The Life Everlasting: A Reality of Romance

it was evident at first that our captain entertained no doubt whatever as to the 'Diana,' with her powerful engines, being easily able to beat the aerial-looking 'Dream' schooner, which at noon-day

s ready and Santoris saluted us from the deck, lifting his cap and waving it in response to a similar greeting from Mr. Harland and our skipper, the signal to start was given. We moved off together, and for at least half an hour or more the 'Dream' floated along in a kind of lazy indolence, keeping up with us easily, her canvas filled, and her keel cutting the water as if swept by a favouring gale. The result of the race was soon a foregone conclusion,-for presently, when well out on the mirror-like calm of the sea, the 'Dream' showed her secret powers in earnest, and flew like a bird with a silent swiftness that was almost in

ast, drawing a long breath,-"I woul

d never have managed it in such a dead calm. For though I hav

earance had filled me with a wretched sense of loneliness beyond all expression. Suppose she should not return! I had no clue to her whereabouts-and with the loss of Santoris I knew I sh

tured, and heedless of what I said-

oked at me

ked Mr. Harland, smiling. "You surely

eks gr

ed, and turning away I met Dr. Brayle's eyes

suavely, "you are gre

s you have met e

myself, startled and confused. He kept his narrow

uld have thoug

pe and consolation, and I lost all fear, all sadness, all foreboding, as she gradually swept up alongside in the easy triumph she had won. Our crew assembled to welcome her, and cheered lustily. Santoris, standing on her deck, lightly acknowledged the salutes which gave him the victory, and presently both our vessels were once more at their former places of

achting!" she said, peevish

d;-"If you feel like that,

nd there's no moving him. One thing, however, I'm determined

her gaze qu

hat is

that terrible 'Dream' yacht and its ow

omed to hear the hasty and narrow verdict of small-minded and unintelligent persons pronounced on men and women of high attainment and great mental ability; therefore

ce rest-gown-I suppose you call it a restgown!-with all your hair

at for a moment I could find no words. She looke

unshine and open air, and found all sorts of excuses for their own faults, provided they got some pl

own reflection, and I

Miss Harland, I am not aware of it! But I ca

holds-and you hold them too!-are devilish! If you belonged to the Church of Ro

f its own children! And some of the beliefs of the Church of Rome are more blasphemous and b

isfortunes,-and I've heard you say that the idea of Eternal Punishment is absurd-so in a way you are as bad as father, who declares there's

lked, but now I resumed my former reclining attitude

ion is the least worth having in the world! Now, if

she exclaimed, hotly

heist?" I demanded-"What

r face, and a sudden

whisper-"It reminds me of an awful dream I had the

ly the while. Something in her hard, plain face

s clinging to the man's body. Dr. Brayle stood beside me also watching-but the scene was strange to me, and the clothes we wore were all of some ancient time. I said to Dr. Brayle: 'We h

ction swept over me to which I dared not

ttle-"and that's why I say I'm tired of this y

ofa looking at her

rry! You and Mr. Harland have both been most kind to me-I've been your guest for nearly a fortnight,-that's quite sufficient ho

s have happened so strangely." She paused, looking at me-"Yes-you have the

y. She seemed a

as I could-"Do please fin

hundreds of people never got farther than the staircase. You were pointed out to me as a "psychist"-and while I was still listening to what was being said about you, my father came up with you on his arm and introduced us. When I saw you I felt that your

s si

at frightened me, and made me too ill and nervous to go with you on that excursion to Loch Coruisk. And I want to get away from him! I never had such impressions before-and even now,-looking

thing to fear from me-no, nothing!" For here she suddenly leaned forward and took

know who was really a pagan! Yet I don't know how I knew her, or where I met her-a woman who, for some reason or other, was hateful to me because I

did he say

of Santoris, who was an evident

rang

-"Let him dare to say it! and I will

m me with wide-op

at?" she said. "We didn't real

by some supernatural agency we had been momentarily deprived of life and motion, while a vast dark cloud, heavy

spoke again, with a

"You can see for yourself my nerves are

er, and considering the perplexit

st,-"and if you think his presence has a bad effect on you, let us make some

e a surpri

," she said-"and I wish

to offer to stay wit

r I suppose it IS a p

tor

hed to my face

ng slightly away from he

he said-"In fact, I believe if it had not been for y

smiling. "I never heard of him till your fa

"-she deman

night," I answer

y face with qu

ing met him before," she said. "However, I shall not ask you to sacrifice your pleasure for

oesn't wish it!"

be good for me-and-and he hat

. She rose to

-"I've told you frankly just how I feel,-and you can imagine

f immediately concluding my stay with the Harlands and leaving their yacht at some easy point of departure for home. And I resolved I would speak to Santoris on this subject and trust to him for a means whereby

t and fresh in the glass where I always kept it-but to-night when I took it in my hand it suddenly crumbled into a pinch of fine grey dust. This sudden destruction of what had seemed well-nigh indestructible startled me for a moment till I began to think that after all the little bunch of blossom had do

l years younger than you did when you came on board at

ed, and laughed. "Ho

wered-"And perhaps he may make others young too

rayle, drily-"Faust should have cons

oul to the Devil, merely for the love of woman,"-said Mr. Harland. "The joy, the sensation

le's eye

f some kind. Everything that has ever been done in the world, either good or evil, can be traced back to the influence of women on men-sometimes it is their wives who sway their actions, but it is f

oat carelessly-"I agree with Byron's dictum 'Who loves, raves!' Of cours

indifferent companions I imagined it would be difficult, if not impossible, to get even a moment with Santoris alone, to tell him of my intention to leave

ment was a beautiful dark youth of some twelve or thirteen years of age, clad in Eastern dress, who held a basket full of crimson and white rose petals, which, with a graceful gesture, he silently emptied at our feet as we stepped on board. I happened to be the first one to ascend the companion ladder, so that it looked as if this fragrant heap of delicate leaves had been thrown down for me to tread upon, but even if

? The same you had

e to the usual safe, if dull, routine of my ordinary round of work and effort. On the other hand, to accept the dawning joy that seemed showering upon me like a light from Heaven, was to blindly move on into the Unknown,-to trust unquestioningly to the secret spiritual promptings of my own nature and to give myself up wholly and ungrudgingly to a love which suggested all things yet promised nothing! Full of the most conflicting thoughts, I paced the room up and down slowly-the tall mirror reflected my face and figure and showed me the startlingly faithful presentment

men and women-one, but enough for Eternity! How long the rose has awaited its flowering-how long the love has awaited its fulfilment-only t

ht thee sorrowing for many centuries! Turn not aside again, neither by thine own will nor by the will of others, lest old errors prevail. Pass f

emonitions of those finer issues of thought which emanate from the Divine intelligence. However this may be, my own experience of life had taught me that what ordinary persons pin their faith upon as real, is often unreal,-while such promptings of the soul as are almost incapable of expression lead to the highest realities of existence. A

cess's' apartment, I met Santoris at the entrance to the saloon. There was no one else there for the

he said, in a low tone, sm

haracteristic of a certain dull and self-centred type of woman. We were soon seated at table-a table richly, yet daintily, appointed, and adorned with the costliest flowers and fruits. The men who waited upon us were all Easterns, dark-eyed and dark-skinned, and wore the Eastern dress,-all their movements were swift yet graceful and dignified-they made no noise in the business of serving,-not a dish clattered, not a glass clashed. They were perfect servants, taking care to avoid the common but reprehensible method of offering dishes to persons conversing, thus interrupting the flow of talk at inopportune moments. And what talk it wa

music, and this can never be like the music evolved from brain and fingers; however, it fills in gaps of silence whe

m of scorn in them. I looked at him half ques

" he went on-"The modern brain must not be exercised too strenuously,-

who dine as well as we are dining to-night have no

ayle l

ite for it. I think it quite possible that Faus

" chimed in Mr. Swi

nt asparagus; Dr. Brayle drinking champagne; Mr. Swinton helping himself out of some dish of good things offered to him by one of the servants; Catherine playing in a sort of demure, old-m

e said, half laughingly-"it's certain that food

avoc either of themselves or of the men they profess to love. Wives neglect their husbands, and husbands natur

ing?" asked Sa

like the birds and animals, whose relationships are neither binding nor lasting, but are just suffic

rdict, Miss Harland?" S

startled-her yellow s

she answered-"I

't believe in love

urmured-"But nowadays peo

as much romance in the modern world as in the ancient;-the human heart has the same passions, but they are

yle loo

d-"It is a kind of primitive passion from

ris s

a great evil-but a necessary one-as necessary as war. Without strife of some sort the world would become like a stagnant pool breeding nothing but weeds and the slimy cre

ried Mr. Harland-"Or s

y is not love at all, but simply an affectionate understanding and agre

llow you! And with all due deference to the fair sex I very much doubt if

interrupted Bray

ve him a qu

n either. SOULS are not only asked, but COMM

red Brayle-"Such ideas are pure

em of our present-day civilisation has been 'imagined' before taking practical shape. 'Transcendental' means BEYOND the ordinary happenings of life and life's bodily routine-and this 'beyond' expresses itself so often that there are few lives lived

-and still more so the fascination of his manner and bearing, a

eve that you are really the very Santoris that struck such terror into the hearts of some of us undergra

it-no 'black magic,' or 'occultism' of any kind. I have done nothing since I left college but adapt myself to the forces

ch as-?" que

ped hand that rested lightly on the table,-"Command of oneself!-command of body, command of spirit, and

, it must be my own free will that gave in, not his compelling influence! As this thought ran through my brain I met his eyes,-he smiled a little, and I saw he had guessed my mind. The w

firm nerves, it was not apparent why he, evidently born to rule, should put himself into the leading strings of Oxford or any other forcing-bed of intellectual effort. That it would be better if such an one took HIMSELF in hand and tried to find out HIS OWN meaning, both in relation to the finite and infinite gradations of Spirit and Matter. And I resolved to enter upon the task-without allow

hen?" put in Dr. Brayle, with

d," answered Santoris-"An

a moment

tell us especially what we all of us are chiefly anxious to know-how it is t

s smile

iscovery people ask first of all 'How can I benefit by it?' or 'How will it affect ME?' And while asking the question they yet will not trouble to get an answer OUT OF THEMSELVES,

to us all before beginning to speak again. And when he did speak, it was in a singularly quiet, musical voice which exercised a kind of spell upon my ears-I had heard that voice before-ah!-how often! How often through the course of my life had I listened to it wonderingly in dreams of which the waking morning brought no explanation! How it had stolen upon me like an echo from far away, whe