第13章

“Whatbeautifulhorses，“exclaimedJuliette，herhazeleyessparkling。

“Oh!thattenthCommandment，whocankeepit？Andwhyshouldsomepeoplehavefinehorsesandothersnotevenapony？/Mamère/，whywereyounotabletokeepthatcarriageofwhichyouhavespokentomesooften？“

Madamebitherlip，andwithawhispered“holdyourtongue，“plungedintoconversationaboutMissOgilvy。ThenGodfreyenteredthecarriageandwaswhirledawayinstyle，lookingliketheprinceinafairybook，asJulietteremarked，whilethePasteurtriedtoexplaintoherhowmuchhappiershewaswithoutthetemptationofsuchearthlyvanities。

MissOgilvy’shousewasabeautifuldwellingofitssort，standingingardensofitsownthatrandowntothelake，andcommandingfineviewsofallthegloriousscenerywhichsurroundsLucerne。Theroomswerelargeandlofty，withparquetfloors，andinsomeofthemwerereallygoodpicturesthattheirownerhadinherited，alsocollectionsofbeautifuloldFrenchfurniture。Inshort，itwasastatelyandrefinedabode，suchasissometimestobefoundabroadinthepossessionofAmericansorEnglishpeopleofwealth，whofortheirhealth’ssakeorotherreasons，maketheirhomesupontheContinent。

Onhearingthecarriagearrive，MissOgilvy，whowasdressedinasimple，butcharminggreygownand，asGodfreynoticedatonce，woreroundhernecktheoldGnostictalismanwhichhehadgivenher，camefromasaloontomeethiminthelarge，squarehall。

“I/am/gladtoseeyou，Godfrey，“shesaidinhersoft，cultivatedvoice。

“SoamI，MissOgilvy，“heanswered，withheartiness，“Imeantoseeyou。But，“headded，studyingher，“youdonotlookverywell。“

Shesmiledratherpathetically，andsaidinaquickvoice：

“No，Itookacoldonthatjourney。YouseeIamratheraninvalid，whichiswhyIlivehere——whileIdolive——whattheycall/poitrinaire/。“

Godfreyshookhishead，thewordwasbeyondhim。

“/Anglicé/consumptive，“sheexplained。“TherearelotsofusinSwitzerland，youknow，andonthewhole，weareamerryset。Itischaracteristicofourcomplaint。Butnevermindaboutme。Therearetwoorthreepeoplehere。Idaresayyouwillthinkthemodd，buttheyarecleverintheirway，andyououghttohavesomethingincommon。

Comein。“

Hefollowedherintothebeautifulcoolsaloon，withitslarge，doubleFrenchwindowsdesignedtokeepoutthebitterwindsofwinter，butopenednowuponthebrilliantgarden。Neverbeforehadhebeeninsolovelyaroom，thatisofamodernhouse，anditimpressedhimwithsensationsthatatthemomenthedidnottrytoanalyse。Allheknewwasthattheyweremingledwithsomespiritualquality，suchasonceortwicehehadfeltinancientchurches，somethingwhichsuggestedboththePastandtheFuture，andabroodinginfluencethathecouldnotdefine。Yettheplacewasalllightandcharm，gaywithflowersandlandscapepictures，inshort，lackinganysombrenote。

Gatheredatitsfarendwherethebowwindowoverlookedthesparklinglake，werethreeorfourpeople，allelderly。Instantlyoneoftheserivetedhisattention。Shewasstout，havinghergreyhairdrawnbackfromamassiveforehead，beneathwhichshonepiercingblackeyes。Herratherungainlyfigurewasclothedinwhathethoughtanuglygreendress，andsheworeaneckletofemeraldsinanold-fashionedsetting，whichhealsothoughtuglybutstriking。Fromthemomentthatheenteredthedoorwayatthefarendofthatlongsaloon，hefeltthoseblackeyesfixeduponhim，andwaspainfullyawareoftheirowner’spresence，somuchso，thatinawhisper，heaskedhernameofMissOgilvy。

“Oh!“sheanswered，“thatisMadameRiennes，thenotedmesmeristandmedium。“

“Indeed，“saidGodfreyinavaguevoice，forhedidnotquiteunderstandwhatwasmeantbythisdescription。

Alsotherewasathin，elderlyAmericangentlemantowhomGodfreywasintroduced，namedColonelJosiahSmith，andabig，blondDane，whotalkedEnglishwithaGermanaccent，calledProfessorPetersen。AllofthesestudiedGodfreywiththemostunusualinterestas，overwhelmedwithshyness，hewasledbyMissOgilvytomaketheiracquaintance。Hefeltthattheirdemeanourportendedheknewnotwhat，moreatanyratethanhopeofderivingpleasurefromhissociety；infact，thattheyexpectedtogetsomethingoutofhim。SuddenlyherecollectedapicturethatoncehehadseeninapiousworkwhichhewasgiventoreadonSundays。ItrepresentedamissionarybeingledbythehandbyasmilingwomanintothepresenceofsomesavagesinaSouthSeaisland，whowereabouttocookandeathim。

Inthepicturealargepotwasalreadyboilingoverafireinthebackground。InstinctivelyGodfreylookedforthepot，butsawnone，exceptoneoftheflowerswhichstoodonalittletableinarecess，androundithalfadozenchairs，oneofthemlarge，witharms。Hadhebutknownit，thatchairwasthepot。

Nosoonerhadhemadehissomewhatawkwardbowthanluncheonwasannounced，andtheyallwentintoanotherlargeandbeautifulroom，wheretheywereservedwithaperfectmeal。Theconversationattablewasgeneral，andinEnglish，butpresentlyitdriftedintoadebatewhichGodfreydidnotunderstand，ontheincreaseofspiritualityamongthe“initiated“oftheearth。

ColonelJosiahSmith，whoappearedtoassociatewithremarkablepersonswhomhecalled“Masters，“whodweltintheremoteplacesoftheworld，allegedthatsuchincreasewasgreat，whichProfessorPetersen，whodweltmuchamongGermanintellectuals，denied。Itappearedthatthese“intellectuals“werebusyinturningtheirbacksoneveryformofspirituality。

“Ah!“saidMissOgilvy，withasigh，“theyseekthecompanyoftheirkindred’Elementals，’althoughtheydonotknowit，andsoonthoseElementalswillhavethemasteryofthemandbreakthemtopieces，asthelionsdidthemalignersofDaniel。“

InafteryearsGodfreyalwaysrememberedthisasaveryremarkableprophecy，butatthetime，notknowingwhatanElementalmightbe，heonlymarvelled。

AtlengthMadameRiennes，who，itseemed，washalfFrenchandhalfRussian，intervenedinaslow，heavyvoice：

“Whatdoesitmatter，friendsofmysoul？“sheasked。ThenhavingpausedtodrinkoffafullglassofsparklingMoselle，shewenton：

“Soonweshallbewherethespirituality，orotherwise，ofthislittleworldmattersnothingtous。Whowillbethefirsttolearnthetruths，Iwonder？“andshestaredinturnatthefacesofeveryoneofthem，aprocesswhichseemedtocausegeneralalarm，bearing，asitdid，astrongresemblancetothesmelling-outofsavagewitch-doctors。

Indeed，theyallbegantotalkofthisorthatathazard，butshewasnottobeputoffbysuchinterruptions。HavinginvestigatedGodfreytillhefeltcolddowntheback，MadameturnedhersearchlighteyesuponMissOgilvy，whoshrankbeneaththem。Thenofasuddensheexclaimedwithakindofconvulsiveshudder：

“ThePowerpossessesandguidesme。Ittellsmethat/you/willbethefirst，SisterHelen。IseeyouamongtheimmortalLilieswiththeWineofLifeflowingthroughyourveins。“

OnreceiptofthisinformationtheWineofLifeseemedtoceasetoflowinpoorMissOgilvy’sface。Atanyrate，shewentdeadlypaleandrestedherhanduponGodfrey’sshoulderasifshewereabouttofaint。

Recoveringalittle，shemurmuredtoherself：

“Ithoughtit!Well，whatdoesitmatterthoughthegulfisgreatandterrible？“

Thenwithaneffortsheroseandsuggestedthattheyshouldreturntothedrawing-room。

Theydidso，andwereservedwithTurkishcoffeeandcigarettes，whichMadameRiennessmokedoneaftertheotherveryrapidly。PresentlyMissOgilvyrangthebell，andwhenthebutlerappearedtoremovethecups，whisperedsomethinginFrench，atwhichhebowedanddeparted。

Godfreythoughtheheardhimlockthedoorbehindhim，butwasnotsure。

“Letussitroundthetableandtalk，“saidMadameRiennes。

Thereonthewholepartymovedintotherecesswherewastheflower-potthathasbeenmentioned，whichMissOgilvytookaway。

Theyseatedthemselvesroundthelittletableuponwhichithadstood。

Godfrey，lingeringbehind，found，whetherbydesignoraccident，thattheonlyplaceleftforhimwasthearm-chairwhichhehesitatedtooccupy。

“Beseated，youngMonsieur，“saidtheformidableMadameinbell-liketones，whereonhecollapsedintothechair。“SisterHelen，“shewenton，“drawthecurtain，itismoreprivateso；yes，andtheblindthattheremaybenounholyglare。“

MissOgilvy，whoseemedtobeentirelyunderMadame’sthumb，obeyed。

Nowtoallintentsandpurposestheywereinatiny，shadowedroomcutofffromthemainapartment。

“TakethattalismanfromyourneckandgiveittoyoungMonsieurKnight，“commandedMadame。

“ButIgaveittoher，anddonotwantitback，“venturedGodfrey，whowasgrowingalarmed。

“DowhatIsay，“shesaidsternly，andhefoundhimselfholdingtherelic。

“Now，youngMonsieur，lookmeintheeyesalittleandlisten。I

requestofyouthatholdingthatblack，engravedstoneinyourhand，youwillbesogoodastothrowyoursoul，doyouunderstand，yoursoul，back，back，/back/andtelluswhereitcomefrom，whohaveit，whatpartitplayintheirlife，andeverythingaboutit。“

“HowamItoknow？“askedGodfrey，withindignation。

Thensuddenlyeverythingbeforehimfaded，andhesawhimselfstandinginadesertbyalumpofblackrock，atwhichabrownmancladonlyinawaistclothandakindofpeakedstrawhat，wasstrikingwithaninstrumentthatseemedtobehalfchiselandhalfhammer，fashionedapparentlyfrombronze，orperhapsofgreenish-colouredflint。

Presentlythebrownman，whohadasquintinoneeyeandahurttoethatwasboundroundwithsomething，pickedupapieceoftheblackrockthathehadknockedoff，andsurveyeditwithevidentsatisfaction。Thenthescenevanished。

Godfreytolditwithinteresttotheaudiencewhowereapparentlyalsointerested。

“Thefindingofthestone，“saidMadame。“Continue，youngMonsieur。“

AnothervisionrosebeforeGodfrey’smind。Hebeheldalowroomhavingakindofverandah，roofedwithreeds，andbeyonditalittlecourtyardenclosedbyawallofgrey-colouredmudbricks，outofsomeofwhichstuckpiecesofstraw。Thiscourtyardopenedontoanarrowstreetwheremanyoddly-clothedpeoplewalkedupanddown，someofwhomworepeakedcaps。Alittleman，oldandgrey，satwiththefragmentofblackrockonalowtablebeforehim，whichGodfreyknewtobethesamestonethathehadalreadyseen。Byhimlaygravingtools，andhewasengagedinpolishingthestone，nowcoveredwithfiguresandwriting，byhelpofastick，apieceofroughclothandoil。Ayoungmanwithacurlybeardwalkedintothelittlecourtyard，andtohimtheoldfellowdeliveredtheengravedstonewithobeisances，receivingpaymentinsomecuriouscurrency。