The Life Everlasting: A Reality of Romance

im, clean-shaven man of middle age with expressionless brown eyes and sleek black hair which was carefully brushed and parted down the middle,-he was quiet and self-contained in manner, and yet I tho

ut it was evident that from a very early age she had been given her own way to the fullest extent, and had been so accustomed to have every little ailment exaggerated and made the most of that she had grown to believe health of body and mind as well-nigh impossible to the human being. Dr. Brayle, I soon perceived, lent himself to this attitude, and I did not like the covert gleam of his mahogany-coloured eyes as he glanced rapidly from father to daughter in the pauses of conversation, watching them as narrowly as a cat might watch a couple of unwary mice. The secretary, Mr. Swinton, was a pale, precise-looking young man with a somewhat servile demeanour, under which he concealed an inordinately good opinion of himself. His ideas

f his irritation. So far as Mr. Swinton was concerned, he was comfortably wrapped up in a pachydermatous hide of self-appreciation, so that he thought nothing about me one way or the other except as a guest of his patrons, and one therefore to whom he was bound to be civil. But wi

y much for fine scenery,

dmiration of the beautiful a

, with a little bow-"We are

rland looked at me with

eliever in compl

I asked, laughingly-"I'

that it was

much like an Italian poisoner of old time,-the kind of man whom Caesar Borgia might have employed to give

ly and delicately with a deft movement of his fruit knife that

ut suspicious in mind! She imagines that a pleasant word may often be used to cover a treacherous action, and if a man is as rude and blunt as myself, for example, she prefers that he should be rude and blunt

t that's not a 'strange' or

is ugly mouth cu

e superb enough to draw down Deity into a human shape as a creature of human necessities in order that It, the Pigmy, should claim kinship with the Divine now and for ever! What gorgeous blasphemy in such a scheme!-what magnificent arrogance!" I was silent, but I could almost hear my heart beating with suppressed emotion. I knew Morton Harland was an atheist, so far as atheism is possible to any creature born of spirit as well as matter, but I did not think he would air his opinions so openly and at once before me the first evening of my stay on board his yacht. I saw, however, that he spoke in this way hoping to move me to an answer

hat he was to be taken to England and educated at Oxford, and that when he came into possession of his money, he was to be left free to do as he liked with it. I met him when he was almost half-way through his University course. I was only two or three years his senior, but he always looked much younger than I. And he was, as we all said, 'uncanny '-as uncanny as our little friend,"-here indicating me by a nod of his head and a smile which was meant to be kindly-"He never practised or 'trained' for anythi

land broke o

y have no business to inflict the

yes showed a glisten

d-"It sounds like the

ing,-I'm starting at the farther end-where Oxford leaves off and Life begins!' I suppose I stared-for he went on-'I mean Life that goes forward,-not Life that goes backward, picking up the stale crumbs fallen from centuries that have finished their banquet and passed on. There!-I won't detain you! We shall not meet often-but don't forget what I have said,-that if you are afraid of me, or of any other man, or of any existing thing,-the fault is in yourself, not in the persons or objects you fear.' 'I don't see it,' I blurted out, angrily-'What of the other fellows? They think you're queer!' He laughed. 'Bless the other fellows!' he said-'They're with you in the same boat! They think me queer because THEY are queer-that is,-out of line-themselves.' I was irritated by his easy indifference and asked him what he meant by 'out of line.' 'Suppose you see a beautiful garden harmoniously planned,' he said, still smiling, 'and some clumsy fellow comes along and puts a crooked pigstye up among the flower beds, you would call that "out of line," wouldn't you? Unsuitable, to say the least

r,"-I put

is an Up. The two would be part of each other's existen

oks expressed wonder or pity or both

-said Dr. Brayle, lifting his hard eyes from the

the term 'spiritualist' a credulous person who believes in mediumistic tricke

e these matters considerable attent

mil

to chaos. The most approved scientific professors are liable to this dire end of their speculations. The

aid Mr. Harland-"But despite your sage u

ertainly he does,"-I answered-"He

as too serious and sacred with me to allow it to be lightly discussed by persons whose attit

ering bow-sprit of the 'Diana' pointed aloft as it were into a woven web of stars, and I lost myself in imaginary flight among those glittering unknown worlds, oblivious of my material surroundings, and forgetting that despite the splendid evidences of a governing Intelligence in the beauty and order of the Universe spread about them every day, my companions in the journey of pleasure we were undertaking together were actually destitute of all faith in God, and had less perception of the existing Divine than the humblest plant may possess that instinctively forces its way upward to the light. I did not think of this,-it was no use thinking about it as I could not better the position,-but I found myself curious

has just dropped anchor behind us. She

ctric light as though decorated for some great festival, and making quite a glittering spectacle in the darkness of the deepening night. We could see active figures at work on deck-the sails were dropped and quickly furled,-but the quivering radiance remained

st when she dropped anchor, and that was almost noiseless. How she came round t

large for a sailing

r seen,"-he replied-"

at I want

puzzled tha

n the usual way,"-

asn't been a capful all the afternoon or evening. Yet she came in with crowded canvas full out as if there was a regular sou'wester, and found her anchorag

cretary listened and looked on. I explained why I had ventured to interrupt their conversation, and they accompanied me up on deck. The strange yacht looked more bewilderingly brilliant than ever, the heavens h

fa in my sitting-room I could look out through the port-hole on the near sea, rippling close to me, and bringing, as I fancied, with every ripple a new cadence, a tenderer snatch of tune. A subtle scent was on the salt air, as of roses mingling with the freshne

ams and fancies which came to me unbidden,-till presently the music died softly away like a retreating wave and ceased altogether. I waited a few minutes-listening breathlessly lest it should begin again and I lose some note of it,-then hearing no more, I softly closed the port-hole and drew the curtain. I did this with an odd reluctance, feeling somehow that I had shut out a friend; and I half apologised to this

people nowadays do so many queer things for mere notoriety's sake that it is barely possi

Harland-"or they might alter their minds and remain alive. It's

ed, went out, and only the ordinary lamps common to the watches of the night on board a vessel at anchorage burned dimly here and there like red winking eyes. For the rest, she was barely visible

for to-night. Let us turn in. To-morrow morning we'll try and make acquaintance with the

night then, and descende

open one of the port-holes and listen to the music which still came superbly built,-sailing vessels are alw

re at all,"-said the captain-"The

and look

-he answered-"Only it wasn't boisterous en

lared Derrick, firmly-"Not e

he get here?" a

yebrows expressed his inab

was a wind it wasn't a win

turned upon

isturb OUR atmosphere,"-he said-"Come, come, Derrick, you don't thin

rrick smil

d-I've seen the men hauling down canvas, and I

ntatious,"-said Dr. Brayle-"I suppose t

st I lay down in my luxurious bed, and slipped away into the land of sleep. Ah, what a land it is, that magic Land of Sleep!-a land 'shadowing with wings,' where amid many shifting and shimmering wonders of darkness and light, the Palace of Vision stands uplifted, stately and beautiful, with golden doors set open to the wanderer! I made