Lilith: A Romance

ends its growing things up to the sun, and its flying things into the air which I have breathed from my infancy; but I know the outspr

regarding the portrait that hangs among the books, which I knew only as that of a distant ancestor, and w

e and the portrait-a thin pale man in rusty black. He looked sharp and eager, and had

aid, in a peculiar but not disagreeable voice. "Your honoured grandfather treated me-I may say

e at the time how o

you live now, M

d an amu

ows the family insight. You have seen me before,

e was

m. You were quite

, but for a moment I fancied I did, and I

gnising the memory in it," he remarked. "For my na

, for marvellous tal

o come and see me," I sai

d himsel

father, the

never met.-That gentleman, however," he added, pointing to the portrait,-"old Sir Up'ard, his peopl

truth it was hardly stranger that my visitor should remember Sir Upw

the special direction of his studies, he was able to inform me of a certain relation of modes

elling me all abo

able: there are not such things as wil

e to a tower he had lately built, consisting of a stair and a room at the top of it. The door of this room had a tremendous lock, which he undid with the smallest key I ever saw. I had scarcely crossed the threshold after him, when, to my eyes, he began to dwindle, and grew less and less. All at once my vision seemed

w and then to this day I use your house when I want to go the nearest way home. I must indeed-without your leave, for which I

," I said, "that you go through my house into

trovertible acknowledgement of sp

," I rejoined. "Please to take my

step through which carries me into a

bet

d many of its mental laws are different from those of this world.

power of bel

for a madma

ot look l

iar

o ground to th

do not b

h you if you like: I believe in

make!" he murmured. "The on

r a moment, his head resting on his hand, his elbow

r out.-I see old Sir Up'ard," he went on, closing his eyes,

" I replied; "-that is, t

at least on which your

things in that world are not

etting into that world?-The thought is beyond you, however, at present!-I tell you

ently with every turn. I followed, studying his back. His hair hung down long and dark, straig

and we must step from joist to joist: in the middle of one of these spaces rose a partition, with a door: through it

nt of it, and saw our figures dimly reflected in its dusty face. There was something about it that made me uneasy. It looked old-fashio

s grown dingy with age; but that is no ma

ined; "there is

te wall. I heard a creaking: the top of the chamber was turning slowly

oment!" he said; "it is on

grew much clearer: a patch of sunlight had fallen upon a mirror on the wall opposite that against which the other leaned, and on the dust I saw the path of the reflec

he sunrays g

perhaps, to where they came from first. They now b

not at all comprehend. He spoke much about dimensions, telling me that there were many more than three, some of them concerned with powers which were indeed in us, but of whic

came clearer and clearer. Soon the mist vanished entirely, uncovering the face of a wide heath, on which, at some distance, was the figure of a man moving swiftly away. I turned to address my companio