第16章

Thisnotesheansweredbypost，tellinghimthatshehadbeendisappointednottoseehimasshewasalsoill。SheaddedthatshewouldsendthecarriageonthefollowingSundayonthechanceofhistoothachebeingbetter，butthatifitwasnot，shewouldunderstandandtroublehimnomore。

DuringallthatweekGodfreyfoughtwithhimself。HedidnotwishtohaveanythingmoretodowiththewhiteandghostlyEleanor，whochangedhergemssoconstantly，andsaidthatshehadknownhimmillenniumsago。Indeed，hefeltalreadyasthoughsheweremuchtoonearhim，especiallyatnight，whenheseemedtobecomeawareofherbendingoverhisbed，andgenerallymakingherpresenceknowninotheruncomfortablewaysthatcausedhishairtostandupandfrightenedhim。

AtthesametimehewasreallyfondofMissOgilvy，andwhatshesaidaboutbeingilltouchedhim。Alsotherewassomethingthatdrewhim；

itmightbeEleanor，oritmightbeMadameRiennes。Atanyratehefeltagreatlongingtogo。Puttingeverythingelseaside，theseinvestigationshadtheirdelights。WhatotheryoungfellowofhisagecouldboastanEleanor，whosaidshehadbeenfondofhimtensofthousandsofyearsbefore？

Moreover，herewasoneofthegatestothatknowledgewhichhedesiredsoearnestly，andhowcouldhefindthestrengthtoshutitinhisownface？

OfcoursetheendofthematterwasthatbythefollowingSunday，histoothachehaddeparted，andthecarriagedidnotreturnemptytotheVillaOgilvy。

Hefoundhishostesslookingwhiteandethereal，anappearancethatshehadacquiredincreasinglyeversincetheirfirstmeeting。Herdelightatseeinghimwasobvious，aswasthatoftheothers。Forthishesoondiscoveredthereason。ItappearedthatthesittingonthepreviousSunday，whenhewasovercomebytoothache，hadbeenanalmosttotalfailure。ProfessorPetersenhadtriedtofillhisplaceasmedium，withtheresultthatwhenhefellundertheinfluence，theonlyspiritthatbrokethroughhislipswasonewhichdiscoursedinterminablyaboutlagerbeerandliqueursofsomecelestialbrew，which，asMadameRiennes，aladynotgiventominceherwords，toldhimtohisfaceafterwards，wasbecausehedranktoomuch。Hencethejoyoftheseenthusiastsatthere-appearanceofGodfrey。

Withconsiderablereluctancethatyouthconsentedtoplayhisusualr？le，andtobeputintoacharmedsleepbyMadame。ThistimehesawnoEleanor，andknewnothingofwhathappeneduntilheawoketobegreetedbythehorrificspectacleofMissOgilvylyingbackinherchairbathedinblood。GeneralconfusionreignedinthemidstofwhichMadameRiennesalonewascalm。

“Itish？morrhagefromthelungs，“shesaid，“whichiscommonamong/poitrinaires/。BrotherPetersen，dowhatyoucan，andyou，BrotherSmith，flyforMademoiselle’sdoctor，andifheisnotathome，bringanother。“

LaterGodfreyheardwhathadchanced。Itseemedthatthewraith，oremanation，orthesprite，goodorevil，orwhateveritmayhavebeen，whichcalleditselfEleanor，materializedinaveryuglytemper。ItcomplainedthatithadnotbeenallowedtoappearuponthepreviousSundayandhadbeenkeptawayfromitsbrother，i。e。Godfrey。Thenitproceededtothreatenallthecircle，exceptGodfrey，whowastherealculprit，withdiversmisfortunes，especiallydirectingitswrathagainstMissOgilvy。

“Youwilldiesoon，“itsaid，“andinthespiritworldIwillpayyouback。“Thriceitrepeatedthis：“Youwilldie，“towhichMissOgilvyansweredwithcalmdignity：

“Iamnotafraidtodie，noramIatallafraidofyou，Eleanor，who，asInowsee，arenotgoodbutevil。“

Whileshespokeatorrentofbloodburstfromherlips，Eleanordisappeared，andalmostimmediatelyGodfreyawoke。

Induecoursethedoctorcameandannouncedthattheh？morrhagehadceased，andthatthepatientwasinnoimminentdanger。Astothefuture，hecouldsaynothing，exceptthathavingbeenMissOgilvy’smedicalattendantforsomeyears，hehadexpectedsomethingofthissorttohappen，andknownthatherlifecouldnotbeverylong。

ThenGodfreywenthomeveryterrifiedandchastened，blaminghimselfalsoforthisdreadfulevent，althoughintruthnoonecouldhavebeenmoreinnocent。HehadgrownveryfondofMissOgilvy，andshudderedtothinkthatshemustsoonleavetheworldtoseekadimUnknown，wheretherewerebadspiritsaswellasgood。

Heshuddered，too，atthethoughtofthisEleanor，whomadeuseofhimtoappearinhumanform，andonhiskneesprayedGodtoprotecthimfromher。Thisindeedhappened，ifshehadanyrealexistenceandwasnotsomemerecreationofthebrainofMadameRiennes，madevisiblebytheworkingoflawswhereofwehavenoknowledge。Neveragain，duringallhislife，didheactuallyseeanymoreofEleanor，andtheprobabilityisthatheneverwill，eitherhereorelsewhere。

ThreedayslaterGodfreyreceivedaletterfromthedoctor，sayingthatMissOgilvywishedtoseehim，andthatherecommendedhimnottodelayhisvisit。HavingobtainedthepermissionofthePasteur，hewentinatoncebythediligence，andonarrivalatthevilla，whereevidentlyhewasexpected，wasshownuptoabedroomwhichcommandedabeautifulviewofthelakeandMountPilatus。Hereanursemethimandtoldhimthathemustnotstaylong；aquarterofanhourattheoutside。HeaskedhowMademoisellewas，whereonsheansweredwithanexpressiveshrug：

“Soonshewillbefurtherfromtheearththanthetopofthatmountain。“

Thenshetookhimtoanothersmallerroom，andthereuponthebed，lookingwhiterthanthesheets，layhisfriend。Shesmiledverysweetlywhenshecaughtsightofhim。

“DearGodfrey，“shesaid，“itiskindofyoutocome。Iwantedtoseeyouverymuch，forthreereasons。First，IwishtobegyourpardonforhavingdrawnyouintothisspiritualismwithoutyourknowingthatI

wasdoingso。Ihavetoldyouwhatmymotivewas，andthereforeIwillnotrepeatit，asmystrengthissmall。Secondly，Iwishyoutopromisemethatyouwillnevergotoanotherséance，sincenowIamquitesurethatitisdangerousfortheyoung。Tomespiritualismhasbroughtmuchgoodandjoy，butwithothersitmaybedifferent，especiallyasamongspirits，asontheearth，thereareevilbeings。

Doyoupromise？“

“Yes，yes，“answeredGodfrey，“onlyIamafraidofMadameRiennes。“

“Youmuststandupagainstherifshetroublesyou，andseekthehelpofreligion；ifnecessaryconsultyouroldPasteur，forheisagoodman。Thereisnodangerintheworldthatcannotbeescapedifonlyoneisboldenough，orsoIthink，though，alas!myselfIhavelackedcourage，“sheaddedwithagentlesigh。

“Now，dearboy，“shewentonafterpausingtorecoverstrength，“I

haveathirdthingtosaytoyou。Ihaveleftyousomemoney，asI

knowthatyouwillhavelittle。Itisnoteverymuch，butenough，allowingforaccidentsandthelesseningofcapitalvalues，togiveyou￡260ayearclear。Imighthavegivenyoumore，butdidnot，fortworeasons。Thefirstis，thatIhaveobservedthatyoungmenwhohavewhatiscalledacompetence，say￡500or￡600ayear，veryoftenarecontenttotryandliveonit，andtodonothingforthemselves，sothatintheenditbecomes，notablessing，butacurse。Thesecondis，thattodosoIshouldbeobligedtotakeawayfromcertaincharitiesandinstitutionswhichIwishtobenefit。ThatisallIhavetosayaboutmoney。Oh!no，thereisonemorething。Ihavealsoleftyouthetalismanyougaveme，andwithitthishouseandgrounds。

Perhapsonedayyoumightliketolivehere。Ihaveasortoffeelingthatitwillbeusefultoyouatsomegreatcrisisofyourfate，andatleastitwillremindyouofme，whohavelovedandtriedtobeautifytheplace。Inanycaseitwillalwayslet，andifitbecomesawhiteelephant，youcansellitandthefurniture，whichisworthsomething。“

Godfreybegantostammerhisthanks，butshecuthimshortwithawaveofherhand，murmuring：

“Don’tletuswastemoretimeonsuchthings，forsoonyoumustgoaway。AlreadyIseethatnurselookingatmefromthedoorwayoftheotherroom，andIhavesomethingmoretosaytoyou。Youwillcometothinkthatallthisspiritualism，asitiscalled，isnothingbutadangerousfolly。Well，itisdangerous，likeclimbingtheAlps，butonegetsagreatviewfromthetop。And，oh!fromtherehowsmallmenlookandhowneararetheheavens。Imean，mydearboy，thatalthoughIhaveaskedyoutoabjureséancesandsoforth，Idoprayofyoutocultivatethespiritual。Thephysical，ofcourse，isalwayswithus，forthatisNature’slaw，withoutwhichitcouldnotcontinue。Butaroundandbeyonditbroodsthespirit，asonceitdiduponthefaceofthewaters，encirclingallthings；thebeginningofallthings，andtheend。Only，aswinecannotbepouredintoacoveredcup，sothespiritcannotflowintoaworld-sealedheart，andwhatisthecupwithoutthewine？Openyourheart，Godfrey，andreceivethespirit，sothatwhenthemortalperishestheimmortalmayremainandeverlastinglyincrease。Foryouknow，ifwechoosedeathweshalldie，andifwechooselifeweshalllive；we，andallthatisdeartous。“

MissOgilvypausedalittletogetherbreath，thenwenton：“Now，myboy，kissmeandgo。Butfirst——onewordmore。Ihavetakenastrangeaffectionforyou，perhapsbecausewewereassociatedinotherexistences，Idonotknow。Well，IwanttosaythatfromthelandwhitherIamabouttobeborne，itshallbemygreatendeavour，ifitissoallowed，towatchoveryou，tohelpyouiftherebeneed，andintheendtobeamongthefirsttogreetyouthere，you，oranywhomyoumayloveinthisjourneyofyoursthroughlife。Look，thesunissinking。Now，goodbyetillthedawn。“

Hebentdownandkissedherandshekissedhimback，throwingherthinandfeeblearmabouthisneck，afterwhichthenursecameandhurriedhimawayweeping。Atthedoorheturnedbackandsawhersmileathim，and，oh!onherwastedfacewerepeaceandbeauty。

Nextdayshedied。

Forty-eighthourslaterGodfreyattendedherfuneral，towhichthePasteurBoisetwasalsobidden，andafteritwasovertheywerebothsummonedtotheofficeofanotarywhereherwillwasread。Shewasarichwoman，wholeftbehindherpropertytothevalueofquite￡100，000，mostofitinEngland。Indeed，thisSwissnotarywasonlyconcernedwithherpossessionsinLucerne，namelytheVillaOgilvy，itsgroundsandfurniture，andcertainmoneysthatshehadinlocalsecuritiesoratthebank。Thehouse，itsappurtenancesandcontents，wereleftabsolutelytoGodfrey，thePasteurBoisetbeingappointedtrusteeofthepropertyuntiltheheircameofage，withalegacyof￡200，andanannualallowanceof￡100forhistrouble。