afraid of you; and knowing how much you have suffered, it shall be my
aim to help and comfort you; for have you not shown me how close is
the other world, and so in a measure removed the dread of death? How
truly do I feel that those who have left us may be close around us,
although we can not see them."

And then, with a new light on all that surrounded him, Paul bade Ah
Ben good-night, and went to his room.




10


The following morning, Mr. Henley was puzzled, in thinking over the
conversation of the previous night, to remember that he had not been
alarmed at the revelations which Ah Ben had made. The things he had
seen and the words he had heard were amazing, but they had not
terrified him; and when he recalled the easy and natural manner in
which he had talked, he attributed the fact to the same mental change
whereby he had perceived the visions.

The breakfast room was deserted, neither Dorothy nor Ah Ben being
present; and so Paul partook of the meal alone, which he found
prepared as usual. He lingered over his second cup of tea in the hope
that the young lady would join him; but after loitering quite beyond
the usual hour, he sauntered out into the garden, trusting to find
her there. But Dorothy was nowhere to be seen, and Henley sank
dejectedly into the old rustic bench to await her coming.