"And is Dorothy to suffer as you have suffered, for what was no fault
of hers?" demanded Paul.

"Yes," said Ah Ben; "the law of Karma is the law of nature and the
law of God; and while ordinarily she would have passed safely on in
the possession of her new-born powers, the pitfall which I blindly
laid beset her unwary feet, and she fell. There is but one course
open; but one way in which Dorothy can reach either heaven or earth,
by a shorter road than that which I am compelled to travel. It is
simple, and yet one which, under the circumstances, is almost
impossible to achieve; and this from the fact that it requires the
cooperation of a human being."

"I should imagine that any one with the ordinary feelings of
humanity would gladly do what he could to assist such an unhappy
fellow-creature!" exclaimed Paul.

"But she is not a fellow-creature," urged the old man.

"True, but I understood you to say that she might become one with the
cooperation of a human being."

"I did," Ah Ben replied; "but where is that to be found?"

"Not knowing the nature of the task, it would be difficult to say,"
answered Paul, "but I will adhere to my first proposition, that one
with the ordinary feelings of humanity would gladly do what he
could."