to see the play1 and asking if a seat was to be had4 ,this he sent round by a boy1 with instructions that if there was a vacant seat he should purchase it for him4 ,in an hour the lad returned4 ,he brought a courteous note from the manager1 enclosing the coupon for a seat1 marked complimentary1 and returning ,hampson's ten-and-sixpence4 ,during the rest of the day the editor was very hard at work1 and had no time to read any more news4 ,the story of the strange doings upon the mountains in ,wales1 therefore1 escaped him entirely4 ,he had heard nothing from ,joseph1 even yet1 nor had he seen ,mary ,lys since they had climbed to the roof of ,st4 ,paul's ,cathedral together4 ,at that time1 when both of them were filled with doubt and anxiety about ,lluellyn and ,joseph1 they had seen the august symbol of the world's salvation painted on the sky4 ,through the terrible fog that hung over the ,babylon of our times the crimson ,cross had shone4 ,the curious circumstance had brought comfort and relief to both of them4 ,it might be that they were sentimental1 superstitious4 ,yet ,god moves in a mysterious way1 and who were they to say that the ,father had not sent them a message from on high8 ,miracle is not dead yet1 whatever the materialists may say4 ,ask a captain of the ,salvation ,army if ,mary ,magdalene does not still come to the foot of the ,cross6 ,ask the head of the ,church ,army if a thief is never converted at almost the last moment in his evil career6 ,ask an ,anglican priest1 a ,congregationalist minister--a ,roman ,catholic priest1--for their experiences of death-beds6 ,one and all will tell you that ,god rules the world still1 the ,holy ,spirit yet broods upon the waters4 ,hampson returned to his rooms in ,bloomsbury4 ,after a simple dinner1 during which ,butler's ,analogy was propped up against the water-bottle1 he changed into evening clothes and walked down to the ,frivolity ,theatre in ,shaftesbury ,avenue4 ,the long curve of that street of theatres was thronged with carriages1 motor broughams1 and cabs4 ,beautifully-dressed women with filmy lace mantillas over their shining hair1 attended by well-groomed men in opera hats and white cashmere scarves1 descended from the vehicles and entered this or that theatre4 ,the whole place blazed with light4 ,the great arc-lamps shone on the posters and the marble faades crowned with their huge electric advertisements4 ,the smart restaurants of ,piccadilly1 ,regent ,street1 and the ,haymarket were pouring out their guests at this hour when all the plays were beginning4 ,the ,london world of pleasure was awake in all its material splendor1 luxury and sin4 ,the candle was alight1 the gaudy moths fluttering around it4 ,a man and woman descended from a hansom just as ,hampson arrived under the portico of the theatre1 the woman so covered with jewels that these alone1 to say nothing of her general manner and appearance1 sufficiently indicated her class4 ,hampson shuddered as he gave his hat and coat to an attendant1 and walked down the softly carpeted corridor through the warm1 perfumed air to the stalls4 ,the theatre was very full4 ,on all sides wealth and luxury displayed themselves in unbounded profusion4 ,but this was an audience nearly every member of which was devoted to folly1 idle amusement1 and worse4 ,hampson saw vice stamped upon the faces all round him1 vice or stupidity1 and carelessness4 ,immediately upon his left1 however1 there was a young man1 sleek and immaculately dressed1 who had a somewhat stronger face than many of the young fellows there4 ,there was a certain strength about the jaw and poise of the head1 an honesty in the blue eyes which the journalist noticed at once4 ,hampson sighed4 ,doubtless this young man was only just entering in upon the life of pleasure and sin4 ,he was not quite a slave yet--his soul not irrevocably stained4 ,but some day he would become like the curious old-young men who sat all round1 men with pointed ears1 heavy eyes that only brightened when they saw a pretty girl1 mouths curved into listless and weary boredom4 ,what a brigade they were1 these rich and vicious young fools who supported the ,frivolity6 ,night after night they sat in their accustomed stall while the actresses danced1 and postured upon the other side of the footlights--solemn1 vacuous1 and pitiable4 ,two men bent over from their seats1 and one of them touched the fresh-looking young man by ,hampson's side upon the shoulder4 ,the journalist heard names being exchanged--the first speaker was introducing a friend4 ,from this he discovered who his companion was--,sir ,thomas ,ducaine4 ,the name was quite familiar4 ,the young baronet owned an enormous property in ,whitechapel4 ,some of the foulest and most fetid dens in ,europe belonged to him4 ,filth and misery1 gaunt hunger1 and black crime crawled through hideous alleys1 and slunk in and out of horrible places which were his4 ,probably there was not a property owner in ,england who was responsible for the degradation of his fellow-creatures as this well-groomed young man in the stalls of the ,frivolity ,theatre4 ,hampson knew--none better4 ,had not he and ,joseph starved in one of this man's attics8 ,yet1 he reflected1 probably ,sir ,thomas knew nothing whatever of the dreadful places from which he drew his vast revenues1 had never visited them1 never would visit them4 ,the passing thoughts of those dark days in ,whitechapel sent the editor's mind with painful wonder to his absent friend and his mysterious silence1 and a deep depression was beginning to steal over him when the orchestra concluded the overture and the curtain rose4 ,always methodical1 and with a great power of concentration1 ,hampson banished all other thoughts1 and gave his undivided attention to the play he had come to criticise4 ,the scene showed the interior of a great ,london bar1 a smart ,west ,end establishment4 ,it was crowded with young men in shining silk hats1 dove-colored trousers1 and fashionably-cut grey frock-coats4 ,they were leaning over the counter1 which ran down one side of the stage1 and flirting with half a dozen girls dressed as barmaids4 ,the scene was brilliant with light and color1 accurate in every detail1 and1 indeed1 a triumph of the scene-painter's art4 ,after a moment or two the barmaids burst into a chorus4 ,the music was bright and tuneful1 composed with real skill and sense of melody4 ,hampson1 who had a good ear1 and was himself an amateur musician1 recognized the fact at once4 ,but the words were incredibly vulgar and stupid1 a glorification of drink1 by the aid of which all troubles--and doubtless decency and duty also--might be easily forgotten4 ,the whole thing was nauseating1 utterly disgusting1 to ,hampson4 ,he blushed even1 and looked round him to see how the people took it4 ,with a sad wonder he saw smiles and appreciative gestures on every side4 ,the grins of the lost1 he thought bitterly1 and then remembered that far greater sinners than any of these fools had power to be1 had yet been redeemed by the saving power of the red wounds of ,christ4 ,he noticed1 however1 and with some degree of relief1 that this ode to drunkenness did not apparently interest or amuse the young man on his left4 ,sir ,thomas ,ducaine neither smiled nor showed any sign of appreciation4 ,sordid dialogue1 prefatory to the thin story of the plot1 began4 ,the topical slang that fast and foolish people use was introduced with sickening reiteration4 ,this1 and much more which it is not necessary to detail1 formed the first scene--a short one--and preparatory to the real action of the play4 ,the thing went on4 ,hampson lay back in his softly-padded chair with a set1 impassive face4 ,he was well dressed2 his evening suit had been built by a good tailor1 and outwardly there was nothing to distinguish him from any other of these lovers of the drama4 ,but as he listened to this or that doubtful joke and double entendre1 marked this or that dance or pose1 realized the skill of each cold and calculated appeal to the baser senses and passions1 his heart was sick to death within him4 ,he saw how nearly every one of the young men who surrounded him was known to this or that girl in the chorus4 ,swift glances or smiles flashed backwards and forwards from stalls to stage4 ,the whole thing was an enormous1 smoothly-running mechanism of evil6 ,a great house of ill-fame6 ,it was just that1 no more nor less than that6 ,the curtain fell on a peculiarly suggestive scene at the end of ,act ,,ii1 fell amid a roar of applause and laughter4 ,it was so arranged that the curtain descended hurriedly1 as if to hide something that could not be witnessed4 ,for five or six minutes this dirty wickedness was over4 ,nearly every one got up and left his seat to go to the bar and take refreshment4 ,hampson did not move1 nor did ,sir ,thomas ,ducaine1 though the two men behind asked him to accompany them to the buffet4 ,he happened to turn1 and saw ,hampson's face4 ,excuse me1 sir1 he said1 with an entire disregard of the usual convention which binds his class4 ,excuse me1 but you seem rather sick of this4 ,it's abominable6 ,hampson answered1 in a sudden burst of anger4 ,i never go to the theatre1 so ,i suppose ,i'm behind the times4 ,but ,i really shouldn't have thought that several hundreds of apparently decent people would have come to see this sort of thing4 ,i'm very much of your opinion1 the young man replied1 and ,i don't think ,i like it any better than you do4 ,i never was fond of filth4 ,but ,i just strolled in because ,i'd nothing much better to do4 ,he sighed1 and1 turning from ,hampson1 stood up and began to survey the house4 ,nothing better to do6 ,the words stung the journalist1 and made him shudder when he thought of ,whitechapel4 ,this young1 kindly1 and obviously nice-minded man1 had nothing better to do than to drop in at the ,frivolity6 ,dear ,god6 ,nothing better to do6 ,the electric bell whirred4 ,men began to make their way back to their seats1 expectation was alight in most of the faces--faces somewhat flushed now with brandy-and-soda2 eyes brighter now in anticipation of the opening scene of ,act ,,iii6 ,this was the second night of the play1 yet already the opening of ,act ,,iii was being talked of all over ,london4 ,mimi ,addington was surpassing herself4 ,mimi was the heroine1 par excellence1 of all the picture-postcards4 ,errand-boys whistled her songs1 and told each other stories about her in whispers4 ,the front pages of the foul sporting papers which depended upon their obscenity for their circulation were never without constant mention of the girl's name4 ,young1 lovely1 talented--with the terrible cleverness that one must suppose the evil angels of ,satan have--she stood almost alone in her success and evil4 ,she was a popular idol1 though there were some who knew the woman as she was--a high-priestess of degradation1 a public preacher of all that is debased and low6 ,hampson knew4 ,he did not watch the life in which she shone like a red star4 ,it was far alien from his own1 utterly separate from the lives of all ,christian people4 ,but he was a man in the world1 and he could not escape the popular knowledge4 ,as the curtain went up once more he set his teeth and sent up a wordless prayer to ,god that his mind might not be influenced or soiled1 that the ,almighty would bring the woman to repentance and cause the scourge to cease4 ,she came upon the scene4 ,there was a thunder of hands--even a few loud cries of welcome pierced the mad applause4 ,yes1 she was beautiful--very beautiful indeed4 ,and there was charm also4 ,it was not a mere soulless loveliness of face and form4 ,after the first verse of the song1 there was a momentary pause while the orchestra played the symphony on muted strings4 ,then she began again1 beautiful and seductive as a siren1 with a voice like a mellow flute4 ,the lights were lowered in the auditorium4 ,it was well1 for many folk1 even amid that gay and worldly audience1 grew hot and flushed4 ,as the last triumphant notes of the song trilled through the theatre an extraordinary thing happened4 ,a deep trumpet voice rang through the house4 ,the voice of a man1 deep1 musical and terrible--a voice that cleft the brain like a sword4 ,the lights leapt up once more1 and all the vast audience1 with a shudder of fear1 turned to look at the face and form of him who had spoken4 ,standing in the stage-box1 surrounded by a group of sombre figures1 a man was visible in the view of all4 ,something went through the theatre like a chill wind4 ,the music of the band died away in a mournful wail4 ,there were a few frightened shouts1 and then came a deep1 breathless silence4 ,standing in the midst of them was one who1 in face and form1 seemed to be none else but ,our ,lord ,himself6 ,hampson knew that voice4 ,even as it pealed out he rose1 staggered1 and sank back into the arms of the man next to him4 ,he did not know that ,sir ,thomas was pointing with outstretched arm to the figure of a woman who stood among the surrounding group in the box4 ,he hardly heard the young baronet's agonized cry of ,mary6 ,mary6 ,he heard only that awful accusing thunder-- ,,woe ,,unto ,,you1 ,,samaria6 ,there was an extraordinary silence in the theatre1 such a silence as the ,frivolity had probably never known before in the whole of its disreputable career4 ,the members of the orchestra dropped their instruments1 and the gay music died away with a frightened wail4 ,mimi ,addington stopped suddenly in her abominable song4 ,no member of the vast audience made a single sound4 ,the silence of fear1 swift1 astonished fear1 lay over all the theatre4 ,who was this man8 ,joseph was1 of course1 in modern dress4 ,but the long1 dark cloak he wore1 ,lluellyn's cloak1 which ,mary had given him1 a veritable mantle of ,elijah1 robbed the fact of any modern significance4 ,the frightened people in the theatre only saw come suddenly and mysteriously among them one who was the image and similitude of ,christ ,himself4 ,it was as though ,he stood there4 ,the voice thrilled them through and through4 ,in all their lives no single one of them had ever heard a voice like this4 ,there were those who had1 at one time or another1 listened to great and popular preachers1 famous political orators4 ,but none of these had spoken with such a voice4 ,all were thrilled by it1 stirred and moved to the depths of their being4 ,and there were some among the crowd in whose hearts the knowledge and love of ,god were only dormant1 and not yet dead4 ,these few trembled exceedingly1 for they recognized the voice with their spiritual1 if not with their material ears4 ,whoever this man might be--and the marvellous resemblance blazed out as it were into the theatre--whoever he might be1 the ,holy ,ghost was speaking through his mouth6 ,the whole audience seemed turned to stone4 ,such a thing had never been known before4 ,the big1 uniformed attendants who would have hustled out an ordinary intruder or brawler almost before the audience had had time to realize what was taking place1 now stood motionless and silent4 ,behold1 a whirlwind of the ,lord is gone forth in fury1 even a grievous whirlwind4 ,it shall fall grievously upon the head of the wicked4 ,in the terrible music and menace of its warning1 the voice cleft the air like a great sword4 ,the people in the theatre cowered like a field of corn when the wind blows over it4 ,every face grew pale1 and in the slight pause and breathless silence which followed ,joseph's words1 quick ears could distinguish a curious sound--or1 rather1 the intimation of a sound4 ,it was as though muffled drums were sounding an enormous distance away1 so far and faint that the listener feels that1 after all1 he may be mistaken1 and there is nothing4 ,it was the beating of many human hearts4 ,joseph came forward into the full view of every one4 ,his arm was outstretched1 the marvellous eyes were full of a mystical fire and inspiration4 ,this is a home of abominations1 he cried1 the lust of the flesh1 the pride of the eye4 ,there6--he went on with unutterable scorn1 pointing to ,mimi ,addington1 with a sudden movement--there is the priestess of evil whom you have assembled to worship4 ,her body is fair4 ,it was the gift of ,god4 ,her voice is beautiful1 she is subtle and skilled--these are also the gifts of the ,most ,high4 ,but she has abused and degraded these gifts4 ,with her voice she has sung the songs of damnation1 and chanted the music of hell4 ,she has led many astray4 ,there are homes in ,england desolate because of her4 ,she has destroyed the peace of many homes4 ,she has poured poison into the minds of the innocent and young1 calling them to evil pleasure1 and by her words leading them to think of the flowery paths of sin4 ,she has caused many to stumble and offend1 and unless she cast herself upon the infinite mercy of ,god1 it were better that a millstone were put about her neck and she were cast into the sea4 ,the voice of the man with the message ceased for a moment4 ,there was a low sigh1 though every one in the theatre heard it1 and the wretched girl sank in a tumbled heap of senseless glitter and finery upon the floor4 ,a universal shudder of fear swept through the huge1 brilliant building1 a cumulative gasp of dismay--the material voice of many consciences awaking from sleep6 ,but no one moved to help the fallen actress1 her companions on the stage stood absolutely still1 not a man in the orchestra or the auditorium moved4 ,then1 with a swift movement1 the accuser bent forward and pointed to the rows of sleek1 well-groomed young men in the stalls4 ,and you6 he cried1 his voice more stern and menacing than before1--you who sit nightly at the feast of sin1 what of you8 ,young and strong1 your youth and strength are given you to serve the ,lord4 ,but you have made your lives an abomination1 you bow down to foul idols1 your doings stink in the nostrils of the just4 ,i am come here to say to you that surely the ,lord will smite you and humble you4 ,you shall be as an oak that fadeth4 ,repent before it is too late4 ,seek ,god1 and turn to ,him4 ,do this and be saved4 ,for you young men of ,london are even as the rulers in ,sodom1 and those who were set over ,gomorrah4 ,you have come in vanity1 and you will depart in darkness1 and your names shall be covered with darkness1 and you shall be utterly consumed4 ,and then an almost incredible thing occurred4 ,the terrible voice began a series of personal accusations1 as if indeed the hidden secrets of the hearts of those who heard him were indeed laid bare1 some supernatural instinct had raised the curtain that hung before many evil lives4 ,there sits one among you--so in each case ,joseph began1 though no name was ever mentioned4 ,but one by one those faultlessly dressed men of ,london's wealthy pleasure brigade were stricken down as by spears4 ,so terrible a scene was without parallel in experience4 ,terrible stories were revealed1 black deeds sprang suddenly to light1 and gradually a low moaning sound began to fill the theatre1 a deep and dreadful accompaniment to the pealing voice of one who seemed to be the ,man of ,sorrows ,himself4 ,suddenly a woman1 somewhere in the back of the pit1 began to shriek horribly4 ,in a second more the whole theatre was in a turmoil4 ,agonized groans and cries of heartrending shame and sorrow grew into a piercing cacophony of sound1 drowning the preacher's voice1 and seeming to rend the very walls with its unutterable mournfulness and despair4 ,then1 it was never discovered how or why1 though the point was ever afterwards debated1 every single light in the theatre went out4 ,through the darkness1 and the sudden calm which this added fear induced for a moment1 the mighty voice was heard1 tolling like a great bell1 with its burden of ,repent6 ,repent6 ,repent6 ,there was1 however1 no physical panic4 ,no one was bodily injured4 ,when light was at length restored1 it was seen that the strange figure1 with its little accompanying band of followers1 had utterly disappeared4 ,the curtain had fallen and hidden the stage1 the place where ,joseph had stood was dark and empty2 every one was standing and shaking with fear1 and white faces were turned to faces whiter still1 asking each other what this thing might mean4 ,with hardly a sound1 the huge audience poured silently out of the ,frivolity4 ,people who1 a few short hours before1 had passed within the doors light-hearted1 smiling1 and eagerly expectant of the mischievous nonsense they had come to see1 now moved with drawn faces and hanging heads4 ,lips were clenched with resolve1 or still trembled and muttered in fear4 ,cheeks were red with terrible shame or blanched with agony4 ,out they came like a procession of ghosts1 and--,london was just the same6 ,it was obvious that no inkling of what was going on in the ,frivolity ,theatre had penetrated to the outside world4 ,shaftesbury ,avenue blazed with light as usual4 ,crowds--but how different to this one6--poured from the other playhouses4 ,the street was full of cabs and carriages1 the roar of late traffic1 the hoarse shouts of newsboys selling the last edition of the evening papers4 ,the great restaurants--,trocadero1 ,criterion1 ,monico--were hung with huge arc-lamps1 turning the night into wan and feverish day4 ,round about ,piccadilly ,circus and ,regent ,street everything was precisely the same as it had been4 ,was it all a dream8 the late audience of the ,frivolity were asking each other4 ,the question was not answered in words4 ,suffering eyes and stricken faces told their own tale4 ,hampson1 the journalist1 was full of a wonder and awe for which there was no name4 ,he had recognized ,joseph at once1 a changed--marvellously changed--,joseph1 but his old friend still4 ,the whole thing had come upon him like a thunderclap1 for it must be remembered that he had not seen the report in the ,daily ,wire1 and knew nothing of the occurrences in ,wales4 ,the extraordinary transformation of his friend1 the supernatural power of his words1 the enormous hypnotic power of them--what did all these things betoken8 ,he stood motionless1 just opposite to the door of the ,eccentric ,club1 careless of the crowd that passed and jostled him1 lost in a startled dream4 ,then he felt some one touch his arm1 and1 looking up quickly1 saw that the young man who had sat by him in the theatre1 and whom he had heard addressed as ,sir ,thomas ,ducaine1 was accosting him4 ,the baronet's face was white and frightened1 and he seemed oblivious of all ordinary conventions4 ,i say1 he began1 in a curiously high-pitched and nervous voice1 what does it all mean8 ,you were sitting next to me1 you know4 ,and there was a girl ,i know well--very well indeed--with that man2 but ,i thought she was in ,wales-- ,he broke off short1 realizing that he was speaking to a total stranger4 ,i beg your pardon1 sir1 he said1 but ,i am unstrung1 as ,i fancy most of us are to-night who have been to the ,frivolity4 ,he lifted his hat mechanically1 and was about to move away4 ,hampson recollected a fact which he had hitherto forgotten4 ,sir ,thomas had called out ,mary6 when the mysterious party of strangers had first appeared in the box4 ,you mean ,miss ,lys8 he said4 ,the young man with great possessions stopped dead4 ,you know her8 he said1 in accents of extreme surprise4 ,then you know who the--the man was1 too8 ,at first ,i thought--oh1 a mad thought6--because of the extraordinary resemblance6 ,he was still a little incoherent1 and unable to speak the thoughts that were rushing through his startled brain4 ,with shaking hand1 he took out a gold cigarette-case and tried to light one of the little white tubes4 ,a tall policeman came up to them4 ,you must move on1 if you please1 gentlemen1 he said4 ,the pavements must be kept clear at this time of night4 ,look here1 ,sir ,thomas said to ,hampson1 my name is ,ducaine--,sir ,thomas ,ducaine4 ,you know something of all this--you know ,miss ,lys4 ,i want to talk to you4 ,i must talk to you1 sir6 ,now1 ,i live only a few yards from here1 my house is in ,piccadilly4 ,won't you come and spend an hour or two with me8 ,it would be a great kindness4 ,i'm sure you want some supper1 too1 after all this terrible excitement4 ,hampson made up his mind immediately4 ,he was attracted to the fresh-looking1 strong-faced young man4 ,he liked what he had said about the leprous play1 before ,joseph's appearance4 ,and he also was terribly bewildered1 and needed human companionship and talk4 ,moreover1 he was faint with hunger--the emotions he had endured had robbed his blood of all his strength1 and his brain had burnt up the vital force within him4 ,he would go with ,sir ,thomas4 ,i thank you6 he said1 noting with surprise how thin and tired his own voice was4 ,i shall be glad to come4 ,my name is ,hampson1 and ,i am the editor of a weekly newspaper4 ,we will go at once1 ,sir ,thomas answered1 and crossing the ,circus1 the strangely assorted pair walked rapidly down ,piccadilly4 ,they had traversed about a third of that street of clubs and mansions when the baronet stopped at the massive door of a large bow-windowed house1 opened it with a tiny ,bramah key1 and ,hampson found himself1 for the first time in his life1 in the house of a wealthy and fashionable young gentleman of ,london4 ,a silent manservant took their coats1 and the host led the way to a small room1 which opened into the hall at the further end of it4 ,here another and older man was waiting--the butler1 evidently4 ,a small round table was laid for supper with dainty richness4 ,a mass of hothouse violets stood in a silver bowl in the centre2 there were tall hock-glasses of ,venetian ware1 purple also2 and the table-cloth and serviettes were fringed with purple4 ,bring some supper at once1 please6 ,sir ,thomas said4 ,something light1 ,mr4 ,hampson8 ,oh1 very well6 ,some consomm1 ,bryce1 some devilled oysters--yes1 and an omelette afterwards4 ,that will do4 ,and the wine1 ,sir ,thomas8 ,oh1 bring some hock and seltzer6 ,the man withdrew4 ,excuse me one moment1 ,mr4 ,hampson1 the baronet said4 ,i am expecting a rather important telegram4 ,if it has arrived1 they will have put it in the library4 ,i will go and see4 ,he hurried out of the room4 ,hampson looked round him4 ,the walls were panelled in white1 and priceless old sporting prints1 full of vivid color and movement1 had been let into the panels4 ,a great couch1 covered in blue linen1 with broad white stripes1 was drawn up to the cosy fire1 and on the tiger skin which served as a hearthrug a little ,japanese spaniel was lying asleep4 ,in a moment or two ,sir ,thomas returned4 ,he had changed his evening coat for a smoking-jacket of quilted satin1 and wore a pair of straw-woven ,italian slippers upon his feet4 ,supper won't be a moment1 he said1 sinking down upon the couch4 ,i have trained all my people to be quick4 ,but if you are not too tired1 will you tell me1 or begin to tell me1 what you know8 ,this means more to me than you can possibly imagine4 ,how shall ,i begin8 ,who is that man who appeared in the theatre1 and swayed and held it with the force of his words8 ,he is named ,joseph ,bethune1 ,hampson answered1 and he is a great personal friend of my own4 ,and why was ,miss ,lys with him8 ,and what do you know of her8 ,with perfect frankness ,hampson explained how ,mary had saved his life4 ,he told of the strange occurrences in connection with ,joseph's accident1 recovery1 and journey to ,wales4 ,miss ,lys1 ,i know1 ,hampson said1 was greatly impressed by ,joseph and the occurrences connected with him4 ,only three days ago ,i met her1 and we talked about him4 ,she had not heard from her brother1 with whom ,joseph was staying4 ,i had not heard from ,joseph1 either1 for several weeks4 ,we were both distressed4 ,suddenly1 as he said this1 ,hampson started4 ,he remembered the great fiery cross that he and ,mary had seen hanging over ,london from the top of ,st ,paul's ,cathedral4 ,why should he keep back anything8 he thought2 and in short1 graphic sentences he described this marvel also4 ,sir ,thomas was intensely interested4 ,his face was grave and set1 his eyes wide with wonder4 ,of course1 ,i knew ,miss ,lys had a brother in ,wales1 he said4 ,i know her very well4 ,but she has never said anything to me of this man ,joseph1 whom she sent to stay with him4 ,what you have told me is extraordinary4 ,frankly1 ,i could not have believed in all of it had ,i not been present at the theatre to-night4 ,but ,i still fail to establish any connection between ,joseph in ,wales with ,lluellyn ,lys and ,miss ,lys with ,joseph at the theatre4 ,and ,i am as much in the dark as you are1 ,hampson answered4 ,while they had been speaking1 the butler had been superintending the movements of a footman who was bringing in the soup and the chafing-dish with the oysters4 ,now he came up to his master1 carrying a silver tray1 upon which was a folded newspaper4 ,i am sorry1 ,sir ,thomas1 he said1 but ,i could not help overhearing part of what you and this gentleman were saying4 ,you were mentioning some names which made me think that you could not have seen the paper to-day1 sir4 ,why1 what d'you mean1 ,bryce8 ,sir ,thomas asked1 in amazement4 ,the butler took the paper1 opened it1 pointed to a column1 and said3 ,the name ',joseph' and ,mr4 ,lys1 sir4 ,mr4 ,lys is dead1 sir4 ,it's all here1 in a special telegram to the ,daily ,wire4 ,sir ,thomas jumped up from his seat1 seized the paper1 and spread it out upon the supper-table4 ,hampson rose also1 and together the two men read the account of the doings in ,wales with eyes that were nearly starting out of their heads4 ,the butler and the footman had meanwhile discreetly withdrawn4 ,sir ,thomas was the first to break the silence4 ,he read less quickly than the practised journalist1 but he was not long in supplying the connecting links of the strange story4 ,he raised his hand to his head1 with a weary and dejected movement4 ,it is beyond me1 he said4 ,since chance has thrown us together1 and you have been so frank with me1 ,i will be equally so with you4 ,i1 ,mr4 ,hampson1 have long had hopes that ,mary ,lys would be my wife4 ,as they sat down to supper1 probably even in ,london1 that city of marvels1 no couple more unlike could have been found anywhere together at that midnight hour4 ,the one was a millionaire1 rich even in this age of huge fortunes4 ,he was young1 goodly to look upon1 in perfect health1 and a universal favorite in society4 ,the man who confronted him was unknown1 of humble origin1 frail body1 and regarded himself as abnormally lucky to be earning four hundred pounds a year by constant1 highly specialized toil1 and the exercise of a keen and nimble intelligence4 ,yet on this night1 at any rate1 chance--or may we not say rather the exercise of the ,supreme ,will8--had brought them together in the strangest circumstances and under the strangest conditions4 ,moreover1 unlike as they were in temperament1 position and way of thought1 both were drawn to each other4 ,they had become friends at once1 and they were aware of the fact4 ,for the first few minutes of the meal there was silence4 ,hampson was physically sick and faint4 ,his whole body cried out for food and nourishment4 ,he did not know that the consomm he was enjoying was a consomm of clear turtle1 but almost immediately strength began to return to him4 ,he was not an absolute teetotaller1 though it was only on the rarest occasions that he touched intoxicants4 ,so to-night1 though he partook sparingly of a simple glass of golden hock1 he was unaware that it was the cuve of '#id1 from the famous vineyard of ,wauloh ,landskrona4 ,sir ,thomas broke the silence4 ,we have been strangely brought together1 he said1 and by forces which ,i do not pretend to analyse or understand4 ,but ,i can trust you1 ,i know1 and ,i am going to tell you something of my life4 ,he paused and frowned1 as if thinking deeply4 ,then he began again-- ,i have known ,mary ,lys for a long time1 he said slowly and with some difficulty1 and ,i have loved her deeply almost from the first4 ,to me she is the most precious thing on earth4 ,she is far1 far above me--that ,i know2 but1 nevertheless1 a great love gives courage1 and ,i dared to tell her of mine4 ,i think--indeed1 ,i am sure--that she cares for me4 ,but there has always been a great barrier between us1 and one which has seemed insurmountable4 ,it seems more so than ever now1 after what ,i have learnt to-night4 ,i have always been unable to believe in ,christianity4 ,it means nothing to me4 ,it is a beautiful fable1 that is all4 ,and ,i cannot pretend1 ,mr4 ,hampson--,i would not if ,i could4 ,to gain the woman ,i love for my wife ,i would do anything except live a lie4 ,no union founded on a fundamental deceit can be a happy one4 ,if ,i pretended to believe ,i should never know a moment's peace4 ,mary would soon find it out by that marvellous sixth sense of hers1 and both our lives would be ruined beyond recall4 ,i fear1 ,hampson answered sadly1 that there are many people who profess and call themselves ,christians who would have no such scruples1 ,sir ,thomas4 ,they do you honor4 ,oh1 no1 the baronet answered4 ,it's temperament with me1 that's all4 ,well1 again and again ,i have returned to the attack1 but it has been useless4 ,nothing will move her4 ,however much she loved me1 so she stated1 she would never marry me unless ,i gave up everything and followed ,christ4 ,those were her very words4 ,and that ,i cannot do1 for ,christ is nothing to me1 and does not touch my heart at all4 ,i can't believe in ,him4 ,it is an impossibility4 ,and ,i am rich1 very rich4 ,i love my life2 ,i am fond of beautiful things2 ,i shrink from pain and sorrow and poverty4 ,and yet ,i don't think ,i am a bad man1 as men go4 ,i have no particular vices4 ,when you saw me at that filthy play to-night it was quite an accident4 ,i hate that sort of thing2 the life that the ,frivolity type of man leads is absolutely disgusting to me4 ,i felt unhappy and bored2 it happened that ,i had no engagement to-night1 and ,i turned into the first place ,i came to1 without a thought4 ,but ,mary wants me to give up everything and work among the poor--as a very poor man myself4 ,how can ,i give it up--my houses1 estates1 my yacht1 and pictures1 all the things that make life pleasant8 ,i can't do it6 ,and now1 after to-night1 ,mary will be further away from me than ever4 ,he spoke with grief and despair in his fresh1 young voice4 ,obviously he was deeply stirred and moved4 ,but there was doubt in his voice also4 ,he seemed to be talking in order to convince himself4 ,there was a struggle going on within his mind4 ,what a wonderful man your friend ,joseph must be1 he said suddenly4 ,there cannot be any one else like him in the world4 ,there seems something almost supernatural about him--only1 of course1 the supernatural does not exist4 ,then ,hampson spoke4 ,i know that you will believe what ,i am going to tell you1 he said quietly4 ,first1 ,i must say a few words about myself4 ,all my thinking life--since ,i was a very young man--,i have been a convinced ,christian4 ,even in the darkest hours my faith has not wavered1 whatever my sins and errors may have been4 ,joseph1 on the contrary1 has been as convinced an atheist as you say that you yourself are4 ,a hundred times in my hearing he has derided ,jesus ,christ and mocked at ,god4 ,he threw up a great career at ,cambridge because he felt it his duty to express his convictions in public4 ,only a few weeks ago he was exactly of the same way of thinking4 ,to-night you heard him sway and move hundreds of sinful men and women directly inspired by ,god4 ,like a prophet of old--even as ,jesus ,himself--he preached the truth in the places of the ungodly4 ,you1 yourself1 were profoundly stirred4 ,now1 ,i ask you1 what does this mean8 ,sir ,thomas had been gazing at his guest with deep interest and wonder4 ,you startle me1 sir1 he said4 ,you overwhelm me with what you tell me4 ,i must believe you4 ,i do indeed6 ,but what had changed him8 ,tell me that6 ,the power of the ,holy ,ghost1 said the journalist4 ,there was a silence4 ,sir ,thomas leant back in his chair with an abstracted gaze4 ,he had eaten nothing1 though his guest1 wiser than he1 had made a sufficient and recuperative meal4 ,the little ,japanese spaniel rose from his sleep before the glowing fire1 and put his nose into his master's hand4 ,sir ,thomas stroked the tiny creature absently4 ,the ,holy ,ghost8 he said1 fixing his eyes upon ,hampson4 ,what is that8 ,who can say8 ,the ,holy ,ghost1 proceeding from the ,father and the ,son1 is of one substance1 majesty1 and glory with the ,father and the ,son1 very and eternal ,god4 ,i would1 the young man said1 with great sadness--would that the ,holy ,ghost would come to me also4 ,he had hardly finished the sentence--probably the first prayer he had ever made since he lisped ,our ,father at his mother's knee--when the door opened1 and the butler entered the room4 ,a note1 ,sir ,thomas1 the man said4 ,a note from ,miss ,lys4 ,the bearer awaits an answer4 ,the young man took the note with trembling fingers and tore it open4 ,this was what he read3-- ,i saw you in the theatre to-night1 and ,i knew that you were disturbed about me4 ,have no fear4 ,i am writing this from my aunt's house1 where ,i went immediately when we left the theatre4 ,but ,i want you to come and see me here to-morrow1 quite early4 ,would ten o'clock be too soon8 ,i have something of the highest importance to say to you4 ,send back an answer to say that you can come4 ,i have been here for an hour1 and ,i have been thinking of you the whole time4 ,i have a premonition about you--a happy one6 ,,mary4 ,,chapter ,,ix ,a ,,link ,,chapter ,joseph1 his followers1 and ,mary ,lys1 had passed out of the theatre without hindrance in the dark4 ,they encountered no one in their passage1 and found themselves in ,shaftesbury ,avenue as people pass from one dream into another4 ,the faces of all of them were pale and set1 but no one spoke4 ,it is a well-known fact that hardly any one attracts attention in the streets of ,london unless because of noise or eccentric behavior4 ,this is quite true of the daytime1 and especially true at night4 ,so cosmopolitan is the modern ,babylon1 so intent upon their own business or pleasure are the inhabitants1 that a ,chinaman in full native costume or an admiral in full-dress would do no more than excite the merest passing regard4 ,when1 therefore1 ,joseph and his companions walked up the busy pleasure-street1 they were almost unnoticed4 ,a man with a soft felt hat pressed down upon his forehead1 a bearded man wearing a black cloak of a somewhat peculiar cut--what was there in that8 ,a hospital nurse and a few grave-faced men in country-clothes and obviously from the country--who was to give them any notice8 ,it happened1 therefore1 that the little party were well on their way towards ,oxford ,street before the first member of the audience had left the ,frivolity4 ,as far as any knowledge of their whereabouts was concerned1 they might have vanished into thin air4 ,they walked on in silence1 ,joseph leading the way with ,mary1 the half-dozen men following behind4 ,when ,oxford ,street was reached1 ,joseph hailed a cab4 ,you have been with us long enough for to-night1 sister1 he said2 your aunt and uncle must be anxious about you1 and you owe them a duty after you have fulfilled your duty to the ,lord4 ,truly1 the ,holy ,spirit has been with us on this night1 during the first few hours we have been here4 ,may ,he always be with us and bless and prosper our great undertaking6 ,good-night1 and ,god bless you1 my dear sister4 ,if it be ,god's will we shall all meet again on the morrow4 ,it may be that even before then some one of us will receive a sign or a revelation4 ,his eyes shone with mystical fire as he said this1 and watched the cab drive away into the roar of lighted traffic4 ,then he turned to his companions4 ,brethren1 he said1 ,i feel1 ,i know not why or how1 that my work to-night is not yet ended4 ,but go you to your lodgings4 ,i will be with you for prayer and to break the fast not long after dawn4 ,you trust me still8 ,you believe in our great work8 ,you are not terrified by the noise and the glitter of this wicked1 mighty city8 ,if there is one among you who would even now draw back1 and once more seek the quiet hills of ,wales1 then he may yet do so on this very night4 ,we have no home1 ,master1 one of the men said1 ,owen ,rees by name1 and obviously speaking in the name of his companions4 ,we have no home but the ,kingdom of ,god4 ,we have set our hand to the plough1 and will not turn back4 ,the ,lord is with us1 he concluded simply--whatever and why should we fear8 ,then1 brethren1 ,joseph answered1 ,god be with you4 ,that omnibus there will take you to the door of the place by the station where we have taken our lodging4 ,david ,foulkes knows the number1 and has the money4 ,pray for us all4 ,with these words he turned and strode away westward4 ,they gazed after him until the tall1 black figure was swallowed up by the crowd4 ,on and on went ,joseph1 regardless of all around him4 ,his mind was full of doubt and fear1 despite the calm words he had spoken to his disciples4 ,all the saints of ,god have known dark and empty moments1 wherein all seems hopeless and sad1 and the great world seems closing round1 shutting them off from the ,almighty4 ,it is always thus4 ,we are tried and tempted to the last4 ,we also must know faintly some of those hours of agony which the ,man of ,sorrows ,himself knew and suffered4 ,it was thus with ,joseph now4 ,during the tremendous effort in the theatre he had been conscious that ,god was with him1 and speaking through the mouth of ,his servant4 ,he was the vessel of the ,unseen and ,awful ,power4 ,in a flash of ,divine inspiration he had known of the lives of the men who sat below him4 ,but when it was all over1 a reaction set in4 ,he was filled with gloomy and troubled thoughts4 ,had his words been right words after all8 ,was the impulse which had drawn him to the theatre with irresistible strength an impulse from on high8 ,and who was he1 after all1 that he should lead others in a new crusade against the sin and wickedness of this great city8 ,he felt exactly as if some actual personality which had been animating him was now withdrawn4 ,to his left1 ,park ,lane stretched away towards ,piccadilly1 the palaces there all blazing with light4 ,it was typical of what he had come to denounce1 to warn1 and to save4 ,and how was it possible that he1 a weak man1 could do this thing8 ,he walked on4 ,half-way down ,park ,lane he saw that a coffee-stall stood in the shadow of the ,park railings1 drawn up close to the curb4 ,the sight reminded him that he had not eaten for many hours1 and he crossed the road towards it4 ,there were no customers but himself1 and in a moment or two a steaming cup of coffee and two great wedges of bread-and-butter stood before him4 ,he had never enjoyed a meal so much1 he thought idly--no1 not even in the recent days of starvation in ,whitechapel1 when an unexpected windfall had provided him and ,hampson with food4 ,whitechapel6 ,what a lifetime of experience had been his since those days6 ,wales1 the mystical life with ,lluellyn ,lys-- ,a flush of shame and sorrow came over him4 ,why had he doubted even for a single moment the power and guidance of ,god6 ,had not the ,holy ,ghost been always with him--always1 from the very first8 ,o ,lord1 he cried1 in his heart1 forgive ,thine unworthy servant his weak doubts and fears6 ,i know that ,thou art with me1 now1 and forever more6 ,he had concluded the short and unspoken prayer when he was startled by a voice4 ,he had not noticed that when the coffee-stall proprietor--an old man with snow-white hair1 and large1 horn-rimmed spectacles--had given him the coffee1 he had returned to a large book he was reading4 ,now ,joseph looked round suddenly1 and realized that the old fellow was saying the sentences aloud to himself4 ,he shall call upon ,me1 and ,i will hear him2 yea1 ,i was with him in trouble4 ,i will deliver him1 and bring him to honour4 ,joseph put down his pennies upon the counter4 ,the answer to his prayer had come1 once more ,god had spoken4 ,thank ye6 said the old man1 in a strong ,scotch accent4 ,i doot but ,i startled ye with me reading4 ,i read aloud to my wife1 who can nae mair see to read for hersel'1 and sae ,i've got in the way o't4 ,but they're gran' words1 lad4 ,thank you for them1 and ,god bless you6 ,joseph answered2 and with the old fellow's kindly ,good nicht6 ringing in his ears1 resumed his walk4 ,he was immeasurably comforted and helped1 and his whole soul went up in a burst of praise and adoration4 ,no thought of sleep came to him4 ,he no longer felt physically weary4 ,he was impelled to walk and pray for sleeping ,london4 ,lord1 grant that they will hear me6 ,lord1 send down ,thy ,holy ,spirit upon me1 and give me ,thy grace6 ,raise up great and powerful helpers for the work1 for ,i am weak and poor4 ,he was in ,piccadilly now1 and as he prayed he walked more slowly4 ,oh1 that those great people who lived in this wonderful street--now so dark and silent--would open the doors of their hearts that ,christ might enter in6 ,the dark was suddenly illuminated4 ,a great door swung slowly open1 and two men in evening dress stood together upon the threshold4 ,he turned instinctively and looked them full in the face4 ,there was a startled cry of ,joseph6 ,and as if in a dream he mounted the steps and passed under the lintel4 ,the door closed quietly behind him4 ,,chapter ,x ,,the ,,cousins ,it was midnight when ,mary ,lys arrived at her aunt's house in ,berkeley ,square4 ,lady ,kirwan had gone to bed2 but it happened1 so the butler told her1 that ,miss ,kirwan was sitting up in her boudoir1 in the hopes that her cousin might yet arrive that night4 ,the greeting between the two girls was warmly affectionate4 ,marjorie had always loved ,mary as a sister1 loved her and reverenced her deeply4 ,the pretty society girl was certainly of a butterfly nature1 loving the bright and merry side of life1 and unwilling to look upon its darker aspects4 ,yet she was unspoiled at heart1 and the constant spectacle of ,mary's devotion to the suffering and poor of the world1 her steadfast pursuit of a hard and difficult path1 always touched the younger girl4 ,oh1 you poor dear1 she said1 ,i am so glad you have arrived at last6 ,we have all been so anxious about you4 ,mother has been actually crying1 and father is in a great way4 ,mr4 ,owen1 the solicitor who went with you to poor ,lluellyn's funeral1 has been here1 and there has been something in the paper1 too6 ,we have all been so upset6 ,while ,marjorie was speaking1 her maid had entered and taken ,mary's nurse's cloak from her4 ,mary sank into a chair4 ,dear ,marjorie1 she said1 ,i'm so sorry6 ,i blame myself very much4 ,i ought1 of course1 to have sent auntie a telegram4 ,but such wonderful things have happened and are happening that my mind has been taken from everything else4 ,it was very wrong of me4 ,never mind now1 dear6 ,but how pale you are6 ,you have gone through so much1 poor dear1 of course6 ,you must have something to eat at once1 and afterwards you shall tell me everything4 ,antoinette shall get you something--would some soup or some chicken-jelly do8 ,mary asked for a bowl of bread-and-milk1 and while she was waiting gazed round her cousin's pretty sanctum with a sense of rest and ease which was most grateful to her overstrung nerves1 her utterly exhausted body and mind4 ,marjorie went into her bedroom1 which opened into the boudoir1 unwilling to tire ,mary by questions until she was refreshed by food4 ,it was a beautiful place1 this nest of the wealthy1 happy maiden of society1 though it had individuality and character also4 ,it was thought out1 the expression of a personality1 and no mere haphazard collection of costly and beautiful things flung together anyhow1 without regard to fitness or arrangements4 ,how peaceful and cultured it all was6 ,for some moments the tired girl abandoned herself to the gracious influence of the place1 enjoying a moment of intense physical ease4 ,then1 swiftly1 her thoughts sprang over ,london from ,west to ,east4 ,she saw the huge1 gaunt hospital1 its dim wards full of groaning sufferers1 lying there in night-long agony that the rich and fortunate might build themselves just such lordly pleasure-houses as this4 ,she thought of the flaring gin-palaces of ,whitechapel1 at this hour full of the wretched and the lost4 ,the noise1 the hideous oaths1 the battered1 evil faces of vile men and women--men and women made in ,god's image1 men and women whom ,jesus came to save1 but who had never had a chance4 ,it all came to her with sudden vividness3 the sounds1 the smells1 the crude raw coloring4 ,a passionate fervor of love welled up in her pure heart1 a passionate rejection of the soft and pleasant things of life4 ,oh1 that she could do something1 something1 however small1 to help all this sorrow and pain1 to purge ,london of its sores1 to tell those who lived in high places and wore soft raiment of the terrible ,nemesis they were laying up for themselves in another world6 ,marjorie ,kirwan only saw a pale-faced and beautiful girl1 whom she loved1 sitting at a little octagonal table sipping a bowl of milk4 ,but if there were any of ,god's angels in that room--and may we not suppose that the ,almighty ,father had given so high and pure a spirit into especial charge8--if there were1 indeed1 august and unseen presences there1 they saw a saint praying to ,god for the conversion of ,london and for success in the great battle which she had come to wage with ,joseph and his companions4 ,that's better1 dear6 ,marjorie said1 her pretty face all alight with sympathy1 and1 it must be said1 with curiosity also4 ,now1 do please tell me what all these mysterious things mean8 ,what is all this in the newspaper8 ,and your ,joseph1 the man with the wonderful eyes1 the man we saw in the cab some weeks ago1 before poor dear ,lluellyn's death1 what is he doing8 ,why were you with him8 ,i don't know how ,i can tell you1 dear1 ,mary said1 suddenly alive to the extreme difficulty of the task which lay before her1 for how could she hope to explain the deep solemnness and import of the coming mission8 ,oh1 but ,i am sure ,i shall understand6 ,marjorie answered4 ,and ,i am certain it is awfully interesting6 ,mary winced4 ,the light words jarred upon her mood of deep fervor and resolve2 but1 gathering her powers together1 she did her best4 ,i believe1 she said1 in grave1 quiet tones1 that a special revelation is to come to ,london in the person of ,joseph4 ,strange and1 indeed1 miraculous things have happened4 ,god has spoken in no uncertain way1 and the ,holy ,spirit has manifested ,himself as ,he has never done before in our time4 ,i cannot now go into all the circumstances attending my dear brother's death4 ,that they were supernatural and ,god-sent no one who witnessed them can have any manner of doubt4 ,but1 briefly1 ,i can tell you just this4 ,the ,holy ,ghost has descended upon this man ,joseph in full and abundant measure1 even as ,he descended upon the ,apostles of old4 ,joseph and a few devoted companions have come to ,london4 ,i have come with them4 ,we are about to wage a holy war against the wickedness of ,london1 and the ,spirit is with us4 ,i cannot measure or define ,joseph's new nature4 ,it is all beyond me4 ,but ,i have thought deeply about it1 and this is what ,i think4 ,joseph seems to be two persons1 at different times4 ,it almost appears to be a case of what the ,french doctors who are experimenting with hypnotism call dual control4 ,yet both these natures are quite distinct from his old one4 ,he was an atheist1 you know1 until he went to ,wales1 but now he is the most sincere1 and convinced believer that ,i have ever met4 ,so far he is no more than a brilliant and high-minded man who is trying to live a holy life1 a man such as one has met before1 now and then4 ,but the other side of him is quite different again4 ,at times he seems to one almost supernatural--or perhaps supernormal is the better word4 ,something comes into him4 ,he is filled with the ,holy ,ghost4 ,and there were such strange circumstances about his change of character and dear ,lluellyn's death4444 ,do you know1 dear1 ,i sometimes wonder if it mightn't be that an angel of ,god inhabits him at times6 ,people can be possessed by evil spirits1 why couldn't they be controlled by good ones8 ,marjorie listened earnestly1 the light fading out of her bright face as she did so4 ,i don't think ,i quite understand1 she said1 with a little shudder4 ,anyhow1 it all seems very strange and--,what can ,joseph do--what can you do8 ,surely there will be a great deal of trouble and scandal6 ,and1 ,mary darling1 you mustn't be mixed up in anything of this sort4 ,oh1 it would never do6 ,what would father and mother say8 ,why1 it's like--she hesitated for a simile4 ,why1 it's like being a member of the ,salvation ,army6 ,you can't go about dressed like that1 dear--and in the streets1 too1 with a trombone4 ,you are not your dear sweet self to-night1 dear1 so we won't talk about it any more now4 ,you have been through so much1 no wonder you are tired4 ,go to bed now1 and you will be better in the morning4 ,they will have taken your boxes to your room1 and ,i will send ,antoinette to you at once4 ,mary rose4 ,i do need sleep1 she said1 with a faint smile4 ,i do need it dreadfully badly4 ,but about my boxes1 ,marjorie dear4 ,i only had one1 and ,i have forgotten all about it1 ,i'm afraid4 ,i suppose it's at the station or somewhere4 ,joseph led us straight from the station to the theatre4 ,the theatre6 ,you've been to the theatre to-night6 ,before coming here6 ,are you mad1 ,mary8 ,marjorie's face had grown quite white1 her voice was shrill in its horror and incredulity4 ,what could her cousin mean8 ,did she actually assert that two days after her brother's funeral she had gone to a theatre with a strange man1 and kept the whole household in ,berkeley ,square in a state of suspense1 while she did this dreadful thing8 ,i can't explain1 dear1 ,mary answered1 in a tired voice4 ,but you will know all about it to-morrow4 ,it is not as you think4 ,and now ,i will really go to bed4 ,she kissed her astonished cousin1 and1 with a faint smile1 left the boudoir under convoy of the ,french maid4 ,after her last prayer--for her whole life was one long prayer--she fell into a deep and dreamless sleep1 but not before she had sent a certain note4444 ,there was but little sleep for ,marjorie that night4 ,the hour was not late for her1 it was not yet one o'clock1 and night after night in the season she would dance till dawn4 ,but the girl was stirred and frightened to the depths of her rather shallow nature by the things which she had heard from ,mary4 ,the deep solemnity and utter reality of ,mary's words were full of a sort of terror to ,marjorie4 ,they came into her gay1 thoughtless and sheltered life with unwelcome force and power4 ,she wanted to hear no such things4 ,life was happy and splendid for her always4 ,it was one continual round of pleasure1 and no day of it had palled as yet4 ,there was nothing in the world that she might wish for that she could not have4 ,her enormous wealth1 her beauty1 social position1 and personal fascination brought all men to her feet4 ,and incense was sweet in her nostrils6 ,heart-whole1 she loved to be adored4 ,religion was all very well1 of course4 ,all nice people went to church on ,sunday morning4 ,it was comme il faut1 and then one walked in the ,park afterwards for church parade1 and met all one's friends4 ,every ,sunday ,marjorie and ,lady ,kirwan attended the fashionable ritualistic church of ,st4 ,elwyn's1 ,mayfair4 ,the vicar1 the ,honorable and ,reverend ,mr4 ,persse1 was a great friend of ,marjorie's1 and she and her mother had given him three hundred pounds only a few weeks ago for the wonderful new altar frontals worked by the ,sisters of ,bruges4 ,but ,mary's religion6 ,ah1 that was a very different thing4 ,it was harsh1 uncomely1 unladylike even4 ,and what did this preposterous business about ,joseph mean8 ,marjorie had seen the paper1 and could make nothing of it4 ,and then the theatre6 ,mary was making fun of her4 ,she could not really have meant-- ,with these thoughts whirling in her brain and troubling it1 the girl fell asleep at last4 ,although she did not know it nor suspect it1 she was never again to wake exactly the same person as she had been4 ,she did not realize that her unconscious antagonism to ,mary's words sprang from one cause alone1 that a process had begun in her which was to lead her into other paths and new experiences4 ,she did not know that1 at last1 for the first time in her bright1 careless life1 conscience was awake4 ,it was not till nearly nine o'clock that she awoke4 ,antoinette had peeped into the bedroom several times4 ,when at length the maid brought the dainty porcelain cup of chocolate1 a bright sun was pouring into the room through the apricot-colored silk curtains4 ,marjorie did not immediately remember the events and her sensations of the night before4 ,when she did so1 they all came back in a sudden flash of memory4 ,antoinette1 she said quickly1 find ,mrs4 ,summers--,lady ,kirwan's maid--and ask if ,i can come to mamma's room at once4 ,in a minute the maid returned4 ,m'lady is nearly dressed1 mademoiselle1 she said4 ,elle sera bien contente de voir mademoiselle toute de suite4 ,slipping on a dressing-gown and fur slippers1 ,marjorie went to her mother's room immediately4 ,she was bursting with eagerness and anxiety to tell her the news4 ,she was not in the least ill-natured or small-minded4 ,she had not the least wish to tell tales4 ,but she was genuinely and seriously alarmed about her beloved cousin's future4 ,she found ,lady ,kirwan already dressed and sitting in her boudoir4 ,the elder lady wore a face of utter consternation1 and her daughter saw at once that there was little she could tell her4 ,mrs4 ,summers1 an elderly1 confidential maid1 was in the room1 and there was a pile of morning papers upon the writing-table4 ,nothing that went on in ,berkeley ,square ever escaped the discreet ,summers4 ,she was perfectly aware of ,mary's late arrival1 and that she had come without any luggage4 ,when ,mary had been put to bed1 she had found out from ,antoinette all that the ,french girl could tell her4 ,and the morning journals1 which ,mrs4 ,summers generally looked over before taking them to her mistress1 supplied the rest4 ,all ,london was at this moment ringing with the news of what had happened at the ,frivolity ,theatre the night before4 ,there had been several daily journalists among the audience1 and plenty of other people either directly connected with1 or1 at any rate1 in touch with1 the ,press4 ,the news eclipsed everything else4 ,there were columns of description1 rumor and report4 ,those who had actually been present had gone straight to the offices of their papers while still under the influence of the tremendous scene they had witnessed4 ,joseph was in nearly every case identified with the hero of the strange episodes on the ,welsh ,hills as exclusively reported in the ,daily ,wire special of the day before4 ,but the wildest rumors and conjectures filled the papers4 ,some said that the stranger and his disciples had appeared miraculously in a sudden flash of light1 and disappeared equally mysteriously4 ,the extraordinary and heart-piercing likeness of the stranger to the generally accepted pictures of ,our ,lord was spoken of with amazement1 incredulity1 dismay1 or contempt1 as the case might be4 ,and nearly all of the papers spoke of a beautiful woman's face beside the preacher1 a face like the face of a ,madonna--,raphael's picture in the ,sistine ,chapel of the ,vatican--alive and glowing4 ,here was something for an elderly and fashionable woman of the world to digest ere she was but hardly from her bed6 ,lady ,kirwan pushed the paper towards ,marjorie with trembling fingers4 ,read that1 she said1 in a voice quite unlike her usual tones of smooth and gracious self-possession4 ,marjorie hurriedly scanned the columns of the paper4 ,oh1 mother6 she said tearfully4 ,isn't it too utterly dreadful for words6 ,how can ,mary do such things8 ,lluellyn's death must have turned her brain4 ,indeed1 it is the only possible explanation1 ,marjorie1 ,lady ,kirwan answered4 ,poor ,lluellyn's death and the strain of that dreadful hospital work4 ,fortunately1 no one seems to have recognized her at the theatre4 ,this preaching person attracted all the attention4 ,but ,mary must see a doctor at once4 ,i shall send a little note to ,sir ,william this morning1 asking him to come round4 ,now you saw the poor girl last night1 dear4 ,tell me exactly what occurred4 ,omit nothing4 ,marjorie launched into a full and breathless account of ,mary's words and behavior the night before4 ,the girl was quite incapable of anything like a coherent and unprejudiced narrative1 and her story only increased ,lady ,kirwan's wonder and distress4 ,i tremble to think of the effect on your poor father's health1 she said1 when ,marjorie had finished4 ,i have already been to his room this morning4 ,he has seen the papers and is of course very upset4 ,this man ,joseph will of course have to be locked up4 ,he is a dangerous lunatic4 ,we have sent a message to ,mary1 and she is to meet us both in the library at ten o'clock4 ,we mean to speak very seriously to her indeed4 ,perhaps you had better be there too4 ,you have such influence with her1 darling1 and she is so fond of you4 ,at ten o'clock ,mary went down into the library4 ,she found her aunt1 uncle1 and cousin already there4 ,lady ,kirwan kissed her with warm affection1 and ,mary saw that there were tears in her aunt's kind eyes4 ,sir ,augustus could not rise from his chair1 but as she kissed him she saw nothing but the most genuine and almost fatherly feeling was animating him4 ,a pang shot through the girl's sensitive heart4 ,how kind and good they were to her--how she hated to wound and hurt them6 ,ah1 if only she could make them see with her eyes6 ,now sit down1 dear1 ,lady ,kirwan said1 and let us talk over this business quietly and sensibly1 en famille1 in short4 ,mary was greatly agitated4 ,she sat down as she was told4 ,all other thoughts but those induced by the ordeal which she was about to face left her mind4 ,now1 in the early morning1 the upper servants of the ,berkeley ,square mansion were employed on various matters1 and only a young footman was on duty in the hall4 ,it chanced that on this morning a raw lad from the country1 who was being trained to ,london service1 was the person who answered the front door4 ,sir ,augustus had cleared his throat and had just begun1 ,now1 in regard to this man ,joseph1 my dear ,mary1 when the door of the library swung open1 and the young footman1 in a somewhat puzzled and frightened voice1 announced-- ,sir ,thomas ,ducaine and ,mr4 ,joseph1 to see ,miss ,lys6 ,,chapter ,,xi ,,joseph ,,in ,,mayfair ,there was a dead silence in the great library4 ,the morning sunshine poured into it1 touching and refining the rich decorations with a glory which was greater than they4 ,but no one spoke a word4 ,it was a dramatic moment4 ,then ,mary spoke1 and there was a rose-pink flush upon her cheeks4 ,oh1 auntie1 she said1 ,i am so very sorry6 ,but ,i asked ,sir ,thomas ,ducaine to come here and see me this morning4 ,i meant to have told you4 ,but when you and uncle sent for me here ,i forgot all about it4 ,what does it matter if you did forget1 dear8 she said to ,mary4 ,sir ,thomas1 how do you do8 ,so glad to see you6 ,how do1 ,ducaine8 said ,sir ,augustus4 ,sorry ,i can't get up2 but this confounded gout still hangs round me4 ,can't quite get rid of it4 ,mary saw1 with a strange throb at her heart1 that ,ducaine's face had changed in some subtle way4 ,she had not seen him for a fortnight or more1 and she noticed the difference immediately1 though she could hardly have defined it4 ,but what was ,joseph doing here8 ,how came the ,teacher to be with the man who loved her8 ,even as she asked herself the question she knew the answer4 ,what did details matter1 after all8 ,the ,holy ,ghost was leading and guiding4444 ,i want you to know my friend ,joseph1 ,lady ,kirwan1 ,sir ,thomas said4 ,allow me to introduce him to you4 ,joseph--,lady ,kirwan4 ,how do you do1 ,mr4 ,joseph8 she answered4 ,this is quite an unexpected pleasure4 ,of course1 we have all been hearing so much about you in the papers lately2 and1 of course1 you were with my poor dear nephew when he died4 ,she gave him her hand with great graciousness1 marvelling at the tall1 erect figure1 the serene power and beauty of the face1 the wonderful magnetic eyes4 ,joseph bowed4 ,thank you very much1 ,lady ,kirwan1 he said in the deep1 musical voice which could rise to such heights of passion and pleading1 or remain as now1 so perfectly modulated and strong4 ,i did not know ,lluellyn for very long1 but we were like brothers for a time1 and he allowed me to see deep into his heart4 ,i have never known a better man4 ,i shall never meet with anyone so good again1 or so specially gifted and favored by ,god4 ,lady ,kirwan was unable to repress a slight start of surprise4 ,the man before her spoke and moved like an easy and polished gentleman4 ,there was no possible doubt about it4 ,and she had expected something so very different4 ,present me to your friend1 ,ducaine1 ,sir ,augustus said from his arm-chair2 and the ,teacher shook hands with the great banker1 and then at his invitation sat down beside him4 ,well1 sir1 the baronet said1 you have been making a pretty big stir in ,london1 it seems4 ,the most talked-of person in ,england at this moment1 ,i suppose4 ,joseph smiled4 ,oh1 that was inevitable6 he said4 ,i am sorry in a way1 because ,i intensely dislike publicity that is merely curiosity4 ,but ,i expect our backs are broad enough to bear it4 ,and if only ,i can get people to listen1 that is the great thing1 after all4 ,but about last night1 ,sir ,augustus said4 ,aren't you afraid of being arrested for making a disturbance8 ,i've no doubt the play went a little too far1 even for the ,frivolity4 ,but such very drastic methods1 you know--well really1 sir1 if this sort of thing is allowed to continue--,i mean no unkindness1 believe me--society would be quite upset4 ,i hope to upset it1 ,sir ,augustus1 ,joseph answered with an absolute simplicity that robbed his words of either ostentation or offence4 ,no2 they will take no action against me for what ,i did--of that ,i am quite certain4 ,i by no means share your certainty1 ,sir ,augustus answered4 ,though ,i am sure1 for your sake1 and for the sake of my niece1 who1 ,i gather1 somewhat foolishly accompanied you1 ,i hope you're right4 ,but ,i am a man of the world1 you know1 while you--if you will pardon me for saying so--hardly seem to be that4 ,i was at the theatre last night1 ,sir ,thomas ,ducaine broke in1 and ,i'm quite certain they will do nothing1 ,sir ,augustus4 ,they wouldn't dare4 ,i saw everything that went on4 ,you may take it from me that it will be all right4 ,well1 you ought to know1 my dear fellow1 the banker said1 obviously relieved at the words of the younger man4 ,and ,i do hope1 ,mr4--er--,joseph1 that you don't mean to visit any more theatres1 except in a purely private capacity4 ,i don't think we are likely to visit any more theatres1 ,ducaine said quietly4 ,everyone looked up quickly at the word we4 ,there was a mute interrogation upon every face4 ,then there was a silence4 ,sir ,augustus ,kirwan was thinking rapidly and arriving at a decision4 ,he had made his vast fortune1 had gained his reputation and influence1 by just this power of rapid1 decisive thought1 mingled with a shrewd intuition which all his life had served him well4 ,he saw at once that this man ,joseph was no ordinary person4 ,he had pictured him as some noisy1 eloquent1 and sincere ,welsh peasant4 ,he found him a gentleman in manner1 and possessed of a personality so remarkable1 a latent force so unmistakable1 that in any assembly1 wherever he went1 he would be like a sword among kindling wood4 ,the newspapers of that morning had exaggerated nothing at all4 ,and then the man was obviously closely intimate with ,sir ,thomas ,ducaine4 ,sir ,augustus made up his mind4 ,i am going to do a thing very much out of the ordinary1 he said4 ,but this is not an ordinary occasion1 however much some of us here would like it to be so4 ,i am going to speak out1 and ,i am going to ask some questions4 ,i think you will admit that ,i have a right to ask them4 ,my nephew by marriage1 ,lluellyn ,lys1 is dead4 ,lady ,kirwan and ,i stand in loco parentis to our dear niece here1 ,mary ,lys4 ,she is1 of course1 of age1 and legally her own mistress4 ,but there are moral obligations which are stronger than legal ones4 ,very well1 then4 ,mary1 my dear girl1 ,i want you to tell me why you asked ,sir ,thomas ,ducaine to come here this morning4 ,and did you ask ,mr4 ,joseph here to accompany him8 ,i asked ,sir ,thomas to come1 uncle1 she said1 because ,i wanted to persuade him to meet ,joseph4 ,i wanted him to hear the truth as ,i have heard it4 ,i wanted him to believe in ,christ1 and follow ,him with us4 ,i did not ask ,joseph to come here4 ,i did not know that he had ever met ,sir ,thomas4 ,then ,ducaine broke in4 ,i think1 ,sir ,augustus1 he said1 that here ,i must make an explanation4 ,mary and ,i are old friends4 ,we have known each other for a long time4 ,he paused1 with an evident difficulty in continuing1 nor did he see the swift glance which passed between ,lady ,kirwan and her husband--a glance full of surprise1 meaning1 and satisfaction1 which said as plainly as possible1 this quite alters the position of affairs6 ,ducaine continued3-- ,i hate speaking about it1 he said1 but you have a right to know4 ,i love her better than anything else in the world1 and over and over again ,i have asked her to be my wife4 ,she has always refused me4 ,i have understood that such a great joy might be possible for me if ,i could believe as ,mary believes4 ,but ,i couldn't do so4 ,i could not believe in ,christ1 and of course ,i could not pretend to accept ,christianity in its full sense unless ,i was really convinced4 ,it was no use trying to trick myself into a state of mind which my conscience would tell me was insincere4 ,there the matter has rested until last night4 ,last night ,i was at the theatre1 and saw ,mary with ,joseph4 ,afterwards1 when ,i came out1 ,i tried to find them everywhere1 but they had vanished4 ,i was in a terrible state of mind when ,i met1 by chance1 a friend of ,joseph's--a ,mr4 ,hampson--who came home to supper with me4 ,late that same evening ,i met1 by a coincidence--,joseph shook his head with a smile1 but ,ducaine did not notice him--by a coincidence1 ,i met ,joseph4 ,we have talked all night long1 and ,i have come to this conclusion4 ,he paused1 and1 in the sunlight1 ,mary could see that little beads of perspiration stood out upon his brow4 ,there was a dead silence in the room now1 every ear was strained--one heart1 at least1 was beating rapidly4 ,yes8 ,sir ,augustus said4 ,that ,i am going to throw in my lot with ,joseph and his campaign1 ,sir ,thomas replied4 ,my money1 and such influence as ,i have1 will be at his disposal4 ,now1 ,i do this without any thought of what ,i hope to gain by it--the priceless treasure ,i hope to gain4 ,he looked at ,mary for the first time since he had begun to speak4 ,i am not yet convinced of the truth of ,christianity4 ,i do not1 even after this momentous decision which ,i have taken1 believe in ,christ4 ,but ,i want to believe1 for the truth's own sake4 ,one way or another the next few months will settle the question for me1 and so ,i am going with ,joseph4 ,sir ,augustus had listened to the young man with tightly shut lips4 ,nothing in his face showed what he thought4 ,suddenly he turned to ,joseph4 ,well1 sir1 he said1 not without a kindly irony in his voice1 you may be quite sure that ,london will listen to you now4 ,with ,sir ,thomas ,ducaine's money and influence behind you1 the path is smooth4 ,it is ,god's will--blessed be ,his name6 ,joseph answered quietly4 ,his voice was so humble and sincere1 so full of gratitude and fervor1 that even in the mind of the hard-headed man of the world no further doubt could possibly remain4 ,be that as it may1 ,sir ,augustus said1 after a pause4 ,i suppose you have some sort of a definite programme1 sir8 ,the grave answer rang like a bell in the room3-- ,to succor1 help1 and comfort all that are in danger1 necessity1 and tribulation4 ,to strengthen such as do stand2 to comfort and help the weak-hearted2 to raise up them that fall2 to rebuke those that do evil in the sight of the ,lord1 and finally to beat down ,satan under our feet4 ,once more there was a silence4 ,and you1 ,mary8 ,sir ,augustus asked suddenly4 ,i mean to give my humble aid to this great work1 ,mary answered slowly4 ,oh1 don't oppose me1 uncle--don't forbid me6 ,it would make me so unhappy to do anything that you did not wish4 ,but ,jesus calls me--,he calls all of us--,his voice is ever in my ears4 ,i propose1 ,sir ,augustus said1 at length1 that you all go into another room and leave me here with my wife4 ,i should like to discuss this with her for a few minutes4 ,when the two elder people were alone1 their conference was brief and to the point4 ,of course1 we shall withdraw all opposition1 said ,sir ,augustus the worldly4 ,the thing has quite changed its aspect4 ,this ,joseph fellow is1 of course1 as mad as a hatter4 ,but he is obviously a gentleman1 and1 at the same time1 quite sincere--another ,lluellyn1 in fact1 though with a good deal more in him4 ,ducaine's accession to the movement makes all the difference4 ,joseph will become a fashionable fad1 and all sorts of people will join him in search of a new sensation4 ,i'm quite looking forward to it4 ,london will be more amusing than it has been for years4 ,then it will all die a natural death1 this ,joseph will disappear1 and ,mary will marry ,tom ,ducaine1 the biggest catch in ,london4 ,it does seem as if ,providence was in it1 after all1 said ,lady ,kirwan piously4 ,no doubt1 no doubt6 the banker answered jovially4 ,just make the girl promise to make this house her home--she shall have perfect freedom to go and come as she pleases1 of course--and everything will come right4 ,they had settled it to their mutual satisfaction1 and were about to send for ,mary1 when the butler entered the library and announced that the ,reverend ,mr4 ,persse had called and asked for her ladyship4 ,lady ,kirwan was about to say that she was engaged1 and could not see the clergyman1 when ,sir ,augustus interposed4 ,i think ,i should see ,mr4 ,persse1 dear1 he said4 ,and then1 when the man had gone3 ,we'll introduce him to this ,joseph4 ,it will be most amusing1 and ,i want a little amusement1 after being tied by the leg like this for nearly a fortnight4 ,and besides1 that humbug ,persse will go and tell everyone in ,mayfair1 and it will give the whole thing a cachet and a send-off6 ,don't say anything--leave it all to me4 ,sir ,augustus did not like ,the ,hon4 ,mr4 ,persse1 the fashionable clergyman of ,mayfair1 and it was with a somewhat sardonic smile that he welcomed him a moment afterwards4 ,the vicar of ,st4 ,elwyn's was a tall1 clean-shaven priest1 who would have been pompous had he not been so suave4 ,his face was a smooth cream-color1 his eyes ingratiating and perhaps a little furtive1 while the mouth was mobile and clever4 ,he occupied a somewhat peculiar position among the ,london clergy4 ,he was an advanced ,ritualist1 inclining to many ceremonies that were purely ,roman and ,continental4 ,but he had very little of the ascetic about him1 and was as far removed from the patient1 self-denying ,anglican clergy of the slum districts in the ,east ,end1 as four pounds of butter is from four o'clock4 ,st4 ,elwyn's was one of the smartest congregations in ,london4 ,the costly splendor of its ceremony1 the perfection with which everything was done1 attracted pleasure-loving people1 who would go anywhere for a thrill that would act as the blow of a whip to jaded and enervated lives4 ,mr4 ,persse catered--the word exactly describes his methods--for precisely that class of people whom he was so successful in attracting4 ,how do you do1 ,lady ,kirwan8 he said1 in a pleasant and gentlemanly voice4 ,ah1 ,sir ,augustus1 ,i hope you are better4 ,it is a trying time of the year4 ,i have called this morning on a somewhat singular errand4 ,i was told1 ,i must not say by whom1 that he actually saw your niece1 ,miss ,lys1 in the theatre last night--you have read the papers this morning--yes8--in company with this extraordinary mountebank of whom every one is talking4 ,of course ,i denied it indignantly4 ,i have met ,miss ,lys at your house1 and ,i knew such a thing to be impossible4 ,but my informant is1 ,i am sorry to say1 a little prone to gossip and tittle-tattle1 and ,i thought1 in justice to you that if ,i were armed with an authoritative denial1 ,i should be able to nip all such foolish gossip in the bud1 before it has time to spread4 ,you know how people talk1 dear ,lady ,kirwan4 ,lady ,kirwan certainly knew--and so did ,mr4 ,persse4 ,he was the hero of many afternoon tea-tables1 and an active disseminator of gossip4 ,my dear ,mr4 ,persse1 ,sir ,augustus said somewhat emphatically1 allow me to tell you that you have been quite mistaken in your view of the new movement4 ,the man whom the papers call ,joseph is not at all what you think4 ,sir ,thomas ,ducaine1 for example1 is hand and glove with him4 ,i must really correct your ideas on the point4 ,if irregular1 perhaps1 the mission will be most influential4 ,oh1 ah6 ,i had no idea1 said ,mr4 ,persse1 with remarkable mental agility4 ,dear me1 is that so1 ,sir ,augustus8 ,anything that makes for good1 of course1 must be welcomed by all of us4 ,i myself-- ,i will introduce you to ,joseph1 ,sir ,augustus interrupted1 with intense internal enjoyment4 ,he happens to be in the house at this moment4 ,that afternoon all the evening papers contained an announcement that ,joseph1 the new evangelist1 would preach at ,st4 ,elwyn's1 ,mayfair1 after evening service on the morrow--which was ,sunday4 ,what had happened was this3 ,joseph had been duly introduced to ,father ,persse4 ,the latter1 in whom the instincts of the theatrical entrepreneur were very largely developed1 saw his chance at once4 ,mayfair would have a sensation such as it had never enjoyed before4 ,joseph had promised to preach without any more words than a simple assent4 ,that there would probably be trouble with the bishop ,mr4 ,persse knew very well4 ,but he was already out of favor in ,episcopal quarters1 and could hope for nothing in that direction4 ,at the worst1 an apology and a promise not to repeat the offence of asking a layman1 who was unlicensed by the bishop1 to preach in ,st4 ,elwyn's1 would make everything right4 ,he had made the actual request to ,joseph privately1 asking leave to have a few moments' conversation alone with him4 ,after obtaining the promise he went back to the library1 where ,mary and ,sir ,thomas ,ducaine had returned1 and announced his success4 ,but when they went to look for the ,teacher he had disappeared4 ,no one knew where he had gone1 and neither ,mary nor any of the others saw him again that day4 ,the ,west ,end of ,london waited with considerable excitement for what ,sunday would bring forth4 ,,chapter ,,xii ,,the ,,service ,,at ,,st4 ,,elwyn',s ,at the moment when ,joseph had met the ,vicar of ,st4 ,elwyn's1 he knew him for just what he was4 ,the mysterious power which had enabled the ,teacher to lay bare the sins and secrets of the strangers in the theatre came to him then1 and he saw deep through the envelope of flesh to the man's naked soul4 ,nothing was hidden from him4 ,the meanness1 the snobbery1 the invincible absorption in a petty self1 the hunger for notoriety and applause--all the layers and deposits of earthly stuff which overlaid the little undeveloped germ of good--these were plain to the spiritual vision of the man who was filled with the ,holy ,ghost4 ,the man's mind and its workings moved in his sight as a scientist sees the blood pulsing in the veins of an insect under the microscope4 ,but directly ,mr4 ,persse asked him to address the congregation of the fashionable ,west ,end church1 ,joseph knew that1 whatever motives dictated the vicar's offer1 the opportunity was from ,god4 ,it was ordained that he should mount the pulpit and deliver the message that was within him4 ,he had slipped out of the mansion in ,berkeley ,square without bidding any of its inmates farewell4 ,he had no wish to make mysterious entrances and exits4 ,indeed1 he never thought about the matter at all1 but there was something within him that led and moved him1 a force which he obeyed without question4 ,as he went out into the square1 ,joseph's heart was full of hope and thankfulness to ,god4 ,god had led him to the door of ,sir ,thomas ,ducaine's house in ,piccadilly4 ,god had been with him during the still watches of the night as he pleaded and reasoned with the young man having great possessions4 ,and ,god had prevailed6 ,all that had seemed so hopeless and insuperable during the dark hours after the scene in the theatre was over1 was now lightened and smoothed away4 ,in a few hours money and influence had come to him1 and at a time when the sword of the ,lord had but hardly left its sheath for the battle that was to be fought4 ,joseph bent his steps at once towards the ,euston ,road4 ,his faithful followers were there in the quiet hotel by the station4 ,ignorant of ,london1 knowing nothing of what was going to happen1 unaware of their leader's plans or place1 they waited1 trusting in ,god4 ,the thought quickened his steps4 ,he longed to be with these trusting ones1 to pray with them that ,god would be with him on the morrow4 ,every now and again1 as he walked1 some one or other glanced curiously at him4 ,the face of this or that passer-by would wear a look of curiosity and interrogation1 and then1 in several instances1 the wonder changed into recognition1 and the wayfarers felt almost sure that this must indeed be the very man with whose name all ,london was ringing4 ,but no one followed him4 ,no one could be quite sure of his identity1 even though it was more than once suspected1 and walking so swiftly as he did1 he was far out of hail before anyone could make up his mind to accost or follow him4 ,for his part ,joseph heeded these significant signs and tokens of the huge interest with which his personality was inspiring ,london very little4 ,he had not seen the morning papers1 though he knew from what he had heard in ,berkeley ,square that they were much occupied with his name and doings4 ,that was to be expected1 he knew4 ,but he did not care to see what they were saying of him4 ,he walked through the streets of ,london1 a man walking with ,god1 holding high commune with the ,eternal4 ,but ere he met his brethren1 he was to have a very practical illustration of ,london's excitement1 and ,london was to have another sensation4 ,he had turned into the ,euston ,road1 and was nearing the house which sheltered his disciples1 when he saw that a huge crowd stood before it4 ,the road was almost impassable for traffic1 and a dozen stalwart policemen urged the thick mass of humanity to move in vain4 ,every face was turned up to the dingy red-brick front of the hotel4 ,there may have been nearly a thousand people there1 and the crowd was growing every moment1 and every one was gazing up at the windows of the house4 ,the strange thing about the crowd was that it was an absolutely silent one4 ,no one shouted or spoke1 the thick clotted mass of humanity was motionless and orderly1 though it refused to obey the orders of the police to disperse4 ,what had occurred was simple enough4 ,the landlord of the hotel was interested from the first in the band of grave1 silent men who had arrived at his house on the evening before4 ,he had had but a few moments' conversation with ,joseph1 but the interview had powerfully affected him4 ,himself one of the sidesmen of a neighboring church1 an honest and ,god-fearing man1 who ran his temperance hotel with conspicuous decency in a street renowned for its bad and unsavory reputation1 the landlord had read all about the strange mountain revival in ,wales4 ,he identified his new guests immediately upon their arrival4 ,it was impossible to mistake ,joseph1 that strange and mysterious being whose outward form resembled the very ,christ ,himself in such a marvellous and awe-inspiring fashion4 ,when the band had bestowed their simple luggage in their rooms1 and had left the hotel for the theatre under ,joseph's guidance1 the landlord1 all agog with his news1 went to the local ,conservative club1 of which he was a member1 and told it4 ,then had come the stupendous intelligence in the journals of that morning1 and it had immediately got about--as news does get about1 who shall say how or why8--that the headquarters of the evangelist were at a certain temperance hotel in that neighborhood4 ,by half-past eleven1 silently1 swiftly1 as if drawn by some unseen magnet1 the people had collected in front of the house1 and1 even as ,joseph drew near1 journalists from all parts of ,fleet ,street1 summoned by telephone and telegram1 were hastening to the scene as fast as hansom cabs could bring them4 ,joseph walked straight up to the edge of the tightly packed mass of people4 ,the way to the hotel door was entirely blocked1 and he was at a loss how to approach it4 ,at length he touched a policeman upon the shoulder4 ,the man's back was turned to him1 and he also was staring at the window of the hotel in puzzled silence4 ,my friend1 ,joseph said quietly1 do you think you could make a way for me8 ,i must get to the house4 ,my friends are there4 ,something in the deep1 quiet voice startled the constable4 ,he turned round with a rapid movement1 involuntarily knocking off the ,teacher's soft felt hat as he did so4 ,the big man's face grew pale with surprise1 and then flushed up with excitement4 ,he was a huge fellow1 a tower of bone and muscle1 but he seemed no taller than the man beside him1 no more powerful than ,joseph at the moment of their meeting4 ,the sun was still shining1 and it fell upon the ,teacher's face and form1 lighting them up with almost ,eastern definiteness and distinctness4 ,but it was not only the sun which irradiated ,joseph's face with an unearthly serenity and beauty4 ,he had been communing with ,god4 ,his thoughts were still on high4 ,his face was not of this world4 ,it was as the face of an angel4 ,the man shouted out in a loud1 high-pitched voice1 which sent an immediate responsive quiver through the crowd4 ,make way6 he called4 ,make way6 ,he's come6 ,joseph has come6 ,there was a sudden rustling sound1 like the first murmur the upspringing wind makes in a forest4 ,the crowd swayed and strained as every member of it turned1 and ,joseph saw a mass of stippled pink framed in black before him4 ,there was a deep organ note from many voices1 interspersed here and there with sharp cries1 falsetto1 high in the palate1 ejaculations of excitement1 which could not be controlled4 ,then every one saw him4 ,the deep note swelled into a great shout of welcome1 astonishment1 and even fear1 while1 as the waters rolled back for the passage of ,israel1 the living billows of humanity separated and were cleaved asunder4 ,it was the triumph of a personality which1 at this moment1 was superhuman1 a personality such as had never visited the modern ,babylon before4 ,good men and saints have ofttimes trodden1 and still tread the streets of ,london1 but never before had its weary1 sin-worn people known the advent of one such as this man1 an angel or messenger of warning straight from ,god6 ,it was a scene which recalled other scenes in the dim past4 ,human nature has not changed1 though the conditions under which it manifests itself have changed4 ,steam and electricity1 all the discoveries of science1 all the increase of knowledge which they have produced1 have had no real influence for change upon the human heart4 ,science does not limit1 nor does knowledge destroy1 the eternal truths of ,christianity4 ,this man1 coming as he did1 influenced as he was influenced1 had the same power over a modern mob in ,london as he would have had in those ages which fools call dark or superstitious--not realizing that the revelation of ,god to man is still going on in perfect beauty and splendor1 that day by day new proofs are added to the great ,central ,truth of the ,incarnation4 ,they swept aside to let him pass1 calling aloud upon his name1 in anger1 in supplication1 in fear and in joy--a mighty multiple voice of men and women stirred to the very depths of being4 ,his bare head bowed1 his face still shining with inward spiritual fire1 ,joseph passed among them1 and was lost to their sight within the doors of the house4 ,he moved swiftly up the stairs1 still as if in a dream in which worldly things had no part1 with the rapt face of one who sees a vision still4 ,pushing open a door1 he found himself by instinct1 for no one had directed him1 in the large upper chamber where the brethren were gathered together4 ,the room was a large bare place1 occasionally let for dinners and other social occasions1 but ordinarily very little used4 ,the dozen or so of the faithful friends who had come with ,joseph from their native hills were kneeling at the chairs placed round the walls4 ,one of them1 ,david ,owen1 was praying aloud1 in a deep fervent voice4 ,lord ,god of ,hosts1 we know how ,thou didst anoint ,our ,lord with the ,holy ,ghost and with power2 ,who went about doing good1 and healing all that were oppressed of the devil2 for ,god was with ,him4 ,anoint our ,master ,joseph in the same way1 that he and we with him may prevail against the devils of ,london and their captain1 ,beelzebub4 ,and oh1 most ,merciful ,father1 preserve our ,teacher while he is away from us from the assaults of ,satan and the craft and subtlety of evil men4 ,send him back to us with good news1 and armed for the battle with ,thy grace and protection4 ,dear ,lord1 ,amen4 ,there was a deep groan of assent1 and then a momentary silence1 broken by ,david1 who said3 ,brethren1 ,i have it in my mind to read a portion of the ,holy ,book1 this being the first chapter of the ,acts of the ,apostles4 ,for it is therein that we shall remind ourselves of how the ,apostles remained at ,jerusalem waiting for the promise of the ,father that ere many days passed they should be baptized with the ,holy ,ghost4 ,and reading thus1 we shall be comforted and of a stout heart4 ,with these words the old man rose1 and1 turning1 saw ,joseph standing among them4 ,he gave a glad shout of surprise1 and in a moment the ,teacher was surrounded by the faces of his friends4 ,they wrung him by the hand1 they pressed on him with words of joy1 the sonorous ,welsh ejaculations of praise and thanksgiving rang like a carillon in the long1 bare room4 ,the tears came into ,joseph's eyes4 ,my brethren1 he said1 and all marked the splendor of his countenance and the music of his voice1 ,god has richly blessed us1 and shown us signs of ,his love and favor4 ,sit you down1 and ,i will tell you my story and all that has happened to me4 ,blessed be the name of the ,lord6 ,he told them everything1 leaving out no single detail1 and beginning his story from the moment on which he had left them the night before4 ,many were the exclamations of sympathy and comprehension as he told of the black doubts and fears that had haunted him upon this midnight walk4 ,like all men who have passed through deep spiritual experiences1 they know such hours well4 ,for all men who love ,god and try to serve ,him must endure their agony and must be tempted in the desert places1 even as ,christ ,jesus ,who died for us was tempted4 ,the simple band of brethren heard with rapt attention how the ,holy ,spirit had led their chief into the dwellings of the rich and powerful1 and raised up mighty help for the battle that was to come4 ,in all they saw the hand of ,god4 ,miracle had succeeded miracle from the very moment when they laid the body of their beloved ,lluellyn ,lys to rest upon the wild mountain top4 ,god was with them indeed6 ,it is not too much to say that during the remainder of the ,saturday ,london was in an extraordinary ferment4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the time was one of great religious stagnation4 ,it was as though1 as the old chronicle of the ,middle ,ages once put it3 ,god and all his angels seemed as asleep4 ,for months past a purely secular spirit had been abroad4 ,socialistic teachings had been widely heard1 and the man in the street was told that here1 and here only1 was the real panacea for the ills of life to be found4 ,and now1 at the very moment of this universal stagnation1 ,joseph had come to ,london4 ,there had suddenly arisen1 with every circumstance of mystery and awe calculated to impress the popular mind1 a tremendous personality1 a revolutionary from ,god--as it seemed--a prophet calling man to repent1 a being with strange powers1 a lamp in which the fires of ,pentecost burned anew1 one who spake boldly in the name of the ,lord ,jesus4 ,by dinner-time on the ,saturday night all ,mayfair knew that ,joseph was to preach at ,st4 ,elwyn's on the evening of the morrow4 ,the evening papers had announced the fact1 and a series of notes had been sent round to various houses by the vicar and his assistant clergy4 ,st4 ,elwyn's was a large and imposing building1 but its seating capacity was limited4 ,mr4 ,persse was very well aware that the occasion he had provided would have filled ,westminster ,abbey and ,st4 ,paul's as well4 ,the crowd was sure to be enormous4 ,he therefore determined that admission to the service should be by ticket only1 a perfectly unjustifiable proceeding1 of course1 but one which would secure just the sort of congregation he wished to be impressed by his own activity and broad-mindedness4 ,the tickets were hurriedly printed and issued1 some of them were sent to the ,press1 the remainder to the wealthy and influential society people who were accustomed to worship at this church4 ,the service was fixed for eight o'clock4 ,as a usual thing the ,sunday evensong was but poorly attended at ,st4 ,elwyn's4 ,the fashionable world didn't mind going to church on ,sunday morning1 and afterwards for church parade in ,hyde ,park1 but one really couldn't be expected to go in the evening6 ,the world was dining then--and dinner was dinner6 ,mr4 ,persse knew this1 and he announced a choral evensong at eight1 and an address by the ,evangelist ,joseph at nine4 ,no one1 owing to the fact of the numbered and reserved tickets1 need necessarily attend the preliminary service4 ,every one could dine in peace and comfort and arrive in time for the sensation of the evening4 ,nothing could have been more pleasant and satisfactory4 ,the vicar1 busy as he was with the necessary work of preparation1 yet found time for a few moments of acute uneasiness4 ,nothing had been seen of ,joseph4 ,would he come after all8 ,could he be depended upon1 or would the whole thing prove a tremendous fiasco8 ,late on the afternoon of the ,saturday1 ,mr4 ,persse heard of the doings outside the hotel which had obviously occurred within an hour of ,joseph's acceptance of the offer to preach and his mysterious departure from ,berkeley ,square4 ,immediately on reading this the vicar had dispatched his senior curate in his motor-brougham to make final arrangement with the ,teacher about ,sunday evening4 ,the young man1 however1 had returned with the news that ,joseph and his companions had left the house by a back entrance during the afternoon1 and that nothing was known of their whereabouts4 ,during the day of ,sunday ,mr4 ,persse1 though he wore an expression of pious and sanctified expectation1 found his uneasiness and alarm increase4 ,he showed nothing of it at the luncheon party which he attended after morning service1 and answered the excited inquiries of the other guests with suavity and aplomb4 ,but as the hour of eight drew near and no word had been received from the ,teacher1 all the mean fears and worries that must ever be the portion of the popularity-hunter assailed him with disconcerting violence4 ,at eight o'clock that evening there was probably no more nervous and frightened man in the ,west ,end of ,london than this priest4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the stately ritual of evensong was over4 ,the celebrated choir1 in their scarlet cassocks and lace cottas1 had filed away into the vestry1 preceded by the great silver-gilt cross which ,lady ,kirwan had given to the church1 and followed by the clergy in their copes and birettas4 ,a faint sweet smell of incense lingered about the great arched aisles1 and an acolyte was putting out the candles on the ,high ,altar with a long brass extinguisher4 ,it was a quarter before nine1 and the church was filling rapidly4 ,the vergers in their gowns of black velvet were showing the ticket-holders to their seats2 on all sides were the rustle of silk1 the gleam of jewels1 breaths of faint1 rare perfumes4 ,mr4 ,persse always encouraged people to come to his church in evening dress4 ,he said1 and quite rightly1 that there was no possible reason why people who belonged to a class which changes its costume in the evening as a matter of course should be prevented from coming together to worship ,god by that circumstance4 ,nevertheless1 the sight was a curious one1 in comparison with that seen at the same hour in most other churches4 ,the women wore black mantillas over their elaborate coiffures--just as the poorer class do at church in ,italy--but the sparkle of diamonds and the dull sheen of the pearls were but hardly veiled4 ,fans moved incessantly1 and there was a continuous sound of whispering1 like the wind in the reeds on the bank of a river4 ,mr4 ,persse was in the inner vestry with his two curates4 ,his face was pale1 and little beads of perspiration were beginning to start out upon it4 ,i don't know what we shall do1 ,nugent1 he said to one of the young men2 this is dreadful4 ,we can't wait very much longer4 ,nearly every one has come1 the verger tells me4 ,every seat is occupied1 and they are putting chairs in the aisles4 ,there is an enormous crowd of ordinary people outside the church1 and fifty policemen can hardly keep a way for the carriages4 ,there has been nothing like it before2 it is marvellous4 ,and the man has never turned up6 ,i don't know what to do4 ,it's very awkward1 ,mr4 ,nugent answered--he was ,sir ,arbuthnot ,nugent's second son1 and a great pet in ,park ,lane and its environs--and if the man does not come it will do ,st4 ,elwyn's a great deal of harm4 ,it will indeed1 the vicar answered1 and ,i don't mind telling you1 ,nugent1 that ,i have had quite an inspiration concerning him4 ,when ,i asked him to come here he assented at once4 ,i felt--you know how one has these intuitions--that he was a man over whom ,i should have great influence4 ,now1 why should ,i not induce him to take ,holy ,orders1 and give him a title to ,st4 ,elwyn's8 ,he is no mere ignorant peasant1 as the general public seem to imagine4 ,he is a gentleman1 and1 ,i am informed by ,sir ,thomas ,ducaine1 took an excellent degree at ,cambridge4 ,the bishop would be glad to obtain him1 ,i feel quite sure of it1 and there can be no manner of doubt that he is a real spiritual force4 ,nor must we forget that ,god in ,his ,providence has ensured a most influential following for him4 ,i have it on quite unimpeachable authority that ,joseph is to be taken up by all the best people4 ,there was a knocking at the door which led into the small courtyard at the back of the church4 ,the vicar called out ,come in6 in a voice that rang with uncertainty and hope1 and ,joseph himself entered4 ,the ,teacher was very pale and worn4 ,his face was marked and lined as if he had quite recently passed through some rending and tearing experiences1 some deep agony of the soul4 ,so ,jacob might have appeared after he had wrestled with the ,angel of the ,lord1 or ,holy ,paul when at last the scales fell from his eyes1 and he received sight forthwith and arose4 ,ah1 here you are1 ,mr4 ,persse said in tones of immeasurable relief4 ,we had almost given you up6 ,there is a very large congregation1 and some of the most important people in ,london are here4 ,i hope you are prepared6 ,god will give me words1 ,joseph answered quietly1 though he did not look at the priest as he spoke4 ,oh1 ah1 yes6 ,mr4 ,persse replied2 though1 for my own part1 ,i confess to anxious preparation of all my sermons4 ,have you a surplice and a cassock8 ,no8 ,oh well then we can fit you out very well from the choir cupboard4 ,a surplice was found for him1 the vicar knelt and said a prayer1 and then the three men1 the two priests and the evangelist1 walked into the church4 ,there was a stir1 a rustle1 and then a dead silence4 ,mr4 ,persse and the curate sat in their stalls1 and ,joseph ascended the stone steps to the pulpit1 which was set high on the left side of the chancel arch4 ,he looked down from his high place upon the faces below4 ,row after row of faces met his eye4 ,nearly all the electric lights1 save only those which gleamed on the pulpit ledge and illuminated a crucifix behind his head1 were lowered4 ,he saw a sheen of black and white1 the dull glitter of jewels1 and the innumerable faces4 ,still standing1 he lifted his hands high above his head1 and in a loud voice cried upon ,god-- ,father1 give me a tongue to speak to these ,thy children4 ,lord ,jesus1 guide me4 ,holy ,ghost1 descend upon this church1 and speak through the mouth of ,thy servant4 ,the voice rang like a bugle through the arches1 and echoed in the lofty roof4 ,and now the words of the text3 ,oh1 consider this1 ye that forget ,god2 lest ,i pluck you away1 and there be none to deliver you4 ,the second terrible warning to ,london had begun4 ,,chapter ,,xiii ,,the ,,conspirators ,,of ,,st4 ,,john',s ,,wood ,at precisely the same hour on the ,sunday evening when ,joseph ascended the pulpit of ,st4 ,elwyn's ,church a large red ,napier motor-car stopped before the gate of a smart little villa in ,st4 ,john's ,wood4 ,the villa stood in its own grounds1 and was surrounded by a high wall4 ,it had a general air of seclusion and retirement1 though it was obviously the property or in the tenancy of people of wealth4 ,the wall was clean and newly pointed1 the gate was painted a dark green1 the short drive which led to the front door was made of the finest white marl4 ,the motor-car stopped1 and two men descended from it1 clearly defined in the radiance from two electric globes that were mounted on each pillar of the villa gate4 ,both wore opera hats1 white scarves round their throats and black overcoats4 ,one was tall1 slim1 and clean-shaven4 ,his age was about twenty-six1 his hair was a pale golden color1 and his face1 too young as yet to be permanently spoilt and damaged1 nevertheless bore the unmistakable imprint of a fast life4 ,the young man1 evil though his countenance was1 conveyed a certain impression of birth and breeding4 ,his companion1 on the other hand1 was just as unmistakably destitute of both4 ,he was short and fat in figure4 ,his face boasted a modicum of impudent good looks1 and was of a strongly ,hebraic cast4 ,the fine dark eyes1 the hooked nose1 the large lips--red like a ripe plum--all shouted the prosperous ,jew4 ,the younger man gave an order to the chauffeur4 ,the automobile swung away towards ,hampstead1 and the companions walked up the approach to the villa1 the door of which was opened to them by a servant4 ,they entered a small hall1 luxuriously furnished in the ,eastern style1 and lit with shaded electric lamps4 ,as they did so1 a manservant hurried up to them from behind some heavy ,moorish curtains4 ,where is your mistress8 said the younger of the two men4 ,my mistress is in the drawing-room1 my lord1 the servant answered4 ,oh1 all right6 ,take our coats4 ,we will go and find her at once4 ,the servant took the coats and hats1 and the two men walked down a wide-carpeted passage1 brilliantly lit by globes in the roof1 which made their stiff white shirt-fronts glitter like talc1 and opened a heavy door of oak4 ,the villa was the home of ,miss ,mimi ,addington1 the leading musical comedy actress of ,london--the star of the ,frivolity4 ,the young man with the light hair and the dissipated expression was ,lord ,bellina1 an ,irish viscount4 ,he had succeeded to the title some three years before1 and to a very large fortune1 which had come into the impoverished ,irish family owing to a marriage with the daughter of a wealthy ,liverpool manufacturer4 ,the short ,jewish-looking man who accompanied him was ,mr4 ,andrew ,levison1 the theatrical entrepreneur and leesee of the ,frivolity ,theatre1 in which ,lord ,bellina had invested several thousand pounds4 ,lord ,bellina opened the door of the room and entered1 followed by ,mr4 ,levison4 ,upon one of the divans1 wearing a long tea-gown of ,indian red1 ,mimi ,addington was lounging4 ,her face was very pale1 and on this occasion quite destitute of the little artistic touches with which she was wont to embellish it4 ,the expression was strained and angry1 and the beautiful eyes shone with a hard1 fierce glitter4 ,there had been no performance at the ,frivolity ,theatre on the night after ,joseph's sudden appearance there4 ,mimi ,addington had been taken away in a state of wild and terrified hysteria4 ,it was impossible for her to play upon the ,saturday night1 and her understudy1 who should have sustained the part in the illness of her principal1 had disappeared1 and could not be found4 ,moreover1 several other members of the cast had sent in their resignations1 and many of the ticket offices of the ,west ,end of town had reported that the gilded gang of young men who were accustomed to take stalls for considerable portions of the run of a popular piece had withdrawn their applications4 ,well1 ,mimi1 my dear1 said ,mr4 ,levison1 with anxious geniality1 and how are you to-day8 ,bad1 the girl answered in one single bitter word4 ,mr4 ,levison made a commiserating noise4 ,tut1 tut6 he said2 you must try and bear up1 ,mimi1 though ,i must own this abominable and unprecedented occurrence has been enough to try any one--this ,joseph4 ,at the word the woman sprang from her couch with a swift feline movement of rage4 ,him6 she screamed1 in a voice from which all the usual melody and sweetness had entirely departed4 ,if ,i had him here ,i'd murder him6 ,no1 that would be too good for him6 ,i've thought of worse things than that to do6 ,lord ,bellina went up to her and put his arm round her shoulder4 ,and serve him right1 he said2 but try and be quiet1 ,mimi1 you'll only make yourself worse4 ,she pushed the young man roughly away1 in a blaze of passion so lurid and terrible that it frightened the two men4 ,lord ,bellina looked helplessly at ,levison for a moment4 ,the elder man rose to the occasion4 ,let's get to business1 he said2 something must be done4 ,the woman nodded eagerly and quickly1 and with the same unnatural glitter in her eyes4 ,have you seen any of the papers8 ,levison said4 ,she shook her head4 ,well1 ,bally and ,i have been going through them1 and1 what's more1 we have been seeing a whole lot of people1 and getting various extra opinions4 ,you know that ,i can say without boasting in the least that there are very few men in ,london who know the popular taste as ,i do4 ,i've made my success by realizing exactly what ,london will do and think just a day or two before it has made up its own mind4 ,i have never made a mistake4 ,i won't bother you now with an account of how ,i have arrived at my present conclusion4 ,it is enough to say that ,i am certain of it1 and that it is this3 ,there is not the slightest doubt that if this man ,joseph continues in his pleasant little games--you see1 ,i speak without heat--theatrical business in ,london will be ruined for months4 ,there is going to be a great wave of religious enthusiasm all over the place4 ,this man--,joseph he calls himself--is going to lead it4 ,the man is an extraordinary one4 ,he has a personality and a force greater1 probably1 than any living person in ,europe to-day4 ,there is no doubt about it4 ,you1 my dear ,mimi1 will have to forego your nightly triumphs4 ,public opinion will hound you off the stage and shut up my theatre1 or compel me to let it as a mission-hall for ten pounds a night6 ,as for you1 ,bellina1 you will have to retire to your estates in ,galway1 and superintend the potato crop1 and take an intelligent interest in the brood of the ,irish national animal--the pig in short1 ,bally6 ,although he spoke jauntily enough1 there was a deep vein of bitterness and sincerity underlying the ,jew's words4 ,he watched the faces of his two listeners with a quick and cunning scrutiny4 ,mimi ,addington spoke4 ,you've hit the mark1 ,andrew1 she said1 in a low voice1 in which there was a curious hissing quality--you've hit the mark1 as you always do4 ,what you've said is perfectly true4 ,i know it and feel it4 ,her eyes blazed1 and she put one white and shapely hand up to the ivory column of her throat1 wrestling with the agony of hysteria and hate1 which once more threatened to master her4 ,with a great effort of will1 she calmed herself1 and went on speaking4 ,but all this1 ,andrew1 depends upon one little word1 'if4' ,lord ,bellina looked quickly at ,levison1 with a glance which seemed to say that they had already arrived at precisely the same conclusion4 ,that's it1 he said2 there is always that little word1 'if4' ,there was a dead silence in the little room1 and three faces1 pale and full of sinister purpose1 sought each other in a horrid trio of hate4 ,the girl's face was as it had been from the first1 unredeemed evil4 ,the countenance of the young peer had changed from its usual vacuous and dissipated weakness into something which1 bad as it was1 had still a quality of strength4 ,he had sat cowering in the theatre while the terrible denunciation of the evangelist had laid bare the secrets of his life4 ,and although he did not outwardly show how hard he had been hit1 his resentment was no less furious though less vulgarly expressed1 than that of ,mimi4 ,the ,israelite gave no indication of his inward feelings4 ,in truth1 they were of a quite different nature from those of the other two4 ,he lived for two purposes4 ,one was to make money1 the other was to enjoy himself2 he saw now that his money-making was menaced1 and that his enjoyment would be spoiled--unless-- ,mimi ,addington became suddenly quite calm and business-like4 ,she realized that she was in perfect accord with the other two4 ,now let's get to work1 she said4 ,this ,joseph must be got rid of at once4 ,it can be done1 ,i suppose1 if we pay enough4 ,quite so1 said ,mr4 ,levison4 ,it now only remains to form ourselves into a committee of ways and means4 ,,chapter ,,xiv ,,the ,,warning ,like a bell the preacher's voice rang through the crowded church4 ,after the delivery of the solemn and menacing text of warning1 ,joseph began1 suddenly and swiftly1 without any of the usual preliminary platitudes with which so many preachers in all the churches commence their addresses4 ,i look down upon you and see you with an inward and spiritual vision4 ,and to me1 you men and women in your wealth1 your temporal power1 your beauty1 your curiosity and your sin1 seem as a vast ,slough of ,despond4 ,i need no such fantastic images1 powerful and skilful as they may be1 by means of which ,dante or ,milton portrayed the horrors of hell1 to show me a horror more real and terrible than any of which they wrote4 ,this is the ,city of ,dreadful ,night4 ,it is the ,modern ,babylon1 where ,christendom1 corrupt both in state and in society1 sits by many waters1 and speaks in her heart1 and boasts1 ',i sit a queen1 and am no widow1 and shall see no sorrow4' ,sin and ,satan exercise a terrible dominion1 ungodliness and debauchery accompany them1 for ,babylon is the abode of all unclean spirits4 ,and in this church1 you men and women to whom ,i am speaking now represent in your very persons no small portion of the army of wickedness which rules ,london and fattens upon its corruption4 ,he paused for a moment1 looking down from his high place with a pale face1 burning eyes1 and a hand outstretched in condemnation4 ,there was a soft1 universal1 and perceptible noise of movement1 which rose and ceased4 ,then all was silent again4 ,with their eyes fixed steadfastly on ,joseph1 no one had seen the vicar half rise from his seat in the chancel1 with a scared look upon his face1 and a sudden deprecatory movement of his arm4 ,the preacher resumed3-- ,in a very short time--for some of you the time is shorter than you dream of--for to-night ,god has revealed much to me--you will all be dead4 ,the feasting1 and the folly1 and the fun1 and the lying and the drinking and the lust will all be over for you1 and you will answer for what you have done4 ,this is what ,i tell you to have constantly in your minds while ,i am speaking to you to-night4 ,you may think in your blindness1 in your folly1 that ,i am exaggerating the evil of the time1 the monstrous wickedness of ,london1 for which you and people like you are largely responsible4 ,delude yourself with no such vain imagining1 for ,i speak to you as the ambassador of the ,most ,high ,god1 and to-night you shall hear me4 ,the signs of the time are unmistakable4 ,london has come to the worship of the image of the beast1 of the human spirit1 which has apostatized from ,god1 and made itself ,god4 ,you have fallen into strong delusions1 into which the ,lord suffers all to fall who have not received the truth in the love of it1 that they might be saved4 ,you worship that which the inspired words of the ,bible call the 'beast' because it denies what is truly human1 and1 with all its culture and civilization1 is more and more tending to degrade humanity4 ,all who see with the eye of the ,spirit know that atheistic and materialistic systems1 denying ,god and the existence of the ,spirit1 and based upon a purely physical view of existence1 and atheistic literature1 which by its poetry1 fictions1 and romances1 diffuses the ,gospel of the flesh among the masses1 grow daily1 and are triumphant4 ,the words of ,revelation have come true1 and out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the false prophet have proceeded the three unclean spirits1 like frogs4 ,these creatures of the swamp1 the mire1 and the morass are among you4 ,their croaking1 powerless as it is in itself1 yet produces a sound which penetrates1 and is heard all around2 repeating the same thing day after day1 deluding men1 and bringing them into the right state of mind for the service of ,antichrist4 ,you call yourselves ,christians4 ,you are here in a church1 and the presence of most of you is the most grim and ghastly mockery that the finite mind can possibly conceive4 ,day by day in this holy temple of the ,blessed ,trinity ,god ,incarnate comes down upon the altar yonder as the priest says the words of ,consecration--those incredibly wonderful five words which put the ,blessed ,body of our ,lord under the white species of the ,host4 ,only this morning many of you heard those ,jewels five words long ,that on the outstretched forefinger of all time1 ,sparkle for ever4 ,next ,sunday1 it may be1 you will hear them again1 as you heard them last ,sunday4 ,yet you live for evil pleasure still4 ,when you think at all1 you delude yourselves into imagining you are worshipping ,god1 when you are taking a fitful interest in a ceremony which means no more to you than a ceremony4 ,you come here for an hour in the morning of one day of the week1 your minds full of worldly pleasures and the memories of your pleasant sins4 ,you listen to the words of the ,bible in your comfortable seats1 and think how quaint1 far off1 and unreal they are4 ,with a languid mental smile you hear of the devil and the evil spirits who walk up and down the ,city seeking whom they may devour4 ,you would not smile if you were to take a short journey from this church into the devil's country1 the ,east ,end of ,london--if now1 with one accord1 you were to drive in your carriages to those places where the air is heavy with ceaseless curses1 where hideous disease and uncleanliness that you cannot even imagine1 stalk hand in hand with famine1 despair1 and unmentionable horrors of vice4 ,you would believe then1 perhaps1 that the devil still goes about the streets of ,london doing his work4 ,i tell you this without any possibility of mistake1 that you are the servants of ,satan1 and that in your lives you have enrolled yourselves under the black banners of hell4 ,and more especially than all1 you are hypocrites4 ,outwardly all is fair and of good report until1 as happens now and then1 your lives are laid bare to the world in some hideous scandal4 ,you go to church1 your names are seen upon the lists of those societies which endeavor to ameliorate the life of the downtrodden and the oppressed4 ,but what personal service do most of you give to the cause of the ,god in whom you confess to believe8 ,you live for pleasure1 and you are hypocrites4 ,hypocrisy occurs in all the relations of your life2 in the daily intercourse between man and man1 when friendship is feigned2 in the political sphere1 when tyrants and self-seekers pretend a deep care for ,fatherland1 and thereby lead men according to their design4 ,in art and science you are hypocrites1 pretending a pure unselfish love to the higher ideal1 when self-gratification is all you look for2 incense is offered to the idols of the time1 and pleasure is alone the end and aim1 the ,alpha and ,omega of existence4 ,you are as 'trees whose fruit withereth1 without fruit1 twice dead1 plucked up by the roots2 raging waves of the sea1 foaming out their own shame2 wandering stars4' ,and all around you ,london grows worse and worse1 while it is from its corruption and from its misery that your sordid pleasures are distilled4 ,there are men here to-night who have won fortune1 rank1 and celebrity from the wholesale poisoning of the poor4 ,the food which the slaves of the modern ,babylon eat1 the drink they drink1 is full of foulness1 that you may fare sumptuously every day1 that your wives may be covered with jewels4 ,there are men here to-night who keep hundreds and thousands of their fellow-,christians in hideous and dreadful dens without hope1 and for ever4 ,in order that you may live in palaces1 surrounded by all the beauties and splendors that the choicest art1 the most skilled handicraft can give1 hundreds of human beings who lurk in the holes for which they pay you must spend their lives1 where no ordinary man or woman can remain for more than a moment or two1 so terrible are these nauseous places4 ,whole miles of ground in the modern ,london are thickly packed with fellow-,christians who are hourly giving up their lives in one long torture that you may eat1 drink and be merry4 ,at midday you may go into the ,east ,end of ,london and pass a factory4 ,men come out of it dripping with perspiration1 and that perspiration is green4 ,the hair of these men sprouts green from the roots giving them the appearance of some strange vegetable4 ,these men are changed and dyed like this that your wives may spend the life-earnings of any one of them in the costly shops of the perruquiers in ,bond ,street4 ,in order that you may draw twenty1 thirty1 forty1 or fifty per cent4 from your investments1 instead of an honest return from the wealth with which ,god has entrusted you1 there are men who eat like animals4 ,in the little eating-houses around the works1 there are human beings who leave their knives and forks unused and drop their heads and bury their noses and mouths into what is set before them4 ,all the bones1 nerves1 and muscles below their wrists are useless4 ,these are the slaves of lead1 who are transmuting lead with the sacrifice of their own lives1 that it may change to gold to purchase your banquets4 ,you are the people who directly or indirectly live in a luxury such as the world has never seen before1 out of the wages of disease and death4 ,copper colic1 hatter's shakers1 diver's paralysis1 shoemaker's chest1 miller's itch1 hammerman's palsy1 potter's rot1 shoddy fever1 are the prices which others pay for your yachts and pictures1 your horses and motor-cars1 your music1 your libraries1 your clubs1 your travel1 and your health4 ,and what of the other and more intimate side of your lives8 ,do you live with the most ordinary standard of family and personal purity before you8 ,do you spend a large portion of your lives in gambling1 in the endeavor to gain money without working for it from people less skilful or fortunate than yourself8 ,do you reverence goodness and holiness when you find them or are told of them1 or do you mock and sneer8 ,do you destroy your bodily health by over-indulgence in food1 in wine1 and in unnatural drugs1 which destroy the mind and the moral sense8 ,do you ever and systematically seek the good and welfare of others1 or do you live utterly and solely for yourself1 even as the beasts that perish8 ,the preacher stopped in one long pause2 then his voice sank a full tone-- ,yes1 all these things you do1 and more1 and ,god is not with you4 ,nearly every head in the church was bent low as the flaming1 scorching words of denunciation swept over them4 ,wealthy1 celebrated1 high in the world's good favor as they were1 none of these people had ever heard the terrible1 naked truth about their lives before4 ,nor was it alone the denunciatory passion of the words and the bitter realization of the shameful truth which moved and influenced them so deeply4 ,the personality of the ,teacher1 some quality in his voice which they had never yet heard in the voice of living man1 the all-inspiring likeness to the most sacred figure the world has ever known1 the intense vibrating quality of more than human power and conviction--all these united to light the fires of remorse in every heart1 and to touch the soul with the cold fingers of fear4 ,accustomed as most of them were to this or that piquant thrill or sensation--for were not their lives passed in the endless quest of stimulating excitement8--there was yet something in this occasion utterly alien to it1 and different from anything they had ever known before4 ,of what this quality consisted1 of what it was composed1 many of them there would have given conflicting and contradictory answers4 ,all would have agreed in its presence4 ,only a few1 a very few1 knew and recognized the truth1 either with gladness and holy awe or with shrinking and guilty dread1 the ,power which enveloped them with the sense of the presence of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,there was a change in the accusing voice-- ,but it is not yet too late4 ,god's mercy is infinite1 and through the merits of ,his ,son you may save yourselves while there is time4 ,kneel now and pray silently as you have never prayed before1 for ,i tell you that ,god is here among you4 ,an opportunity will be given to each one of you to make reparation for the evil you have done1 for the messengers of the ,lord have come to ,london1 and wondrous things will come to pass6 ,and now pray1 pray1 pray6 ,in the name of the ,father1 the ,son1 and the ,holy ,ghost4 ,amen4 ,with no further word the ,teacher turned and quietly descended the pulpit steps4 ,every head was bowed2 hardly a single person heard or saw him move away into the vestry1 and a great silence fell upon the church4 ,as if in a dream1 the tall figure in its white linen ephod passed through the outer vestry into the large and comfortable room used by the priests4 ,no one was there1 and ,joseph sank upon his knees in prayer4 ,he had been sending up his passionate supplications for the souls of those without but a few seconds1 when he felt a touch--a timid1 hesitating touch--upon his shoulder4 ,he looked up1 and saw a little elderly man1 wearing the long velvet-trimmed gown which signalized a verger in ,st4 ,elwyn's1 standing by his side4 ,the old man's face was moving and working with strong emotion1 and a strange blaze of eagerness shone in his eyes4 ,master1 he said1 ,i heard it all1 every word you said to them2 and it is true--every word is bitter true4 ,master1 there is one who has need of you1 and in ,god's name ,i pray you to go with me4 ,in ,god's name ,i will come with you1 brother1 ,joseph answered gravely4 ,ay1 the old man answered1 ,i felt my prayer would be answered1 ,master4 ,he took ,joseph's surplice from him1 divested himself of his own gown1 and opened the vestry door4 ,you found this way when you came1 ,master1 he said4 ,the public do not know of it1 for it goes through the big livery-stables4 ,the district is so crowded4 ,no one will see us when we leave the church1 though there are still thousands of people waiting for you to pass in front4 ,but my poor home is not far away4 ,as they walked1 the old man told his story to ,joseph4 ,his son1 a young fellow of eighteen or nineteen1 had been employed as basement porter in the ,countess of ,morston's ,regent ,street shop for the selling of artistic1 hand-wrought metal work4 ,like many another fashionable woman in ,london1 ,lady ,morston was making a large sum of money out of her commercial venture4 ,but the repousse work which she sold was made by half-starved and sweated work-people in the ,east ,end of town1 and all the employees in the shop itself were miserably underpaid4 ,from early morning1 sometimes till late at night1 the old fellow's son had been at work carrying about the heavy crates of metal4 ,his wages had been cut down to the lowest possible limit1 and when he had asked for a rise he had been told that a hundred other young fellows would be glad to step into his shoes at any moment4 ,one day the inevitable collapse had come4 ,he had found himself unable to continue the arduous labor1 and had left the position4 ,almost immediately after his departure he had been attacked with a long and painful nervous complaint4 ,unable1 owing to the fact of his resignation1 to claim any compensation from the countess as a legal right1 he had humbly petitioned for a little pecuniary help to tide him over his illness4 ,this had been coldly refused1 and the young man was now bedridden and a permanent encumbrance to the old man1 who himself was unable to do anything but the lightest work4 ,mr4 ,persse1 on being applied to for assistance1 had consulted the ,countess of ,morston1 who was one of his parishioners1 in order1 as he said1 to find out if it were a genuine case4 ,with an absolute disregard for truth1 and in order to shield herself1 the woman had told the clergyman that her late assistant was a dishonest scoundrel who merited no consideration whatever4 ,and so1 ,master1 the old man concluded--and so ,i lost all hope1 and tried to make up my mind to see my lad die slowly4 ,and then ,i see about you in the paper1 and something comes into my mind like4 ,and then the vicar he tells me about this here service to-night1 and that you were coming yourself1 ,master4 ,so ,i prayed and ,i prayed that ,i should have a chance to speak to you4 ,master1 ,i want you to raise ,bill up and make him well4 ,the old man clutched ,joseph by the arm1 his cracked and pathetic voice full of poignant pleading4 ,you will1 won't you1 ,master8 he said once more4 ,take me to the young man1 ,joseph answered4 ,,chapter ,,xv ,,joseph ,,and ,,the ,,journalist ,eric ,black was thirty-three years of age1 and one of the chief and most trusted writers upon the staff of the ,daily ,wire4 ,very few of the younger school of journalists in ,london had the crisp touch and vivid sense of color in words possessed by this writer4 ,his rise to considerable success had been rapid1 and his signed articles on current events were always read with extreme interest by the enormous public who bought the most popular journal of the day4 ,eric ,black's intellect was of first class order1 but it was one-sided4 ,he saw all the practical and material affairs of life keenly1 truly and well4 ,but of that side of human existence which men can neither touch nor see he was profoundly ignorant1 and as ignorance generally is1 inclined to be frankly contemptuous4 ,in religious matters accordingly this brilliant young man might have been called an absolute outsider4 ,he never denied religion in any way1 and very rarely thought about it at all4 ,no one had ever heard him say that he did not believe in ,god1 he simply ignored the whole question4 ,his personal life was singularly kindly1 decent1 and upright4 ,he was1 in short1 though he had not the slightest suspicion of it himself1 a man waiting and ready for the apprehension of the truth--one of those to whom the ,almighty reveals ,himself late4 ,on a great daily paper1 when some important event or series of events suddenly rises on the horizon of the news-world1 a trusted member of the staff1 together with such assistants as may be necessary1 is placed in entire charge of the whole matter4 ,eric ,black1 accordingly1 was deputed to handle the affair of ,joseph and his epoch-making arrival in ,london4 ,mr4 ,persse1 the vicar of ,st4 ,elwyn's1 had sent two tickets of admission for ,joseph's address to the ,daily ,wire1 and ,eric ,black1 accompanied by a shorthand writer who was to take down the actual words of the sermon1 sat in a front seat below the pulpit during the whole time of ,joseph's terrible denunciation of modern society4 ,while the reporter close by bent over his note-book and fixed the ,teacher's burning words upon the page1 ,black1 his brain alert and eager1 was busy in recording impressions of the whole strange and unexpected scene4 ,he was certainly profoundly impressed with the dignity and importance of the occasion4 ,he realized the emotions that were passing through the minds of the rich and celebrated people who filled the church4 ,his eyes drank in the physical appearance of the ,teacher1 his ears told him that ,joseph's voice was unique in all his experience of modern life4 ,enormously interested and stirred as he was1 ,black was not1 however1 emotionally moved4 ,the journalist must always and for ever be watchful and serene1 never carried away--an acute recorder1 but no more4 ,towards the end of the sermon1 when the young man saw that ,joseph would only say a few more words1 a sudden flash of inspiration came to him4 ,no journalist in ,london had yet succeeded in obtaining an interview or a definite statement with the extraordinary being who had appeared like a thunderbolt in its midst4 ,it was the ambition of ,eric ,black to talk with the ,teacher1 and thus to supply the enterprising journal which employed him1 and for which he worked with a whole-hearted and enthusiastic loyalty1 with an important and exclusive article4 ,he had noticed that the ,teacher could not possibly have entered the church by the main entrance4 ,the journalist himself1 in order to secure the best possible seat1 had arrived at ,st4 ,elwyn's at the commencement of the evening service which preceded the address4 ,with a keen1 detective eye he had noted the little subtle signs of uneasiness upon the vicar's face1 and had deduced accordingly that ,joseph had not yet arrived4 ,when the ,teacher actually appeared1 it was obvious that he must have come by the vestry door1 in order to elude the waiting crowd4 ,it was morally certain also that he would leave by the same route4 ,the writer saw his chance4 ,by his side was the representative of a rival paper1 a drawback to the realization of his scheme4 ,as his quick brain solved the difficulty of that1 he remembered ,mr4 ,kipling's maxim1 that all's fair in love1 war1 and journalism4 ,the shorthand writer from the ,daily ,wire sat just beyond the rival journalist4 ,look here1 ,tillotson1 he whispered1 in tones which he knew the ,mercury man could hear1 ,i'm feeling frightfully unwell4 ,i must get out of this1 if ,i can1 for a minute or two4 ,of course1 after the sermon is over1 ,joseph will go down into the aisles4 ,i hear that a big reception is arranged for him at the west entrance4 ,i am going to slip away for a minute or two4 ,when the preacher comes out of the vestry1 fetch me at once4 ,i mustn't let any of the other fellows get to him before ,i do4 ,i shall be in the side-chapel over there1 which is quite empty1 and where the air will be cooler4 ,satisfied that he had done all that was necessary to mislead his rival1 ,black slipped out of his seat1 passed behind a massive pillar1 and1 unobserved by any one1 slipped into the outer vestry1 through the inner1 and eventually came out into the narrow passage which led to the livery stables1 where he waited with anxious alertness4 ,in less than five minutes his patience and clever forestalling of events were richly rewarded4 ,joseph himself1 accompanied by a little old man1 whom ,black recognized as the verger who had shown him to his seat1 came out together1 talking earnestly4 ,they passed him1 and when they had gone a few yards the journalist followed cautiously4 ,he was anxious1 in the first place1 to discover where the mysterious man1 whose appearances and disappearances were the talk of ,london1 was going1 and upon what errand4 ,he waited his time to speak to him1 resolved that nothing should now prevent him from bringing off a journalistic scoop of the first magnitude4 ,joseph and the verger passed through the mews1 and turning to the right1 entered one of those tiny but well-defined slums which exist in the heart of the ,west ,end and are inhabited by the lowest in the ranks of the army that ministers to the pleasures of the great4 ,the newspaper man followed cautiously some four yards behind his quarry4 ,in about three minutes ,joseph and his companion stopped before the door of a small house1 and the elder man felt in his pocket and produced the key to open it4 ,suddenly ,joseph put his hand upon the old man's shoulder for a moment1 and then1 turning suddenly1 walked straight up to ,eric ,black4 ,brother1 he said1 you are welcome1 for ,god has sent you to see what is to be done this night4 ,the confident young journalist was taken aback1 and for a moment all his readiness of manner left him4 ,i--er--,i--well1 ,i represent the ,daily ,wire1 you know1 sir4 ,i hoped that perhaps you would give me the pleasure of an interview4 ,all ,london is waiting most anxiously to hear something of your views and plans4 ,i should take it as a great favor if you could spare me a few minutes4 ,joseph smiled kindly1 and placed his hand upon the young man's shoulder1 gazing steadily into his eyes with a deep1 searching glance4 ,yes1 he said1 it is as ,i knew4 ,god has sent you here to-night1 for you are as an empty vessel into which truth and the grace of the ,holy ,spirit shall be poured4 ,the journalist answered nothing4 ,the extraordinary manner in which the ,teacher had addressed him1 the abnormal knowledge which the man with the beautiful1 suffering face and lamp-like eyes seemed to possess1 robbed the other of all power of speech4 ,and ,black was conscious1 also1 of a strange electric thrill which ran through him when ,joseph had placed a hand upon his shoulder4 ,it was as though some force1 some invisible1 intangible essence or fluid1 was being poured into him4 ,certainly1 never before in his life had he experienced any such sensation4 ,still without any rejoinder1 he followed the ,teacher through the opened door of the house1 down a narrow and dirty passage1 and into a small bedroom lit by a single gas-jet4 ,the place was scantily furnished1 and grim poverty showed its traces in all the poor appointments of the room4 ,yet it was scrupulously clean and neat1 and the air was faintly perfumed by a bunch of winter violets which stood upon a chair by the bed4 ,a young man1 tall but terribly emaciated1 was lying there4 ,his face1 worn by suffering1 was of a simple and homely cast1 though to the seeing eye resignation and patience gave it a certain beauty of its own4 ,this is my ,bill1 said the old man1 in a trembling voice--this is my poor lad1 ,master4 ,bill1 my boy1 this is the ,master of whom we have been reading in the papers4 ,this is ,joseph the ,teacher1 and1 if it is ,god's will1 he is going to make you well4 ,the young man looked at ,joseph with a white and startled face4 ,then he stretched out his thin and trembling hand towards him4 ,his eyes closed as if in fear1 and in a weak1 quavering voice he said three words-- ,lord help me6 ,joseph bent over the bed1 and placed his hand gently on the young man's forehead4 ,sleep1 he said1 in a low deep voice4 ,the two watchers saw a strange calmness steal over the patient's features4 ,the convulsive movements of the poor1 nerve-twitched body ceased1 and1 in a few moments more1 quiet and regular breathing showed that the magnetic touch of the ,teacher had indeed induced a tranquil slumber4 ,the old man looked on1 shaking with anxiety4 ,master1 he said1 can you cure him--can you heal him8 ,he is my only son1 all ,i've got left in the world--my only son6 ,eric ,black1 who had watched this curious scene with great interest and a considerable amount of pity1 sighed4 ,he was not inexperienced in illnesses1 especially those terrible nervous collapses for which medical science can do nothing1 and to which there is one inevitable end4 ,he knew that no human skill could do anything for the sleeping and corpse-like figure upon the bed1 and he wondered why ,joseph had cared to accompany the old man and to buoy him up with false hopes4 ,joseph did not immediately answer the old man's question about his son4 ,instead of that he turned quickly to the journalist4 ,yes1 he said2 but with ,god all things are possible4 ,black started violently4 ,his very thoughts had been read instantly1 and answered as swiftly4 ,then a curious resentment mounted in his brain against ,joseph4 ,who was this man who sent a suffering invalid to sleep in a moment by his hypnotic touch2 who brought terror1 remorse1 and shame into a great lighted theatre2 who dared to tell the wealthiest and most influential people in ,london that they marched beneath the standard of ,beelzebub2 who even now had read his secret thoughts with unerring intuition8 ,with a slight sneer1 foreign to his usual nature1 but he was frightened and was trying to reassure himself1 he said-- ,that is all very well1 sir1 no doubt2 but miracles do not happen4 ,oh1 yes1 sir1 they do--they do6 cried the old verger1 wringing his hands4 ,oh1 don't say that1 sir2 miracles aren't over yet4 ,i don't like the way you say it1 sir4 ,god will surely never let my poor ,bill die6 ,joseph took no notice of the poor old fellow's entreaty4 ,he spoke to ,black4 ,my brother1 he said1 and what is a miracle8 ,black thought for a moment1 and then replied1 though he did not know it1 in the words of ,hume3 ,a miracle1 he said1 is a violation of the laws of ,nature1 and therefore impossible--,huxley showed that long ago4 ,the journalist was quite unconscious of the progress of modern thought1 and in his ignorance believed that ,huxley was the last word in philosophic criticism4 ,huxley1 ,joseph answered quietly1 has said that if a miracle1 such as the restoring to life of a dead man1 were actually to take place1 the phenomenon would simply become a problem for further scientific investigation4 ,that is perfectly true as far as it goes1 nor does it in any way discredit the possibility of a miracle4 ,is it not a fact that every day new natural laws1 previously entirely unsuspected by any one1 are being discovered8 ,have not the papers of late been full of strange news of great chemical discoveries1 such as radium--electrical wonders1 such as the sending of messages without wires8 ,what are these but natural laws8 ,but would they not have been miracles three hundred years ago8 ,supposing we admit the ,divine regulation of the world by natural law1 the spiritual nature of man1 and his value to ,god4 ,let us say that in the exercise of his free will man has disturbed the poise and balance of the moral universe by sin1 and that ,god proposes to restore it4 ,if we do this1 there can be no improbability in our mind that ,god supplements1 or even in a manner reverses1 the workings of natural law by a fresh revelation of ,his will and character4 ,have you ever seen or known of a case in which a man or woman full of bitter hatred of ,god1 and stained by a life of continuous sin1 has been suddenly changed by the power of the ,holy ,spirit1 and has become from henceforward a righteous and ,christian man8 ,you must have come across such cases--they are common enough in the experience of every one4 ,is not this a miracle8 ,is not this a revelation of ,our ,lord ,jesus ,christ8 ,and if ,jesus ,christ be the bearer of this new revelation1 may we not regard ,his miracles as the spontaneous1 even natural1 expressions of ,his ,personality8 ,miracles are thus perfectly credible to any one who believes in two things--the love of ,god and the existence of sin4 ,the journalist bowed without replying4 ,his keen and logical mind saw at once the force of ,joseph's quiet argument4 ,he was not prepared to answer the ,teacher4 ,nevertheless1 there was still a certain sense of stubbornness and revolt within his mind4 ,this was all very well1 but it was1 after all1 mere abstract philosophical discussion4 ,it did not affect the matter in hand1 which was that the ,teacher was buoying up a poor and unhappy old man with fruitless hopes4 ,when he had finished speaking to ,black1 ,joseph turned to the old verger4 ,come1 my brother1 he said1 and let us kneel by the bedside of the one who is sick1 praying that the ,holy ,spirit may come down upon us and heal him4 ,then ,eric ,black1 standing against the opposite wall of the little room1 saw the two men kneel down1 and saw also the marvel which it was to be his privilege to give to the knowledge of the whole world1 and which was to utterly change his own life from that moment until its end4 ,there was a long silence1 and then suddenly the journalist began to be aware that1 in some way or other1 the whole aspect of the room was altered4 ,it was incredibly1 wonderfully altered1 and yet materially it was just the same4 ,the young man had known nothing like it in all his life experience1 though he was to know it again many times1 when in the future he should kneel at the ,eucharist4 ,neither then1 nor at any other time1 was ,black able to explain his sensations and impressions at that supreme moment4 ,with all his brilliant and graphic power1 to the end of his days the power of describing the awe and reverence1 the absolute certainty of the ,divine ,presence which he experienced at the ,mass1 was denied him4 ,celebrated as he became as a writer1 his attempts to give the world his own testimony to the ,truth in a convincing way always failed4 ,it was the great sorrow of his career4 ,he would have counted it as his highest privilege4 ,but he bore his cross meekly till the end1 knowing that it was sent him for a wise purpose1 and that perhaps it was his punishment for his long days of hard-heartedness and blindness4 ,he began to tremble a little1 and then he saw that ,joseph's hands were placed lightly upon the temples of the sleeping man1 just touching them with the long1 nervous finger-tips4 ,the ,teacher may have remained motionless in this position for five or ten minutes--the journalist never knew--and all the time the power and unseen influence grew and grew in the silence1 until the very walls of the little room seemed to melt and dissolve beyond the bounds of sense1 and the brain1 mind1 and soul of the watcher to grow and dissolve with them in one overpowering ecstasy of reverence and awe4 ,and then the next thing that ,eric ,black knew was that the tall thin figure which had lain upon the bed was standing in the middle of the room1 robed in its long1 grey flannel gown1 and that the old man had leaped at his son with loud cries of joy and wonder1 and that the two men1 locked in each other's embrace1 were weeping and calling out in gratitude upon ,god4 ,joseph took the journalist by the arm1 and led him1 unresisting1 from that awful and sacred scene4 ,they were out in the quiet back street1 and the young man was swaying as if he would fall4 ,he felt an arm pass through his1 and heard the deep1 vibrating voice of the ,teacher speaking4 ,come swiftly with me1 for we have to meet a great company of people in another place1 and to witness the marvellous ways of ,god4 ,,chapter ,,xvi ,,the ,,battle ,,of ,,the ,,lord ,among the audience1 or rather the congregation1 which had assembled to hear ,joseph in ,st4 ,elwyn's ,church1 all those people who were intimately connected with him had been present4 ,it had been arranged beforehand1 although ,mr4 ,persse had known nothing of it1 that ,joseph's followers1 ,sir ,augustus and ,lady ,kirwan1 ,marjorie1 and ,mary1 accompanied by ,sir ,thomas ,ducaine and ,hampson1 the journalist1 should all have seats reserved for them by ticket in the church4 ,accordingly they had all been there4 ,after the ,teacher's solemn exhortation to private prayer1 the whole congregation had awoke as if from a dream4 ,the influence1 the magnetic influence of ,joseph's presence1 was removed4 ,every one sat up in their places with grave and tired eyes1 wearing the aspect of people who had come back to life after a sojourn in that strange country of the soul which lies between this world and the next4 ,the vicar1 very pale and agitated1 had descended from the chancel in his surplice and biretta1 and had gone among the people1 whispering here and there1 frowning1 faintly smiling1 and only too obviously upset and frightened in body1 mind1 and spirit4 ,over all the great congregation of wealthy and fashionable people there had lain that same manner of uneasiness1 that hidden influence of fear4 ,after a few minutes the majority of them rose and went silently from the church4 ,as they walked down the broad and lighted aisle it was obvious enough1 both in their walk and in their faces1 that they were trying to call back their self-respect and that mental attitude which ruled their lives1 and was but an insolent defiance of all claims upon conduct1 save only the imperial insistence of their own self-will4 ,but it was an attempt1 and nothing more1 upon the part of those who thronged and hurried to be quit of the sacred building in which1 for the first time in their lives1 a man inspired by ,god had told them the truth about themselves4 ,nevertheless1 a considerable residue of people was left4 ,they sat in their seats1 whispering brokenly to each other1 glancing at the vicar1 and especially at two pews where a company of countrymen in black were still kneeling with their heads bowed in prayer4 ,it had already been bruited about in society that ,sir ,augustus and ,lady ,kirwan1 together with ,sir ,thomas ,ducaine1 were intimately connected with the ,teacher4 ,the regard and attention of those who still stayed in the church were1 therefore1 also directed to the pew which held the baronet1 his wife1 and their daughter1 ,sir ,thomas1 the beautiful girl in the costume of a hospital nurse who was recognized by some of them as the niece of ,lady ,kirwan1 and a little1 meagre-looking man whom no one knew--,hampson1 the editor of the ,sunday ,friend1 in fact4 ,mr4 ,persse seemed oddly ill at ease4 ,he was unable to answer the queries which were constantly addressed to him1 but his embarrassment was presently relieved4 ,sir ,thomas ,ducaine1 followed by ,mary ,lys1 rose from his seat and went round about among the people4 ,if you will come to my house1 ,sir ,thomas whispered to this or that friend2 if you care to come1 of course1 ,joseph is to be there to meet us all at eleven o'clock4 ,he will make the first pronouncement as to what he intends to do1 as to why he has come to ,london1 and of the message which the future holds4 99 99 99 99 99 ,on ,sunday night1 about half-past ten1 the squares and the street thoroughfares of the ,west ,end of ,london are not thronged4 ,the exodus of the crowds from the ,east ,end which takes place earlier every evening1 so that the poor may catch a single holiday glimpse of those more fortunate1 is by that time over and done with4 ,the rats have gone back to their holes1 and the spacious streets of the wealthy are clear and empty1 save only for the swift and silent carriages of those who have supper parties1 to end and alleviate the dulness of the first day of the week in town4 ,the walk from ,mayfair to ,piccadilly is not a long one1 and ,joseph1 with his companion1 met few wayfarers as they walked swiftly among the swept and lighted streets1 wound in and out among the palaces of the ,west ,end4 ,eric ,black strode by the side of the ,teacher with never a word4 ,his heart was beating within him like sudden drums at midnight4 ,his mind and thoughts were swirling in multitudinous sensations4 ,what he had seen he had seen1 and what to make of it he did not know4 ,where he was going1 he was going1 and what new marvel he was about to experience he was unable to conceive or guess4 ,yet1 as he moved swiftly towards the house of ,sir ,thomas ,ducaine1 he knew in a strange1 sub-conscious fashion1 that all his life was altered1 all his ideas of the future were overthrown4 ,something had come into the life of the brilliant young man1 something had fallen upon him like a sword--it would never be the same any more6 ,meanwhile1 as he walked with ,joseph1 he walked with a man who warmed his whole being with awe and reverence4 ,speculation ceased within him4 ,he was content to be taken where the other would--dominated1 captive1 and glad4 ,and in his mental vision there still remained the vivid memory of the miracle which he had seen--the piercing cries of joy and thankfulness1 the picture of the poor old man and his recovered son1 drowned all other thought within him6 ,he felt1 as ,moses must have felt on ,sinai1 the rapture and fear of one who has been very near to ,god4 ,they came to the door of the house in ,piccadilly4 ,a row of carriages lined the pavement1 and the butler was standing in the hall1 surrounded by his satellites4 ,the door was half ajar1 held by a footman1 and as the two men entered there was a sudden stir and movement of the people who were expectant there4 ,sir ,thomas ,ducaine1 who had been talking earnestly and in a low voice to ,mary ,lys1 came forward quickly as the two men entered4 ,his face was charged with a great reverence and affection as he took ,joseph by both hands4 ,master1 he said1 welcome6 ,we are all waiting for you4 ,then he turned inquiringly to ,eric ,black4 ,joseph interpreted the look4 ,this is a brother1 he said1 who will be very strong in the ,lord4 ,he is a strong and tempered blade which has for long rested in the scabbard4 ,our ,blessed ,lord has come to him this night4 ,the twenty or thirty people who had been waiting round the great hall now came forward in a group4 ,with the exception of ,joseph's friend ,hampson1 there was not a single person there who was not important in one way or another in ,english life4 ,here was a well-known and popular ,king's ,counsel1 his keen1 clean-shaven face all alight with interest and wonder4 ,by his side was a prominent society actress1 a great artiste1 as far removed from the ,mimi ,addington type as light is from darkness4 ,there were tears in the great grey eyes1 and the sensitive mouth was quivering with emotion4 ,a young peer1 an intimate friend of ,sir ,thomas ,ducaine1 a group of well-known society women1 a popular ,mayfair doctor1 a middle-aged baronet1 who was one of the ,court officials at ,buckingham ,palace--of such materials was the advance band of people composed4 ,along the other side of the hall1 in strange contrast to these fashionable and beautifully dressed people1 the faithful band of ,welsh miners and quarrymen was standing in their black coats1 talking earnestly and quietly together4 ,they turned also as the ,master entered4 ,then ,david ,owen took three or four steps in front of his companions and raised his gnarled old brown hands high above his head4 ,blessed be he that cometh in the name of the ,lord1 he cried1 and who is filled with the ,holy ,spirit6 ,then he turned suddenly to his companions1 and with a wave of his arm started the ,veni ,creator ,spiritus-- ,come1 ,holy ,ghost1 eternal ,god1 ,proceeding from above1 ,both from the ,father and the ,son2 ,the ,god of peace and love4 ,visit our minds1 into our hearts ,thy heavenly grace inspire2 ,that truth and godliness we may ,pursue with full desire4 ,thou art the ,comforter ,in grief and all distress2 ,the heavenly gift of ,god ,most ,high ,no tongue can it express4 ,the fountain and the living spring ,of joy celestial2 ,the fire so bright1 the love so sweet1 ,the ,unction spiritual4 ,a glorious burst of deep and moving harmony filled the great hall1 and thundered away up in the dome above as the ,welshmen caught up the old hymn4 ,none of the other people there had ever heard anything like this in their lives4 ,all this melody and wild beauty1 which is the heritage of the country which produces the most perfect chorus singers in the world1 were mingled with a spiritual fervor so intense1 and a love and rapture so ecstatic1 a purpose so inviolable and strong1 that souls and hearts were moved as they had never been moved before4 ,the organ voices ceased suddenly1 as a symphony played on some great orchestra ceases without a single dropping note4 ,then every one saw that the ,master's hand was raised in blessing4 ,he seemed suddenly grown taller4 ,his face shone with heavenly radiance1 he was more than human in that moment1 his whole body was like some thin1 transparent shell which throbbed and pulsed with ,divine fire4 ,the blessing of ,god ,almighty1 the ,father1 the ,son and the ,holy ,spirit be with you and remain with you always4 ,the words of blessing fell upon hearts and souls long dry and arid1 atrophied by the things of this world1 like the blessed rain of heaven upon the thirsting fields4 ,worldly ambitions1 hopes1 thoughts and preoccupations1 shrivelled up and disappeared4 ,a deep penitence flowed over those dry spaces like a river4 ,sorrow for the past1 resolution for the future1 the glory and awe of worship1 came upon them all in the supreme moment4 ,while they were looking at the ,teacher with rapt attention they saw him suddenly drop his arm1 which fell heavily to his side like a dead thing4 ,the light faded from his face1 the thin1 blue-veined lids fell over the shining eyes1 the mouth dropped a little1 with a long sigh1 and ,joseph fell backwards in a deep swoon4 ,the man who but a moment before realized for them the absolute visual picture of ,christ ,himself1 as ,he may have looked on one of those great moments of tenderness and triumph which star the ,holy ,gospel with the radiance of their recital1 was now1 indeed1 a visible picture in his own body of the ,man of ,sorrows ,who was acquainted with grief1 ,the ,redeemer ,who fell by the way4 ,sir ,thomas and ,hampson were standing by the ,teacher as he fell1 and it was their arms which received the swooning form1 carried it into an inner room1 and laid it gently upon a couch4 ,but it was ,mary1 tall1 grave and unutterably lovely in her healing ministry1 who chafed the cold1 thin hands1 wiped the damp moisture from the pale and suffering brow1 and called back life into the frail and exhausted vessel of ,god4 ,while the ,teacher was being tended by his friends ,sir ,thomas had given orders to the butler to take his other guests into the large dining-room1 where there was some supper waiting for them4 ,every one assembled in the great1 rich room1 with its ,jacobean carvings and family portraits by ,gainsborough and ,reynolds4 ,but nobody ate anything1 or sat down at the long1 gleaming table4 ,one and another took a sandwich1 but every one was too expectant and highly strung to think of food in the ordinary way4 ,probably for the first time in the lives of the society people there1 they felt a real brotherhood and equality with the rugged sons of toil4 ,the cultured accents of ,park ,lane mingled with the rougher voices of the ,master's disciples4 ,distinguished and famous men walked with their hands upon the shoulders of the peasants from ,wales4 ,beautiful women in all the splendor of dress and jewels hung upon the words of some poor servant of ,god whose whole worldly possessions were not worth twelve inches of the lace upon their gowns4 ,it was an extraordinary scene of absolute1 uncalculating love and brotherhood4 ,as in the very early ,christian time1 the mighty and the humble were once more one and equal1 loving and beloved in the light which streamed from the ,cross on which the ,saviour of them all had died in agony that they might live in eternity4 ,there was no single trace of embarrassment among ,joseph's followers4 ,they answered the eager questioning of the others with quiet and simple dignity4 ,the marvellous story of ,lluellyn ,lys was told once more with a far greater fulness of detail than the public ,press had ever been able to give to the world4 ,the miracles which had taken place upon the wild hills of ,wales were recited to the eager ears of those who had only heard of them through garbled and sensational reports4 ,during the half-hour all the ,london folk were put in possession of the whole facts of ,joseph's mission and its origin4 ,probably never before in the social history of ,england had the force and power of the ,christian faith been so wonderfully and practically manifested as at this moment4 ,degrees1 dignities1 rank1 wealth1 and power were all swept away1 and ceased utterly to exist4 ,the ,divine love had come down upon this company in full and overflowing measure1 and a joy which none of them had known before1 and which seemed indeed a very foretaste of the heavenly joy to come1 was with them all4 ,sir ,thomas ,ducaine came into the room4 ,my friends1 he said1 the ,master has recovered and asks you to pray and talk with him upon this great and happy night4 ,he is waiting for you all in the ball-room upstairs4 ,will you come with me8 ,the young baronet led the way4 ,they followed him out of the dining-room1 through the hall in which the liveried servants stood about with awe-struck faces1 up the wide marble staircase with its crimson carpet1 and into the vast room1 lit by a thousand lights1 which gleamed in the mirrors with which the walls were lined1 and were reflected again in the smooth and shiny parquet floor4 ,and in the midst of all these splendors1 seated upon a chair at one end of the room1 they saw the dark-robed figure of the ,master1 with a sweet and gentle smile upon his face4 ,without a word they grouped themselves round him1 and1 still smiling on them in love and brotherhood1 ,joseph began to speak4 ,my dear brothers and sisters1 he said quietly1 you have come here to-night from the church where ,i spoke as the ,spirit of ,god compelled me to speak4 ,the words that ,i said were there given to me1 and to many of the congregation they must have seemed harsh and cruel4 ,but out of all that congregation you have chosen to be with me to-night1 and ,i pray and believe that a new life is to begin for all of you1 even as it began for me no long time ago4 ,i am going to ask you now how1 and in what measure1 each of you is going to live for ,christ ,jesus4 ,think about your past life and think about your future life in this world6 ,god has given to all of you great powers and opportunities4 ,in the ranks of this world you are set high4 ,i and my companions have come from the hills of ,wales1 led by ,god1 our band captained by the ,holy ,ghost1 to wake this great and sinful city from its sloth and evil4 ,by the blessing of the ,holy ,trinity you are assembled here to-night under the roof of a young man who is very rich and powerful in ,england4 ,by the direct operation of the ,paraclete1 that young man is being led to the ,truth1 and has thrown in his lot with the servants of ,god4 ,at the beginning of our battle we are thus provided with money and influence1 and all the weapons with which ,god in ,his ,divine wisdom makes it necessary for ,his servants to use4 ,what are you1 also1 going to do for ,jesus8 ,there was a silence for a full minute when ,joseph had made an end of speaking4 ,then1 quite suddenly1 a strong1 clear1 and confident voice rang out in the great ball-room4 ,eric ,black1 the journalist1 was speaking4 ,sir ,thomas ,ducaine1 ,ladies and ,gentlemen1 he said1 ,i am not one of you4 ,i am a writer for the ,press1 and1 ,i may say1 a writer who is successful and whose words are read by very many people4 ,i have never before to-night thought much about religion1 nor have ,i loved ,god or tried to serve ,him4 ,but from now1 with the help of the ,holy ,spirit1 ,i vow and pledge myself to write nothing that is untrue2 nothing which shall not1 in intention and effort1 redound to the glory of ,god4 ,with such power as in me lies1 ,i enlist under the banner of this man1 which ,i verily1 truly and honestly believe to be the banner of ,jesus4 ,and there is one thing more that ,i must say4 ,i beg you will excuse my presumption1 and listen patiently to me for a moment1 for ,i have a wonderful thing to tell you4 ,then1 in crisp1 vivid sentences1 full of color and movement1 he told the listening company of the miracle of healing he had just witnessed in the ,west ,end slum4 ,he spoke as he wrote1 keenly and directly1 with the technical power of producing an actual picture in the hearer's or the reader's brain4 ,while he was telling his experience ,joseph's eyes were half closed4 ,his hands were resting upon the arms of his chair1 and he was quite motionless4 ,when he had finished1 the keen-faced ,king's ,counsel began to speak in a somewhat hard and metallic voice1 though with force and determination in every note of it4 ,for my part1 he said1 without any further preamble ,i will say just this4 ,i will never again defend a cause in the courts in which ,i do not believe4 ,i will give up all the methods and intrigues by which ,i have hoped to secure a judgeship4 ,i will no longer court a political party in whose policy ,i do not really believe1 in order that ,i may gain a prize4 ,and when ,i am not exercising my profession and doing the duty to which ,god has called me1 in an honest and ,christian fashion1 ,i will spend a right proportion of my wealth and time in helping ,joseph to alleviate the sorrows and miseries of the poor1 and to bring ,london back to ,jesus ,christ6 ,the silence which ensued after the great lawyer1 in his brusque and determined fashion1 had made his confession of faith1 was broken by a voice which was like water falling into water4 ,the great actress was speaking1 gently and humbly4 ,for my part1 she said1 ,i can do little1 oh1 so very little4 ,but ,i have enough money to live on quietly1 and there will still be some to spare for the poor people4 ,i will act no more4 ,my art1 such as it is1 has been well thought of in this world4 ,but ,i am sure now that ,i cannot go on playing4 ,there is so much more to do for ,god4 ,and1 perhaps1 ,i do not yet know1 because ,i have not thought it out1 it may not be good in the sight of ,heaven that ,i should continue in my profession4 ,that is what ,i will do1 ,master4 ,young ,lord ,ashbury1 ,sir ,thomas ,ducaine's friend1 began to mumble and stutter4 ,he was a short1 thick-set young fellow1 with a clean-shaven1 pleasant1 but not particularly intellectual countenance4 ,i--er--really1 ,i don't quite know1 but ,i--well1 it's difficult to say1 don't you know6 ,at any rate1 ,i'll do what ,i can4 ,old ,tommy ,ducaine is a good lead1 and ,i haven't done all ,i ought to do--not by a very long way4 ,but ,i will if ,i can4 ,if ,i can help the poor ,johnnies ,joseph talks about1 ,i jolly well will4 ,that's all6 ,very red in the face1 the ,earl of ,ashbury subsided into silence4 ,the night wore on1 and many hearts were laid bare1 many natures opened themselves before the ,teacher4 ,it was close upon dawn when the last carriage rolled away1 and the door opened to let the latest guest out into ,piccadilly4 ,the battle of the ,lord was begun4 ,people were flocking to the enlistment4 ,the standard of ,jesus was raised in the ,babylon of our time4 ,,chapter ,,xvii ,,the ,,conspirators ,mr4 ,andrew ,levison1 the lessee and part proprietor of the ,frivolity ,theatre1 sat in his private office1 which led out of the foyer1 one damp and foggy afternoon1 a fortnight after ,joseph's now famous sermon at ,st4 ,elwyn's4 ,since that momentous occasion1 much water had run under the bridge4 ,joseph and his companions had become the question of the hour4 ,what1 in the first instance1 had been mere excitement and surmise1 was now an accepted and revolutionary fact4 ,except by hearsay1 ,london in reality was divided into two camps--those who were for1 and those who were against the ,teacher4 ,and the hostile party was infinitely greater than the friendly one4 ,in the first instance1 the attitudes of the religious bodies were extremely varied4 ,mr4 ,persse himself1 whose church had become suddenly emptied of its congregation1 and whose personal prestige had suffered an irremediable injury1 headed a most virulent and persistent antagonism4 ,but the really fine brains and spiritual natures in the ,anglican ,church--including those noble men who live the lives of paupers among paupers1 and work like galley-slaves--were much more friendly4 ,they noticed that the ,teacher made no personal assumptions4 ,he did not say that those whose sins he remitted were cleansed4 ,he baptized none2 he called himself an ambassador1 but not a priest of ,god4 ,that1 in ,his inscrutable providence1 the ,father had richly endowed this man with the ,holy ,spirit1 that he did indeed walk under the direct guidance of ,god1 seemed to these good men impossible to doubt4 ,they were1 despite the certain restrictions of thought to which their training and temperament inclined them1 ready to believe that because the advent of one directly inspired by the ,holy ,ghost in the sense with which the ,apostle ,paul was inspired was outside their personal experience1 it was not to be rejected upon that account4 ,as far as in them lay1 in the measure of their opportunities and possibilities1 they held out the welcoming hand4 ,but1 as was inevitable1 it was the ,free ,sects who were in the front of the ,teacher's army--as far as definitely ,christian people went4 ,during the last few days of the fortnight which had intervened between the present moment and the sermon in ,st4 ,elwyn's1 ,dissent1 with the exception of the ,unitarians1 had spoken in no uncertain way in favor of ,joseph's mission4 ,they saw1 with a singular unanimity1 that here was a deeply spiritual revival of religion upon true evangelical lines4 ,here was a greater than ,wesley even1 a force and a personality which could not be explained away by any accusations of charlatanism or self-interest1 a man with a personal magnetism1 a power over the human soul1 a power even over the material things of life which was verily without precedent or likeness since the times of the holy apostles themselves6 ,that much of his teaching was definitely ,catholic in tone1 that he sent people to the true channels of grace--the ,sacraments of the ,church--did not alienate them as it might have done in another4 ,it was now known that in his youth ,joseph was a baptized and confirmed member of the ,church of ,england1 that he in no way repudiated it nor stood outside it1 that he constantly received the ,blessed ,sacrament4 ,but ,nonconformity was not hostile4 ,the word miracle1 so long derided and discredited by the materialists and scientists who denied the immanence of ,god in all things1 was now once more in the air4 ,the whole of ,england was awaking to the realization of strange new happenings4 ,men who had never thought or spoken of such things before now talked in low voices1 one with the other1 of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,god is a ,spirit--once more men said this to each other4 ,the healing of the verger's son was known to all the world4 ,it was a fact beyond possibility of doubt1 more authenticated and certain1 more easily capable of proof than any of the ,roman ,catholic wonders of ,lourdes or ,treves4 ,the colder analysis of the ,anglo-,saxon temperament had been brought to bear upon the event4 ,evidence was weighed and sorted as the impulsive1 emotional ,latin temperament is incapable of doing4 ,and1 in the event1 even the most sceptical were forced to admit that there was no doubt at all4 ,the thing had really happened6 ,eric ,black had put it upon record4 ,his vivid and powerful description had touched the heart of the nation4 ,then it was the turn of the investigators1 and they had been unable to discover a single flaw in the sequence of cause1 operation1 and effect4 ,it was said also1 and hinted everywhere1 that a certain famous family had brought an afflicted daughter to the ,teacher4 ,nothing was known definitely1 but the generally believed story was this3-- ,the ,lady ,hermione ---- was the third daughter of the ,duke of ----4 ,the family1 one of the most famous in the historical annals of ,england1 was still rich in power and wealth4 ,but it was a physical ruin4 ,sons and daughters for the last three generations had been born feeble in brain and stunted in body4 ,a mysterious taint was on the ancient house1 that ,nemesis for past grandeur that ,thackeray has drawn for us in the picture of the ,marquis of ,steyne in ,vanity ,fair4 ,the young and lovely lady had been seized with a mysterious and incurable disease of the mind4 ,she had disappeared from society4 ,it was said that her condition was terrible2 that at times even the doctors and nurses who watched over her impenetrable seclusion shrunk back from her in fear4 ,it was as though she was possessed of an evil spirit--so the tale had long been whispered4 ,and now it was abroad and upon the lips of every one that the poor living body inhabited by some evil thing had been brought to the ,teacher1 and that all was once more well with the maid--the soul returned1 health and simplicity her portion once more4 ,these things had made a most lasting and powerful impression upon the public mind4 ,who ,joseph was1 what were the reality and extent of his powers1 what was to be the outcome of his mission3 these were the questions of the day1 and all the world was asking them4 ,the non-religious world sneered4 ,the majority in ,christian ,england was also divided in unequal portions4 ,most people said that ,joseph was a marvellous trickster and cheat--a cheat and impostor such as ,england had probably never seen before1 but still a rogue of rogues4 ,but among the last and poorest sections of the ,london community a very different opinion obtained4 ,they didn't know anything about religious matters1 they cared still less4 ,god was a word which gave point and freedom to an oath4 ,the churches were places in which one was adjured to give up even the miserable pleasures which made life possible to be endured4 ,the ,bible was the little black ,book you kissed in the police courts4 ,but ,joseph was a friend4 ,great things were going to happen in the congested districts of the lost4 ,a material ,saviour seemed to have risen up4 ,a man who rebuked the rich and powerful1 who poured words of fire upon the tyrant and the oppressor1 had come to ,london4 ,there was help then6 ,a light was to dawn in the sky1 there was a little patch of hope in the sombre environment of lost and degraded lives4 ,joseph and his brethren were coming to help6 ,so all ,london was stirred to its depths4 ,vested interests were threatened in innumerable ways1 a revolution in public thought and sentiment was imminent1 in some way or other1 for all classes of society2 things were going to be changed4 ,things were going to be changed4 ,and1 whether it knew it or not1 the ,modern ,babylon was in the throes of a spiritual revolution4 ,the ,holy ,ghost brooded over the waters4 99 99 99 99 99 ,mr4 ,andrew ,levison sat in his private office at the ,frivolity ,theatre4 ,it was a richly furnished and comfortable place4 ,the walls were decorated with large photographs of the popular actors and actresses of the day4 ,a heavy ,turkey carpet covered the floor1 a great writing-table of carved oak was littered with papers1 electric lights in little silver shells glowed here and there2 it was the luxury of a business room4 ,andrew ,levison's theatre had remained closed since the night when ,joseph had first appeared in ,london and denounced the place4 ,the attendance at many other theatres of the same class was dwindling enormously4 ,it was exactly as the shrewd ,jew had foreseen--the advent of the evangelist bade fair to ruin1 or1 at any rate1 terribly embarrass1 his unscrupulous enterprises4 ,he sat in his big arm-chair of green leather and smiled4 ,a light yellow-colored cigar was between his firm white teeth4 ,he drummed gently upon the writing-table with fat white fingers4 ,no more happy-looking and prosperous person1 at peace with the world and with himself1 could have been seen anywhere--upon the surface4 ,it is a great mistake to imagine that the most evil passions of the heart show themselves in the face4 ,criminals1 with the exception of those unhappy people who live continuously by crime1 are no monsters in aspect4 ,your murderer is1 as often as not1 a mild and pleasant-looking man4 ,mr4 ,levison looked what he was--a good-natured1 shrewd and money-loving ,hebrew1 no more4 ,yet1 as he sat there1 he was planning murder1 and waiting the arrival of an assassin6 ,it is always thus1 though many people have neither sufficient imagination nor knowledge of life to realize it4 ,a man may be a panderer like ,levison1 or a robber like any successful rascal in the ,city1 and yet he may still be a kind husband and father and a generous friend4 ,the ,son of ,god1 ,who hung upon the shameful tree of ,calvary1 knew this4 ,this day thou shalt be with ,me in ,paradise was not said idly4 ,man is made in ,god's image1 however marred or defaced the ,divine imprint may be4 ,it is well to remember this sometimes1 though it is fatal to allow our appreciation of its truth to make us kind to sin or tolerant of it4 ,but may we not hope that no single son or daughter of ,god is ever entirely lost8 ,the theatrical manager's secretary1 a pale and tired-looking girl1 who took down his letters in shorthand and typed them upon her machine1 knocked at the door and entered4 ,oh1 ,miss ,campbell1 what is it8 ,levison said1 making a pretence of looking up from a pile of papers4 ,a man has come1 the girl said1 who tells me that he is one of the supers in the last play4 ,there is another man with him1 and he says that he thinks you will see him4 ,his name is ,harris1 and he states that he is one of the regular people here4 ,well1 that's nothing to do with me1 ,levison answered4 ,they ought to see the stage-manager4 ,he looks after all those things4 ,however1 you may tell them to come in4 ,i suppose they're hard up1 and want a shilling or two8 ,i shan't disappoint them1 ,i dare say4 ,he smiled1 a flashing1 good-humored smile of strong white teeth2 and the girl went out1 thinking that under a brusque exterior her employer had a heart of gold1 after all4 ,in a moment or two more the carefully arranged comedy was over1 the door of the office was carefully closed1 and two seedy-looking1 clean-shaven men stood in front of ,mr4 ,levison's writing-table4 ,this is my pal1 ,mr4 ,levison1 one of the men said1 in a hoarse and furtive voice4 ,he spoke softly and in the way of one who shared a confidential secret4 ,levison looked the other man up and down with a keen and comprehensive regard4 ,the fellow was shorter and stouter than his companion4 ,his face was like a mask4 ,it betrayed nothing whatever1 although its obvious concealment of what lay behind--the real man1 in short--was rather sinister4 ,the light1 red-flint eyes kept flickering and shifting from side to side1 and that was the only betrayal of uneasiness apparent4 ,what's your name8 ,levison said2 and then1 with a sudden wave of his hand1 he corrected himself4 ,no1 ,i don't want to know your name1 after all4 ,that matters nothing to me4 ,but what ,i am going to ask you is just this3 ,has ,harris explained to you what you are going to be paid to do8 ',e 'ave1 gov'nor1 said the man4 ,he's told you exactly8 ,the fellow nodded1 without further waste of words4 ,very well1 then1 ,levison answered--then there is no need of any explanations on my part4 ,at the same time1 ,i will say just this3 ,a certain person has got to be put out of the way4 ,that you already understand4 ,but there need not necessarily be anything more than that4 ,an injury that would incapacitate the person we know of1 would put him on the shelf for a long time1 would be quite enough4 ,the man smiled4 ,the whole ghastly immobility of the mask was suddenly transformed into a hideous and mocking countenance4 ,the tool of the arch criminal betrayed his superiority to scruple1 and in that moment the hired assassin was contemptuous of the greater scoundrel and the weaker man4 ,as you like1 gov'nor1 he said1 in a low1 oily voice4 ,it's all one to me and my pals--give you my word4 ,there's lots of ways of putting a cove through it wivout doin' of 'im entirely like4 ,but the whole thing's just as easy4 ,levison1 whose face had suddenly grown very white1 made him an impatient and terrified movement with his hand4 ,it was one thing to call up one of the foul creeping things of ,london1 it was quite another to hear hideousness voicing horror in a quiet and accustomed room4 ,i want to hear nothing at all6 he said1 in a high-pitched and unsteady voice4 ,don't tell me6 ,don't tell me6 ,i don't want to know6 ,once more the assassin smiled--dreadfully4 ,very well1 gov'nor1 he whispered4 ,that's all ,o4,k4 ,leave it to me1 and it'll be safe as 'ouses4 ,day after ter-morrer this 'ere ,joseph is going down into ,whitechapel wiv a lot of 'is swell pals4 ,sort of explanatory tour1 it is4 ',e's a-goin' to show them 'ow the pore live4 ,tike 'em over the rookeries and preach the ,gospel4 ,we'll 'ave lots of chances1 and no one won't know 'oo done it4 ,it's a question of terms1 that's all4 ,you're a gen'leman1 you are1 sir2 and ,mr4 ',arris 'ere1 an old pal of the boys1 is a gentleman1 too4 ,guv'nor1 what are you a-goin' to hoffer8 ,levison's hand trembled as he opened a drawer of the big writing-table4 ,he withdrew ten sovereigns in gold4 ,take this1 he said1 and when the thing is done1 ,i'll give you twenty more of the same4 ,harris will give them to you from me4 ,and now1 for ,god's sake1 get out of my sight6 ,the last words burst from him in a high1 almost feminine note1 and as the two men shuffled away into the fog of the empty foyer1 the fat1 white hand of the ,jew went up to his throat1 clutching at it in sick hysteria4 ,in the name of ,god1 get out of my sight6 ,was there ever a more blasphemous parody and mockery than this8 ,he who taketh the name of the ,lord ,god in vain-- ,,chapter ,,xviii ,,revealed ,,in ,a ,,vision ,mary ,lys stood in the great hall of the ,east ,end ,hospital1 where she had worked for three years4 ,she was saying good-bye4 ,a little group of men and women stood round her--the men mostly young1 clean-shaven1 alert1 and capable in expression2 the women in the uniform of hospital nurses4 ,some of the women were crying quietly1 and the great visiting surgeon1 ,sir ,abraham ,jones himself1 alternately tugged at his grey1 pointed beard or polished the glasses of his pince-nez4 ,well1 nurse1 said the great man1 ,i must go4 ,i am due in the operating theatre4 ,i am sure that ,i am only representing the thought of the whole hospital staff when ,i say how deeply we all regret that you are leaving us4 ,you have--ahem6--endeared yourself to every one1 and your work has been splendid4 ,you have been a pattern to your colleagues in every way4 ,i hope that in the new sphere of life you have chosen you will be happy and prosperous4 ,sir ,abraham was not an orator in ordinary life1 though he had been known to rise to real eloquence when lecturing upon some of the obscurer forms of appendicitis4 ,but the short1 jerky sentences came from his heart as he shook the hand of the beautiful girl who1 like himself1 was a soldier in the noble army of those who fight disease and death4 ,they all crowded round ,mary4 ,the nurses kissed her1 the young doctors wrung her by the hand and tried to express something of their feelings4 ,men and women1 they all loved and valued her1 and every one knew that when she went out through the great doors for the last time they would all suffer a loss which could never be replaced4 ,it was over at last4 ,no longer in her nurse's dress1 but clothed in the ordinary tailor-made coat and skirt that young ladies wear in ,london during the mornings1 ,mary got into the waiting hansom cab4 ,the driver shook the reins1 the horse lurched into a trot1 there was a vision of waving hands and kindly faces1 and then the long1 grimy faade of the hospital slid past the window and was lost to view4 ,mary ,lys was no longer a hospital nurse4 ,as she drove westward--for she was on her way to her aunt's house in ,berkeley ,square1 where she was about to make her home for a time--she reviewed her past life1 with its many memories1 bitter and sweet4 ,it had been a hard and difficult life--a life of unceasing work among gloomy and often terrible surroundings4 ,and moreover1 she was not a girl who was insensible to the beauty and softer sides of life4 ,culture1 luxury1 and repose were all hers did she but care to speak one word to ,lady ,kirwan4 ,she was constantly implored to leave the work she had set herself to do4 ,she had always refused1 and now1 as she looked back on the past years1 she knew that she had been right1 that her character was now fixed and immovable1 that the long effort and self-control of the past had given her a steadfastness and strength such as are the portion and attributes of few women4 ,and as the cab moved slowly up the ,strand1 ,mary ,lys thanked ,god for this4 ,humbly and thankfully she realized that she was now a better instrument than before1 a more finely tempered sword with which to fight the battle of ,christ4 ,for though ,mary was to live beneath the roof of ,sir ,augustus ,kirwan1 she was not going to live the social life--the life of pleasure and excitement as her cousin ,marjorie did4 ,mary had left the hospital for one definite purpose--that she might join the army of ,joseph1 and give her whole time to the great work which the evangelist was inaugurating in ,london4 ,joseph and his brethren had now definitely taken up their abode in a large house in ,bloomsbury which ,sir ,thomas ,ducaine had given them to be the headquarters of their mission4 ,workers of all classes were flocking there1 and ,mary knew1 without possibility of doubt1 that she was called to the work4 ,every fibre of her spiritual nature told her the truth4 ,from the first she had been mysteriously connected with the movement4 ,the supernormal chain of events1 the long succession of occurrences that were little less than miraculous1 told their own tale4 ,in common with all those people who had anything to do with ,joseph1 and who were about to join him1 ,mary was sure that she was being directly guided by the ,holy ,ghost4 ,she thought of her dead brother1 the strange1 prophet-like figure of the mountain and the mist1 the real beginner of it all1 the man who had taken the empty brain and soul of ,joseph himself1 and as it were1 through his own death1 by some strange psychical law unknown to us1 poured the ,spirit of ,god into them as into a vessel4 ,mary knew that ,lluellyn was aware of her determination1 and that he approved it4 ,there were few people who drew more comfort or believed more heartily in the glorious truth of the ,communion of ,saints than ,mary ,lys4 ,she felt that ,jesus ,christ had conquered death1 that our loved ones are with us still1 and the time of waiting is short before we shall see them once again4 ,she did not know how near she was to another special manifestation of ,god's grace and power1 for1 saint-like and humble as were the pious maids and matrons who listened to the teachings of ,our ,lord and ministered to ,him1 she did not realize the growth of her own soul and how near to the great veil her life of purity and sacrifice had brought her4 ,the cab passed out of the ,strand into ,trafalgar ,square1 and1 the traffic being less congested1 began to roll along at a smarter pace than before4 ,but ,mary noticed nothing of her surroundings as the vehicle turned into ,pall ,mall4 ,from the sweet and tender memory of her dead brother her thoughts had now fallen upon one who was becoming increasingly dear to her1 but one for whom she still prayed--and over whom she mourned--unceasingly4 ,from the very first ,mary had been strongly attracted by ,sir ,thomas ,ducaine4 ,even in the past1 when she had definitely refused to listen to his suit1 she had known that she was upon the brink of something more than mere affection for him4 ,he was strong1 his life was clean1 his heart kindly and unspoiled4 ,but she had restrained herself with the admirable self-control which her life of sacrifice had taught her2 she had put the first beginnings and promptings of love away4 ,he did not believe1 he could not believe4 ,god the ,father1 ,god the ,son1 ,god the ,holy ,ghost were incredible to him4 ,he would not pretend4 ,he would not seek to win her by a lie1 but the ,holy ,trinity meant nothing at all to him4 ,but then ,joseph had come4 ,the ,teacher had influenced the rich and famous young man1 so that he had given him everything4 ,without having realized in its essential essence1 the truth of ,joseph's mission and the ,divine guidance the ,teacher enjoyed1 ,sir ,thomas had nevertheless changed his whole way of life for him4 ,father1 teach him of ,thyself4 ,lord ,jesus1 reveal ,thyself to him4 ,holy ,spirit1 descend upon him4 ,thus ,mary prayed as she was being driven out of her old life into the new4 ,it was about one o'clock when the cab stopped at ,sir ,augustus ,kirwan's house in ,berkeley ,square4 ,my lady and ,miss ,marjorie told me to tell you1 miss1 the butler said1 as he greeted ,mary1 that they are both very sorry indeed that they cannot be here to welcome you4 ,they would have done so if they possibly could4 ,but my lady is lunching at ,marlborough ,house1 ,miss ,mary4 ,sir ,augustus is in the ,city4 ,the man handed her on to a footman1 who conducted her up the great staircase1 at the head of which ,mrs4 ,summers1 ,lady ,kirwan's maid1 and confidential factotum1 was waiting4 ,the good woman's face was one broad grin of welcome4 ,summers was in the confidence of her mistress1 and had long known of the efforts made by the baronet and his wife to induce ,miss ,lys to give up her work at the hospital and take up her residence in ,berkeley ,square4 ,only that morning ,lady ,kirwan had said1 ,everything is really turning out quite well1 after all1 ,summers1 though1 of course1 one could not see it at first4 ,the arrival of this eccentric ,joseph person has really been a blessing in disguise4 ,sir ,thomas ,ducaine is more devoted to ,miss ,mary than ever1 since they are both mixed up in this mission affair4 ,we shall see everything come right before very long4 ,your rooms are prepared1 miss1 said ,summers4 ,bryce has told you why m'lady and ,miss ,marjorie couldn't be home to welcome you4 ,but ,i'll send some lunch up at once to your boudoir4 ,and there's a letter come this morning4 ,sir ,thomas' valet brought it himself4 ,i've put it on your writing-table1 miss4 ,there was a world of meaning and kindly innuendo in the woman's voice as she ushered ,mary into the luxurious suite of rooms which had been made ready for her4 ,but the girl noticed nothing of it4 ,her thoughts were in far distant places4 ,nothing could have been more dainty and beautiful than the rooms which were to be hers4 ,the most loving care had been lavished on them by her aunt and cousin4 ,one of the head men from ,waring's had been there on that very morning to put the finishing touches4 ,mary's eyes took in all the comfort and elegance1 but her brain did not respond to their message4 ,she was still thinking of and praying for the man who loved her and whom she loved1 but the man who had not yet--despite all his marvellous generosity--bowed his head and murmured1 ,i believe4 ,then she saw his letter upon the writing-table--the firm1 strong handwriting1 with the up-stroke d and the ,greek e1 which denote a public school and ,university training4 ,her heart throbbed as she took up the square envelope and opened it4 ,this is what she read-- ,lady ,kirwan has told me you are coming to them to-day4 ,i want to see you most particularly4 ,i bring you a message from ,joseph1 and ,i bring you news of myself4 ,at four o'clock ,i will call1 and please see me4 ,dearest and best1 ,,thomas ,,sholto ,,ducaine4 ,she smiled at the signature4 ,tom always signed his full name1 even in the most intimate letters4 ,it was a trick1 a habit he always had4 ,for the moment ,mary was like any other girl who dwells fondly on some one or other little peculiarity of the man she loves--making him in some subtle way more than ever her own4 ,mary lunched alone4 ,her luxurious surroundings seemed to strike an alien note4 ,she was not as yet at home in them1 though when the meal was over she drew up her chair to the glowing fire with a certain sense of physical ease and enjoyment4 ,in truth1 she was very tired4 ,the strongly emotional incidents of her farewell at the hospital1 the concentration of nervous force during her drive to ,berkeley ,square1 had left her exhausted for the moment4 ,she was glad of the comfortable silence1 the red glow from the cedar logs upon the hearth1 and1 as the afternoon lengthened into the early dusk of a ,london fog1 she sighed herself to sleep4 ,death has been defined as the cessation from correspondence with environment--a logical and scientific statement which1 while it is perfectly accurate1 still leaves room for every article of the ,christian faith4 ,sleep1 in a sense1 is this also3 and we have the authority of ,holy ,writ itself that many revelations have come to the dreamer of dreams4 ,mary lay back in her arm-chair1 and the dewy loveliness of her face would1 in its perfection1 have shown no trace of what was passing in her sub-conscious mind to an onlooker4 ,but all her life was being unfolded to her in a strange panorama as she slept4 ,from first to last everything that had ever happened to her was unwound as if from the spool of ,fate itself4 ,she saw all the events of her life as if she were standing apart from them and they were another's4 ,but1 more than all this1 she saw also1 in a dread and mysterious revelation1 the purpose1 the controlling purpose of ,god1 which had brought these events about4 ,it was as though she was vouchsafed a glimpse into the workings of the ,divine mind2 as if all the operations of ,god's providence1 as they had been connected with her past1 were now suddenly made clear4 ,on some dark and mysterious fabric1 half seen and but little understood1 the real pattern had flashed out--clear1 vivid1 and unmistakable1 while the golden threads that went through warp and woof were plain at last4 ,on and on went the strange procession of events1 until she found herself upon the lonely mountain-tops of ,wales4 ,her dead brother was there1 and praying for her4 ,she heard his passionate1 appealing voice1 she saw with his very mind itself4 ,joseph was there also1 and ,mary began to understand something of the miracle that had made the ,teacher what he was1 that had changed him as ,saul was changed4 ,and at this moment the color of the dream began to be less real and vivid1 while its panoramic movement was greatly accelerated4 ,she was as though suddenly removed to a great distance1 and saw all things with a blurred vision as the present approached4 ,then her sensations entirely changed4 ,she no longer saw pictures of the past explained for her in the light of a supernatural knowledge4 ,all that was over4 ,her whole heart and mind were filled with the sense of some strange presence which was coming nearer and nearer--nearer and nearer still4 ,then1 quite suddenly and plainly1 she saw that the figure of ,lluellyn ,lys was standing in the centre of the room1 clear and luminous4 ,the figure was that of her dead brother as she had last seen him1 and seemed perfectly substantial and real4 ,it was seen in the darkness by an aurora of pale light that seemed to emanate from it1 as if the flesh--if flesh indeed it was--exhaled an atmosphere of light4 ,mary fell upon her knees4 ,brother--brother6 she cried1 stretching out her hands in supplication4 ,dear brother1 speak to me6 ,tell me why you are here from the grave6 ,there was no answer in words4 ,the face of the figure grew much brighter than the rest1 and the weeping1 imploring girl saw upon it a peace so perfect1 a joy so serene and high1 a beatitude so unspeakable1 that her sobs and moans died away into silence as she gazed at the transfigured countenance in breathless awe and wonder4 ,for the face was as the face of one who had seen ,god and walked the streets of ,paradise4 ,it smiled upon her with ineffable tenderness and greeting1 and then she saw that one arm was raised in blessing4 ,for some seconds the figure remained there1 motionless4 ,then with a slight movement1 though no sound accompanied it1 the luminous outline turned towards the door4 ,the right arm still remained in its attitude of blessing1 the left pointed to the portal4 ,there was a sound of footsteps outside in the passage1 the figure began to sway and shake1 precisely as a column of vapor shakes in a wind4 ,it grew fainter and more faint1 and as ,mary tried to clasp it1 calling aloud on it to stay1 it vanished utterly away4 ,she was awake now1 and for some reason she could not explain she rushed to the wall and turned on the switch of the electric light4 ,in a second the room was illuminated4 ,it was just the same in its ordered daintiness and comfort4 ,nothing was altered1 there was nothing whatever to show that any ghostly visitor had been there4 ,there was a knock at the door4 ,sir ,thomas ,ducaine entered1 and there was something upon his face which sent the blood leaping through ,mary's veins once more in the shock of a sudden revelation4 ,she knew now why her brother had come to her in her vision6 ,sir ,thomas entered the room1 and came straight up to ,mary4 ,my dear1 he said1 ,i asked especially to see you alone because ,i have something to tell you4 ,lady ,kirwan knows2 she gave me permission to come4 ,mary1 can you guess what ,i have to say8 ,the light upon his face had told her even before he spoke2 the ghostly visitor had told her2 her heart had told her4 ,i think ,i know1 she said4 ,i think that my prayers are answered4 ,he caught her by both hands1 and looked steadily into her eyes4 ,my love1 he said1 in a voice that trembled with emotion1 try how he would to control it1 ,i have come to tell you just that4 ,her face did not change4 ,it bore the traces of the supernatural experiences through which she had passed2 there was a rapt ecstasy in the eyes1 the lovely lips spoke of love1 belief1 hope4 ,her face did not change1 but it already wore the look he had longed to see upon it4 ,she had never seemed more beautiful4 ,it has been a gradual process1 ,mary1 he continued1 speaking quickly and nervously4 ,but it has been quickened at the last4 ,and ,i owe it all1 absolutely and utterly1 to ,joseph4 ,the night that ,joseph came into my life1 when ,i saw him at the theatre1 and when ,i found him standing on the steps of my house late on the same night1 was the beginning of everything for me4 ,all life is changed4 ,i look upon it in a new way4 ,i see it with fresh eyes4 ,i believe in ,god1 ,i know that ,jesus died for me1 ,i know that the ,holy ,ghost is immanent in this world--,i believe6 ,i knew it1 she said in a low voice4 ,i knew it directly you entered the room4 ,god sent a messenger in a dream to tell me4 ,he has us in ,his care1 the young man said reverently4 ,but ,i have much to tell you1 ,mary4 ,do not tire yourself4 ,he led her to a large ottoman1 which came out at right angles to the ,dutch fireplace1 and sat down by her side4 ,he had released her hands now1 and by an intuition she knew his motive4 ,he would not speak to her of love until he had told her the whole history of his conversion1 the dawn of his belief1 his acceptance of ,christ6 ,he wanted her to be sure1 to understand the change in him to the full1 and he would take nothing until it was fairly due6 ,he was indeed a true and gallant gentleman1 ,mary thought1 as she heard the grave young voice and saw the firelight playing upon the strong1 clean-cut profile4 ,she had been attracted to him from the first4 ,no one had ever stirred her as he had done4 ,liking and powerful attraction had grown into love1 strong1 steadfast1 and sure4 ,but there had always been that great and terrible barrier between them4 ,she could not give herself to an infidel4 ,for that was what it meant1 ugly and harsh as the word was4 ,he did not really and truly believe there was a ,god4 ,he was an atheist and infidel1 even as ,joseph himself had been4 ,and now1 and now6 ,it was all over1 ,god had spoken and revealed ,himself to the blind1 ignorant heart6 ,the man was speaking4 ,thomas was telling her of how this marvel had come about4 ,it was not only ,joseph's great magnetic powers1 the marvellous way in which he can stir one1 that influenced me4 ,a great orator is not necessarily a ,christian2 the personal force which hypnotizes and directs the thoughts and movements of a crowd is not necessarily derived from belief4 ,i recognized1 of course1 that ,i had come in contact with a personality that was probably unique in the modern world4 ,i saw it at once1 ,i was dominated by it2 ,i put my money and influence at ,joseph's disposal because ,i was perfectly certain of his goodness and his power for good4 ,i knew that ,i was doing right4 ,but that1 after all1 was not accepting the ,christian faith4 ,even the miraculous things that ,i have seen him do1 or know of his having done1 did not in themselves convince me4 ,natural causes might account for them4 ,they might be produced by powers superior in intensity1 but not different in kind1 to those latent in all of us4 ,mary listened carefully to the grave and reasoned statement4 ,every now and then there was a little break and trembling in the young man's voice1 telling of the hidden fire beneath the veneer of self-control4 ,the lovely girl who listened half smiled with love and tenderness once or twice4 ,and what was it really1 dear1 in the end1 that brought you to the foot of the ,cross8 she said gently4 ,at the word dear he started violently1 and made a quick movement towards her4 ,his face was flushed with joy1 his eyes shone4 ,then1 with a great effort1 he restrained himself4 ,she could see how his hands were clenched1 could hear how his breathing came fast from his parted lips4 ,it was the simplest and yet the most wonderful thing possible1 he said4 ,i had been thinking about these questions for months4 ,i read theology4 ,i went to the churches and chapels of every sect1 and1 as you know1 ,i couldn't believe4 ,i know the reason now4 ,i wanted to believe in order that we might be closer together1 you and ,i1 love of my heart4 ,i did not want to believe because my heart was touched1 and ,i loved ,god6 ,then ,joseph came into my life1 and more and more ,i tried4 ,but it was still of no use4 ,but ,i think my heart must have been softened insensibly by being in daily contact with a nature so saintly and a personality so much in communion with the ,unseen as ,joseph is4 ,a little time ago1 as ,i was reading the ,gospel of ,st4 ,john1 one night1 just before ,i went to bed1 a sudden revolution took place in all my feelings and desires4 ,these were the words-- ',and after eight days again ,his disciples were within1 and ,thomas was with them2 then came ,jesus1 the doors being shut1 and stood in the midst1 and said1 ,peace be unto you4 ',then saith ,he to ,thomas1 reach hither thy finger1 and behold ,my hands2 and reach hither thy hand1 and thrust it into ,my side2 and be not faithless1 but believing4 ',and ,thomas answered and said unto ,him1 ,my ,lord and my ,god4' ,and when ,i read those words1 ,mary1 they seemed to come straight to my heart1 to be spoken to me1 ,thomas ,ducaine4 ,i saw1 for the first time1 the long1 frightful agony upon the ,cross4 ,i knew1 as ,i had never known before1 what the ,son of ,god had suffered for me4 ,a great rush of love and adoration came over me4 ,with streaming eyes ,i knelt and prayed for forgiveness1 ,i lost myself in ,him and for ,his sake alone4 ,all thoughts of what ,i might gain from surrender to ,jesus and from loving ,him were absent from my mind and consciousness4 ,i loved ,him for ,himself--very ,god and very man1 begotten not made1 being of one substance with the ,father4 ,i said the ,lord's ,prayer1 and then ,i slept4 ,i would not come to you at once4 ,i told ,joseph1 and he blessed me and seemed happier than ,i had ever seen him before4 ',go to her at once1 ,thomas1' he said to me4 ,tell her that ,jesus has come to you1 that your great earthly love is irradiated and made perfect by your love for ,him ,who was present at the marriage feast of ,cana4' ,but ,i wouldn't go at once4 ,i distrusted myself4 ,i wanted to wait and see if my new belief would stand the test of time1 if it was more than a mere passing emotion of the brain4 ,yet1 every day since then it has grown stronger and more strong4 ,i have beaten through the waves of doubt4 ,i have overcome the assaults of the powers and principalities of the air1 who would obscure the light for me4 ,i am a ,christian1 with all the splendor which that word confers4 ,i have reached the ,rock of ,ages1 and the tempest is over1 the winds are stilled4 ,to-day ,joseph said this to me3 ',delay no longer4 ,you are a new man in ,christ ,jesus4 ,it has been given to me to know that the hour has come4 ,go to my dear sister in ,christ1 that gentle1 lovely lady1 and tell her of your love4 ,she will be ready and waiting for you4 ,this1 also1 ,i know1 for it has been told me by the ,holy ,ghost4' ,that is the message which ,i said in my letter to you that ,i was to bring you from ,joseph4 ,and now1 and now1 dearest1 most beautiful and best1 you have heard all my story4 ,with these words he suddenly rose and stood above her1 looking down at a head which was now bowed1 at white hands that were clasped together upon her knees4 ,there was a momentary silence1 and then a single deep sob of happiness and realization came from the girl upon the sofa4 ,the sound dispelled all his hesitation4 ,it brought him back from the mystical realms of thought and spiritual memory to pure human emotion and love4 ,he stooped down quickly and caught her by the arms1 raising her up to him with a strong grasp that would not be denied4 ,then two words rang out like a bell in the quiet room--,at last6 ,she was in his arms now1 close--ah1 close6 to the heart that beat for her alone4 ,the freshness of her pure lips was pressed to his4 ,the moment was of heaven1 and from heaven4 ,two pure and noble natures were united by ,god in their love for each other4 ,and now they are sitting side by side and hand in hand4 ,the world is changed for them4 ,never again will it be the same1 for they have tasted of the fruits of ,paradise1 have heard music which echoes from the shining pavements of the blest 444 ,darling1 there are no words at all in which to tell you how ,i love you4 ,i have not a thought in the world which is not bound up in you1 not a wish that is not centred in you4 ,and ,i in you4 ,oh1 ,tom1 ,i did not know it was possible to be so happy4 ,how long they sat thus in the quiet1 dainty room neither of them could have said4 ,time1 so slow moving and leaden-footed in the hours of hope1 flies with swiftest wings when hope has blossomed into fruition4 ,there was so much to say and tell6 ,all their thoughts and hopes about each other from the very first must be mutually related1 all the hidden secrets laid bare4 ,did you really think that of me1 sweetheart8 ,oh1 if ,i'd only known6444 ,but ,i wasn't different to other girls1 really1 darling4 ,it was only because you1 you loved me6 ,happy1 roseate moments6 ,perhaps they are the best and finest which life has to give1 that ,god bestows upon his servants here below4 ,the door opened1 and a little group of people entered the room--,lady ,kirwan1 ,sir ,augustus1 ,marjorie1 and with them ,joseph himself4 ,no one spoke for a moment4 ,the new-comers all saw that the lovers were sitting hand in hand1 that a declaration had been made4 ,then pretty ,marjorie1 regardless of form or ceremony or the presence of the rest1 ran to her cousin1 put her arms round her neck1 and kissed her4 ,oh1 you dear darling6 she said2 ,i am so glad--oh1 so1 so happy6 ,it was most prettily and spontaneously done4 ,nothing could have been more natural1 charming or welcome4 ,there were tears in ,sir ,augustus' eyes1 as that genial1 kind-hearted worldling held out his hand to ,sir ,thomas ,ducaine4 ,i congratulate you1 my dear boy1 he said heartily4 ,i see how it is with my dear niece and you4 ,i love ,mary like a daughter1 and there are few people to whom ,i would rather trust her than to you4 ,god bless you both6 ,mary1 love1 come and kiss your uncle4 ,there was a hum of excited1 happy talk1 and then ,sir ,augustus1 a man who had had always a great sense of celebrating events by some time-honored ceremony1 suddenly said3 ,now we'll have a drink out of the loving-cup to ,mary and ,sir ,thomas4 ,nobody there wanted wine1 but no one liked to baulk the genial and excited old gentleman4 ,but1 just as he was about to press the bell and give the order1 ,sir ,augustus suddenly paused4 ,he looked at ,joseph1 for whom1 by this time1 he had acquired considerable regard1 not unmixed with fear1 though quite destitute of any real understanding of him4 ,oh--er--,mr4 ,joseph1 he said1 ,i hope you won't mind---- ,sir ,augustus had an idea that religion and teetotalism were the same thing and were inseparable4 ,he was quite unable to differentiate between the two1 no doubt because he knew absolutely nothing of either4 ,mind1 ,sir ,augustus6 ,joseph said1 in surprise4 ,why should ,i mind1 and for what reason8 ,the baronet did not quite know what to answer4 ,oh1 well1 you know1 he said at length4 ,i had an idea that you might object4 ,never mind4 ,joseph laughed4 ,the grave and beautiful face seemed singularly happy4 ,care had passed from it for a time2 he looked with eyes of love at ,mary and ,sir ,thomas1 with eyes of blessing and of love4 ,the stern denunciator of evil1 the prophet and evangelist of ,god1 who warned the world of its wickedness1 had disappeared4 ,in his stead was the kindly friend rejoicing in the joy of those who were dear to him4 ,a servant brought a great two-handled gold cup1 which had been filled with wine4 ,sir ,augustus handed it to ,lady ,kirwan4 ,the dame lifted the heavy chalice1 jewelled with great amethysts1 which had been presented to her husband by the ,corporation of the ,city of ,london4 ,my dear1 dear niece1 she said1 while the tears gathered in her eyes2 ,i drink to your continual happiness1 and to the name ,i bore1 and which you bear now1 the noble name of ,lys6 ,then ,sir ,augustus took the cup4 ,to my pretty ,mary1 whom ,i love as if she were a child of mine6 said the good man2 and to you1 ,tom ,ducaine1 who will make her a true husband1 and are a gallant lover4 ,he passed the cup to his daughter ,marjorie4 ,the girl lifted it1 looked straight at ,mary ,lys with a curious meaning and intentness in her eyes1 and then said1 ,with my love of your true love on this happiest of all happy hours4 ,she handed back the golden cup to her father1 who was about to set it down upon a side table1 when the ,teacher spoke4 ,are you going to leave me out of your ceremony8 ,joseph said4 ,very sorry1 very sorry1 the baronet replied1 in confusion4 ,i wasn't quite sure4 ,he handed the cup to ,joseph1 but the ,teacher only lifted it on high4 ,may ,god bless your union1 my dear brother and sister1 he said simply1 and placed it on a table nearby4 ,the deep music of the voice1 the love in it1 the deep sincerity1 came to them all like a benison4 ,you have given me everything in this world and hopes of everything in the next1 ,joseph1 said ,sir ,thomas ,ducaine4 ,you were ,lluellyn's friend1 ,mary whispered4 ,and you're a jolly good fellow1 ,mr4 ,joseph1 said ,sir ,augustus1 in spite of all your critics1 and ,i shall be glad to say so always4 ,at that1 for the first time during their knowledge of him1 ,joseph began to laugh4 ,his merriment was full-throated and deep1 came from real amusement and pleasure1 was mirth unalloyed4 ,joseph finished his laughter4 ,may this hour1 he said gravely1 be the beginning of a long1 joyous and ,god-fearing life for you1 ,mary and ,thomas4 ,hand in hand and heart to heart may you do the work of the ,lord4 ,then1 with a bow to all of the company assembled there1 he went away4 ,when he had left the great house and walked for a few minutes1 he came upon a huge public-house--a glittering structure at the corner of two streets4 ,he stopped in front of the great gaudy place1 looked at it for a moment1 sighed heavily1 and went in4 ,,chapter ,,xix ,,as ,a ,,brand ,,from ,,the ,,burning ,joseph pushed open the swing-doors of the big public-house and entered beneath a lamp marked ,saloon ,bar4 ,his face was quite changed4 ,in the short time which had elapsed since he left ,sir ,augustus ,kirwan's house he seemed another person4 ,the great eyes which had looked upon the lovers with such kindly beneficence had now the strange fixity and inward light that always came to them when he was about his ,master's business4 ,the face was pale1 and the whole attitude of the ,teacher was as that of a man who is undergoing a great nervous strain4 ,he walked down a passage4 ,to his left were the doors of mahogany and cut-glass which led into those boxes which are known as private bars in the smart drinking-shops of ,london4 ,to his right was a wall of brightly glazed tiles1 and in front of him1 at the passage end1 was the door which led into the saloon bar itself4 ,pushing this open1 he entered4 ,he found himself in a largish room1 brilliantly lit by the electric light1 and triangular in shape4 ,along two of the walls ran padded leather lounges1 before the third was the shining semicircular bar1 gleaming with mahogany1 highly polished brass1 and huge cut-glass urns of amber spirit4 ,in one corner of the room1 seated at a marble topped table1 a man was talking to an overdressed woman with a rouged face and pencilled eyebrows4 ,in front of the counter1 seated upon a high cane stool1 was a young man4 ,he wore a long brown over-coat of a semi-fashionable cut and a bowler hat pushed back on his head4 ,his fair hair was a little ruffled1 and his weak1 youthful1 though as yet hardly vicious face1 was flushed high up on the cheek-bones4 ,he was smoking a cigarette of the ten-for-threepence type1 and chattering with a somewhat futile arrogation of merriment and knowingness to the barmaid1 who had just set a glass of whisky-and-water before him4 ,for a minute or two1 hidden from view by an imitation palm in a pot of terra-cotta which stood upon the counter1 ,joseph escaped notice4 ,he could hear part of the conversation from where he was--any one might have heard it4 ,it was the usual thing1 vapid1 meaningless1 inane4 ,a narrow intellect1 destitute alike of experience and ideals1 with one gift only1 youth1 imagined that it was seeing life4 ,two fools6 ,two weak1 silly1 unconsidered members of the rank and file1 without knowledge1 manners or charm4 ,yet for these two ,christ had died upon the ,cross no less surely than ,he had died for prince or pope or potentate4 ,it was thus ,joseph thought4 ,the ,teacher's eyes were wet with tears1 a beautiful compassion dawned upon his face4 ,he went up to the young man and touched him upon the shoulder4 ,at the touch the young fellow started and turned suddenly with a convulsive movement4 ,his face was yellow with fear1 his jaw dropped1 his hands trembled2 he was a repulsive picture of weak1 nerveless1 and uncontrollable terror4 ,the barmaid looked on in amazement4 ,she marked the fear in her admirer's face1 and with swift intuition knew from what cause it proceeded4 ,it was not the first time in her poor1 stunted life1 with its evil surroundings1 that she had seen a gay young spark touched upon the shoulder2 seen the acquaintance of a month vanish for ever1 never to come within her ken again save only in a few brief paragraphs in the newspaper reports of the ,central ,criminal ,court4 ,who's your friend1 ,charlie8 the girl said1 with a sickly and inadequate attempt at merriment4 ,joseph looked at her4 ,my friend1 he said1 in his grave and beautiful voice1 ,i come to him with authority4 ,the girl gasped1 then she turned and walked hurriedly to the other end of the bar1 taking a newspaper from a drawer and holding it up with shaking fingers4 ,she didn't want to be mixed up in the thing1 at any cost she must pretend that she was unconcerned4 ,the great law of self-preservation--the animal law--had its way with her now4 ,she was alone in the world2 she had her living to get2 she could not afford to be mixed up with any scandal4 ,she acted after her kind1 and fled as far as she could4 ,who shall blame her8 ,joseph took the young man by the arm and led him to the farthest corner of the room4 ,the man and woman who had been there when ,joseph entered had gone by now2 the place was quite empty4 ,charlie found himself sitting side by side with the stranger who had led him so easily from the counter4 ,in the shrewd1 mean brain of the young man one emotion had been succeeded by another4 ,he had realized after the first moment of terror that ,joseph was not what he supposed4 ,the enormous relief of this certainty was succeeded by resentment and puerile anger4 ,he feared that he had given himself away in ,belle's eyes4 ,now1 look here1 he said suddenly1 you startled me for a moment1 and ,i won't deny you did4 ,but a gentleman doesn't come and interrupt another gentleman when he's talking to a lady4 ,who on earth are you1 anyhow8 ,the high1 piping voice1 the silly expression1 the uncertain1 childish rage were unspeakably pitiable4 ,for answer ,joseph put his hand into an inside pocket of his coat and produced a little leather bag4 ,it was full of sovereigns4 ,while the young clerk stared at him with wondering1 fascinated eyes1 the ,teacher took fourteen pounds from the bag and then returned it to his pocket4 ,he placed the money in the young man's hand4 ,god sent me here to give you this1 he said quietly4 ,it is the exact sum you have stolen from your firm4 ,replace it1 and sin no more4 ,god sends you this last opportunity4 ,the young fellow's face grew suddenly wet4 ,he took the money with a hand that had lost all nervous force4 ,he could hardly hold the coins4 ,who are you8 he said1 in a faint whisper4 ,how did you know that ,i had sto--took the money8 ,the ,holy ,spirit brought me to you1 ,joseph answered very simply4 ,a short time ago ,i was leaving the house of some friends4 ,a dear sister and brother of mine--,i speak in the ,christian1 and not in the family sense--had just plighted their troth4 ,they are to be united in happy and honorable wedlock4 ,i was coming away with my thoughts full of them1 and feeling very happy in their happiness4 ,for1 you must know1 that ,i love those two people very dearly4 ,well1 as ,i passed by this place1 ,i was told that there was some one within it who was very miserable4 ,i knew that ,i must come in and comfort you1 and take you out of the net which had enmeshed your young life4 ,your mother sits at home in ,balham1 and longs for you4 ,the small pittance that your father's insurance money has secured for her is just enough to support her2 but it is not enough to bring any comfort or brightness into her life4 ,but you never go home in the evenings until very late4 ,she sits waiting for you1 yearning over her only son1 and praying to ,god for his reformation4 ,but you never come4 ,and when at last you go down home by the last available train1 you are often more or less intoxicated1 and your mind is always filled with debased images and ideals1 disordered longings and evil hopes4 ,and for that reason your mother can never get very near you in spirit4 ,what you are becoming repels her and wounds her motherhood4 ,and now you have begun to steal from your employers1 and you walk in deadly fear4 ,in the back of your mind you know that discovery is inevitable before very long4 ,yet you put the thought away1 and try and persuade yourself that everything will come right somehow1 though you have no idea how4 ,and during the last fortnight the process of deterioration has been more and more rapid4 ,you have been drinking heavily to deaden your conscience and alleviate your alarm4 ,you have known the end is near4 ,is not all this the truth8 ,the tears were rolling down the weak1 young face4 ,the flaccid mouth quivered2 the neck was bowed4 ,all this1 sir1 said the young man--all this is true4 ,a broken and contrite heart1 the ,teacher answered1 are not despised of ,god4 ,by his great mercy ,i have been sent to you to save you4 ,restore the money you have stolen1 but do far more4 ,turn from darkness2 seek light4 ,come to ,jesus ,christ4 ,boy1 you have heard of what is known as the ',great ,refusal'2 you know how the young man with great possessions could not1 and would not1 give them up to follow the ,son of ,god8 ,but you deny ,jesus for a pot of beer6 ,you give up your hope of eternal life to come and the peace of ,god in this wicked world for nothing--nothing at all8 ,now come with me to my house in ,bloomsbury1 my house of godly men4 ,there you shall pray and repent1 and from there you shall go home cleansed and purged of your sin1 filled with the ,holy ,spirit1 ready and anxious to lead a new life1 walking from henceforth in ,christ ,jesus4 ,they went out of the place together4 ,the boy never cast a backward glance at his inamorata of a few minutes ago4 ,he followed the ,teacher in blind obedience4 ,he was as one stunned4 ,they came into the big old-fashioned square where was the house which ,sir ,thomas ,ducaine had given to ,joseph and his brethren4 ,the windows were all lighted up1 and there was a small crowd lingering in front of the door4 ,they are all praying within1 ,joseph said4 ,to-morrow we are to go down into the worst places of the ,east ,end4 ,a party of great people are coming with us4 ,we have persuaded them to come1 in order that they may see for themselves what these parts of ,london really are like4 ,he spoke quietly1 and in a purely conversational tone1 as if to an equal4 ,he knew well what the poor lad who walked so humbly by his side was suffering4 ,he knew of the remorse and shame1 but also of the hope1 which were pouring into the young man's heart4 ,and he knew also that all this was but a preparation for what was to come--that there must1 indeed1 be a final agony of surrender1 an absolute and utter giving-in to ,jesus4 ,so1 as they walked across the square1 he tried to calm his captive's nerves by a quiet recital of the great and hopeful things that they were to do on the morrow4 ,yet even to ,joseph it was not then given to know what things the morrow would bring forth4 ,,chapter ,,xx ,,murder ,,and ,,sudden ,,death ,the big house was very plainly furnished4 ,what was absolutely necessary had been put into it1 but that was all4 ,sir ,thomas ,ducaine had been astounded at the simplicity of the arrangements4 ,the wealthy young man1 accustomed as he was to every luxury and amenity of life that riches bring1 was most anxious to make the place more comfortable4 ,my dear fellow1 he said to ,joseph1 you can't possibly live like this4 ,why1 it's barer than a work-house6 ,you must really let me send you some things in4 ,but the baronet had not in the least succeeded in altering the ,teacher's determination4 ,the ,lord's work is to be done1 ,joseph had answered4 ,we are here to do it1 and our thoughts are set on other matters4 ,we have no need of these things4 ,but you don't think comfort or luxury1 ,i suppose you would call it1 wrong8 ,certainly not1 if a man has earned it1 is robbing nobody in acquiring it1 and finds personal enjoyment in it4 ,christ sat at the rich man's feast4 ,he took the gift of the precious ointment4 ,but for us such things are unnecessary4 ,so the house1 now more famous than perhaps any house in ,london1 was a veritable hermit's cell in its appointments4 ,there1 however1 the resemblance ceased entirely4 ,the place hummed with varied activities4 ,it was the centre of the many organizations that were springing into being under ,joseph's direction2 activities made possible by ,sir ,thomas ,ducaine's magnificent gifts and the stream of outside donations that had followed in their wake4 ,joseph and his young companion passed through the little crowd of loiterers and curious people that nearly always stood before the door of the mysterious house where the ,teacher was now known to reside4 ,there was a stir and movement as he came among them1 nudgings of elbows1 a universal pressure forward1 whispers and remarks below the voice3 ,that's him6 ,there's ,joseph himself6 ,joseph passed through the crowd without taking any notice of it4 ,on the doorstep he paused and turned as if to speak4 ,the people--there may have been thirty or forty of them--pressed forward in a circle of eager faces4 ,on the outskirts of the group there was a woman1 dressed in black and past the middle-age4 ,she seemed to hang back1 as if reluctant1 or too timid1 to approach4 ,joseph's eye fell upon her4 ,then he took a latchkey from his pocket and gave it to the young man4 ,open the door1 he said1 and go into the house4 ,go into the room on the right-hand side of the hall1 and ,i will meet you there4 ,the young man did as he was bidden1 and disappeared4 ,then ,joseph spoke4 ,among you all1 he said1 there is but one here that needs me4 ,you have come to see a show1 not to seek ,god and help to lead you to ,him4 ,get you gone from this place1 for there is no health in you6 ,the voice rang out in stern command--a command which it seemed impossible to disobey4 ,without a word1 the people turned and slunk away1 melting like ghosts into the darkness of the square4 ,only the woman in black remained1 and she now came timidly up to the ,teacher4 ,sir1 she said1 in a thin but clear and educated voice--sir1 ,i should like to speak with you1 if ,i may4 ,my friend1 he answered4 ,i was waiting for you4 ,come within the house4 ,he led the woman into a small room on the left-hand side of the hall--an uncarpeted room1 with nothing but a few chairs1 a big table covered with papers1 and a purring gas-stove upon the hearth4 ,at the ,teacher's invitation the woman sat down1 and revealed a thin1 anxious face and eyes that seemed perpetually trembling upon the brink of tears4 ,it is very kind of you to see me1 sir1 she said1 ,i never expected that ,i should have such good fortune4 ,but ,i have read about you in the papers--that you go about doing good1 just as our dear ,lord did1 and something within me moved me to seek you out1 even if it were only just to look at you4 ,for ,i am very unhappy1 sir1 and ,i have no one to confide in1 no one whom ,i can ask about my trouble or obtain advice from4 ,tell me all about it1 ,joseph said gently4 ,when ,i stood at the door and looked at the people ,i felt in my heart that they were there out of idle curiosity4 ,god in ,his wisdom has given me power to know these things4 ,but something came straight from you to me that made me aware that you needed me4 ,tell me everything4 ,it's about my son1 sir1 the woman said1 not noticing the slight start that ,joseph gave and the new light that came into his eyes4 ,i am a widow with one son4 ,he is just twenty1 and is employed as a clerk in a ,city ,house4 ,but he is going wrong1 sir4 ,i can read the signs easily4 ,he stays out late at night1 he seems to be losing his love for me1 and is impatient of anything ,i say to him4 ,and more than once he has come home intoxicated lately4 ,and in his room ,i have found programmes of the performances at music-halls and such places4 ,i do not pry about1 sir1 nor am ,i foolishly severe and hard4 ,young men must have their amusements1 and they must have their secrets1 ,i suppose4 ,i do not expect ,charlie to tell me everything4 ,and he only earns thirty shillings a week1 part of which he gives to me for his board and lodging4 ,he cannot possibly afford these amusements4 ,i have a terrible fear that never leaves me that he has not been honest1 that he must have been taking other people's money1 and that he will be ruined4 ,i have prayed and prayed1 sir1 but it really seems as if prayer is of no use1 though1 of course1 ,i keep on4 ,don't say that1 ,joseph answered4 ,prayer is still the greatest force in the world1 however despondent we may become at times4 ,but your prayers have been answered4 ,charlie is saved6 ,the weeping mother gave a sudden cry1 half of joy1 half of incredulity4 ,but1 sir1 she stammered1 how can you know that8 ,oh1 if only it could be true6 ,it is true1 my dear sister1 he answered4 ,the ,lord led me to a place where ,i found your son1 not an hour ago4 ,the ,holy ,ghost told my mind that there was a widow's son whom ,i could save4 ,all you have been conjecturing is only too true4 ,charlie has done the things you say4 ,he has taken money from his employers1 but ,i have given him the sum that he may return it to them4 ,he is here1 in this house now1 and ,i know that the leaven of repentance is working within him1 and that he feels that he is rescued from both material and spiritual ruin4 ,we are going to pray together4 ,come with me1 and add your prayers to ours4 ,but when they crossed the hall and entered the room opposite1 they found that the young man was already on his knees4 ,day by day some such episode as this occurred4 ,joseph's power seemed more and more sure and wonderful4 ,when he had sent away the widow and her son1 tearful and happy1 with something in the face of the young man that had never been there before1 the ,teacher went up the wide ,georgian stairs to a large room on the first floor4 ,no one was there but old ,david ,owen4 ,all the other friends and companions of ,joseph were out upon various efforts of compassion and salvation2 only the old man remained1 for he had a cold1 and could not face the night air4 ,a grey1 knitted comforter was round his neck1 and he was slowly eating his supper--a bowl of bread-and-milk4 ,before him1 on the table1 was a large ,bible1 and he was reading eagerly as he ate1 reading with the avidity and concentrated interest that more ordinary people give to an engrossing romance4 ,he looked up as ,joseph entered1 and smiled at him4 ,it's wonderful1 ,master6 he said4 ,it grows more and more wonderful every time ,i opens it4 ,i've spent my life reading in the ,holy ,book1 and ,i'm an old man now4 ,but ten lives would be all too short6 ,he pointed to the volume with gnarled1 wrinkled fingers that trembled with emotion4 ,ah6 ',twas a bitter nailing6 he went on4 ,a bitter1 bitter torture ,he bore for us4 ,and remember1 ,joseph1 ,he bore the sins of the whole world1 too4 ,i'm no scholar1 and ,i can't see things like you can4 ,all the time ,i'm reading an' yet ,i know ,i can only see a little bit of it4 ,but even that's rending and tearing1 ,master4 ,it's dreadful what ,he suffered for us6 ,i can't understand why every one doesn't love ,him4 ,it's easy to understand folk doing wrong things4 ,the flesh is very strong--man is full of wickedness4 ,satan1 he goes about tempting the heart1 with his dreadful cunning4 ,but1 whatever a man does1 and is sorry for afterwards1 ,i can't understand his not loving ,jesus4 ,and so few folk love ,jesus in this wicked town6 ,the clouds are very dark1 ,david1 ,joseph answered4 ,but they will break4 ,the dawn of the ,lord is at hand1 and deliverance is sure4 ,but ,i1 too1 at this moment1 am full of gloom and sorrow4 ,you know my bad hours1 old friend4 ,one of them is with me now4 ,i fear some calamity1 though ,i pray against it4 ,but it is coming4 ,something tells me it is coming4 ,it is as if ,i heard slow footsteps drawing nearer and nearer---- ,david looked anxiously at his chief4 ,i doubt but you've been doing something that's taken power from you1 ,master1 he said4 ,it has ever been thus with you4 ,have you not told us of the night when we went to the theatre-house1 the home of the ungodly1 when you walked the streets of ,babylon1 and were full of doubt1 though you had struck a blow for ,god that rang through ,england8 ,and what happened then8 ,did you not meet the young man who is great in the eyes of the world--the young man who has given a fortune for our work--the young man who has come to ,jesus at last8 ,joseph bowed his head4 ,yes1 ,david1 he replied2 it was even so1 blessed be ,god4 ,but to-night ,i feel differently4 ,then ,i was trembling upon the verge of doubt4 ,my old disbelief had appeared again within me4 ,it was as if a serpent slept in my brain and suddenly raised its head in coiled hate and enmity to the ,light4 ,but now it is not the same4 ,i love and believe4 ,the tortures of a martyrdom1 of which ,i am not worthy1 could not alter that4 ,but ,i have a terrible apprehension--a fear of what to-morrow may bring forth4 ,i cannot explain it2 ,i do not understand it4 ,but nevertheless it is there1 and very real4 ,there was a silence in the big room4 ,the gas-jets shone upon the walls covered in faded crimson paper1 the long table of deal where the brethren ate their simple meals1 the single picture which hung over the fireplace--a reproduction of ,christ knocking at the door of the human heart1 by ,holman ,hunt4 ,there was no sound but that of a falling coal in the glowing fire4 ,then old ,david spoke4 ,master1 he said1 ,i think you've no call to be afraid or to fear the future4 ,it's in ,god's hands1 and there it is4 ,but as far as a poor man can look into the matter1 ,i think 'tis this way with you4 ,we all know how blessed you have been4 ,we all know--every one in ,britain knows--that you are a special channel for the operations of the ,holy ,ghost in our land4 ,out of all men you have been mysteriously chosen to hear the heavenly voices and carry out their warnings4 ,but all men are soul and body1 too4 ,you can't divide one from t'other while men live4 ,therefore it's bound to be that if your soul has been working hard on ,god's business1 it has drained your body of its strength1 and so you have these fearful thoughts4 ,eat and drink1 and get back courage6 ,joseph smiled4 ,you are right1 ,david1 ,i believe4 ,i will have a bowl of milk-and-bread also4 ,i must be strong for to-morrow4 ,with ,god's blessing1 it will be a great day for ,london4 ,there has never been such a chance of doing good before4 ,yes1 ,i must save myself for that6 ,is it all arranged1 ,master8 the old man asked4 ,are all the great people really coming8 ,yes1 ,david4 ,and1 please ,god1 on the day after to-morrow the kingdom shall be thrilled4 ,sir ,thomas ,ducaine is coming to inspect his own property in the ,east ,end for the first time4 ,sir ,augustus ,kirwan is coming--a powerful and influential man4 ,and the ,duke of ,dover is coming also4 ,then the ,bishop of ,east ,london1 though he knows very well--saint that he is--will be with us also4 ,our dear brother ,hampson will be of the party1 and also that very valiant soldier of ,christ1 that new recruit1 ,eric ,black4 ,black and ,hampson--,god bless them6--will give the result of our pilgrimage to the world4 ,it should wake all ,london to a storm of anger and indignation4 ,these things have been discovered and published before1 but only in isolated instances and at fugitive times1 and the voice has always been stifled and obscured4 ,the vested interests have been too strong4 ,but now there is a real spiritual fervor in ,london4 ,the ,holy ,spirit has descended on the city4 ,there is a quickening on all sides1 the air is full of the ,redeemer's name4 ,therefore1 ,i trust and pray that the results of our visit to-morrow will be far-reaching4 ,several other friends and well-wishers will accompany us in addition to the names of those ,i have mentioned4 ,it is a fine thing to get these great people to go1 said the old man simply4 ,then how can you be downcast1 ,joseph8 ,surely here is yet another evidence of the favor and protection of ,god8 ,i do not know why this assails me1 the ,teacher answered2 but it does1 and it is there4 ,i cannot help it4 ,david ,owen shut the ,bible on the table in front of him1 and rose to his feet4 ,dear ,master1 he said1 the ,son of ,god was also troubled1 in the ,desert and in the ,garden4 ,but it is well--all is well4 ,all is part of the beneficent ordering of the ,father4 ,there is but one medicine for your black thoughts1 dear ,master1 and after you've taken it you'll let come what may4 ,and that is1 old friend8 ,the ,lord's ,prayer1 answered the old gentleman1 taking off his horn spectacles and placing them upon the table4 ,and1 kneeling down1 they said it together4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it was the middle of the morning and a dull1 leaden day4 ,there was no fog down in the breathing areas of town1 but high above a leaden pall hung over the ,city of ,dreadful ,night1 shutting out the clear light of the sun1 livid1 sinister and hopeless4 ,in the big room of the house in ,bloomsbury a dozen people were gathered together4 ,sir ,augustus ,kirwan was talking to ,the ,duke1 a thick-set1 clean-shaven man with a strong watchful face4 ,sir ,thomas ,ducaine and ,eric ,black the journalist stood together4 ,several other notabilities stood in the big1 bare room1 and there were also three unobtrusive men with pointed beards1 who stood together a little apart from the others4 ,detective-inspectors ,alpha1 ,beta and ,gamma1 the real satraps and rulers of the lawless districts of ,whitechapel and its environs4 ,all the men wore hard felt hats and dark overcoats1 peer and policeman alike4 ,it does not do to venture where these were going in anything but a very simple and unobtrusive dress4 ,joseph and ,hampson were talking earnestly together in one corner of the room4 ,they were mapping out the terrible itinerary that should be taken1 readjusting and remembering their own sad knowledge of the ,east1 when they had walked starving down the ,commercial ,road4 ,and now1 my friends1 ,joseph said at length1 in his deep1 organ voice1 ,i think that all is prepared1 and that we may start4 ,sir ,thomas has some carriages waiting for us below4 ,sir ,augustus ,kirwan answered the evangelist4 ,my dear fellow1 he said--my dear ,joseph1 we shall all be delighted to come as soon as may be4 ,but has it occurred to you that while we have all1 doubtless1 breakfasted1 none of us have as yet lunched8 ,it is lunch time now1 you know2 and though a piece of bread and cheese would do excellently for me1 and no doubt for the rest of us1 you can hardly expect the present company to penetrate into ,whitechapel fasting6 ,the ,teacher looked at ,sir ,augustus with a startled face4 ,then he flushed slightly4 ,it had never occurred to him that his guests must necessarily need refreshment4 ,on his own part he had put away material needs as things of no moment for himself4 ,he was sustained1 even in body1 by spiritual food4 ,but he realized now how remiss he had been1 and that all men were not as he was4 ,sir ,augustus1 he said1 in a voice full of pain and contrition1 ,i have been absolutely stupid4 ,it is quite abominable of me not to have thought of it1 but there is1 ,i am dreadfully afraid1 no lunch at all6 ,sir ,thomas ,ducaine joined in the conversation4 ,my dear ,joseph1 he said1 don't make yourself unhappy4 ,there is plenty4 ,some of my people have brought lunch4 ,mary and ,i foresaw this little contretemps1 and we made arrangements accordingly4 ,in your burning eagerness to get us all down to see what you have to show us you forgot that we are but mortal1 and that the body must be nourished if the eye is to see and the brain observe4 ,joseph's face had cleared1 but it wore a somewhat rueful expression4 ,i can't thank you enough1 he said1 for thinking of this4 ,it is a fault in me that ,i did not do so myself4 ,one is too apt to forget that we are all body and spirit also4 ,forgive me6 ,they all fell to at the sandwiches and so forth which two of ,sir ,thomas ,ducaine's servants brought into the room4 ,only ,joseph took nothing at all4 ,he stood by himself1 tall1 beautiful1 lost in a reverie that no one disturbed4 ,he was musing and dreaming still as the carriages took the party to the ,east ,end of ,london4 ,but when ,bishopsgate was passed at last1 he threw his thoughts from him with a great effort1 and became once more the keen and eager leader of those people whom he had brought to see the ultimate horror of the ,modern ,babylon4 ,they sent the carriages away at a certain turning in the ,whitechapel ,road4 ,then they plunged into the dark4 ,and how dark that darkness is6 ,fiction can hardly tell--fiction must not tell1 fearing to infringe upon the bitterness and the agony of the truth4 ,for we who write of things as they are must always consider our audience4 ,ask ,general ,booth1 ,g4 ,r4 ,sims1 or ,mr4 ,holmes1 the police-court missionary1 what is the measure of this darkness4 ,ask the modern martyrs of our day1 of all sects and creeds1 who labor in these hell-ridden places4 ,ask1 and you shall hear nothing but the tolling of a great bell1 the deep and awful sound of immedicable misery1 the iron pan of the blackness of sin1 the deep and ringing wail of the mighty bell--the iron bell--which tolls of hopelessness1 and voices the cry of the downtrodden1 the oppressed1 the lost6 ,the slaves of the ,modern ,babylon6 ,but with one difference4 ,in the walled city of wickedness between the two great rivers1 hope had not come4 ,they could not know that our ,lord was to be born of a pure ,virgin to save them---- ,thoughts akin to these were in the minds of all of them as they went in and out of the foul slums of the ,east4 ,sir ,thomas ,ducaine was covered with shame as he saw the horrors all around--horrors existing upon his own property1 long unregarded and unknown4 ,but the young man was not the only one among them who registered a mental vow to do all that he could for the wretched beings they had come amongst4 ,sir ,augustus ,kirwan1 though he had taken the chair at many philanthropic meetings1 and though his name often headed important subscription lists1 had never really been brought in contact1 in actual personal contact1 with the great open wound of ,london4 ,the party had come to the mouth of a particularly evil-looking alley4 ,there is character in brick and stone1 and this place--,wilson's ,rents by name--had a sinister cut-throat aspect in every line of it4 ,what is in there8 ,sir ,augustus asked one of the police inspectors4 ,it's a particularly bad street1 ,sir ,augustus1 the man answered4 ,a sort of great human rabbit-warren or rat's run1 as you may say4 ,the houses nearly all communicate through cellars and subterranean passages4 ,shall we go down here8 ,sir ,augustus asked ,joseph4 ,i should not advise it1 sir1 said the policeman4 ,the people are so dirty and degraded and disgusting in their habits that they hardly resemble human beings at all4 ,never mind that1 ,sir ,augustus answered4 ,now we have come ,i wish to see everything1 however personally distasteful it may be4 ,i am ashamed gentlemen1 to think that ,i have shirked so obvious a duty as this for so long6 ,i am sorry and ashamed of myself6 ,with eyes that were not quite dry the great financier took ,joseph by the arm and marched down the alley1 followed by the others4 ,they walked cautiously down the place1 which seemed strangely deserted4 ,sir ,augustus was talking eagerly to ,joseph1 opening his heart in a way to which he had long been a stranger1 when there was a sudden loud report in the air above them4 ,looking upwards with startled eyes1 they saw that a little coil of blue smoke was floating out of an open window high above them4 ,a second afterwards ,sir ,augustus ,kirwan sighed twice and fell forward upon his face1 dead1 shot through the heart4 ,,chapter ,,xxi ,,waiting6 ,mr4 ,andrew ,levison lived in ,jermyn ,street4 ,his establishment was comfortable1 but modest4 ,a sitting-room1 a small dining-room1 a bedroom for himself1 and one for his man--these1 together with the bath-room1 completed his suite4 ,it was a bright morning as he opened his ,daily ,wire and sat down before the kedjeree and kidneys that his servant had just brought him for breakfast4 ,it was rather late2 the ,jew had been at a theatrical supper-party the night before until long after midnight4 ,during the party1 at which a great many of the stars of the lighter stage had been present1 the conversation had turned almost entirely upon the marked slump in theatrical business during ,joseph's ministry in ,london4 ,one and all of their company were united in their hatred and alarm of this evangelist who bade fair to ruin them4 ,the whole situation was1 moreover1 aggravated because of the immense public support ,joseph was receiving from some of the most wealthy and influential people in society4 ,there was no getting over this fact4 ,and yet no one had any remedy to suggest4 ,lord ,ballina and ,mimi ,addington had also been of the party1 and a keen observer might possibly have detected a certain furtive look which passed between the actress1 the peer1 and the theatrical manager4 ,all three1 however1 held their peace1 and contributed little or nothing to the problem of how the situation was to be dealt with4 ,and now ,mr4 ,levison1 as he sat at table1 smiled quietly to himself1 reflecting that he could very considerably astonish many of his colleagues if it had been possible to do so4 ,the sitting-room--for ,levison did not breakfast in the dining-room--was full of sunshine4 ,a great bowl of sulphur-colored hothouse roses stood on the writing-table4 ,the white panelled walls1 hung with rare old ,japanese color prints1 caught and reflected the apricot light of the sun1 which poured in through the windows4 ,the room was carpeted with a fabric from ,persia--the veritable peacock blue and dark red of ,teheran4 ,the armchairs were upholstered in vermilion leather4 ,everything harmonized and was in taste1 and it was with complacency that ,levison looked round him and picked up the paper4 ,almost the first thing that struck his eye was a paragraph headed ,movements of ,joseph4 ,mr4 ,levison started1 and read with great attention4 ,the paragraph ran as follows3-- ,we are able to give our readers exclusive information as to the next move in the vast campaign for the reformation of ,london which is being undertaken by the teacher known as ,joseph1 in company with his distinguished colleagues and helpers4 ,one of the most crying evils of the day is undoubtedly the fact that1 while one section of the population lives in a splendor and luxury perhaps unparalleled in the history of civilization1 another section1 and this by far the larger1 lives under conditions of squalor so great that it becomes a horror1 conditions that can only be hinted at in polite society or in the public prints4 ,the state of the ,east ,end of ,london has long engaged the attention of philanthropists1 but very little has been done to ameliorate it in comparison with its crying needs4 ,sociologists have long since recognized that under present conditions very little can be done until the rich property owners combine and agree to sacrifice a portion of their emoluments in order to improve the condition of the poor4 ,the teacher ,joseph has recognized this fact1 and is beginning a movement which may be very far-reaching in its consequences4 ,to-day1 we understand1 a party of wealthy and distinguished gentlemen will be taken by the evangelist to some of the worst parts of the ,east ,end there to see for themselves the true condition of affairs4 ,the remarkable personality which is at present the talk of ,london will indeed have accomplished a greater miracle than any of those strange and unexplained occurrences attributed to him if he can cleanse and purify one half-mile of ,stepney or ,whitechapel4 ,for our part1 we wish ,joseph and his helpers every possible success in their endeavors4 ,mr4 ,levison laid down the paper1 and got up from his seat4 ,he walked up and down the room twice1 looked at his breakfast1 shook his head1 and then1 going to a sideboard1 poured some brandy from a tantalus into a glass1 added a little water with a hand that shook slightly1 and drank the mixture off4 ,so it was to be to-day1 then8 ,mr4 ,levison had not realized the imminence of his plot4 ,it was one thing to reflect complacently that one had arranged to remove a troublesome intruder from one's path on some unspecified date2 it was1 as ,levison realized now1 quite another thing to sit down and wait for the event to happen in an hour or two4 ,levison looked at his watch4 ,it was eleven o'clock4 ,he supposed1 though he did not know with any certainty1 that the party to the ,east ,end would hardly start before midday4 ,they can't leave much before twelve1 ,i should think1 from wherever they meet1 he muttered to himself4 ,give them an hour to get down to the ,east ,end1 another hour or more1 perhaps1 for the people--another and far less pleasing word almost escaped ,mr4 ,levison's lips--for the people ,i have employed to do what has to be done4 ,roughly1 ,i suppose there ought to be some news in the paper between four and five4 ,the man's face had grown quite white1 and his hands began to tremble more and more4 ,no one had ever seen the self-possessed1 genial-mannered entrepreneur like this4 ,and when he stopped in front of the glass which hung over the mantel-shelf1 he started at the sight of his own guilty and terrified countenance4 ,supposing that something should go wrong6 ,supposing the man was caught1 and confessed6 ,a thousand horrid apprehensions began to crowd into his mind1 and the sweat came out cold and damp upon his forehead4 ,there were hours to wait4 ,how should he employ them8 ,the theatre was closed2 there was no particular business claiming his attention at the moment4 ,and he felt less and less inclined to sit alone in his chambers waiting4 ,exercise1 he came to the conclusion1 a long1 brisk walk1 was the only thing that could restore his mental tone4 ,he rang for his coat and hat1 took a stick from the stand in the hall1 and went out into ,jermyn ,street4 ,for a moment he was undecided as to his direction4 ,the thought of the ,park crossed his mind1 but it was superseded by another and more welcome one4 ,he would walk up to ,st4 ,john's ,wood--that was a good distance--and he would call on ,mimi ,addington1 and tell her the news that he had read in the paper4 ,he smiled maliciously at the idea4 ,perhaps ,lord ,ballina might be there1 too2 if so1 well and good4 ,his fellow conspirators should share his uneasiness4 ,they were in the thing as much as he was1 and he saw no reason why he should be the only one to suffer4 ,the idea appealed to his ,oriental imagination1 and in picturing to himself the probable fears of his companions when they knew that this was the actual day on which the assassination was to be attempted1 ,levison forgot his own1 and it was quite with a jaunty step that he turned into ,st4 ,james' ,street4 ,even at the moment when he had realized that the dark deed which he had instigated was to be attempted on that very day1 ,levison had felt not the slightest remorse or compunction4 ,fear he had felt1 the fear of discovery1 but that was all4 ,a criminal is nothing more or less than a supreme egotist4 ,levison saw everything in its relation to himself1 and himself alone2 never in relation to other people1 or to ,god4 ,joseph was ruining his business1 therefore he had plotted ,joseph's death4 ,he had no bitter feeling against ,joseph whatever1 even though the ,teacher's advent and appearance in the theatre had done him such serious harm4 ,levison was a philosophic scoundrel1 and took things as they came1 and wasted no brain power or mental force in the exercise of personal dislikes4 ,he arrived at ,mimi ,addington's house in ,st4 ,john's ,wood a little before two1 not having hurried at all4 ,the actress was at home1 and he was at once shown into the drawing-room1 where she was sitting with ,lord ,ballina and a friend of his1 who was introduced to ,levison as ,mr4 ,errol ,smith4 ,fortunately for ,levison's plans1 ,lord ,ballina's friend was on the point of departure1 and shortly went away1 leaving the three conspirators together4 ,well1 ,andrew1 how goes it8 ,ballina said1 with his vacuous dissipated little simper4 ,when are you going to open the theatre again8 ,well1 that depends1 ,levison answered1 with a meaning look4 ,you know very well what that depends on6 ,he was watching the effect of his words upon ,mimi ,addington as he spoke1 and saw the hard1 cruel eyes glisten with hate at his reference1 and the beautifully shaped mouth harden into a thin line of crimson4 ,it's some time now since we had that little talk1 ,andrew1 the woman said1 in a voice that she strove to keep well under control1 though every now and then the hysteria of her hate crept into it and suggested that which lay1 lava-hot1 deep down in her heart4 ,well1 d'you know1 my dear1 ,levison said1 taking out a cigar and lighting it with great deliberation--well1 d'you know that it's the little matter that we discussed that ,i've come up about this afternoon4 ,how much longer is that ,joseph to be allowed to cumber ,london8 she said1 with a hissing intake of the breath4 ,well1 that all depends1 ,levison answered1 amused with the skill with which he could play upon her passion4 ,the ,jew loved power and the exercise of it4 ,he gratified himself now by playing on her as if she were an instrument and noticing how swiftly she responded to his touch4 ,oh1 hang it all1 ,andrew1 ,lord ,ballina said1 don't tease ,mimi4 ,if you've got any news about this business let's have it4 ,levison thought he had gone far enough1 and took the ,daily ,wire which he had brought with him from his pocket4 ,read that1 he said1 handing it to the young peer4 ,ballina read out the paragraph in a monotonous sing-song1 with now and then such observations as suggested themselves to his limited and vicious intelligence4 ,well1 he said1 for the matter of that1 ,andrew1 the papers are full of the fellow every day1 and his goings on4 ,i don't see what news there is in that1 it's only just another of his games4 ,was that all you came up to tell us8 ,levison saw the look of scorn that ,mimi ,addington flashed at the young man4 ,her own intelligence was infinitely keener2 and though ,levison had not gone into any details about the arrangements he had made1 she saw the significance of the fact in the newspaper immediately4 ,what a duffer you are1 ,bally1 she said contemptuously4 ,why1 it's perfectly clear of course4 ,what better place could you have for knocking a ,johnny on the head than an ,east ,end slum8 ,that's what ,andrew means1 and that's what he's come to tell us1 isn't it1 ,andrew8 ,your brilliant intellect1 assisted by your personal dislike1 has at once divined the truth1 ,mimi1 said ,levison1 leaning back upon the divan and blowing a blue cloud of smoke up towards the hanging ,moorish lamp4 ,why1 then1 ,lord ,ballina broke in suddenly--why1 then1 it's this afternoon6 ,his voice had grown high and thin with excitement1 and ,levison saw once more a face from which all the color had ebbed1 and hands that twitched with sudden realization4 ,mimi ,addington suddenly rose up from her seat with a curiously sinuous and panther-like movement4 ,this afternoon6 she said4 ,then ,i shall sleep happy this night6 ,oh1 come1 ,mimi1 ,lord ,ballina said1 you needn't go quite so far as that4 ,as a matter of fact1 ,i--er--confound it1 ,i wish we'd let the chap alone6 ,the woman had sunk back upon the divan4 ,she stretched out one slender1 white hand1 covered with flashing rings1 and patted ,levison upon the arm4 ,he shuddered at her touch1 scoundrel as he was1 but she did not see it4 ,ballina was walking up and down the room1 his feet making no sound upon the thick pile of the carpet4 ,he snapped his fingers in an odd1 convulsive fashion4 ,i say1 you know1 he said at length1 ,i really don't like it4 ,i wish to ,heaven ,i'd never been mixed up in the affair4 ,supposing anything gets out8 ,well1 that's supposing me to be rather a bigger fool than ,i am1 ,levison answered1 though the fear of the other had in some subtle way affected him1 and all his own tremors of the morning were beginning to revive4 ,then there was silence in the room for a time4 ,although the morning had been bright and cheerful1 the sun had become obscured shortly after midday1 and a heavy gloom of fog above which thunder had muttered now and then had spread itself high up in the sky4 ,the oppression in the air had become much more marked during the last hour1 and now1 as the three people sat together1 they were all experiencing it to the full4 ,for a long time nobody spoke at all1 and when at length ,mimi ,addington made some casual observation1 both the men started involuntarily4 ,the woman's voice also was changed now4 ,it was like the voices of her companions1 loaded with sinister apprehension4 ,when do you suppose1 ,lord ,ballina said1 in a shaking voice--when do you suppose that we shall know if anything has happened1 ,andrew8 ,have you made arrangements with your--er--er--friends to report to you about it8 ,i'm not mad6 ,levison answered shortly4 ,hear6 ,why1 if there's anything to hear you'll hear soon enough----,what's that8 ,he had started violently1 and the perspiration was beginning to run down his face4 ,a distant rumble of thunder breaking suddenly in upon the quiet of the room had startled him and betrayed more than anything else in what a state his nerves were4 ,it's only thunder1 ,mimi replied4 ,good ,heavens1 ,andrew1 you are enough to give one the jumps yourself6 ,but if we're to know1 how shall we know8 ,why1 it's very simple1 ,levison answered4 ,don't you see that if anything has--er--happened1 it'll be in the evening papers and in the streets within three-quarters of an hour from the time it's occurred4 ,there will be journalists with this man ,joseph1 of course1 there always are wherever he goes4 ,well1 the papers will be up here by the motors in half-an-hour after they're issued1 and we shall hear the newsboys shouting it out all over the place4 ,there's an old man who sells papers at the corner of ,florence ,street1 only a few yards away1 ,mimi ,addington broke in quickly4 ,the boys on the bicycles come up and supply him with all the new editions as they come out4 ,i often hear them shouting4 ,then all we've got to do1 said ,andrew ,levison1 is to wait until we hear that shouting4 ,they sat waiting--three murderers--and as they sat there a presence stole into the room1 unseen1 but very real4 ,the grisly phantom ,fear was among them4 ,waiting6 ,,chapter ,,xxii ,,the ,,house ,,desolate ,the echo of the shot which had struck down ,sir ,augustus ,kirwan had hardly died away when two of the police inspectors1 accompanied by ,eric ,black1 rushed into one of the open doorways of the court4 ,their feet could be heard thundering up the rickety1 wooden stairs of the old house1 as ,joseph and ,sir ,thomas ,ducaine knelt1 horror-struck1 by the side of the dead man1 while the others crowded round in uncontrollable dismay4 ,joseph himself seemed absolutely stunned for a moment4 ,and it was ,sir ,thomas's firm and capable hands which were moving rapidly over ,sir ,augustus' chest1 endeavoring to test the movement of the heart4 ,the young ,duke of ,dover was talking rapidly and in an undertone with the police inspector1 and pointing upwards to the black1 unglazed window-hole from which the smoke of the shot was still eddying out4 ,the whole series of events had occurred in a mere flash of time1 with an astonishing swiftness which seemed to outstrip or to numb the lightning operations of thought itself4 ,there they stood in a group1 stiffened and frozen into momentary immobility4 ,the tall figure of ,joseph bent over the empty shell which lay upon the ground2 the others clustered round1 with wan faces of horror4 ,the peer had his right hand upon the shoulder of the inspector and his left extended to the black and silent orifice above4 ,and still the thunder of the feet of ,eric ,black and his companions could be heard as they raced upwards towards the room of the assassin4 ,then suddenly1 as if the noise of the shot1 which now must have been fired for at least thirty-five or forty seconds1 had awakened a sleeping population1 a murmur arose like the murmur of a hive of bees suddenly disturbed4 ,it arose1 grew louder and louder1 resolved itself into tumultuous and divided voices1 and then1 from every doorway1 the foul1 mocking1 and unclean denizens of the worst slum in ,london came pouring1 trotting1 and slouching out of their lairs4 ,the air was immediately filled with a horrid clamor1 and to the keen1 attentive ears of1 at any rate1 the ,duke and the policeman1 there seemed something ungenuine in the sound--that is to say1 it was not the instinctive product of real surprise1 but as though the people who had suddenly appeared out of what had seemed silence and desolation were well aware that this was going to happen4 ,of this ,joseph and ,sir ,thomas ,ducaine1 who were lifting the portly body of the great financier1 saw and understood nothing at all4 ,just as ,joseph and ,sir ,thomas1 assisted by the others1 were supporting the limp figure in their arms1 the remaining inspector lifted his whistle to his lips and blew a loud and piercing call4 ,at the sound1 the horrid crowd which surrounded the little group of death suddenly grew silent4 ,they knew that ominous summons very well2 it was in their blood to know it1 for to many of them it had been a note of doom4 ,the silence continued for a very short time1 and was only broken in one significant and instinctive way4 ,a tall1 thin man1 with a face which was a sheer wedge of sin and bestial impulse1 suddenly pressed to the front of the crowd1 where his eyes fell upon ,joseph4 ,the inspector heard him say1 in a quick1 vibrating voice to some one at his side whom the inspector could not see-- ,the wrong bloke6 ,the whistle had its effect1 and in a space of time which would have suggested to any one who had thought of it that the police arrangements for guarding the distinguished company which had ventured into these dark places were more complete than that company itself had any idea of1 several uniformed constables came hurrying into the court4 ,the crowd of slum-dwellers melted away as a small piece of ice in the sun1 and1 save that the doors and low windows of the surrounding houses were now thronged with interested faces1 the group in the middle of the place was free of interruption4 ,three stalwart constables lifted up the body and bore it away4 ,joseph and the rest of his friends filed in a horror-struck procession4 ,the ,teacher's head was bowed4 ,his thin1 white hands were clasped in front of him1 and the tears were rolling down his cheeks4 ,hampson was at his side1 and as he looked up at his old comrade once more he was thrilled to the very marrow1 even as he had been thrilled on that strange eventful afternoon when the two great beams of wood had fallen from on high and struck down ,joseph ,bethune in the form of a cross4 ,for what ,hampson now saw in his quick1 imaginative brain1 accustomed as it was to constant artistic images of the past1 when ,jesus walked in ,jerusalem1 was now the tall1 bowed figure of the ,saviour with wrists bound in front of ,him1 moving towards the shameful death which was to save and regenerate mankind4 ,another scene in the ,via ,dolorosa6 ,it was now the middle of the afternoon4 ,with magic celerity1 even in that poverty-stricken district1 carriages were found1 and an ambulance brought from an adjacent police-station4 ,then1 through the crowded streets of the ,east1 the long and busy thoroughfares of ,fleet ,street and the ,strand1 into the wide and spacious district where the rich dwell1 the sad procession took its way4 ,and of all the crowds of busy humans that moved and ran about their business1 no one suspected what these vehicles might mean4 ,they passed through the busiest centres of the ,modern ,babylon without an indication or word of the true import of their passage4 ,only ,eric ,black1 who had come back disheartened with the two police-officers from a hurried yet interminable search among the huge and fetid warrens of the murder-hole1 was speeding towards the office of the ,evening ,wire--the afternoon edition of the great daily--his heart full of pity and terror1 while yet his keen journalistic brain was weaving burning words and sentences with which to announce what had happened to ,london4 ,the cortge arrived at last at the great house in ,berkeley ,square4 ,the day1 which had begun brightly enough1 was as if the elements in ,london were sympathetic to the tragedy in which one of her foremost citizens had perished4 ,they were now beginning to throw a heavy and thunderous gloom over the ,city4 ,swiftly1 while the frightened and white-faced servants stood speechless in the hall1 the body of ,sir ,augustus ,kirwan was borne into the library1 and the family physician sent for at once4 ,one of the police inspectors remained in the house2 the other hurried off to ,scotland ,yard to give his version of the affair1 though by now all the district in which the murder had occurred was being thoroughly searched1 and guarded on all sides by special police1 who had been summoned by telephone from various parts of the metropolis4 ,marjorie ,kirwan was away upon a short visit to some friends4 ,lady ,kirwan was1 fortunately1 out when the body of her husband was brought into the house4 ,in a very few minutes the doctor arrived1 and after a brief examination1 announced what all present knew only too well--that the baronet had been shot through the heart1 and that the death had been painless and instantaneous4 ,the blinds in front of the house were all pulled down1 and the butler was interrogated as to the whereabouts of ,lady ,kirwan by ,the ,duke and ,sir ,thomas ,ducaine4 ,i'm sure ,i have no idea1 my lord and ,sir ,thomas1 said the faithful old fellow1 with the tears rolling down his cheeks1 where my lady has gone4 ,i know that she went out shortly after lunch1 on foot4 ,she said that she did not wish for the motor-brougham or a carriage4 ,sometimes of an afternoon my lady likes to go out on foot1 for the sake of a little exercise2 and the day being fine1 it must have tempted her4 ,her maid will know1 perhaps1 ,sir ,thomas replied4 ,i'm afraid not1 sir1 the butler answered1 for ,i know that ,mrs4 ,summers has my lady's permission to visit her relatives at ,camberwell this afternoon4 ,then1 ,sir ,thomas replied1 where is ,miss ,lys8 ,i can answer that1 ,joseph replied sadly4 ,she is working up in ,bloomsbury1 at the house of the ,brotherhood4 ,she must be sent for at once1 ,sir ,thomas answered4 ,indeed1 in a few minutes1 ,i will go for ,mary myself1 and break this terrible news to her4 ,it will be a frightful blow to my poor girl2 but she is so strong and self-reliant that she will be invaluable to receive ,lady ,kirwan when she returns1 and to break this awful news1 as only a woman1 and such a woman as ,mary is1 could possibly do4 ,for a moment the young man's face lit up with love and tenderness1 even in the presence of death1 as he thought of the sweet and noble lady who had already given some of the best years of her life to the healing of sorrow1 and who alone1 in this great crisis1 cost her what it might1 could be depended upon to help the widow through the dark hours that lay before4 ,now it happened that ,lady ,kirwan had indeed not gone very far4 ,a few streets away from ,berkeley ,square there was a quiet little shop which was kept by a society of ladies who had interested themselves in the revival of fine lace manufacture in ,england4 ,girls were being taught all over the country to produce gossamer fabrics as beautiful as anything made in the hamlets around ,ghent and ,brussels or in the ,beguinage at ,bruges4 ,lady ,kirwan was a patroness of the movement1 and on this afternoon she had walked round to discuss the question of profit-sharing with the lady who was in charge of the establishment4 ,lady ,kirwan liked to carry her own latchkey when she went out on little excursions of this sort1 when there was no groom to run up the steps and open the front door4 ,she had taken her key with her on this afternoon1 and after doing the business for which she had set out1 returned homewards in a peculiarly happy state of mind1 which even the heavy atmosphere and lowering approach of thunder failed to disturb4 ,the lace business was going well1 and the poor girls all over the country would have a substantial bonus added to their earnings4 ,and other more important things contributed to the kindly woman's sense of goodwill4 ,mary's engagement to ,sir ,thomas ,ducaine was in itself a cause for immense congratulation4 ,despite all ,mary's stupid ways--as ,lady ,kirwan was accustomed to call them--in spite of all the wasted years in the hospital1 the girl had1 nevertheless1 captured one of the most eligible young men in ,london1 and her wedding would be one of the greatest events in the modern history of the family of ,lys4 ,marjorie also seemed to be more than a little attracted by the young ,duke of ,dover4 ,he was a peer of very ancient lineage1 upright1 an honorable gentleman1 and very well liked in society4 ,that he was not rich made no difference whatever4 ,the ,kirwans' own enormous wealth would be lavished at the disposal of the young couple4 ,and1 finally1 at a great political reception a few nights ago1 the ,prime ,minister had taken ,lady ,kirwan into supper1 and had told her1 without any possibility of mistake1 that in a week or two more the great services of ,sir ,augustus to the ,government1 and the financial weight exerted at a critical moment1 which had forced a foreign ,power to modify its demands1 were to receive high recognition1 and that the baronetcy was to be exchanged for the rank of viscount4 ,as ,lady ,kirwan1 smiling and stately1 ascended the steps of her house in ,berkeley ,square1 and took from her reticule the tiny ,bramah key which unlocked the massive portal1 she felt she had not a care in the world1 and was a woman blessed indeed4 ,we must get rid of this ,joseph fellow now1 she thought1 as she inserted the key4 ,he has played his part well enough in bringing ,mary and ,thomas together2 but ,i don't think it will be advisable1 even though he is a fashionable pet at present1 to have very much to do with him4 ,i never cared very much for the man1 and it is awkward to have him about the house4 ,one can always send him a cheque now and then for his good works6 ,the door swung open1 and she entered the hall4 ,at the moment there was nobody there--a fact which she noted for a future word of remonstrance1 as a footman was always supposed to sit there at all times4 ,but from the farther end of the hall1 from the library1 the door of which was a little ajar1 her quick ear detected a murmur of voices in the silence4 ,she took a step or two forward1 when suddenly ,sir ,thomas ,ducaine came striding quickly and softly out of the library1 the door closing quietly behind him4 ,ah1 ,tom1 my dear boy6 ,lady ,kirwan said4 ,so you are all back1 then8 ,i do hope you're not fatigued by those terrible places that you've all been to see4 ,horrible it must have been8 ,don't forget that you are dining with us to-night4 ,mary has promised to leave her nonsense up at ,bloomsbury and be home in time1 so we shall have a pleasant family dinner4 ,where is ,augustus8 ,is he in the library8 ,then ,lady ,kirwan noticed something strange in the young man's face4 ,the color had all ebbed from it2 it was white with a horrid1 ghastly whiteness1 that absolutely colorless white one sees on the under side of a turbot or a sole4 ,good gracious6 she said1 with slightly faltering voice4 ,are you ill1 ,tom8 ,why1 what is the matter8 ,has anything happened8 ,the young man's brain was whirling4 ,lady ,kirwan's sudden and unexpected appearance had driven all his plans and self-control to the winds4 ,he shook with fear and agitation4 ,he tried to speak twice1 but the words rattled in his mouth with a hollow sound4 ,the current of fear ran from him to the tall and gracious dame who stood before him1 and flashed backwards and forwards between the two like a shuttle--in the loom of ,fate4 ,what is it8 she said1 in a high-pitched voice4 ,tell me at once6 ,as she spoke the hall suddenly became filled with silent servants--servants whose faces were covered with tears1 and who stood trembling around the vast1 luxurious place4 ,the dame's eyes swept round in one swift survey4 ,then1 suddenly1 she drew herself to her full height4 ,where is ,augustus8 she said in a low1 vibrating voice that thrilled the heart of every person there with pain4 ,where is my husband8 ,sir ,augustus1 my dear ,lady ,kirwan1 ,sir ,thomas began to gasp1 with tears running down his cheeks--,sir ,augustus is very ill2 but---- ,he got no further1 ,lady ,kirwan began to move quickly1 as if some dread instinct had told her the truth1 towards the library door4 ,no1 no1 dear ,lady ,kirwan1 ,sir ,thomas said--don't go6 ,she brushed him aside as if he had been a straw in her path1 and the terrified group of people saw her burst upon the great white-painted door which led to the chamber of death4 ,there was a silence1 an agonized silence of several seconds1 and then what all expected and waited for came4 ,a terrible cry of anguish pealed out into the house1 a cry so wild and despairing that the very walls seemed to shudder in fearful sympathy4 ,a cry1 repeated thrice1 and then a choking gurgle1 which in its turn gave way to a deep contralto voice of menace4 ,inside the library ,lady ,kirwan reeled by the long table upon which the still form of the man she loved lay hushed for ever in death4 ,one arm was thrown around the rigid1 waxen face1 the left was outstretched with accusing finger1 and pointing at ,joseph the evangelist4 ,it is you6 the terrible voice pealed out4 ,it is you1 false prophet1 liar1 murderer1 who have brought a good man to his end6 ,it was you who killed my dear1 dear nephew ,lluellyn upon the hills of our race6 ,it is you--who have come into a happy household with lying wiles and sneers and signs and tokens of your master ,satan1 whom you serve--who have murdered my beloved6 ,may the curse of ,god rest upon you6 ,may you wither and die and go to your own place and your own master--you1 who have killed my dear one6 ,then there was a momentary silence1 once more the high despairing wail of a mind distraught1 a low1 shuddering sigh1 and a heavy thud1 as ,lady ,kirwan fell upon the floor in a deep and merciful swoon4 ,as ,sir ,thomas1 who had hitherto stood motionless in the middle of the hall1 turned and went swiftly back into the library1 the ,teacher came out with bowed head1 and passed silently to the front door4 ,no one assisted him as he opened it and disappeared4 ,how he arrived at the old house in ,bloomsbury1 ,joseph never knew4 ,whether on foot1 or whether in some vehicle1 he was unable to say1 on thinking over the events afterwards4 ,nor did any one see him enter the house4 ,the mystery was never solved4 ,with bowed head1 he mounted the stairs towards the long common-room where his friends and disciples were wont to gather together4 ,opening the door1 he entered4 ,by a dying fire1 with a white1 strained face1 stood ,hampson1 who had only accompanied the funeral carriage up to a certain point in its progress towards ,berkeley ,square1 and1 urged by some inexplicable impulse1 had descended from his carriage during a block in the traffic1 and made straight for the headquarters of the ,brotherhood4 ,as ,joseph entered1 the little journalist gave a great sigh of relief4 ,at last1 he said--at last6 ,my friend1 and my more than brother1 the ,teacher answered1 in a voice broken with emotion1 where is our dear sister--where is ,mary8 ,the ,lord came to ,mary1 ,hampson answered in a deep and awe-stricken voice1 and she has obeyed ,his command4 ,i came here1 knowing that the brethren were all out upon their business1 save only our dear ,mary1 who was waiting for two poor women who were to come and be relieved4 ,as ,i entered the square ,i saw the women coming away with glad1 bright faces--they were women ,i had known in the past1 and whom ,i myself had recommended to ,mary4 ,i entered the house1 and ,i found our sister in the room upon the right-hand side of the hall4 ,i was about to greet her1 and hoped to be able to break the terrible news to her1 when ,i saw that her face was raised1 her eyes were closed1 her hands were clasped before her1 as if in prayer4 ,she seemed to be listening1 and ,i waited4 ,suddenly her eyes opened1 her hands fell1 and she came back to the world1 seeing me standing before her4 ,brother1 she said1 and her face was like the face of an angel1 brother1 there is one who needs me1 needs my help and comfort in the hour of tribulation and sorrow4 ,god has sent a message to me1 and ,i go to her4 ,with that she left the room and went swiftly away4 ,without doubt1 ,joseph answered1 ,god has summoned her to bring consolation to the widow4 ,hampson began a series of eager inquiries as to what had occurred in ,berkeley ,square1 as to what would happen1 and what action would be taken--a string of excited questions running one into the other1 which showed how terribly the good fellow was unstrung4 ,the ,teacher checked the rapid flow of words with a single gesture4 ,brother1 he said1 do you stay here and rest1 and say no word to any man of what has happened4 ,for me1 there yet remains something to be done4 ,i know not what2 but this ,i do know--once more the message of the ,holy ,spirit is about to come to me1 and ,i am to receive directions from on ,high4 ,hampson watched the ,teacher as he slowly left the room4 ,at the door ,joseph turned and smiled faintly at his old and valued friend2 and as he did so1 the journalist saw1 with the old inexpressible thrill that light upon the countenance which only came at the supreme moments when ,heavenly direction was vouchsafed to ,joseph4 99 99 99 99 99 ,upon her wrist ,mimi ,addington wore a little jewelled watch set in a thin bracelet of aluminium studded with rubies4 ,she lifted her wrist almost to her eyes to mark the time4 ,it was as though the power of eyesight was obscured4 ,lord ,ballina was walking1 almost trotting1 rapidly up and down the room--one has seen a captive wolf thus in its cage4 ,andrew ,levison sat upon the couch1 his head supported upon his hands1 one foot stretched a little in front of him1 and the boot tapping with ceaseless1 regular movement upon the heavy ,persian rug4 ,william is waiting at the garden gate to bring in the paper directly it arrives1 ,mimi ,addington said4 ,no one answered her4 ,lord ,ballina went up and down the room4 ,andrew ,levison's foot1 in its polished boot1 went tap1 tap1 tap1 as if it were part of a machine4 ,then they heard it--the hoarse1 raucous cry--,evenin' ,special6 ,slum ,tragedy6 ',orrid ,murder6 ,the words penetrated with a singular distinctness into the tent-like ,eastern room1 with all its warmth and perfume4 ,three sharp cries of relief and excitement were simultaneously uttered as the three people stood up in a horrid tableau vivant of fear and expectation4 ,ten1 twenty1 thirty1 forty seconds4 ,oh1 why does he not come8 ,and then the door opens quietly1 and a discreet manservant brings in a folded pink paper upon a silver tray4 ,mimi tears it open as the man withdraws1 with a low and almost animal snarl of triumph4 ,her eyes blaze out like emeralds4 ,the beautiful red lips are parted2 hot breath pants out between them4 ,then she turns suddenly white as linen4 ,the paper falls from her hands1 the life fades from her face and eyes1 the strength of movement from her limbs1 and she giggles feebly1 as one bereft of reason4 ,lord ,ballina snatches up the paper1 scans it with rapid eyes1 and then turns to ,levison4 ,they have killed the wrong man6 he says1 with a terrible oath4 ,they've murdered ,sir ,augustus ,kirwan1 and ,joseph has gone free6 ,levison staggered towards him1 leant on him1 and read the shocking news for himself4 ,lord ,ballina began to weep noisily1 like a frightened girl4 ,it's all up with us1 he said2 it's all up with us6 ,this is the end of all of it1 the hand of ,god is in it2 we're done--lost1 lost6 ,there is no forgiveness6 ,even as he said this the hangings which covered the noiseless outside door were parted suddenly4 ,joseph himself stood there with one hand raised above his head1 and said unto them-- ,peace be unto you all in this household6 ,peace be unto you6 ,the words1 spoken in the ,teacher's deep and musical voice1 rang out in the tented room like a trumpet4 ,the three conspirators were struck by them as if by some terrible crushing physical force4 ,with dilated eyes and faces1 which were scarcely human in their terror1 they crouched before the terrible apparition4 ,in that moment all remembrance of what they had just learnt from the newspaper was blotted from their minds2 they only thought that here was one veritably risen from the dead1 or come in spirit to denounce them4 ,the woman was the first to succumb4 ,with a low1 whimpering moan she fell in a tumbled heap upon the floor4 ,neither the ,jew nor the younger man moved a finger to help her4 ,they crouched trembling against the opposite wall1 and stared at the tall figure of the man they had tried to murder4 ,joseph stood looking upon them4 ,his face was no index whatever to his thoughts4 ,in whatever spirit he had come they could define nothing of it from his face1 though the words which he had uttered as he appeared from behind the hangings rang in their ears with a deep and ironical mockery as if the bell of doom was tolling for them4 ,once more ,joseph raised his hands4 ,peace be unto you1 he said again1 as if blessing them4 ,and then he asked very gravely and calmly3 ,why are you afraid of me8 ,again there was silence1 until at last ,levison1 the ,jew1 with a tremendous and heroic effort of self-control1 pulled himself a little together and essayed to speak4 ,do not prolong this scene1 sir1 he said1 in a cracked1 dry voice1 which seemed to come from a vast distance4 ,have your men in at once and take us away4 ,it will be better so4 ,you have won the game1 and we must pay the penalty4 ,i suppose you have captured the men who made the attempt upon your life1 and--here ,levison remembered1 with an added throb of horror1 how another had suffered in place of his intended victim--and who1 unfortunately1 killed another person in mistake for you4 ,so be it4 ,we are ready to go4 ,the sound of the ,jew's voice speaking thus1 and calm with all the hideous calmness of defeat and utter despair1 had roused ,lord ,ballina's sinking consciousness4 ,as ,levison concluded1 the young man fell upon his knees and almost crawled to the feet of the ,master4 ,it's all lies1 he gasped--it's all lies1 sir6 ,i don't know what he is talking about1 with his murders and things4 ,i know nothing whatever about it all4 ,i wasn't in it4 ,i assure you ,i'd nothing whatever to do with it4 ,it was he who did it all4 ,the livid young wretch extended a shaking hand of cowardly accusation1 and pointed it at his whilom friend4 ,joseph looked down to the creature at his feet with a blazing scorn in his eyes1 and as he did so the ,jew1 who was still leaning upon the opposite wall1 as if too physically weak to move1 broke in upon the end of ,lord ,ballina's quavering exculpation4 ,it's quite true1 sir1 he said to ,joseph1 though even in the hour of his own agony the man's bitter contempt for the coward crept into his voice and chilled it4 ,it is perfectly true1 this young--er--gentleman1 ,lord ,ballina1 knew nothing of the matters of which you speak4 ,nor can he be connected with them in any way4 ,friend1 said ,joseph1 very calmly1 lifting his eyes from the thing that crouched upon the floor below him--friend1 of what matters have ,i spoken8 ,levison looked steadily at him4 ,a puzzled expression crossed his terror-stricken face for a moment1 and then left it as before4 ,why quibble about words1 he said1 at such a time as this8 ,i beg you1 sir1 to call in your detectives1 and have me taken away at once4 ,i1 and ,i only1 am responsible for the attempt upon your life4 ,here there came a sudden and even more dramatic interruption than before4 ,from the heap of shimmering draperies upon the floor by the couch1 which covered the swooning body of the actress1 a head suddenly protruded4 ,it was like the head of a serpent coming slowly into view1 with flashing eyes of enmity and hate4 ,mimi ,addington rose with a slow and sinuous movement1 a movement which1 if she could have reproduced it in ordinary life1 and showed it upon the stage1 would1 perhaps1 have lifted her to the rank of the greatest tragedy actress of this or any other era4 ,the movement was irresistible1 like the slow1 gliding erection of a serpent4 ,the head oscillated a little in front of the body1 with a curiously reptilian movement4 ,the eyes were fixed in their steady and unflinching glare of hate4 ,levison stared1 trembling1 at the sudden and hideous apparition4 ,all the beauty had faded from the face4 ,it was as the face of one lost and doomed1 the face of some malignant spirit from the very depths of despair4 ,then a hollow1 hissing voice filled the place4 ,they are both wrong1 said the voice2 they are both wrong4 ,it was ,i who did this thing4 ,i myself and no other4 ,whatever you may be1 man or spirit1 ,i care not4 ,it was ,i who set the men on to kill you1 and the death that you were to die was all too easy for you4 ,i hate you with a hatred for which there are no words4 ,i would that ,i could inflict upon you a death lasting many days of torture1 and do it with my hands4 ,and then ,i would dance upon your grave4 ,i hate you as woman never hated man before4 ,before all the world you spurned me and showed me as ,i am4 ,you made me a laughing-stock to ,london1 and a shame in the eyes of all men4 ,her lifted hand was extended towards the ,teacher4 ,spellbound1 unable to move or think1 ,levison saw that the silken feet1 from which the little bronze shoes had fallen1 were gradually and imperceptibly moving with the apparent immobility of the trained dancer towards the tall figure by the door4 ,the awful voice went on1 and into it1 even in that moment of horrid tragedy which at the beginning had given it some dignity1 a note of indescribable coarseness and vulgarity began to creep4 ,and all the time the ,jew saw the little feet1 in their stockings of pale blue silk1 were moving nearer and nearer4 ,then1 suddenly1 she leapt at ,joseph with a swift bound1 like the bound of a panther1 and without a single sound4 ,she struck once1 twice1 thrice2 but as the ,jew watched he saw with an awe and wonder more heart-stirring1 more terrible than even the first agony of terror1 that she struck at least a foot away from the figure of the ,teacher--that is to say1 her blows did not reach within more than a foot of the grave1 bearded man who stood regarding her4 ,it was as though ,joseph was surrounded by some invisible aura1 some unseen protection1 which rendered him invulnerable to all material attack4 ,at the third stroke the woman's arm fell to her side4 ,she looked in a puzzled1 childlike way at the figure before her4 ,the hate seemed to have suddenly been wiped from her face1 as a sponge wipes a chalk mark from a slate4 ,the light in her eyes was extinguished1 they became dull and glassy2 and in a feeble1 childlike fashion she brushed past the ,teacher1 now unimpeded by any obstacle1 and passed through the draperies into the corridor beyond4 ,they heard her laughing1 in a mad and meaningless merriment--the laughter of one whose brain is finally dissolved and gone1 and who will never more take part in the strife and councils of men and women4 ,the laughter grew quieter as the mad woman wandered away down the corridor4 ,joseph stooped down to where ,lord ,ballina still crouched upon the floor4 ,he placed both hands beneath the young man's arms and lifted him to his feet4 ,he held him in front of him for a moment or two1 and looked steadily into his eyes4 ,then1 bending forward1 he kissed him on the forehead4 ,brother1 he said1 go1 and sin no more4 ,the ,jew heard the uncertain footsteps of the young viscount as he also left the tented room--heard them tap1 tap as they crossed those spaces of the tiled floor of the hall which were not covered with rugs1 and then a moment afterwards the clang of the hall door4 ,joseph and ,andrew ,levison were left alone4 ,the ,jew exercised his self-control in a still greater measure than before4 ,and now1 sir1 he said1 since those two others have gone1 and you have before you the real criminal1 do with me as you will4 ,i should like to ask you one thing1 however1 and that is this3 ,i should like it to be thoroughly understood at the trial that ,i1 and ,i only1 am responsible for what has occurred4 ,i am the murderer of ,sir ,augustus ,kirwan1 and should have been your murderer far more really and truly than the assassin whom ,i bribed to actually commit the deed4 ,i was the controlling brain and the instigator of the whole thing4 ,therefore ,i hope that1 guilty as my instrument may be1 it will be recognized by everybody concerned that he is not guilty to such an extent as ,i am guilty4 ,it would be an additional misery to me1 though ,i don't put it only on those grounds1 if my creature also were to suffer the extreme penalty of the law4 ,and now ,i am quite ready4 ,joseph turned1 as ,levison thought1 to summon the police officers whom he supposed had accompanied him4 ,instead of doing that1 ,joseph closed the door and pulled the hangings over it4 ,why did you seek to murder me8 he asked1 in calm and gentle tones4 ,levison began to tremble4 ,it will seem incredible to you1 sir1 he said1 in a low voice1 but you stood in my way4 ,you were destroying my business as a theatrical manager1 and you had very greatly angered my leading lady1 the woman who tried to kill you again just now4 ,then1 suddenly1 the whirling brain of the theatrical manager remembered the significance of what he had seen when ,mimi ,addington had dashed at the ,teacher with hate and murder in her eye4 ,who are you6 he said1 terror mastering him once more4 ,who are you that ,mimi could not reach you8 ,who are you8 ,and how1 now ,i come to think of it1 how could you be here so soon8 ,what can it all mean8 ,who are you8 ,like you1 the ,teacher answered1 ,i am a son of ,god4 ,for me as for you1 ,christ ,jesus died upon the ,cross4 ,you ask me questions1 ,i will answer them4 ,there is no reason why ,i should not answer them4 ,when ,i came to this house ,i had no idea whom ,i should see1 save only that here ,i should find those who had plotted against my life4 ,i was brought here by a ,power stronger than any human power4 ,i was brought here by the hand of ,god ,who--blessed be ,his name6--orders my way and directs my path4 ,and as for your accomplice1 the poor man who would have struck me down1 and who has slain one of the great ones of this earth1 and one who might have been a witness to the truth of ,god and the love of mankind1 ,i know that he will not be found4 ,he has not been discovered1 nor will he ever be by human agency4 ,he will pay the penalty for what he has done1 as all must pay the penalty for evil deeds1 in sorrow and remorse4 ,it may be that he will not repent1 and will not be forgiven4 ,of that ,i cannot speak1 because no knowledge has been vouchsafed to me4 ,it may be1 and ,i pray to the ,holy ,trinity that it shall be so--that he will repent and be forgiven1 because he knew not what he did4 ,but you know1 sir1 ,levison answered--you know who has been behind it all4 ,take me swiftly1 and do what has to be done4 ,i beg and implore you to delay no longer4 ,i can make no defence1 nor shall ,i try to do so4 ,who you are1 and what power is given to you1 ,i don't know1 nor can ,i understand4 ,but this one thing ,i know--that ,i am guilty1 and am prepared to pay the penalty for what ,i have done4 ,i will go with you from this sin-stricken house6 ,yes1 ,joseph answered1 my brother1 you will go with me1 but not as you think1 to the hands of human law4 ,it is not ,god's will that you should suffer for what you have done at the hands of human justice4 ,his will towards you is very different1 and ,i am come to be the humble instrument of it4 ,you will come with me1 as you say2 but you will come with me to my own house1 there to make your repentance before ,almighty ,god1 meekly kneeling upon your knees1 and asking for forgiveness for your great sin and for grace to live a new life in the future1 henceforth serving ,him and bearing the weight of the ,cross which ,he bore for you so long ago1 until at last1 in ,his good will and time1 you may be gathered up and join the blessed company of those saved by ,christ's precious blood4 ,the deep1 grave words roused the long dormant religious instinct in the heart of the worldly financier who stood broken and abject before him4 ,the ,jew remembered the days of his youth1 when he also had prayed to the ,lord of ,hosts and the ,god of ,israel in the synagogue of his parents4 ,in one swift burst of remembrance the times came back to him when he had bound the phylacteries upon his forehead1 and heard the priests of ,israel reading from the ,holy ,book of the ,law4 ,he saw in a sudden riot of memory the solemn hours of ,passover1 tasted the forgotten savor of days of fasting1 performed the holy ablutions of his faith4 ,and now he heard from the lips of the man whom he had tried to murder1 news of that other religion which he had scorned and derided all his life1 and yet which was but the fulfilment of the prophecies of his own4 ,one had come to him preaching the ,messiah ,whom he had spurned--the ,jew ,who was both ,god and ,man1 and ,whose ,agony had saved the world4 ,levison bowed his head in his hands and wept4 ,and you1 he said1 between his sobs1 if indeed ,god can forgive me for the evil that ,i have done1 how can you forgive me8 ,i have never spoken to you1 yet ,i hated you because you had come into my theatre and disturbed my life and taken the profits of my business away from me4 ,but you have not done to me a tithe of the evil ,i would have done to you4 ,you came to me1 knowing well my evil life and that ,i pandered to the passions of the low and the debased4 ,you did what ,i now see the ,lord commanded you to do4 ,but ,i----,how can you forgive me1 ,master8 ,brother1 ,joseph answered1 it is a very little thing for me to forgive you4 ,it is nothing1 and is no merit in me4 ,i have no anger towards you in my heart4 ,what you did you did1 and it was a sin for which you must answer to the ,almighty4 ,but ,i am well aware that you walked in darkness1 and had not seen the ,light4 ,if our beloved ,master ,jesus could forgive the men who nailed ,him to the ,cross1 should not ,his humble and unworthy follower forgive what you have done8 ,brother1 ,i forgive you with all my heart4 ,accept my forgiveness and my love1 and come with me1 that you may learn more of ,him who is above the thrones and principalities and powers of this earth2 of ,him who is not only justice1 but mercy and tenderness inexpressible2 of ,him to ,whom all men are equal1 ,who loveth all men4 ,they passed out of the scented room and into the silent hall1 where no servants or others were about4 ,together they left that house1 to which neither were ever to return2 that house in which so many and strange things had been done1 and which now seemed as a house of the dead4 ,a carriage was waiting at the garden gate4 ,the two men entered it and it rolled swiftly away down the hill towards ,london4 ,it was now quite dark4 ,the oppression of the thunder seemed to have passed away1 and the air was fresh and cool as they drove through the roaring1 lighted streets of the great ,babylon towards the ,brothers' house in ,bloomsbury4 ,once or twice1 as the carriage halted in a block of traffic1 ,levison saw the newspaper boys holding the startling contents sheets before them1 and the tragic headlines met his eye4 ,at such times he shuddered like a leaf in the wind1 and the tears of remorse and agony rolled down his cheeks unregarded1 splashing upon his ringed hands4 ,then ,joseph would lean towards him and speak quietly in his ear4 ,because he hath set his love upon ,me1 therefore will ,i deliver him2 ,i will set him up because he hath known ,my name4 ,he shall call upon ,me1 and ,i will hear him2 yea1 ,i am with him in trouble2 ,i will deliver him and bring him to honor4 ,with long life will ,i satisfy him1 and show him ,my salvation4 ,they came at last to the house of the ,brothers1 but as the carriage turned into the square1 there was a sudden roar from many hundreds of voices4 ,an enormous crowd had collected before the house1 stirred to the depths by the news of the terrible tragedy which had occurred in the afternoon4 ,almost immediately that the carriage began to move among the crowd1 some electric wave of feeling seemed to pass over every one1 and they all knew that the ,teacher was among them4 ,then1 from every voice rose up a great chorus of joy and thanksgiving4 ,a crashing harmony of praise rent the very air1 and caused the people in far distant squares and thoroughfares to turn their heads and listen in amaze4 ,the ,master had returned1 safe and unharmed--the ,master whose name and power were already thrilling the metropolis as it was never thrilled before2 the ,god-guided ,teacher who was bringing new light into the lives of thousands1 building a great dam against the threatening tides of sin1 evil and death4 ,with great difficulty the carriage made its way to the spacious door1 which was immediately flung open1 showing the lighted hall and the ,brothers1 with ,hampson1 the journalist1 among them1 standing there to welcome the man that they revered and loved4 ,together ,levison and the ,master entered4 ,but ere the door was closed ,joseph turned and raised his hand4 ,in a moment a dead silence fell over the crowd4 ,brethren1 the deep voice thrilled1 ,i will be with you in a moment1 for ,i have somewhat to say to you4 ,then the door closed4 ,joseph took the trembling creature by his side into a little warm and lighted room4 ,brother1 he said1 the hour of your repentance is at hand4 ,kneel and pray to the ,man of ,sorrows1 and if no words come to you1 call upon ,him by name1 and ,he will come--,jesus6 ,jesus6 ,jesus6 ,then1 turning1 he went out to the crowd4 ,,chapter ,,xxiii ,,consolidation ,a month had passed by4 ,for a fortnight after the death of ,sir ,augustus ,kirwan the ,press had been full of surmise and conjecture4 ,new theories as to the identity of the murderer were advanced every day4 ,every now and again some enterprising journal would appear with a column of exclusive news1 which pointed to the fact that the criminal was discovered through the acumen of the journal's own private detectives1 and was certain to be arrested in two days at least4 ,he never was arrested1 and two days afterwards some new sensation drew a red herring across the old trail1 while the public read on and were perfectly content1 provided that they were thrilled4 ,it was generally agreed1 however1 by ,press and public alike1 that ,sir ,augustus ,kirwan had not been the real object of attack1 but that the shot had been aimed at ,joseph1 the evangelist4 ,this general certainty had marked a definite effect upon the way in which the ,teacher was regarded4 ,the hostility of the unthinking mob was disarmed by it4 ,it became known to the great mass of the common people that whatever ,joseph might be1 whatever impossible doctrines he might preach1 his one idea was to alleviate the miseries and sorrows of the poor1 not only in a spiritual1 but also in a solid1 concrete1 and material fashion4 ,opposition still continued1 of course1 but the tragedy in the ,east ,end had broken it up into separate camps1 and there was no longer a steady tide of enmity1 such as there had been at the commencement of the evangelist's stupendous mission to ,london4 ,on the night of the murder itself an event had occurred which was very far-reaching in its consequences1 though at the moment none of those who were present quite realized the significance of what they heard4 ,the ,teacher had appeared upon the steps of his house in ,bloomsbury1 and had addressed the enormous crowd during the early part of the night4 ,this crowd had been attracted to the square by the news published in the evening papers of ,sir ,augustus' murder and ,joseph's escape4 ,they had congregated there out of curiosity1 in the first instance2 but when ,joseph had appeared in a carriage1 together with a stranger1 there had been a spontaneous outburst of genuine affection from the many-throated multitude4 ,it was as though every person there1 whether he had seen the evangelist before or not1 was genuinely glad at his escape1 felt that sense of personal brotherhood and love1 that ungrudging recognition of a high and noble nature whose aims were purely unselfish1 which now and then is vouchsafed to an assembly to feel1 and which1 in the psychology of crowds1 is the very highest manifestation of cumulative feeling4 ,then had come a short but enormously powerful and heart-searching address4 ,there was a note of great sadness in it1 so some of the most sensitive members of the crowd imagined1 a note heralding a farewell1 though1 on after reflection1 it was supposed that the terrible events of the afternoon had naturally disturbed and unstrung the ,teacher in a very great degree4 ,the peculiar note which the address had struck was that which made it a very special occasion in the history of ,joseph's mission to ,london4 ,it was not only an exhortation to the people there to repent and seek forgiveness at the foot of the ,cross1 it was not only an exhortation to each member of the crowd to live a holy life and walk in the ways of the ,lord--it was all this1 but there was something more1 and something new4 ,joseph had1 as if with the certainty of most absolute confidence1 bidden every person there from that moment to go out into the world as a definite minister of the ,gospel4 ,it was as though addressing a congregation of known and tried disciples1 whom he knew would obey his behests and carry out his wishes4 ,so some great captain might have spoken to his officers1 delivering them a special mission4 ,go out1 my dear brothers1 this very night1 as ministers of the ,word of ,god1 to spread the knowledge of ,him in ,london4 ,repent and be baptized1 every one of you1 in the name of ,jesus ,christ1 for the remission of sins1 and you shall receive the ,holy ,ghost4 ,with fiery words he called upon them to deny themselves all things1 to break off all associations with evil and worldly things which warred against the soul2 to do their work1 whatever it might be1 to the glory of ,god1 and to spend every moment of their spare time in a definite1 individual campaign against the hosts of evil4 ,the burning eloquence of his words1 short as was the time during which he spoke to them1 made a deep impression upon many hundreds there4 ,the dark square1 with its tall lamp-posts around1 and the glow of yellow light which poured from the door of the great house1 the deep organ-note of ,london's traffic all around1 the whole strangeness and mystery of the scene1 could never be forgotten by any one that witnessed it4 ,and in the result it had actually happened that in that single evening the power of the ,teacher's words had keyed up lives that were faltering between good and evil1 had sown the seed of righteousness in barren and empty hearts1 had sent out a veritable company far and wide over ,london1 who1 each in his own way1 and with the measure of his powers and capacity1 became a minister of ,jesus4 ,was it not1 indeed1 true8 many righteous men and women asked themselves during the ensuing month1 when the leaven was working in strange and unexpected directions4 ,was it not1 indeed1 true1 that down upon that crowd of ,londoners some portion of the ,holy ,spirit had descended1 some sacred fire which1 even as the fires of ,pentecost themselves1 had again repeated the miracle which was prophesied by the prophet ,joel8 ,all over ,london1 among thinking ,christians1 there came an added conviction that it was indeed true that one specially guided and gifted of ,god was among them4 ,a man was in their midst to whom the ,holy ,spirit was given in abounding and overflowing measure1 and who1 like ,enoch1 walked with ,god4 ,and many lovers of ,jesus felt that perhaps now1 indeed1 the time was come when once more the ,almighty ,father would pour out ,his ,spirit upon all flesh--the time when their sons and their daughters should prophesy1 the young men see visions1 and the old men dream dreams4 ,was it not true now1 as it ever had been1 that whosoever shall call upon the name of the ,lord shall be saved8 ,and so1 during the month which had gone by since the tragedy in ,whitechapel1 the fame of the ,master had grown and grown1 until it had become less of the breathless sensation which it had appeared at first1 and had settled down into a definite and concrete thing4 ,it was at this juncture that two articles appeared in two newspapers4 ,one was an article signed ,eric ,black in the ,daily ,wire1 another one written by ,hampson1 the editor of the ,sunday ,friend4 ,the ,daily ,wire was1 of course1 the leading popular daily paper of ,england4 ,the ,sunday ,friend1 under ,hampson's editorship1 and especially since the advent of the evangelist1 had become an enormous power among all definitely ,christian people4 ,the article of ,eric ,black in the ,daily ,wire was far less enthusiastic in tone than that written by ,hampson1 ,joseph's old and trusted friend4 ,it was very judicial in manner1 and from this very circumstance it gained an additional weight1 and had1 perhaps1 even a greater influence than the other4 ,eric ,black1 the brilliant young journalist1 had never faltered in his resolve to follow the banner of ,christ since the night when1 with his own eyes1 he saw the man of ,god raise up the sufferer from his sick bed4 ,at the same time1 ,black1 far more than ,hampson1 was a man of the world1 a young1 brilliant1 modern man of the world4 ,he realized that in order to make the ,kingdom of ,heaven intelligible it was most certainly necessary to understand the kingdom of this world as well4 ,to plant the good seed in the waiting ground one must not only know all about the seed itself1 but must be acquainted with the properties of the ground in which it is destined to fructify4 ,in thoroughly understanding this1 the journalist1 in his great summing-up article of the work of ,joseph the evangelist1 had refrained from enthusiastic comment1 and had merely stated and made a record of indubitable1 incontrovertible fact4 ,never before1 during the time of the ,teacher's ministry1 had there been a concise epitome of its events1 its progress1 and its results4 ,london1 and all ,england1 indeed1 was supplied with such a document now1 and even the most thoughtless were compelled to pause and wonder what these things might mean4 ,every instance of the supernormal happening--,eric ,black refused the word supernatural1 and substituted for it the wiser and more comprehensive word--was tabulated1 set forth in detail1 and attested by the affidavits of witnesses whose bona fides could not be doubted4 ,the enormous charities which had begun to be active under the gis of the ,teacher were explained and discussed1 and in one day ,london was amazed to learn of great fortunes which were being deflected from their old paths and were pouring their benefits to relieve the necessities of the downtrodden and oppressed4 ,names and sums were given1 and the man in the street gasped as he realized the tremendous force of a personality which had already captured millions of money for the work and service of ,god4 ,if some of the wealthiest and most celebrated men in ,england had gladly given up a great part of that which they possessed for the benefit of others1 was there not1 indeed1 something beyond all ordinary explanation in this stupendous fact8 ,perhaps1 indeed1 such occurrences as these impressed the great mass of the public more even than the supernormal occurrences to which ,black's famous article bore witness4 ,to the mind of the ordinary self-seeking man there is something far more wonderful in the fact of a man with a hundred pounds giving seventy-five of it away to other people1 without hope of earthly reward or wish for earthly praise and recognition1 than even the appearance of an angel in the sky heralding the second coming of ,our ,lord would probably be4 ,the brain of each single unit of the human race is exactly what he has made it by a long series of habits and thoughts directed to one object4 ,it is not more wonderful that the sot and low-minded man cannot appreciate beautiful music or perfect scenery than it is that the self-centred intellect is unable to accept the evidence for the unseen or realize that this life is but a phantom that will pass away4 ,both the article of ,eric ,black and that written by the editor of the ,sunday ,friend finally summed up the difference that the arrival of ,joseph in the ,modern ,babylon had made to existing conditions4 ,the theatres of the bad sort1 which pandered to the lower instincts of those who patronized them1 were almost empty4 ,several of them were closed1 for the production of a new play4 ,a strong agitation was going on in ,parliament to make it prohibitive for women to be employed in the drinking saloons and bars of ,london4 ,in vast areas the preachers of the ,brotherhood had reduced the gambling evil among the poorer classes to a most appreciable extent4 ,the working man was being taught by the direct agency of the ,holy ,spirit1 as manifested in ,joseph's followers1 and by the inexorable law of quiet logic and common-sense1 to turn his attention from the things of to-day and the immediate amusement of the moment1 to the future of his soul4 ,the greatest work of all was1 perhaps1 accomplished in this direction1 and it was found that once the ordinary intelligence was convinced of the existence of a future state1 the ordinary intelligence saw immediately the necessity for preparing for eternity during this short and finite life4 ,london1 day by day1 hour by hour almost1 was growing more serious4 ,the churches were filling once more1 especially and markedly those in which there was a daily celebration of the ,eucharist4 ,a great wave of religious feeling was sweeping over the metropolis4 ,and on all sides the cry of the ignorant and the desirous was heard-- ,what shall we do to be saved8 ,some two days after the month which had elapsed since the murder of ,sir ,augustus1 ,sir ,thomas ,ducaine sat in his library1 talking earnestly to ,hampson the journalist4 ,ever since the first night when the two strangely opposite natures had met at the ,frivolity ,theatre the friendship between the millionaire baronet and the humble journalist had grown and strengthened4 ,then had come ,sir ,thomas' conversion to the truth1 his public confession of ,christ1 which had welded the bond of friendship between the two men into something that only death itself could end in this world1 but to renew it in the next4 ,lady ,kirwan had retired to the great family country-house in ,hertfordshire1 a broken and unhappy woman4 ,she had refused to see ,joseph or even ,sir ,thomas ,ducaine again1 persisting in her attitude of absolute hostility to the ,teacher and all his friends4 ,marjorie ,kirwan had become quietly engaged to the ,duke of ,dover4 ,lady ,kirwan--and this was the worst of all--had turned against her niece1 ,mary ,lys4 ,the will of ,sir ,augustus had come as an enormous surprise to the world4 ,no one had realized how wealthy the financier was1 and his testamentary dispositions had startled everybody4 ,trustees were placed in the possession of a million of money1 which was to be handed over to his daughter upon her marriage4 ,lady ,kirwan had a life interest in almost an equal sum4 ,when she died this vast property was to go to her niece1 ,mary ,lys1 without any conditions whatever4 ,two hundred thousand pounds had been left to the influential committee of trustees which now administered the great sums of money which had been given or left to ,joseph and his brethren4 ,the position of ,mary was1 therefore1 a very strange one4 ,she had become one of the greatest heiresses in ,england1 she was engaged to ,sir ,thomas ,ducaine1 but nothing would induce her aunt to see her or hold any communication with her4 ,at first the poor girl had thought of returning to the hospital in the ,east ,end for a time1 but another way had been found out of the difficulty4 ,lady ,susan ,wells1 an elderly spinster1 a daughter of the ,earl of ,fakenham1 and aunt to ,sir ,thomas ,ducaine1 had asked ,mary to live with her at her house in ,belgrave ,square4 ,the plan had been adopted1 and ,mary was still able1 owing to this arrangement1 to actively assist in ,joseph's work1 and carry on her life of sweet self-sacrifice and help4 ,sir ,thomas and ,hampson sat on each side of the library fire4 ,joseph ought to be here now1 ,hampson remarked4 ,sir ,thomas nodded and said3 ,i feel to-night as if something very important were going to happen4 ,neither of us have seen ,joseph for four days now4 ,nobody1 in fact1 has seen him1 and nobody knows what he has been doing4 ,one of his strange disappearances and withdrawals from the rush of life has taken place again4 ,when that occurs we always know something is going to happen4 ,he has been communing with ,god1 ,hampson answered gravely1 and even as he spoke the butler opened the door1 and the tall figure of the ,master entered4 ,joseph looked very thin and pale4 ,he seemed a man who had but lately come through days of deep suffering4 ,sir ,thomas rose4 ,ah1 my friend1 he said1 we were speaking of you at this moment1 and wondering what you had to tell us4 ,we got your letter1 of course1 and we knew that you had some very important thing to say4 ,come and tell us what it is4 ,my brothers1 ,joseph answered1 his face beaming with love and sadness as he looked upon them both1 ,i come to tell you of the end6 ,,chapter ,,xxiv ,,supreme ,,moments ,the dawn came4 ,the sun rose over the still1 grey sea1 and the first rays which flashed out over the brim of the world shone in through the open window of the little bedroom4 ,it was a simple cottage room4 ,the walls were whitewashed1 the appointments were primitive1 and the fresh light of morning fell upon the little truckle-bed in which a young man lay sleeping4 ,one arm rested behind his head1 another was flung carelessly over the counterpane4 ,the sun touched a strong1 clean-shaven face1 a face clear-cut as a cameo1 with resolution in every line1 and with a curious happiness lying upon it1 even as the sunlight touched it4 ,thomas ,ducaine was sleeping in the little cottage room of the ,welsh village1 where he had come for the great day of his life4 ,as the sun touched the young and noble face1 the head moved a little1 and the firm mouth parted in a happy smile4 ,as they will in dreams1 towards the end of both sleep and dreaming1 the events of the last day or two were summing themselves up in the sub-conscious brain1 just before consciousness itself was about to return1 and the eyes open upon the happy day4 ,over the sea the sun rose1 the sea-birds winged above the smooth water with shrill1 joyous voices1 the little ozone-laden breeze eddied upon the fore-shore1 and found its way into the room of the sleeping man4 ,then1 as day began to move and stir1 and all the happy world of ,wales prepared to greet it1 ,sir ,thomas ,ducaine opened his eyes and awoke4 ,for a moment or two he lay looking round him with eyes which still held part of the deep mystery of sleep1 and then at last everything came back to him4 ,he sat up in the bed1 the color mounted to his cheeks1 and as he turned his face towards the window and saw the brilliant but still sleeping glory of the early-rising sun and quiet sea1 he buried his face in his hands and prayed4 ,for this was the morning of his life1 the morning of all mornings2 there would never be another morning like this4 ,a week ago ,joseph had come to him in the night4 ,pale1 wan1 and wearied1 yet still with the inextinguishable fires of the ,spirit shining through his eyes1 informing all his movements and words1 ,joseph had come to him with a solemn message4 ,the ,master had told him that1 despite all that had happened1 although to the world of society and convention he and ,mary were still in the depths of mourning1 it was necessary that they should put all these material and social considerations on one side1 and that their love should be sealed and signed by the blessing of the ,church--that the time of the singing of the birds had come1 that wedlock awaited them4 ,and so1 without further questioning1 ,thomas and ,mary obeyed the voice of the man who had had so stupendous an influence upon their lives1 and gave the direction of their actions into his keeping4 ,both of them were certain that what their beloved ,teacher ordained for them was just and right4 ,nay1 more than that1 they knew that the words of ,joseph1 which ordered their doings1 were more than the words of a mere man2 that1 as always1 the ,holy ,spirit informed them4 ,the sun poured into the humble room1 filling it with amber light and the fresh breeze of the dawn4 ,thomas ,ducaine leapt from his bed1 and went to the low window4 ,leaning his arms upon the sill1 he breathed in the gracious1 welcoming air1 and looked out over the ocean to the far horizon1 with eyes that were dim with happy gratitude and gracious tears4 ,yes1 this1 indeed1 was the day of days4 ,the morning of all mornings had come6 ,leaning out of the window1 he saw the curve of little whitewashed houses which fringed the bay4 ,the fishers' boats rocked at anchor beyond the granite mole1 and far at the end of the village his eyes fell upon another whitewashed cottage4 ,as he saw it once more1 he placed his hands before his face and sent up a deep and fervent petition to the ,almighty that he might indeed be worthy of the precious and saintly maiden whom he knew was sleeping there in her sweet innocence4 ,this was the morning of mornings6 ,when the sun had risen higher in the heavens1 he would walk to the little granite-walled1 slate-roofed church4 ,mary would meet him there1 and ,joseph and the brethren who had accompanied the ,teacher from ,london back to their old beloved home4 ,and there1 without pomp or ceremony1 noise of publicity1 or the rout and stir of a great company1 he would place his hand in the hand of the girl he loved1 and the old village priest would make them one for ever in this world and the next1 and afterwards give them the ,body and ,blood of ,our ,lord4 ,behind the cottages the great mountains towered up into the sky4 ,one purple peak1 still covered at the summit by a white curtain of cloud1 was the mountain where ,lluellyn ,lys1 the brother of ,mary1 lay in sleep4 ,thomas could see the mountain from the cottage1 and as his eyes traveled up the green and purple sides to the mysterious cap which hid the top1 he remembered all that he had heard about it1 and looked upward with an added interest and awe4 ,for this was the mountain upon which ,joseph had first met the mysterious recluse of the hills who had changed him from what he had been to what he was4 ,this was the modern ,sinai1 where the ,master had communed with ,god4 ,here he had gathered together his disciples1 had preached to them with the voice which the ,holy ,spirit had given him1 and blessed them1 and led them to the conquest of ,london1 to the ,cross4 ,yes1 it was there1 on those seemingly inaccessible heights1 that the great drama of ,joseph's life had begun1 and it was there that the drama of his life--the life of ,thomas ,ducaine--was to receive its seal and setting4 ,after the marriage and the simple feast1 which was to be held in the village1 they were all to climb the heights1 and there1 up in the clouds1 ,joseph was to bless them and give them1 so it was said1 whispered1 and understood1 a special message4 ,the bridegroom left the window1 knelt down at his bedside1 and prayed4 ,this complex1 young1 modern gentleman--a product of every influence which makes for subtlety and decadence of brain and body--knelt down and said his prayers with the simplicity of a child4 ,despite his vast wealth1 his upbringing as a young prince of modern ,england1 ,thomas ,ducaine had lived a life far more pure and unspotted than almost any of his contemporaries4 ,it was that fact1 so patent in his face and manner1 which had first attracted ,hampson to him1 when the two had met in the ,frivolity ,theatre--how long ago that seemed now6 ,so the young man with great possessions said the ,lord's ,prayer in the fresh morning light1 and then prayed most earnestly that he might be worthy of the gift that ,god had given him--the love of the sweetest1 purest1 and loveliest lady in the land4 ,he prayed that ,god would be pleased to bless their union at the supreme moment which was now so imminent1 and for ever afterwards4 ,his whole heart and soul went up to the throne of the ,most ,high in supplication for himself and the girl who was to be his wife4 ,that they might live together in godly and righteous wedlock2 that they might spend their lives1 and the wealth which had been given them1 for the good of others and for the welfare of the world2 that at the last they might be gathered up in the company of the elect1 might tread the shining pavements of ,heaven1 and see the face of ,god--these were the prayers of the young man as1 like a knight of old1 he kept the vigil before the ,sacrament which was to come4 ,he went down to the little sleeping cove and bathed in the fresh1 clear water of the sea4 ,the right arm rose and fell forcefully1 conquering an element1 as rejoicing in his strength1 rejoicing in the glory of the morning1 rejoicing in the sense that ,god was with him1 and that ,his blessing was upon his doings1 he swam out into the sea1 laughing aloud with holy rapture at what was1 what was to come1 and what would be4 ,then1 once more1 he re-entered the little cottage1 and found the old ,welsh woman who was his hostess preparing the simple breakfast meal4 ,she put the griddle cakes1 fresh eggs and milk before him1 but he stood1 looking down upon the board1 and1 turning to her1 refused to eat4 ,no1 he said1 ,i will go fasting to my wedding4 ,i will eat no earthly food until ,i take the ,body and ,blood of ,jesus from the priest's hand4 ,it will be afterwards that the feast comes4 ,oh1 my dear1 she answered1 in her broken ,english--my dear1 that's right of ye1 though indeed and indeed ,i should wish you would take something4 ,but you are right--my dear1 go to your love fasting1 and you will never fast more4 ,another door1 opening into the little raftered kitchen1 was pushed aside1 and ,hampson entered4 ,his face was white and pinched4 ,all night long the little man had been wrestling with the last remnants of the old ,adam which remained within him4 ,from the moment when the gracious lady who was about to become the bride of his dear friend had saved him from death1 the journalist had loved ,mary with a dog-like fidelity and adoration4 ,he knew1 as he had known at that moment when he had been with her upon the roof of ,england's great cathedral1 and seen the white cross hanging over ,london1 that she could never1 under any possible circumstances1 have been his4 ,he had known this and realized it always1 but upon this last night of her maidenhood1 when she was about to finally and irrevocably join her life to another's1 there had been mad hours of revolt1 of natural1 human revolt1 in his brain4 ,now it was all over4 ,he had passed through the ,valley of the ,shadow1 and the morning was come4 ,for ,mr4 ,hampson also the morning of all mornings was come1 the morning when he had finally and utterly laid down his own desires at the foot of the ,cross1 had bowed to the will of the ,almighty1 and found himself filled with sacred joy in the joy of the two people he loved better than any one else in the world1 save only his dear ,master1 ,joseph4 ,in his hand the little man held a book bound in crimson leather4 ,it was the ,revised ,version of the ,new ,testament1 the latest product of the ,university ,press1 and a very beautiful specimen of typography and binding4 ,he came up to his friend and shook him warmly by the hand4 ,then he gave him the book4 ,thomas1 he said1 there is nothing that ,i can give you that you have not got4 ,and1 of course1 it would be silly of me to give you anything of material value1 because all those things you have had from your youth up4 ,but here is my little offering4 ,it is only the ,new ,testament4 ,i have written something upon the fly-leaf1 and if you will use it constantly instead of any other copy that you may have1 it will be a great joy to me4 ,indeed1 my dear fellow1 he continued with a smile1 ,i can give you nothing more valuable than this4 ,there was a moment of tense emotion1 which was broken1 and fortunately broken1 by the voice of the old ,welsh woman4 ,now then1 my dear1 she said1 you are not going to be married this morning1 so you will take your breakfast--indeed1 you must an' all4 ,the bells will be ringing soon1 but not for you1 and so you must keep your body warm with food4 ,hampson sat down to the simple meal4 ,thomas ,ducaine1 carrying the crimson volume in his hand1 went out into the sunlight1 which was now becoming brilliant and strong4 ,he walked down the silent village street1 his feet stirring up the white dust as he went1 for it had been long since rain had fallen in the ,welsh village1 and strolled to the end of the mole which stretched out into the blue sea4 ,standing there1 he breathed in the marvellous invigorating air of the morning1 and his whole young1 fresh body responded to the appeal which nature made4 ,this was the morning of mornings6 ,in a few short hours--how short1 how blissfully short6--,mary would come to him4444 ,there were no words in which to clothe his thoughts or in which to voice his thankfulness and joy4 ,he surveyed his past life rapidly and swiftly4 ,it passed before him in a panoramic vista1 full of color1 but blurred and unimportant until the wonderful night when1 as he stood at the door of his house in ,piccadilly with ,hampson1 the tall figure of the ,teacher had suddenly appeared out of the night1 and had entered into his house with blessing and salvation4 ,from that time onwards1 the vista of happenings was more detailed1 more definitely clear4 ,he realized that he owed1 not only his present material felicity--the fact that all his hopes and desires were to be consummated in the little village church before the sun had reached his midday height--but also all the new spiritual awakening1 the certainty of another life1 the hope of eternal blessedness1 to one cause1 to one personality4 ,it was at this moment to ,joseph that his thoughts went1 to that strange force and power--more force and power1 indeed1 than that of mere human man--which1 or who1 had changed his life from a dull and hopeless routine--how he realized that now6--to this beatitude of morning light1 of love to the world1 and thankfulness to ,god4 ,joseph was somewhere in the neighborhood1 that he knew4 ,where exactly the ,teacher was he could not say4 ,mary was staying at the little cottage which he could see as he sent his eyes roving round the semicircle of white houses which fringed the bay1 with her aunt1 ,lady ,susan ,wells4 ,hampson was to be best man4 ,bridesmaids there were none4 ,it was to be the simplest of all ceremonies4 ,this prince of modern ,london was to be married to one of the greatest heiresses in ,england1 and a member of one of the oldest families in the ,united ,kingdom1 as ,colin might marry ,audrey--happily1 quietly1 and far from the view of the world4 ,whether ,joseph himself would be present at the ceremony even ,ducaine himself was not quite certain4 ,that after the wedding-feast--the simple wedding-feast--they were all to meet ,joseph upon the mountain-top1 he was well aware4 ,it had been arranged1 and he thrilled with anticipation of some further and more wonderful revelation of the designs of the ,almighty than had ever been vouchsafed to him before4 ,but at the church--he hoped the ,teacher would be present in the little village church when he and ,mary were made one4 ,he turned to walk back to the cottage1 when down the granite pier he saw that a little flaxen-haired girl was walking4 ,in all the sleeping semicircle of the village ,thomas and the little girl seemed alone to be awake4 ,the blue wood-smoke was rising from the chimneys of the cottages1 but as yet no one was stirring in the outside air4 ,the little girl came tripping and laughing along the granite isthmus between the waters1 and in her hand she held a folded piece of paper4 ,with the confiding innocence of childhood1 she came straight up to the tall young man1 and stretching out her tiny arm1 looked into his face4 ,you are ,thomas1 aren't you8 she said4 ,yes1 he answered1 ,i am ,thomas4 ,then this is for you1 ,thomas1 she replied4 ,this letter an' all4 ,dadda was up in the mountain this morning1 and ,william ,rees1 whateffer1 met dadda1 and gave him this letter1 which ,mr4 ,joseph had given him4 ,the ,teacher is staying up in the little house in the mountain-top where ,lluellyn ,lys used to live1 and he gave this to ,william ,rees1 and ,william ,rees gave it to dadda1 and dadda told me to find you and give it to you1 ,thomas4 ,ducaine opened the letter4 ,these were the words ,i shall not be with you in body when you and ,mary are made one4 ,but ,i shall be with you in the spirit1 my dear friend4 ,when you have made your communion and kept the feast come up with the ,brethren to the mountain-top4 ,there ,i will bless you4 ,and now1 farewell6 99 99 99 99 99 ,therefore1 if any man can show any just cause why they may not lawfully be joined together1 let him now speak1 or else hereafter for ever hold his peace4 99 99 99 99 99 444 ,i pronounce that they be man and wife together1 in the name of the ,father1 and of the ,son1 and of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,amen4444 ,god the ,father1 ,god the ,son1 ,god the ,holy ,ghost1 bless1 preserve1 and keep you2 the ,lord mercifully look upon you1 and so fill you with all spiritual benediction and grace1 that ye may so live together in this life1 that in the world to come ye may have life everlasting4 99 99 99 99 99 ,arm in arm they went out from the little church1 joined together1 man and wife1 for ever and a day--the goodly young man and the girl with the face of an angel4 ,the fiddlers who were waiting set up a merry tune1 as1 surrounded by their humble friends1 they walked to the tithe-barn in which the marriage feast was to be4 ,as they all stood waiting till the signal to fall-to should be given1 ,thomas ,ducaine took his wife's hand in his1 bowed over it1 and kissed it in gracious chivalry4 ,then he drew her to him and kissed her on the lips4 ,the music broke out once more as all the company sat down4 ,it was a short and merry feast1 yet not untainted with the ,celtic sadness which all the ,welsh folk feel at happy moments4 ,one and all1 from bride and bridegroom down to the humblest worker there1 knew that there were more stirring and awful things to come2 that a trumpet was sounding on the mountain summit2 that they were to climb as if into the presence of the ,almighty4 ,old ,david ,owen1 ,joseph's trusted lieutenant1 lifted on high a great goblet of the pure mountain water1 in which he pledged the newly married pair4 ,i pledge you1 he said1 ,mary and ,thomas1 brother and sister in the ,lord1 followers of our dear ,teacher--,i pledge you and call upon all that are present here to join me in the toast4 ,may your life together be one long song of happiness6 ,may you1 with all the opportunities that ,god has given you1 always remain true to the trust reposed in you1 and follow the banner of ,jesus1 and once more plunge into the battle for the winning over of ,babylon to the ,lord6 ,then the old man paused1 and1 setting down his glass1 placed his hands upon the table1 and leaning forward1 spoke very earnestly and quietly1 rather to the assembled company than to the married pair4 ,the ,master1 he said1 is not with us now2 but we are going to meet him1 and ,i doubt not we are all to receive another signal proof of the ,lord's favor4 ,to some of us it has been a grief that ,joseph was not in the church when the marriage was made of the two we love4 ,but ,joseph's ways are not our ways1 and he is led as we are not led4 ,but ,i would say this to you1 dear brethren and sisters4 ,i see around me those who a long time ago--it seems a very long time ago--accompanied the ,master from these hills to the great ,modern ,babylon of our time4 ,there is no one here who does not remember the saint of the mountain1 ,lluellyn ,lys4 ,there is no one here who has not known the circumstances under which our dear ,teacher first came down to these parts4 ,i mind well that ,i was one of those who carried him up to the mountain1 ill and crippled as he was4 ,and it was through that strange fellowship of ,joseph and ,lluellyn that the things have come to pass4 ,we all assembled on the mountain-top1 where we are going soon1 to bury ,lluellyn1 and we all heard our ,master as he took on the mantle of ,elijah and called us to rally round the standard of ,jesus with him as leader4 ,and now we are all going once more to that sacred spot on the top of ,pendrydos1 and ,god grant that we may hear inspiring and edifying things there4 ,i have just pledged ,thomas and ,mary as our brother and our sister in the fight we are waging1 and have still to wage1 against the sins of the great city so far away from here4 ,i pledge them in the name of you all1 and as our brother and our sister4 ,but it would ill become me not to say a word upon another part of the question4 ,we must remember that ,thomas1 our brother1 is also ,sir ,thomas ,ducaine1 a man of great fortune and of high lineage4 ,we must also remember that ,mary1 our sister1 was ,miss ,mary ,lys1 the sister of ,lluellyn ,lys1 and the descendant of the old kings of ,wales who ruled these parts4 ,just as they are leaders of our band in ,christ1 so also are they leaders in the great things of this world1 and we owe them a double loyalty4 ,he stopped for a moment1 and the old face worked as he thought deeply4 ,then with a wild1 free ,celtic gesture1 he threw out one hand4 ,i can say no more1 he said2 but you all know what they are1 and who they are4 ,god bless them for our natural leaders and our friends in the ,lord6 ,and now1 what think you1 shall we not climb the mountain8 ,it is a steep road from the little village through the pine plantations1 until one comes out upon the mountain-side itself4 ,at that point a green gorge stretches up between two spurs of the hill above1 a green gorge covered with soft1 pneumatic turf cropped like a lawn by the innumerable sheep which range over those high pastures4 ,and then on and up1 through the pleasant1 slanting valley1 until the heather-covered plateau is reached4 ,there one surveys a vast expanse of wild and lonely moor1 all purple1 green1 and brown4 ,at huge distances great peaks rise up--the peaks of the ,snowdon range--and on clear moments the white and glistening cap of the emperor mountain of ,wales shines in its distant majesty4 ,so they went out into the sunshine1 and wound their way through the lower slopes of the pines quietly and gravely1 without many words1 but with the quickening sense of hope and anticipation strong in each rugged and faithful heart4 ,upon the great green gorge they made their way1 a skein of black figures4 ,before them all ,sir ,thomas and ,lady ,ducaine walked together4 ,the bridegroom was dressed in a simple suit of tweed1 and with a soft grey hat upon his head4 ,the bride wore an ordinary coat and skirt1 like any mountaineering lady who has essayed the heights upon a brilliant day4 ,as they went together1 a little in advance of the main company1 they spoke hardly a word to each other4 ,but their faces were eloquent4 ,in the man's eyes there was a thankfulness so supreme and perfect that the girl's filled with tears when she looked at that serene and radiant face4 ,with no word said1 they knew that they were now each other's for ever and ever4 ,all toil1 all trouble1 all heart-burnings1 heart-searchings and sorrow were over4 ,nothing could ever alter the great central fact3 they were married1 they were one1 one spirit1 one body1 one for ever in the sight of earth and ,heaven1 one in the high endeavor of good which was to be the purpose and completion of their lives4 ,are you happy1 dear8 he said to her once1 turning his radiant face upon her4 ,she looked at him for a moment without speaking1 and he knew that he had never seen her more beautiful1 and perhaps never would see her more beautiful again1 than she was at that moment4 ,oh1 my life and my love1 she answered1 ,i did not know that ,god could give such happiness in this world6 ,and as she finished1 fifty yards below them upon the mountain-side they heard that the ,brethren who accompanied them were bursting into sudden song1 into spontaneous chords of music1 a wedding anthem for them4 ,o ,lord of life and love1 ,come ,thou again to-day2 ,and bring a blessing from above ,that ne'er shall pass away4 ,o bless1 as erst of old1 ,the bridegroom and the bride2 ,bless with the holier stream that flow'd ,forth from ,thy piercd side4 ,before ,thine altar-throne ,this mercy we implore2 ,as ,thou dost knit them1 ,lord1 in one1 ,so bless them evermore4 ,as the crashing1 rolling chords ceased and echoed far away among the purple mountains1 they found that they had come into the higher lands and were upon the last mountain moorland1 from which before them the granite peak of their final endeavor rose stark and awful1 its head still hidden by the clouds4 ,and then1 as they moved towards the steep path among the boulders and the slate terraces1 a change came over the spirits of all of them4 ,it was not a chill of depression1 but rather a sense of awe and the imminence of awful things4 ,the immediate occasion was forgotten4 ,out of the minds of all of them1 save only those of the man and maid who had been made one upon that happy morning1 the remembrance of the marriage feast passed and dissolved4 ,they were going up the last part of their journey to meet the ,teacher who was up there in the clouds by the tomb of ,lluellyn ,lys1 waiting for them with a message from ,god4 ,silently1 and almost without effort1 they wound up the huge1 steep rock4 ,the bracken ceased1 the heather was no more1 and only the vast granite boulders1 painted a thousand fantastic colors--ash-green1 crimson1 orange1 and vivid grey--by the lichens which covered them1 reminded them that they were still in a world where herbs grew and the kindly nature of the vales yet held a divided sway with the mysterious and untrodden places of the sky4 ,now the light1 which had become fainter and more faint as the first fleecy heralds of the great cloud-cap into which they were entering enveloped them1 began to fail utterly4 ,they walked and climbed upwards1 upwards and for ever up1 in a white world of ghostly vapor1 until at last1 without a sound1 and with profound expectation and reverence in every heart1 they knew by the change in the contour of the ground that they were near upon the mountain-top1 and close to the cairn of stones where their old leader1 ,lluellyn ,lys1 lay in his long sleep1 and where their living guide and ,master1 ,joseph1 was awaiting them4 ,on the very top of the mountain itself the air was bitter chill1 and the ghostly cloud-wreaths circled round them1 while their quiet1 questioning voices sounded muffled and forlorn4 ,they waited there1 not knowing whether to advance or to call to the man whom they had come to seek4 ,at the head of the little group ,thomas and ,mary stood hand in hand1 looking at each other with questioning eyes and waiting4 ,then1 through the swaying whiteness1 they saw a grey shadow advancing towards them4 ,it grew from a shadow into a blackness1 from a blackness into the form of a tall man1 and in a second more the ,teacher had come to them4 ,none of them there ever forgot1 none of all who were there ever will be able to forget1 that sudden1 silent advent of the man who led them1 and whom they loved4 ,he came upon them without noise1 came upon them through the gloom4 ,but as he came he seemed to bring with him a radiance which was not of this earth4 ,many of them said that round the noble head which so poignantly resembled and so wonderfully reminded them of the face of the ,man of ,sorrows1 a yellow nimbus hung1 a bright radiance which illuminated that grave countenance1 and shone in the gloom like a star of hope4 ,he came up to ,thomas and kissed him upon the cheek1 and1 turning to the young man's wife1 he kissed her also in holy greeting4 ,then1 standing a little way back from them1 his face alight with a supreme joy and happiness1 he raised his hands and blessed them all4 ,the blessing of ,god ,almighty1 the ,father1 the ,son1 and the ,holy ,ghost1 be among you and remain with you always44 ,the happy voice rang through the mist with an organ harmony4 ,and it seemed as if it was answered and echoed in its lovely music by a faint burst of song and melody high up in the air and all around4 ,it was as though the angels of ,heaven were rejoicing in the mating of a pure man and maiden4 ,then ,joseph spoke again4 ,come1 beloved brother and sister1 and my dear brethren1 he said1 come to the tomb of ,lluellyn ,lys1 whose body lies here until the glorious ,resurrection ,day1 and whose soul is in ,paradise1 walking with the blest4 ,come and stand round that tomb1 and pray for ,london1 which you are sworn to conquer for the ,lord4 ,come and pray for ,thomas and ,mary1 that their lives may be a song of triumph over evil1 and that they may lead you worthily until your lives end4 ,with that he turned1 and then all followed him until in a few steps the long pile of granite stones rose up above them1 and they stood by the burial-place of the dead prophet of ,wales4 ,they stood round in silence1 and then old ,david ,owen stepped out from among them and put his gnarled old hand upon the ,teacher's arm4 ,master1 he said1 in a voice which quivered with emotion too deep for tears--,master1 what words are these8 ,joseph looked upon him with a smile of love4 ,old friend1 he answered--old tried and trusted friend1 old captain in the army of ,god1 you have come here with all of us to listen to my last message4 ,there was a stir and movement among them all1 and through the dark each looked at each with apprehension and fear in their hearts4 ,a chill descended upon all of them1 that chill which comes to one who loves when he fears that the loved one is departing or going upon a long journey4 ,once more ,mary's hand stole into her husband's1 and the cold hands that sought each other1 and clasped1 were trembling4 ,they heard the ,master's voice above them1 for he had mounted to the top of the great cairn of piled stones1 and stood spectral up there in the mist4 ,this1 beloved1 is what ,i have to say to you1 he began4 ,it is here and upon this spot1 that the ,spirit of the ,lord came to me and led me to the work which we have carried out together4 ,it was here that ,i and you knew that it was our special mission1 ordained of the ,almighty and led by the ,holy ,spirit1 to bring ,london to a knowledge of ,god1 and to do what we could1 under ,god's ordinance1 to lead it towards the salvation of the ,cross4 ,and it is here that ,i say what will be my last words to you1 for the hand of the ,lord is upon me1 and ,i think that ,i may not be with you more4 ,one and all go back to the great1 dark city1 and fight for its salvation until you fall in the battle1 and are caught up to the joy which the ,redeemer has promised you4 ,one and all devote your lives1 your energies1 your strength1 your every power of body1 mind and spirit1 to that great end4 ,remember always that to this special war you have been called and summoned1 and that it is your lifework and your spiritual duty until the end4 ,with you here to-day are our dear brother and sister1 ,thomas and ,mary4 ,it is to them that ,i delegate my leadership4 ,it is to them that the guidance of the ,holy ,spirit which has been so vouchsafed to me1 will come4 ,they will be your leaders in the great battle1 and it is to them that you must look for help and succor in the material fight1 as ambassadors and regents in the battle of the ,most ,high4 ,and now1 farewell6 ,i am going a long way1 whither ,i know not4 ,but it has come to me that this is the concluding moment of my ministry1 and ,i bow my head humbly to the ,divine ,will1 and pray that wherever ,i may be taken ,i may yet be permitted to labor for the ,lord until the glorious ,resurrection ,day1 when the supreme spirit of love will rule all things throughout all eternity4 ,love6 ,that is the last word of one who loves you1 and one who lives as you all do1 in the supreme love of the ,god of ,heaven4 ,feed the fatherless1 comfort and succor the oppressed1 give up all that you have of goods1 of energy1 of power1 to the poor4 ,there is no other word but love4 ,farewell6 ,the ringing voice ceased1 and they stood as figures of stone1 like the great ,druid circle of old heathen tombs which still remains upon the mountain slope4 ,,love6 ,that was the last word they heard1 and then the ,master seemed to falter for a moment1 seemed to sway and move4 ,there was a sound of a wind coming nearer and nearer1 as though it was rushing over the mountain-tops from the summit of distant ,snowdon itself4 ,the sound of a great wind1 and then a soft and sudden radiance showed them the ,christ-like figure of their ,friend with the arms again upraised in blessing1 with love shining from his eyes4 ,the sound of the wind growing louder and louder and louder1 a rushing1 mighty wind1 a wind which enveloped them with wild1 tempestuous force1 which blew the ghostly mists away--away and far away1 until the sun shone upon the tall1 long tomb of ,lluellyn ,lys1 and there was no more any man there4 ,,the ,,end