future. I should not like to live again; I might have to remember
certain incidents which I would rather forget. There is your
charming sister, Mademoiselle Helen! I must go and talk to her,--
her conversation always does me good; and after that picture which
I have been unfortunate enough to produce, her presence will be as
soothing as the freshness of morning after an unpleasant
nightmare."

He moved away; Denzil Murray with Courtney followed him. Dr. Dean
remained behind, and presently sitting down in a retired corner of
the garden alone, he took out a small pocket-book and stylographic
pen and occupied himself for more than half an hour in busily
writing till he had covered two or three pages with his small,
neat caligraphy.

"It is the most interesting problem I ever had the chance of
studying!" he murmured half aloud when he had finished, "Of
course, if my researches into the psychic spheres of action are
worth anything, it can only be one case out of thousands.
Thousands? Aye, perhaps millions! Great heavens! Among what
terrific unseen forces we live! And in exact proportion to every
man's arrogant denial of the 'Divinity that shapes our ends, so
will be measured out to him the revelation of the invisible.
Strange that the human race has never entirely realized as yet the
depth of meaning in the words describing hell: 'Where the worm
dieth not, and where the flame is never quenched. The 'worm' is
Retribution, the 'flame' is the immortal Spirit,--and the two are
forever striving to escape from the other. Horrible! And yet there
are men who believe in neither one thing nor the other, and reject
the Redemption that does away with both! God forgive us all our