The Soul of Lilith , to ﬁnd out When and How This Passion Had ﬁrst

Home , Lilith (painting), Lilith (Supernatural), The Visitors (opera)

T HE S O U L O F LILIT H

M A R I E C O R E L L I

AU T HOR O F M ’ A RO M AN CE O F T W O W O RL DS , T HE L A , ‘ V E N DE T T A E T C .

Not a ro of h er bloo was uman d p d h , But sh e was made like a soft sweet woman

DANT E G. ROSS ETT I

IN T H REE VO LUM ES

V O L . I I I .

LONDON R I C H A R D B E N T L E Y A N D S O N ’ {Bu blis hzr s i n ®rb inarg to £21? jcl ajez tp the (Imam 1 89 2

’ !A11 r zg fzts r eser ved]

T H E S O U L O F L IL IT H

C H APT E R I .

H E m i re ained qu te still , standing near the

l th e —in tall vase that he d clustered roses , his hand he grasped unconsciously the stalk

O f the one he had pulled to p ieces . H e was aware of his own strange passiveness , was a sort O f inexplicable i nertia which like temporary paralysis seemed to incapacitate

w a him from any action . I t ould have p peared well and natural to him that he should h stay there so , dreamily , with t e scented rose A stalk in his hand , for any length of time . h i noise in the outer street roused m a little , — the whistling , hooting and laughing of

V L I I I . O . 3 7 2 TH E SO UL OF LI LI T H

d — drunken men reeling homewar s , and lifting his eyes from their studious O bservation of the ﬂoor, he sighed deeply . That is the way the great majority O f men ” — h e . amuse themselves , mused Drink , — stupidity , brutality , sensuality all blatant

O f proofs miserable unresisted weakness , can it be possi ble that God can care for such 9 Could even the pity O f Christ pardon such wilful workers O f their own ruin T he pity

O f h i I - C rist , sa d nay , at times even H e was

i fi - pit less . Did H e not curse a g tree because i t was barren — though truly we are not told the cause O f its barrenness . O f course the h i — ﬁ - — lesson is t at L fe the g tree , has no

O f - right to be barren results , but why curse

i ? t i O f it , if t is Wha s the use a curse at any P h i time And w at , may equally be asked , s ? the use of a blessing Neither are heard ;

e — the curse is seldom if ever wr aked , and

the blessing , so the sorrowful say, is never

granted . The noise and the laughter outside died

w . a ay , and a deep silence ensued H e

Of caught sight himself in the mirror, and THE SO UL OF LI LI TH 3

— noted his own reﬂective attitude , his brood ing v isage ; and studied h imself critically as h e would have studied a picture .

— h e You are no Antinous, my friend h said aloud , addressing his own reﬂection wit “ some bitterness— A mere sun -tanned O ri e ntal with a pair of eyes in which the light is

' f e h more O hell than heav n . W at should you ? do with yourself, frowning at Fate You

— are a superb Egoist , no more .

e As he spoke , the roses in the vase besid him swayed lightly to and fro , as though a

h ad e faint wind fanned th m , and their per fume stole upon the ai r like the delicate breat h of summer wafted from some distant garden . There was no window O pen— and El- Rami had not stirred , so that no movement on his part could have shaken the vase , and yet the roses q uivered on their stalks b h ’ as if rus ed by a bird s wing. H e watched the m with a faint sense O f curiosity— but with no desire to disco v er why they thus nodded their fair heads to an apparently i t causeless vibrat on . H e was struggling wi h 4 THE SO UL OF LI LI TH an emotion that threatened to overwhelm h — h e h O f im , knew that e was not master h i — i h mself, and inst nctively e kept his face turned away from the tranced Lilith . I must not look upon her— I dare not ; he wh ispered to the silence Not yet— not t ye . i There was a low cha r close by , and he i i dropped nto it wearily , covering h s eyes with one hand . H e tried to control his

h — t oughts but they were rebellious , and ran

f Z ar b riot i n spite O f him . The words O o a rang in h is ears For you were th e days of

O f — Ashtaroth . T he days Ash taroth for what had they been renowned ? For love

O f — h and the feasts love , for mirt and song

— O f w and dance for crowns ﬂo ers , for shout

O f O f ing choruses and tinkling cymbals , for exquisite luxury and voluptuous pleasures , for men and women who were not ashamed Of love and took del igh t in loving — were h t ere not better , warmer ways of life in those o ld times than now— now when cautious and timid souls make schemes for marriage as

— they scheme for wealth , when they snigger TH E so U L OF LI LI TH 5 at love as though i t were some lud icrous i w defect in mortal compos tion , and hen real passion Of any kind is deemed downright improper, and not to be spoken of before cold and punctilious society i i Aye , but the pass on s there all the same ; — thought El-Rami U nder the ice

ﬁre — ﬁ e r c e r h burns the , all the and t e more dangerous for its repression . And he still kept his hand over his eyes , th inking .

h — ar a The C rist claims all had said Z ob .

Nay , what has Christ done that H e should claim all ? H e died for us ! cry the

— preachers . Well , others can die also . ! H e was Divine proclaim the churches . h We are all Divine , if we will but let t e i i D vinity n us have way . And moved by

El- these ideas , Rami rose up and crossed to a niche in the purple -pavilioned walls O f the

i O f room , before wh ch hung a loose breadth

— velvet fringed with gold , this he drew aside , and disclosed a picture very ﬁnely painted ,

O f s ea Christ standing near the , surrounded by his disciples underneath it were in 6 TH E SO UL OF LI LI TH scribed the words— “ Whom say ye that I am The d ignity and beauty Of t he Face and

— o n Fig ure were truly marvellous , the expressi O f the eyes had someth ing of pride as well“ as

El- m i sweetness , and Ra i confronted t as he i h had confronted t many times before , wit a i i restless nquis tiveness . Whom say ye that I am The painted Christ seemed to audibly ask the q uestion .

O O f I noble Mystery a M an , cannot tell ! exclaimed El - Rami suddenly and “ — I . aloud cannot say who you are , or who A you were . riddle for all the world to

— . at a h i wonder , w ite Sphinx w th a smile

— h r O f inscrutable , all t e sec ets Egypt are as

i O - noth ng to your secret , simple , pure souled ! Nazarene You , born in miserable plight in

O f miserable Bethlehem , chang ed the aspect

O f the world , altered and puriﬁed the modes i i i i i c v lization , and thrilled all l fe w th h gher motives for work than it had ever been h ' dowered wi t before . All this i n three years ’ wor k e ndin ' , , g in a criminal s death Truly THE SO UL OF LI LI TH 7

h was i i if t ere not something D vine n you , then God H imself is an Error The grand Face seemed to smile upo n

i and m h m with a deep sole n pity , and Whom say ye that I am ? sounded in his c ars as though it were spoken by some i one n the room . “ I —h e must be getting nervous ; muttered , drawing the curtain softly over the p icture again , and looking uneasily round about him , “ I think I cannot be much more than the f — O . weakest men , after all A faint tremor seized h im as he turned slowly b ut resolutely round towards the

O f h couch Lilit , and let his eyes rest on her enchanting loveliness . Step by step he drew nearer and nearer till he be nt closely

i n over her, but he d d not call her by ame . A loose mass of her hair lay close to his arm , — with an impetuous suddenness he gathered i i it in h s hands and kissed t .

A s O f ! — h e i heaf sunbeams wh spered , his lips burning as th ey caressed th e shini ng “ wealth O f silken curls — A golden web in wh ich kisses might be caught and killed ! 8 TH E SO UL OF L I L I TH Ah Heaven have pity on me ! and he sank h fl h by the couc , sti ing is words beneath his breath If I love th i s girl— if all th is mad tumult in my soul i s Love— let her

O u — O r i never know it , mercif l Fates she s

m e — lost , and so am I . Let be bound , let

— h e her be free , let me ﬁg t down my w ak

I a ness , but let her never know that am we k ,

I lo n b N i . O ! or shall lose her g o ed ence , no I will not summon her to me now— it is best s h e h — O f s ould be absent , this body hers , th is fai r ﬁne casket O f her spirit is but a

h h i i IS dead t ing w en that sp r t elsewhere .

— She cannot hear me , she does not see me

no t — h no , even when I lay this hand t is ‘ ’ O f i shadow a hand , as she once called t ,

h . ere , to quell my foolish murmurings

’ i i h h n And , lift ng Lil t s a d as he spoke , he i pressed its roseate palm aga nst his lips ,

n then on h is forehead . A stra ge sense O f relief and peace came upon him with the touch O f those delicate ﬁ ng e rs — it was as i though a cool w nd blew , bring ing fresh ness from some quiet mountain lake or river . — Silently he knelt , and presently , somewhat T H E SO UL OF LI LI TH 9

a h c lmed , lifted is eyes again to look at i — h h — L lith , s e smiled in er deep trance she was the very picture O f some happy angel sleeping . H is arm sank in the soft sati n coverl id as he laid b ack the little hand he h h — eld upon er breast , and with eager scrutiny he noted every ti nt and every l i ne in her exquisite face — the lovely long lashes

h - O f e — t at swept the blush rose her ch eks , the

u — ro nded chin , dimpled in its curve , the full

h O f w ite throat , the perfect outline the whole fair ﬁgure as it rested like a branched lily in

‘ O f — as a bed snow , and he looked , he realized

i h — i that all th s beauty was is h s , if he chose

. h to take Love , and let Wisdom go I f e chose to resign the chance of i ncreas ing his

O f — if h knowledge the supernatural , e were

t conten to accept earth for what it is , and h h eaven for w at it may be , Lilith , the bodily

O f i incarnation lovel ness , purity and perfect h — i woman ood , was his h s only . H e grew

h - f dizzy at the thoug t , then by an ef ort

conquered the longi ng O f h is heart . He h — remembered what e had sworn to do , to discover the one great secret before he seized t o TH E S O U L OF LI LI TH

— r h the joy that tempted him , to p ove t e

i O f actual , ndividual , conscious existence the Being that is said to occupy a temporary

i s a w hab tation in ﬂesh . H e knew and he

O f —h e h the Body Lilith , must know , and e

see h must er Soul . And while he leaned

n above her couch entra ced , a sudden strain — i of music echoed through the stillness , mus c i i solemn and sweet, that stirred the a r nto rhythmic vibrations as O f slow and sacred psalmody . H e listened , perplexed but not

—h e O f i i afraid , was not afraid anyth ng n

— w earth or heaven save himself. H e kne t hat man h as his worst enemy i n his own — h Ego , beyond that , t ere is very little in life n i l that eed give cause for alarm . H e had , t l h i now , been able to practise the stoical p lo sophy of an Epictetus while engaged i n researches that would have puzzl e d the brai n

Plat O — h no w of a , but his philosop y was just at fault and h is self-possession gone to the four winds of heaven — and why ? H e knew not— but he was certain the fault lay i n him O self, and not in others . f an arrogant temper and a self-reliant haughty d isposition TH E SO UL OF LI LI TH 1 1 he had none of that low coward ice which i h people are guilty of, who ﬁnd ng t emselves i n a dilemma , cast the blame at once on ” i others , or on circumstances wh ch after all , were most probably of their own creating .

' And the strange music that ebbed and ﬂ o we d i n sonorous pulsations through the air around

h i — h e him , troubled m not at all , attributed it at once to someth ing or other that was out

o of order in his own m e ntal percepti ns . H e

h o w i knew in certa n conditions of the brain , some inﬁnitesi mal triﬂe go ne wro ng in the i aural nerves , w ll persuade one that trumpets

n n n are blowing , violins playi g , birds si gi g or

e — as bells ringing in the distanc , j ust a little d i sorder of the visual organs will help to

i h o w conv nce one of apparitions . H e knew “ ” to cast a glamour bet ter than any s o “ called Theosophi s t in full practice of h is — i trickery , and be ng thus perfectly aware h how the uman sense can be deceived , listened to the h armonious sounds he h e ard

h n wit speculative interest , wo dering how “ n h h i s lo g t is fancy of s would la t . Much

h i th e more startled was he , w en am d rising 1 2 T H E SO UL OF LI LI TH and falling of the mysterious melody he heard the voice of Lil i th saying softly i n her usual manner I am here i H is heart beat rap dly , and he rose slowly from his kneeling position by her side . I

i no t h h . d d call you , Lilit e said tremblingly N o ! and her sweet lips smiled “ you I ! did not call , came

i y ou h i Why d d come e asked , st ll faintly For my own joy and yours she an “ s were d in thrilling tones Sweeter than — i all the heavens is Love , and Love s here !” An i cy cold crept th rough h im as he heard

a i — the r pture n her accents , such rapture like that of a lark singi ng in the sunl ight on a i i h fresh morn ng of M ay . And l ke t e dim sound of a funeral bell came the words of the m i onk , tolling solemnly across his memory , n spite of h is efforts to forget them “ With i h ’ o ’ Lil t s love c mes Lilith s freedom . i i No , no he muttered w th n himself

b e — it — I t cannot , shall not be she is mine , TH E SO UL OF LI LI TH 1 3

mine only . Her fate is i n my hands ; if there

be justice in H eaven , who else has so much right to her body or her soul as I

And he stood , gazing irresolutely at the

girl , who stirred restlessly and ﬂung her white

o n arms upward her pillows , while the music

he had heard suddenly ceased . He dared

— h e not speak , was afraid to express any desire or i mpose any command upon this ﬁne sprite which had for six years obeyed

i b ut i no w h m , which m ght , for all he could

u tell , be ﬂ ttering vagrantly on the glittering

conﬁnes of realms far beyond his ken . i — Her l ps moved , and presently she spoke

again . Wonderful are the ways of Div i ne Law ! she murmured softly and inﬁnite are the changes it works among its creatures ! An

re old man , despised and poor, by friends

ec te d i i j , perplexed n mind , but pure n soul ;

s uch Was the Spirit that now I s . Passing - w me ﬂame like on its swift way heaven ard ,

saved and uplifted , not by Wisdom , but by

Love .

- El . Rami listened , awed and puzzled Her 1 4 TH E SO UL OF LI LI TH words surely seemed to bear some reference to Kremlin “ Of the knowledge of the stars and the measuring of l ight there i s more than enough i n the U niverse -went on Lil ith dreamily

h v but of fait ful lo e , such as keeps an Angel ’ s forever by one side , there is little therefore the Angels on earth are few . i c H e could no longer restrain h s uriosity . ? Do you speak of one who is dead Lilith he asked O ne whom I knew

- re I speak of one who is living , she

én w plied and one whom you o . For none are dead ; and K nowledge has no Past , but is all Presen t .

El- H er voice sank into silence . Rami bent above her , studying her countenance earnestly— her lashes trembled as though the — h eyelids were about to open , but t e tremor s pas ed and they remained shut . H ow lovely she looked -how more than lovely ! Lilith he whispered , suddenly oblivious of all his former forebodings , and unconscious of the eager passion vibrating in his tone Sweet Lilith !”

1 6 TH E SO UL OF LI LI TH

h — for whic he constantly searched , the next , h h h is e rallied imself on folly and weakness .

H e dared not trust himself to answer her, so

— he was silent . but she soon spoke again with such convincing earnestness of tone that almost almost he believed but not quite .

To love the Seeming and not the Real , “ she said is the curse of all sad Humanity . i h — I t s the glamour of t e air, the barrier d between Earth and Heaven . The Bo y is

— s the Shadow the Soul is the Sub tance .

’ The Reﬂection I cast on Earth s surface for

— it a little space , is but a Reﬂection only , is not M e I am beyond it El- For a moment Rami stood irresolute ,

i u h then gathering up h s scattered tho g ts , he b egan to t r y and resolve them into order and

connection . Surely th e time was ripe for h is great Experiment — and as he considered i — th s , his nerves grew more steady , his self reliance returned — all his devotion to s e ien t iﬁc research pressed back its claim upon h is

— if i no w mind , he were to fa l , he thought , — i after all his patience and study , fail to obta n TH E SO UL OF L I L I TH 1 7 any true insight i nto the spi ritual side of

s h humanity , would he not be a amed , aye , and degraded i n h is own eyes H e resolved to end all his torture of pain and doubt and

— the disquietude , and sitting on edge of i ’ L lith s couch , he drew her delicate hands down from their uplifted position , and laid them one above the ot her cross -wise on his own breast . m Then you ust teach me , Lilith he said softly and - with tender persuasiveness t you must each me to know you . I f I see

— but your Reﬂection here , let me behold your Reality . Let me love you as you are ,

no w if I only love you as you seem . Show i yourself to me n all your spiritual loveliness ,

h -it h Lilit may be I shall die of t e glory , o r— if — I there is no death as you say , shall i not die , but simply pass away into the l ght which gives you life . Lift the veil that i s between us , Lilith , and let me see you face

seems b to face . I f this that you and e pressed the little hands he held is naught , let me realize the nothingness of so much beauty beside the greater beauty that e n 8 V O L . 1 1 1 . 3 1 8 T HE SO UL OF LI L I TH

a r e genders it . Come to me as you , Lilith come ! h w As e spoke , his heart beat fast ith a nervous thrill of expectancy ; what would she answer ? what would she do ? H e could not take h i s eyes from her face— h e half fancied he should see some change there ; for the moment he even thought it possible that she might transform herself i nto some surpassing Being , which , like the gods of the Greek mythology, should con sume by its ﬂame -like splendour whatever of mortality dared to look upon it . But she remained unaltered , and sculpturally calm , k only her breathing seemed a little quic er , and the hands that he held trembled against his breast . Her next words however startled him “ I i will come she said , and a faint s gh “ escaped her lips Be ready for me . Pray ! — h — pray for the blessing of C rist , for if

Christ be with us , all is well .

— At this, his brow clouded , his eyes

drooped gloomily . Christ !” he muttered more to himself T H E SOUL OF LI L I T H 1 9

“ than to her— What is H e to me ? Who is H e that H e should be with us This world ’ s Rescue and all worlds ’ Glory

The answer rang out like a silver clarion , with something full and triumphant in the

’ sound , as though not only Lilith s voice had i uttered it , but other vo ces had joined in a h chorus . At the same moment , her ands f i moved , as if in an ef ort to escape from h s

h old . But he held them closely in a jealous

and masterful grasp . c i ? ” When will you ome to me , L lith he demanded in lo w but eager accents When shall I see you and know you as Lilith ” m o wn ? y Lilith , my forever

’ ’ God s Lilith— God s own forever ! mur mured Lilith dreamily , and then was silent . An angry sense of rebellion began to burn ’ El- in Rami s mind . Summoning up all the h i force of is ron will , he unclasped her hands and laid them back on each side of her, and c h pla ed is own hand on her breast , just where the ruby talisman shone and glowed . i i I” Answer me , L l th he said , with some 20 THE SO UL OF LI LI TH thing O f the old sternness wh ich he had used to employ with her on former occasions When will you come to me H er limbs trembled v iolently as though h some inward cold convulsed her, and er h answer came slowly , thoug clearly

! o u When y are ready . !” I am ready now he cried recklessly . ” — ' h i N o no she murmured , er vo ce growing fainter and fainter Not yet ! nOt i not yet Love is strong enough , h gh enough , pure enough . Wait , watch and pray . When the hour has come , a sign — O will be given but my Beloved , if you w — ! would kno me , love M e love M e not my Shadow l” h A pale ue fell on her face , robbing it of i — El- its del cate tint , Rami knew what that

pallor indicated . ! i ! “ Lilith Lil th he exclaimed , Why leave me thus if you love me ? Stay with me yet a little But Lilith— or rather the strange Spirit that

— made the body of Lilith speak , was gone . h And all that night not anot er sound , either TH E SO UL OF LI LI T H 2 1

i i of mus c or speech , stirred the s lence of the

DavVn d . i an room came , m sty and gray, found the proud El- Ram i kneeling before i — the unveiled p cture of the Christ , not c u praying , for he o ld not bring himself down

— to the necessary humiliation for prayer, but simply wondering vaguely as to what could be and what mégﬁt be the one positive reply to that Question propounded of old Whom Say Ye That I Am C H APT E R I I .

O F what avail is it to propound questions that no one can answer ? O f what use is it to attempt to solve the mystery of life which must for ever remain mysterious ? Thus ma h y t e intelligent critic ask , and in asking , h h may declare t at t e experiments , researches , El- h and anxieties of Rami , toget er with El

Rami himself, are mistaken conceptions all round . But it is necessary to remind the i i e i El ntelligent cr tic , that the eager d s re of i Rami to prove what appears unprovable , s by no means an uncommon p hase of human

- it h - nature , is in fact , t e very key note and i pulse of the present t me . E very living crea ture who is not too stunned by misery for w thought , craves to kno positively whether

THE SO UL OF L I LI T H

M ilan and think of the brain that ﬁrst devised i and planned its majestic proport ons , and ask o — urselves I s it possible that this , the creation , h ? should be H ere , and its creator Now ere Wou ld such an arrangement be reasonable or j ust ? And so it happens that when the

u s wielders of the pen essay to tell of wars , h - of shipwrecks , of air breadth escapes from d anger, of love and politics and society , we read thei r pages with merely transitory plea

and f sure frequent indif erence , but when they touch upon subjects beyond earthly expe ri

— ence , when they attempt , however feebly , to lift our inspirations to the possibil ities of the Unseen , then we give them our eager s attention and almost passionate i ntere t . i Crit cs look upon this tendency as morbid , unwholesome and pernicious ; but ne v e rth e - h less the tendency is there , t e demand for Light ! more light ! is in the very blood and brain of the people . I t would seem as though thi s world has grown too narrow for the aspirations of its inhabitants — and some of us instinctively feel that we are on the brink of strange discoveries respecting the T H E SO UL OF L I L I TH 2 5

h i powers unearthly , whet er for good or ev l we dare not presume to guess . The non sensical tenets of “ Theosophy would not gain ground with a single i ndividual man or woman were not th i s feeling very strong

— “ among many , the tricky mediums and spiritualists ” would not have a chance of earni ng a subsistence out O f the gullibil ity of

s their dupes , and the preachers of new creed and ne w forms would obtai n no vestige of attentionif it were not for the fact th at there is a very general impression all over the world that the ti me i s ripe for a clearer reve lation of God and the things of God than we have ever had before . Give us something that will endure is the excl amation O f weary i humanity The th ngs we have , pass ; and i by reason of the r ephemeral nature , are wh worthless . Give us at we can keep and c all our own for ever ! This is why we tr y and test all things that appea r to gi v e proof of the super-sensu al element i n m am— and when we ﬁnd ourselves deceived by im

os t o rs i p and conjurers , our disgust and d s appointment are too bitter to ever ﬁnd vent 2 6 T H E SO UL OF L I L I T H

h in words . The appiest are those who , in the shifti ng up and down of faiths and for mulas , ever cling stedfastly to the one pure Example of embodied D ivinity in Manhood

h . h as seen in C rist W en we reject Christ , we reject the Gospel of Love and U niversal h i Brother ood , w thout which the ultimate per fe c tio n and progress of the world must ever r i i emain mposs ble . A few rando m thoughts such as these occurred t o E I- Rami now and then as he l ived h is life from day to day in perpetual i expectation of the sign promised by Lil th ,

h h i b e w ic as yet was not forthcom ng . H e liev e d h h she would keep er word , and that t e sign wh atever i t was would be u n mis

and — — h takable ; , as before stated t is was the nearest approach to actual faith he had

was ever known . H is was a nature which d originally isposed to faith , but which had

persistently fought -with its own i nclination till h i t at incl nation had been conquered . H e had

been able to prove as purely natural , much

seemed a nd that had supernatural , he now V i ewed everything from two points— Possi T H E SO UL OF L I L I T H 2 7

‘ b ility and I mpossib il i ty . H i s various con fusions and perplexities however, generally i arose from the frequent d scovery he made , that what he had once thought the Impo s h sible , suddenly became throug some small

h . c ance clue , the Possible So many times had this occurred that he often caught him self wondering whether anyth ing in very truth could be strictly declared as impos sible . And yet , with the body of i Lilith under his observation for s x years , and an absolute ignorance as to How her i wéer e ntelligence had developed , or she obtained the power to discourse with him as h h i she did , he always ad t e lurk ng dread that her utterances might be the re s u lt of ms c u m

67 mi n u nconsci ou s/ woném u on b er s y g p , and that there was no soul or spirit in the

. i matter This too , in sp te of the fact that she had actually given him a concise de s c r ip tion of certain planets , their laws , their government , and their inhabitants , concern i h ﬁe c — ng whic ould know nothing , and that she spoke with a sure conviction of the h existence of a personal God , an idea t at was 2 8 TH E SO UL OF L I LI T H

m was entirely unacceptable to s nature . H e at a loss to explain her separated conscious n ess in any scientiﬁc way , and afraid of

e himself lest he should believe too asily , he encouraged the presence of e v ery doubt i n h h a is mind , rather t an give entr nce to more

h O f i h than t e palest glimmer fa t .

And so time went on , and May passed i into June , and J une deepened into ts meri

- h r e dian glow of bloom and sunlig t , and he mained shut up with i n the four walls of his i i house , seeing no one , and d splay ng a total i ndifference to the fac t that the “ season with all its bitter froth and frivolity was seething on in London in its usual monoto nous manner . Unlike pretenders to spirit u alis t ic i powers , he had no incl nation for h i the society of t e r ch and great , titled people had no attraction for him save in so far as they were cultured , witty , or amiable , i position n the world , was a very miser

in h able triﬂe is opinion , and though man y a gorgeous ﬂ unkie d carriage at thi s time found its way i nto the unfashionable squar e

e where he had his domicile , no visitors wer TH E SO UL OF LI LI T H 2 9

“ i — re admitted to see h m , and too busy to c e iv e anyone was th e formula with wh ich

i -b e i young Feraz dism ssed any would ntruder . Yet Féraz himself wondered all the wh ile how E l- it was that as a matter of fact , Rami seemed to be just now less absorb ed in actual study h h h than e ad ever been in is whole life . H e read no books save the old Arabic vellum bound volume which held the explanatory key to so much c u r io u s ph e no m ena palmed ” o ff as spiritual miracles by the T h e os o

his t s and — h p , he wrote a good deal , but e

no i i answered no letters , accepted inv tat ons , manifested no wish to leave the ho us e even ’ h s t roll for an our s , and seemed mentally engrossed by some great secret subject of n . éraz meditatio H e was uniformly kind to F , exacting no duties from him save those

f — h e prompted by interest and af ection , was

Z arob a marvellously gentle too with , who , i ag tated , restless and perplexed as to his ulti mate intentions with respect to the beauti ful

Lilith , was vaguely uneasy and melancholy , though she deemed i t w i sest to perform all i his commands w th exactitude , and , for the 30 T H E SO UL OF LI L I T H

present to hold her peace . She had expected something— though sh e knew n o t what — from his last interview with her beautiful charge h ~— i i but all was unc anged , L l th slept on , and

’ Z arob a s h the cherished wish of eart , that

- i i she should wake , seemed as far off real zat on El- as ever . Day after day passed , and Rami lived like a hermit amidst the roar and trafﬁc — h of mighty London , watching Lilit for long

n v and a xious hours , but never enturing to call her down to him from wherever she

b e - i Her u might , wait ng , waiting for s mmons , and content for once to sink himself in the

lzer thought of identity . All his ambitions were now centred on the one great object ,

as i i i i to see the Soul , t is , f t s indeed l existent , conscious and individua . For , as ” t h e he argued , what is use of a Soul whose capacities we are not permitted to understand ? - and' if it be no more to us than the l ntelli gent Faculty of Brai n ? T he chief proof of

’ a possible Something behind Man s inner consciousness , was , he considered , the quality of Discontent , and , primarily, because Dis content i s so universal . N o one is contented

32 THE SO UL OF L I L I TH

h Positivist , ad it not been for the fact that the further his researches led him the more he became aware that there was noth ing

- positive , that is to say , nothing so appar i ently ﬁxed and unalterable that it m ght not , f i under dif erent condit ons , prove capable of h change . Per aps there is no better test example of this truth than the ordinary sub stance known as iron . We use in common parlance unth i nkingly the phrase as hard as iron — wh ile to the s mith and engineer who i mould and twist it in every form , t proves i as tself soft and malleable wax . Again , to

h - i t e surface observer, it m ght and does seem — i an incombustible metal , the chem st knows i t will burn with the utmost fury . H ow then form a u n i ver s a l decision as to its various capabilities when it has so many variations of use all in such contrary directions ? The same example , modiﬁed or enlarged , will be

all found to apply to things , wherefore the word “ Positivism seems out of place in merely mortal language . God m ay be ” positive , but we and our surroundings have no such absolute quality . THE SO UL OF LI LI TH 33

’ During th is period of El-Rami s self i elected seclusion and meditation , h s young

éraz i brother F was very happy . H e was n the midst of writing a poem wh ich he fondly fancied might perhaps— only perhaps— ﬁnd a

' publisher to t ak e it and launch it on its own — it i b e merits , is the priv lege of youth to

- h over sanguine . Then too , is brain was ﬁlled

ne w -au d with musical ideas , many an even ing’s hour he beguiled away by delicious im

rov is at ions x i p on the piano , or e qu site songs

E l- to the mandoline . Rami , when he was not upstairs keeping anxio us vigil by the i h ’ tranced L lit s side , would sit in his chair,

h - leaning back with alf closed eyes , listening to the entrancing melod ies like another Saul

t he s to a new David , soothed by sweetnes of the sounds he heard , yet conscious that he took too deep and ardent a pleasure in c hearing , when the songs Feraz hose were O of love . ne night Feraz elected to sing the wild and beauti ful “ Canticle of Love

lat e written by the Lord Lytton , when as ” O wen Meredi t h he promised to be one of the greatest poets of our century , and who

VOL . 111 . 34 T H E SO UL OF LI LI TH would have fulﬁlled more than that pro mise i f diplomacy had not claimed his brilliant i e ntellectual gifts for the s rvice of his country , — a country which yet deplores his untimely loss . But no fatality had as yet threatened that gallant and noble life in the days when Feraz smote the chords of his mandoline and sang

I onc e h ear d an ang el b y n ig ht i n th e sky S ing ing s oftly a s ong to a deep g old e n l ute T h e ole-s ar th e s ev e n li le l ane s and I p t , tt p t T o th e s on a h e s an li s ene m u e g th t g , t d t , F or th e s on a h e s an was s o s ran e and s o s wee g th t g t g t, ’ And s o ten d er th e tones o f h i s lute s g old en s tr i ng s ’ T h at th e s er aph s of h eav en s at h ush d at h is fe et n f a n A d old e d th ei r h e d s i th eir wi ng s . And th e s ong th at h e s ang t o th e seraph s up th ere I s c alle d Love B ut th e w ords I h ad h ear d

th em el sewh er e .

F or w en I was las in th e ne erm os H ell h t th t , ’ O n a r oc k mid th e s ulph uro us s u rg es I h ear d A pale spir it s i ng to a wild h ollow s h ell And h is s on was th e s ame ev er w or g , y d , And s o sad was h is s in i n all H ell t o th e s o un g g , d M oane and wailin c om l ai ne like a mons er d , g , p d t pai n ’ W hile th e ﬁends h ov ered near o er th e dismal profound W ith th ei r b lac k wi ng s weig h ed down b y th e strai n And th e s ong th at was s ung to th e Los t O ne s d own th ere I s c alle d Love B ut th e spi rit th at s ang was D espai r T H E SO UL OF L I L I TH 3 5 The stri ngs of the mandoline quivered mournfully in tune with the passionate beauty ’ El- i of the verse , and from Rami s l ps there came involuntarily a deep and bitter sigh . Feraz ceased playing and looked at him:

What is it he asked anxiously . Nothing ! replied his brother in a tran quil voice “ What should there be Only the poem is very beautiful , and out of the — h common , thoug to me , terribly suggestive of— a mistake somewhere in creation . Love to the Saved — Love to the Lost l— naturally f — i it would have dif erent aspects , but t is an anomaly Love , to be true to its name , ‘ ” should have no lost ones in its chronicle .

Feraz was silent . Do you believe continued El- Rami that there is a nethermost H ell a place or a state of mind resembling that rock ’ mid the sulphu rous surges

éraz I should imagine, replied F with “ difﬁde nc e some , that there must be a condi tion in which we ar e bound to look back and

— a see where we were wrong , condition , too , in which we have time to be sorry 36 THE SO UL OF LI L I TH U nfair and unreasonable exclaimed his ’ Amow brother hotly . For, suppose we did not we were wrong ? We are left absolutely with c out guidan e in this world to do as we like . I do not think you can quite say that remonstrated Feraz gently We do know when we are wrong- generally some instinct t ells us s o— and while we have the book of

Nature , we are not left without guidance . As for looking back and seeing our former

mistakes , I think that is unquestionable ,

for as I grow older, I begin to see where I failed in my former life and h ow I deserved

- to lose my star kingdom .

I- i E Rami looked impat ent . You are a dreamer - h e said decisively

- i and your star k ngdom is a dream also . You cannot tell me truth fully that yo u t e member anyth ing of a former existence

I am beginning to remember, said Feraz

steadil y .

M y dear boy , anybody but myself hear i — ng you , would say you were mad hopelessly ” mad ! They would be at perfect liberty to say THE SO UL OF L I LI TH 37

— and Feraz smiled a l ittle Everyone is free to have his own opinion — I have mine . My star exists ; and I once existed in

— o i it s d d you . ~ Well , I know nothing about it then , de “ c lare d El-Ram t— I have forgotten it utterly . Oh no ! You think y ou have forgotten “ t said Feraz mildly But the tru h is , your very knowledge of science and other things is

—m m mor only e y .

- El Rami moved i n his chair impatiently . “ Let us not argue he said W e shall i never agree . S ng to me again

Feraz thought a moment , and then laid h aside his mandoline and went to t e piano , where he played a rush i ng rapid ac c o mpani ment like the sound of the wind among trees , and sang the following

W i n s of th e moun ai n min le wi h m c r i n d t , g t y y g , Clou s o f th e e m es ﬂ e e as I am ﬂ in d t p t, y g , Go s of th e c lou land C r i s us and A oll o d d , h t p , f Follo w, 0 ollo w

T r ou th e dark v alle s u th e mi s m o un ai ns h g h y , p ty t , O v er th e b lac k w as es as th e leami n foun ai ns t , p t g g t , P r a in no t o i n not res in no r ab i i n y g , h p g , t g d g , Lo I am r i in ! , d g 38 TH E SO UL OF L I L I TH

Clan our and an er o f ele m en s ar e roun m e g g t d , ’ T or ur e h as c las e me c r uel h as c r o wn d m e t p d , ty , S or r ow a wai s m e D ea i s w ai i n wi h er t , th t g th F as s ee I i er t p d th th . as -x -x -X

Go of e s or m -c lou r i f in darkl on r s . e d th t d , d t g y y d , P oi nt ﬁery h an d s an d moc k m e as I wand e r ;

' Gods of th e fores limme r ou t u on m e t g p , r i n nd n m S h k b ac k a s h u e .

Go s let e m follow — o s for I ef em d , th g d , d y th T e c all m e m oc k m e b ut I allo b em h y , , g p y th If e woul ﬁ nd m e ou c m e w i s er t o me th y d , t h , h p Let th em pur sue m e H e was i nterrupted i n the song by a

El- smothered cry from Rami , and looking

round , startled , he saw his brother standing up and staring at him with somethi ng of

mingled fear and horror . H e came to an abrupt stop , his hands resting on the piano keys .

l- ! E . Go on , go on cried Rami irritably What wild chant of the gods and men have you there ? I s i t your own ” M ine l echoed Feraz “ N o indeed — I w wish it ere . I t is by a living poet of the

n. day , Robert Buchana Robert Buchanan ' — and El-Rami tried h - — to recover is self possession Ah Well ,

40 T HE SO UL OF LI LI TH

Fas er O fas er D arker and mor e drear t , t y Growe t h e a wa et I am not wear th p th y, y y Go s I def em o s I c an unmake em d , y th g d , th , B ru i s e th em and b r eak th e m “ W i e s ee o f won er wi th fee of un er h t t d d th y t th d , F in ou t ei r em les read e i r i - ri es s un er d th t p , t th h g h p t d Leav e em b e i n ee— if ei r o s s eed af er th h d th th g d p t , r M oc k th em with laug hte .

S h all a g od g r i ev e me ? s h all a ph antom win me ? ’ N ay -b y th e wild wi nd arou nd and o e r and in me B e h is nam e V i s nu C r i s u s o r A ollo h , h t p Let th e g od follow

Cl an our and an er of elemen s are r ou n me g g t d , ’ T or ur e h as c las e m e c r uel h as c r o wn d me t p d , ty , S orr ow awai s m e D ea i s w ai i n wi h er t , th t g th , ” F as t s peed I thith er 1

The music ceased abruptly with a quick

as — s clash of jangling bells , and Feraz ro e

from the piano .

El- i i Ram was sitting qu te still . “ ! A ﬁne outburst he remarked presently , seeing that his young brother waited for him

to speak And you rendered it ﬁnely . I n it the voice of the strong man speaks — D o

' y ou aelzeoe if

éraz i Believe what asked F , a l ttle

surprised . THE SO UL OF LI LI TH 4 1

and El- Rami quoted slowly

S h all a g od g r i e v e m e ? s h all a ph antom win m e ? ’ N ay — b y t h e wild wi n d aroun d a nd o e r and i n m e B e h is na me Vis nu C r i s us or A ollo h , h t p Let th e g od follo w

“ D O o u y think he continued , that in ’ ‘ ’ r i the matter of life s leade sh p , the god

should follow, or we the god Feraz lifted his delicately marked eye

i h brows amazement . What an odd question ! he said “ The

onl — song is y a song , part of a poem entitled , ‘ ’ The City of Dream , which none of the

- press critics have ever done justice to . I f ‘ Lord ! Tennyson had written the City of Dream ’ what columns and columns of prai se would have been poured out upon it What i I sang to you is the chant , or lyrical sol loquy ‘O ’ i h of the utcast Esau , who n t e poem is ‘ ’ evidently outcast from all creeds and it is

r h altogether a cha acter w ich , if I read it h rig tly , represents the strong doubter, almost

unbeliever, who deﬁes Fate But we do

c h o w not re eive a mere poem , no matter beautiful , as a gospel . And if you speak of 4 2 T H E SO UL OF LI LI T H

i ’ h l fe s leadership , it is devoutly to be oped

h r t at God not only leads , but ules us all . Why should you hope it ? asked El R “ ! ami gloomily Myself, I fear it Féraz came to his side and rested one hand f af ectionately on his arm .

You are worried and out of sorts , my

— h e i do brother, sa d gently Why you not seek some change from so m uch i ndoor life You do not even get the advantages I have of going to and fro on th e household busi

da ness . I breathe the fresh air every y, surely it is necessary for you also

— My dear boy , I am perfectly well and “ E l - Rami regarded him steadily-é— Why 3 should you doubt it I am only— a little

tired . Poor human nature cannot always escape fatigue .

- was Feraz said no more , but there a cer

’ tain strangeness in h i s brother s man ner that

i h indeﬁnab le ﬁlled h m wit an uneasiness . I n his own quiet fashion he strove to distract El

’ Rami s mind from the persistent ﬁxit y of whatever unknown p u rpose seemed to so TH E SO UL OF L I L I T H 43

i i — myster ously engross h m , and whenever they were together at meals or at other hours h of the day , he talked in as lig t and desultory a way as possible on all sorts of d i fferent topics i n the hope of awakening his brother ’ s i f interest more keenly n external af airs . H e h h read muc and t ought more , and was a really brilliant conversationalist when he

— chose , in spite of his dreamy fancies but he was obliged to admit to h imself that his affectionate endeavours met with very slight

r El- r d i v . a ea e success T ue , Rami pp to g e his attention to all that was said , but it was

— éraz s aw only an appearance , and F plainly enough that he was not really moved to any sort of feel i ng respecting the ways and doings

n of the outer world . And whe , one morning , Féraz read alo ud the account of the marriage of Sir Frederick Vaughan , Bart . , with Idina , only daughter of Jabez Chester of New

York , he only smiled indifferently and said nothing . “ We were invited to th at wedding ; commented Feraz . ” Were we ? El - Ram i shrugged his 44 THE SO UL OF LI LI TH shoulders and seemed totally oblivious O f the f act . Why of course we were went o n

Feraz cheerfully And , at your bidding I opened and read the letter Sir Frederick

ou wrote you , which said that as y had h i prophesied t e marr age , he would take it very kindly if you would attend in person th e

a form l fulﬁlment of your prophecy . And all you did in reply was to send a curt refusal on plea of other engagements . Do you think that was quite amiable on your part P” Fortunately for me I am not called u pon — i El- to be amiable ; sa d Rami , beginning to pace slowly up and down the room I f want no avours from society, so I need not i smile to order . That s one of the chief i priv leges of complete independence . Fancy having to grin and lie and ' skulk and ’ propi tiate people all one s days — I could not

it — — endure , but most men can and do “ Besides he added after a pause— I cannot look on with patience at the marriage of fools . Vaughan is a fool , and his c baronetage will scar ely pass for wisdom , THE SO UL OF L I LI TH 4 5

i i — the little Chester g rl s also a fool , and I can see exactly what they will become in the f course of a e w years . ‘ i n u l u r o Describe them , f laughed

Feraz . ‘ ’ Well — the man will be turfy ; the woman , a blind slave to her dressmaker .

That is all . There can be nothing more . They will never do any good or any harm h i — i t ey are s mply nonentit es . These are the sort of folk that make me doubt the immortal

’ — h soul , for Vaug an is less spiritual than a well -bred dog, and little Chester less mentally

- gifted than a well instructed mouse . Severe l — commented Feraz smiling

- But , man or woman , mouse or dog , I suppose they are quite happy just no w ” H appy ! echoed El - Rami satirically — I — Well daresay they are , with the only sort of happiness their intelligences can

grasp . She is happy because she is now my lady and because she was able to wear a wedding -gown of marvellous make and

cost , to trail and rustle and sweep after her

’ u little person p to God s altar with , as though 46 THE SO UL OF LI LI TH she sought to astonish the Almighty before i h whom she took her vows , w t the exuberance of her m illinery . H e is happy because h i s debts are paid out of old jabez Chester ’ s ‘ ’ millions . There the happiness ends . A couple of months is sufﬁcient to rub the ” bloom off such wedlock . And you really prophesied the mar riag e queried Feraz . I t was easy enough replied his brother

i t wo u n carelessly G ven uninstructed , thinking bipeds of O pposite sexes — the male with debts , the female with dollars , and an urbanely obstinate schemer to pull them

M elth o r e together like Lord p , and the thing h is done . H alf t e marriages in London

h — - are made up like t at , and of the after lives ‘ h of those so wedded , there needs no g ost ’ from the grave to tell us — the divorce f courts give every in ormation . Ah ! exclaimed Feraz quickly— “ That

' - I s aw reminds me , do you know something in the evening-paper: last night that migh t ? ” have interested you Really l You surprise me !” and El

‘ 48 T HE S O U L OF LI LI T H

“ — I b gesture know all a out him , and told h im what I knew when he came here . But

’ ’ he ll do very well yet— he ll get on capitally in spite of his disgrace . h i ? i H ow is t at poss ble excla med Feraz . Easily ! H e can ‘boom ’ h imself as a ‘ ’ ne w General Booth , or he can become a ‘ ’ ’ Colonel under Booth s orders — as long as B w m there are fools to support ooth ith oney . O r he can go to America or A u stralia and

’ start a new creed— he s sure to fall on his feet and make h is fortune— p ious h ypocrites always do . O ne would almost fancy there mu st be a spec ial Deity to protect the pro

r fe s s o s of H umbug . I t is only the sincerely honest folk who get wronged in th i s admir ably -ordered world H e spoke w ith bitterness ; and Feraz glanced at hi m anxiously . I do not qu ite agree with you he said Surely honest folk always have their re ward — though perhaps superﬁcial observers may not be able to perceive where it comes ‘ ’ in . I believe in walking uprightly as the Bible says— it seems to me easier to keep TH E SO UL OF L I LI TH 49

along a straight open road , than to take dark - bye ways and dubious short cuts . What do you mean by your straight ” ? El- open road demanded Rami , looking at

him .

— a N ature , replied Fer z promptly

N ature leads us up to God .

El- Rami broke into a harsh laugh . O credulous beautiful lad he exclaimed ; You know not what yo u say ! N ature ! Consider her methods of work— her dark and cunning and cruel methods ! E very living thing preys on some other living

h — t ing creatures wonderful , innocent , simple or complex , live apparently but to devour and be devoured — every inch of ground we step

upon is the dust of something dead . I n the h — orrible depths of the earth , Nature , this generous kindly Nature l— hides her dread

ﬁ res — volcanic , her streams of lava , her

boiling founts of sulphur and molten lead , which at any unexpected moment may destroy whole continents crowded with u n

suspecting humanity . This is N AT U RE , — noth ing but N ature ' She h ides her trea

V L 1 1 1 . 0 O . 4 5 0 T HE SO UL OF LI LI TH

sures of gold , of silver, of diamonds and

t h e rubies , in deepest and most dangerous

h los t recesses , w ere human beings are in

— and toiling for them , buried in darkness slain by thousands in the difﬁcult search ; di th e ving for pearls , unwary explorer is met by the remorseless monsters of the deep , in f f act , in all his ef orts towards discovery and progress , Man , the most naturally de e fencel ss creature upon earth , is met by death or blank discouragement . Suppose he were to trust to N ature alone , what would Nature do for him ? H e is sent into the world naked and helpless - and all the resources of his body and brai n have to be educated and brought into active requisition to enable

’ ’ all — n w c him to live at , lio s helps , bears ubs ‘ ’ h ave a better natural chance than he — and h m then , w en he has learned how to ake the best of his surroundings , he is turned out of

a a e the world g in , nak d and helpless as he

h n no came in , wit all his k owledge of more

use to him than if he had never attained it . — if This is N AT U RE , Nature be thus reck ‘ ’ less and unreasonable as the reﬂex of God T H E SOUL OF LI L I T H 5 1

— ho w reckless and unreasonable must be God H imself I” The beautiful stag - l ike eyes of Feraz

d a inv olu n arkened slowly , and his slim h nd h t arily clenc ed . A h y , if God were so , e said the veriest pigmy among men might boast of nobler qualities than H e l But God is not

El- ! O ou so , Rami f course y can argue any and every way , and I cannot confute your reasoning . Because you reason with the merely mortal intelligence ; to answer you

rightly I should have to reply as a Spirit, I should need to be out of the body before I

u are could tell yo where you wrong . Well !” said his brother curiously ? Then why do you not do so Why do you not come to me out of the body, and enlighten me as to what you know

Feraz looked troubled . ” “ I cannot I he said sadly— When I go — away yonder— I seem to have so little remembrance of earthly things— I am separ ated from the world by thousands of air

spaces . I am always conscious that you

LIBRARY UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 5 2 THE SO UL OF LI LI T H

— a exist on earth , but it is alw ys as of some one who will join me presently— not of one

whom I am compelled to join . There is the

strangeness of it . That is why I have very little belief in the notion of ghosts and spirits appearing to men — because I know positively that no detached soul willi ngly returns to or

u remains on earth . There is always the p

ward yearning . I f it returns , it does so simply because it i s for some reason com ’ ’

mau aea . , not because of its own desire And who do you suppose commands it

El- asked Rami .

The H ighest of all Powers , replied

' éraz F reverently whom we all , whether ” spirit or mortal , obey . — El- I do not obey , said Rami com pose dly I enforce obedience . From whom ? ” cried Feraz with agita “ O m m? tion my brother, fro who From

— — s o mortals perhaps yes , long as it is per mitt ed — — ! to you but from Heaven no No , c not from H eaven can you win obedien e .

’ For God s sake do not boast O f sue/z power T H E SO UL OF LI LI T H 5 3

He spoke passionately , and in anxious earnest .

- El Rami smiled . “ i ? My good fellow , why exc te yourself ‘ ’ I do not boast l am simply— strong ! I f

I am immortal , God H imself cannot slay

— if . me , I am mortal only, I can but die I O am indifferent either way . nly I will not shrink before an imaginary Divine Terror till I prove what right it has to my sub

— we mission . Enough have talked too h much on t is subject , and I have work to

He t urned to his writing-table as he spoke and was soon busy there . Feraz took up a book and tried to read , but his heart beat quickly , and he was overwhelmed by a deep

’ d O f sense of fear . The aring his brother s

— words smote him with a chill horror, from c time immemorial , had not the For es Divine punished pride as the deadliest of sins ? H is thoughts travelled over the great plain i of H story , on which so many spectres of dead nation s stand in our sight as pale warnings of our own possible fate , and 5 4 T H E SO UL OF L I LI TH remembered how surely i t came to pass that when men became too proud and deﬁant and

— absolute , rejecting God and serving them r selves only , then they we e swept away into desolation and oblivion . As with nations , so with individuals— the Law of Compensation i s just , and as evenly balanced as the sym f metrical motion o the U niverse . And the words Except ye become as little children ye shall not enter the Kingdom of H eaven , rang through his ears , as he sat heavily

i zo/zer e s lent , and wondering, wondering the

researches of his brother would end , and b ozo ?

El-Rami himself meanwhile was scann i ng the last pages of his dead friend Kremlin ’ s

private Journal . This was a strange book ,

— kept with exceeding care , and written in the form of letters which were all addressed “ To the Beloved Maro us s ia in H eaven and amply proved that in spite of the separated seclusion and eccentricity of his life , Kremlin had not only been faithful to the love of his early days , the girl who had

- — died self slain in her Russian prison , but he

5 6 T H E SO UL OF LI LI TH

— b e the time long or short— we shall meet .

H ere the journal ended . h And have they met thoug t El Rami , as closing the book b e locked it away in his desk And do they remember they were ? ever mortal And méat are they and wlzer e are they I I I C H A PT E R .

I N the midst of th e s trange summer weather wh ich frequently falls to the lot of

— England , weather alternating between hot h and cold , wet and dry , sun and cloud wit h i t e most distracting rapidity and irregular ty , — there came at l ast one perfect n ight towards

— a the end of J une , night , which could have m et with no rival even in the sunniest climes i of the sunniest south . A soft tranqu llity

- h — a n hovered dove like in t e air, se se of p erfect peace seemed to permeate all visible

n and created thi gs . The sky was densely w blue and thickly strewn ith stars , though i these glimmered but faintly , their l ght being put to shame by the splendid brilliancy of th e full moon which swam aloft airily like a 5 8 TH E SO UL OF L IL I TH

’ El - w great golden bubble . Rami s windo s were all s e t open ; a big bunch of heliotrope adorned the table , and the subtle fragrance of it stole out delicately to mingle with the faintly stirring evening breeze . Feraz was i — h sitt ng alone , his brot er had just left the

— i room , and he was indulg ng himself in the

’ ’ aolee f ar n zen te as only the Southern or

Eastern temperament can do . H is hands i d were clasped lightly beh nd his hea , and his eyes were ﬁxed on the shabby little trees i n the square which had done their best to look green among the wh irling smuts of the metropolis and had failed ignom i niously in i h h the attempt , but wh c now , in t e ethereal i n l ght of the moon , prese ted a soft outline of gray and silver l ike olive -boughs seen i n t he w distance H e was thinking, ith a certain i serious satisfact on , of an odd circumstance that had occurred to himself that day . I t had happened i n this wise : S i nce the time Z aro b a had taken h i m to look upon the beautiful creature who was the “ subject of

’ his brother s experiments , he had always kept the memory of her in his mind witho ut T H E SO UL OF LI LI TH 5 9

speaking of her , save that whenever he said f a prayer or of ered up a thanksgiving , he “ had invariably used the phrase— God defend “ her ! H e could only expl ain H er to

himself by the simple pronoun , because , as

EI - Rami had willed , he had utterly and

no w hopelessly forgotten her name . But , strange to say he remembered it l— it had ﬂashed across his m ind like a beam of light

- S i — he or a heaven sent gnal , was at work ,

i n in wr ting at his poem , whe some sudden explicable 1ns t 1nc t had prompted h im to lift his eyes and murmur devoutly God defend ' Lilith ! Lilith -h ow soft the sound of it — how inﬁnitely bewitching ! After having

lost it for so long, it had come back to him

i -é — n a moment how or why, he could not

imagine . H e could only account for it in

— El- i - one way namely , that Ram s will forces were so concentrated on some particularly absorbing object that his daily inﬂ uence o n h is brother ’ s young life was thereby materially lessened . And Feraz was by no means sorry

that this should be so . Why should it matter that I remember 60 TH E SO UL OF LI LI TH her name he mused I shall never speak

— of her for I have sworn I will not . But I

’ c — can think of her to my heart s ontent , the beautiful Lilith ! Then he fell to consideri ng the old legend of that Lilith who it is sai d was Adam ’ s ﬁrst — w wife , and he smiled as he thought hat a

was h name of evil omen it to t e Jews , who had charms and talismans wherewith to exor cise the supposed evil i nﬂuence connected

it — n with , while to him , Feraz , it was a ame

- sweeter than honey sweet singing . Then there came to his mind stray snatches of

— poesy , delicate rhymes from the rich and varied stores of one of his favou rite poets

- h Dante Gabriel Rossetti , r ymes that sounded in his ears just now like the strophes of a si bylline ch ant or spell

It was Lilith th e wife of Adam ( S i ng E den B ower I) N ot a dro of h e r b l oo was um an p d h , ” B ut sh e was made like a s of s wee wo an t t m .

And that is surely true ! said Féraz to — if himself, a little startled , For she is

dead El- , as Rami asserts , and her seeming THE SO UL OF LI LI TH 6 1

f h li e is but t e result of his art , then indeed in the case of this Lilith ‘not a drop of her

’ blood is human . And the poem ran o n in his mind

Lilith s tood on th e ski r ts of Eden Alas til e ﬂ our ( , !) S h e was th e ﬁ rs t th at th enc e was d r iv en W i h er w s ell n wi wa a a d Ev e s eav en . th h , th h

S — Nay, I hould transpose that , mur

mured the young man drowsily , staring out on the moonlit street “ I should say ‘With ’ H e . OW Eve was h ll , and with Lilith heaven strange it is I should never have thought of this ’ poem before — and I have often turned over

’ — — the pages of Rossetti s book , since since I saw her — I must have actually seen the h name of Lilith printed t ere , and yet it never suggested itself to me as being familiar or f i of er ng any sort of clue .

— H e sighed perplexedly , the heliotrope odours ﬂoated around him , and the gleam of the lamp i n the room seemed to pale in the wide splendour of the moon -rays pouring w — through the windo , and still the delicate S prite of Poesy continued to remind him of 62 TH E SO UL OF L I LI T H

familiar lines and verses he loved , though i h all the while he thought of Lil t , and kept on wondering vaguely and vainly what

a would be , wh t could be , the end of his

’ t bro her s experiment (whatever that was , for

he , Feraz , did not know) on the lovely , n apparently livi g girl who yet was dead .

— I t was very strange and surely , it was also very terrible I

T h e day is dar k and th e nig ht T o h im th at would s ear c h th ei r h eart N o li s of c lou a will ar p d th t p t, N or morn i ng s ong in th e lig ht n z i n a on O ly , g a g l e

T o h im wil s a ow s a r e s own d h d h , Deep un d er deep u nknown

An d h eig ht ab ov e unkno wn h eig ht . S ill we s a as we o t y g , ‘ S r an e t o i nk b th e wa t g th y y, W a ev er er e i s t o know h t th , T all w kn w one da h at s h e o y.

This passage of rhyme sang i tself out with

a monotonous musical gentleness in his brain ,

— h e c — losed his eyes restfully , and then lying back thus in his chair by the open i window , with the moonl ght casting a wide halo round him and giving a pale spiritual beauty

64 TH E SO UL OF L I LI TH

- assembly . They sang blithe songs , they

ﬂ owers - scattered , they talked with each - — h other in happy toned voices , and e stood aside gazing at them wistfully while they

went on rejoicing . O land where life never grows old and where love i s eternal ! he mused Why am I exiled from thy glory ? Why have I lost thy joy H e sighed he longed to know what had

brought together so brig ht , a multitude of

b i — i o wn these lovely and joyous e ngs , h s “ dear people as he felt they were ; and yet— yet he hesitated to as k one of them the

least question , feeling himself unworthy . At

— last he saw a girl approaching , she was singing to herself and tying ﬂowers in a m h i garland as she ca e , er loose gold ha r

streamed behind her, every glistening tress

seeming to ﬂash light as she mo ved . As she drew near him she glanced at him kindly and paused as though waiting to be ad — i dressed , seeing th s , he mustered up his

courage and spoke . ” o u ? Whither are y all going he asked , T H E SO UL OF L I LI T H 65

“ with a sad gentl eness— I may not follow w — h you , I kno , but will you tell me w y , in

i o f o th s kingdom j y , so much fresh joy seems added “u She pointed pwards , and as his eyes h obeyed er gesture , he saw in the opal d i coloured sky that bent above them , a azzl ng blaze of gold and crimson glory towards the south . An Angel passes ! she replied Below that line of light the Earth swings round in i ts little orbit , and from the Earth She comes ! We go to watch her ﬂight heaven i i ward , and w n the benedict on that her passing presence gi ves . For look you all that splendour in the sky is not light , but wings !” ! Wings echoed Feraz dreamily , yet nothing doubting what she said . “ i — h W ngs or rays of glory, whic you

- will said the maiden , turning her own beautiful eyes towards the ﬂash ing brilliancy

e i h — Th y are wa ting t ere , those who come d— from the furthest Divine worl , they are the friends of Lilith .

V OL 111 ; . 66 T H E SO UL OF LI LI TH

She bent her head serenely , and passed onward and upward , and Feraz stood still , his gaze ﬁxed in the direction of that southern light which h e now perce ived was i never still , but quivered as w th a million ~ shafts of vari coloured ﬁre . “ The friends of Lilith ! he repeated to i — h mself Angels then , for she is an

Angel . Angels — angels waiting for Lilith i n the glory of the South ! H ow long— h o w long would they wait — when would Lilith herself appear — and would the very h eavens open i ? to rece ve her, soaring upward H e

— h e u nima in trembled , tried to realize the g — able scene , and then , then he seemed to be seized and hurried away somewhere against his will and all that was light grew dark . H e shuddered as with icy cold , and felt that earth again encompassed him , and presently he woke — to ﬁnd his brother looking at him . “ Why in the world do you go to sleep ? l . E with the . window wide open asked

Rami H ere I ﬁnd you , literally bathed TH E SO UL OF LI LI T H 67 i n the moonlight— and moonligh t dri ves men

— s o mad they say , fast too in the land of

Nod that I could hardly waken you . Shut

mu st the window , my dear boy , if you sleep .

-h F eraz sprang up quickly, is eyes felt dazzled still wi th the remembrance of that ” glory of the angels in th e South . “ — h e I was not asleep , said But ” certai nly I was not here . Ah — I n your Star agai n of course ! murmured El- Rami with the fai ntest trace h k of mockery in is tone . But Feraz too no offence— his one anxiety was to prevent the name of “ Lilith spri nging to his lips in h spite of imself. — I Yes was there he answered slowly , And do yo u know all the people in -the land are gathering together by thousands to ? see an Ang el pas s heavenward And there

h - s is a glory of er sister angel , away in the Southern horizon like the splend id circle ‘ ’ ' described by Dante in his Paradiso . Thus

T h ere is a lig ht i n h eav en wh ose g oodly s hi ne M akes th e C reator v i s ib le to all 68 TH E SO UL OF LI LI TH

C rea ed a in s eein Him al one t , th t g n fa H ave peac e. A d i n a c i rc le s pre ad s s o r T h at th e c i rc u mfer enc e wer e t oo l oos e a z one T o g i r dle i n th e s un

H e quoted the lines w ith strange eagerness

— El- and fervour, and Rami looked at him

u c riously . ! h i What odd dreams you have e sa d , not unkindly “ Always fantastic and im

i h . possible , but beautiful n t eir way You i W should set them down n black and hite ,

’ and see how earth s critics will bes patter your heaven with the ink of their ofﬁce pens ! Poor boy !— how l i mply you would fall

’ from Paradise - with what damp dejected wings !

Feraz smiled . I do not agree with you he sai d I f

— ou i t his . c as e y speak of imagination , only n

— u I am not imagining , no one can sh t out that Paradise from me at any time— neither

o . t p pe nor king , nor critic Though is free , thank God ! Yes— perhaps it is the only thing we

— have to be really thankful for , returned TH E SO UL OF LI LI TH 69

El-Rami Well — I will leave you to ‘ ’ ’ r esume your dreams — only don t sleep

with the windows open . Summer evenings — I i are treacherous , should adv se you to get ” to bed . ? ” m And you asked Feraz , oved by a i sudden anxiety which he could not expla n . “ ” - — I shall not sleep to night , said his “ brother moodily— Something has occurred

— a i — an to me suggest on idea, which I am

i o u t mpatient to work without loss of time .

— if it— o u And , Feraz , I succeed in v shall h - know t e result to morrow . i This promise , which impl ed such a new

’ departure from El— Ram i s c u stomary r eticence i i concern ng h s work , really alarmed Feraz

more than gratiﬁed h i m . For H eaven ’ s sake be careful ! he ex

— claimed You attempt so much , you want h — so muc , perhaps more than can in law and

El- justice be given . Rami , my brother, leave

— d something to God you cannot , you are not take all !” El - M y dear visionary , replied Rami

— “ gently You alarm yourself needlessly , I 70 TH E SO UL OF LI LI TH

; assure you . I do not want to take anything

- except what is my own , and as for leaving something to God , why H e is welcome to what H e makes of me in the end — a pinch of dust ' T here is more than dust in your com “ position cried Féraz impetuously— There is d ivinity ! And the divinity belongs to

God , and to God you must render it up ,

. i pure and perfect H e claims t from you , and you are bound to give it .

‘ ’ h El- A tremor passed throug Rami s frame , and he grew paler.

h éraz w I f t at be true , F , he said slo ly and with emphasis if it indeed be true

i s i — i ! that there Divinity n me , wh ch I doubt — why then let God claim and take H is own

H e i ! particle of ﬁre when w ll , and as H e will Good -night ! Feraz caught his hands and pressed them tenderly in his own . Good -night he murmured God does i all things well , and to H s care I commend you , my dearest brother . And as El-Rami turned away and left th e

7 2 T H E SO UL OF L I LI TH sinking her harsh voice to a soft almost musical cadence And as the multitude O f h t e stars in heaven , so are the countless heart-throbs that pulsate in the world at th i s h hour to t e silver sway of the moon . All over th e world l — all over the world ! and she swung her arms to and fro with a slow rhythmical movement , so that the silver bangles on them clashed softly like the sub dued tinkling of bells ; then , ﬁxing her black eyes upon Feraz with a mournful yet kindly gaze she added N ot for you — no t

o u ! ! for y , g entlest of dreamers not for you d — i . I t is dest ned that you shoul dream , and

— me— I for you , dreaming is best , but for would rather li ve one hour th an dream for a century !

H er words were vague and wild as usual , — yet somehow Feraz chafed under the h idden sense of them , and he gave a slight

Z arob a n petulant gesture of irritation . , seei g it , broke into a low laugh .

As God liveth , she muttered The poor lad ﬁghts bravely I H e hates the world it — c without ever having known , and re oils TH E SO UL OF LI LI T H 73 from love without ever h aving tasted it ! h He chooses a thoug ht , a r yme , a song , an

! — art , rather than a passion Poor lad poor

! - lad Dream on , child but pray that you may never wake . For to dream of love

b u t i i may be sweet , to wake without t s bi tter !” Like a gliding w r aith she p assed h im and

i s a i d appeared . Fer z had a m nd to follow her downstairs to the basement where she had the so r t Of rough sleeping accommoda

- tion her half savage nature preferred , when

’ e t o ut ver she slep at all of Lilith s room ,

- which was but seldom , yet on second tho ughts he decided he would let her alone . She only worries me he said to him self half v exedly as he went to his own little apartment I t was she who ﬁrst d isobeyed E l- R i d am , and made me isobey him also , and though she did take me to see the w i ? wonderful Lilith , hat was the use of t H er matchless beauty compelled my adora tion , my enthusiasm , my reverence , almost my love— but who could dare to love such a 74 T H E SO UL OF LI LI TH removed angel i c creature ? Not even El — w Rami himself for he must kno , even as I h feel , that s e is beyond all love , save the ” Love Divine .

off H e cast his loose Eastern dress , and i prepared to l e down , when he was startled i by a faint far sound of singing . H e l stened attentively — it seemed to come from out

h u i side , and e quickly ﬂ ng open his w ndow , which only opened upon a little narrow back

yard such as is common to London houses .

t rans ﬁ u re d But the moonlight g its ugliness , mak ing it look like a square white court set

in walls of silver . The soft rays fell caress ing ly too on the bare bronze -tinted shoulders

of Feraz , as half undressed , he leaned out ,

h i s eyes upturned to the halcyon heavens .

Surely , surely there was singing somewhere

— why , he could distinguish words amid the sounds !

Awa awa y, y W h ere th e g litter i ng planets whi r l and s wi m And th e g lory of th e s un g ro w s dim

Awa awa I y, y T o th e r eg i ons of lig ht and ﬁre and ai r

' W h ere th e s pi r its o f life ar e e v e ry wh e r e C ome Oh c ome awa I , y THE SO UL OF LI LI T H 7 5

i i h Trembl ng in every l mb , Feraz caught t e h h song distinctly , and eld his breat in fear

and wonder .

Awa awa y, y C ome Oh c ome ! we av e w ai ed lon , h t g And we s ing th ee n o w a s ummon i ng -s ong Aw a awa y, y T ou ar t free from th e worl of th e reami n ea h d d d g d d , And th e s plend ou r s of H eav en ar e r oun d th ee spread C om e away l— away

T he chorus grew fainter and fainter- yet still sounded like a distant musical hum o n

the ai r . I t is my fancy —murmured Feraz at

he w last , as dre in his head and noiselessly sh ut the window I t is the work of my own

e imagination , or what is perhaps mor

’ - El a . probable , the work of R mi s will I h have heard suc music before , at his

— s uck bidding no , not music , but something ” very like it .

H e waited a few minutes , then quietly

- knelt down to pray , but no words sug gested themselves , save the phrase that once before had risen to his lips that day , God defend Lilith !” 7 6 T H E SO UL OF LI LI TH

d — He uttered it alou , then sprang up con fused and half afraid , for the name had rung out so clearly that it seemed like a call or a command . I” h i i Well e sa d , trying to steady h s nerves What if I did say i t ? There is ‘ ’ no harm in the words God defend her . I f

IS El- d she dead , as Rami says , she nee s no n defence , for her soul belo gs to God ” already . — h H e paused again , t e silence everywhere was now absolutely unbroken and intense , and repelling the vague presentiments that threatened to oppress his mind , he threw h imself on his bed and was soon sound asleep . C H APT E R I V .

AND what of t he S ign promised byLilith ?

’ i ? - El- i H ad it been g ven N o , but Ram s impatience would brook no longer delay , and he had determi ned to put an end to his per

le xit ie s p by violent means if necessary , and take the risk of whatever consequences m igh t ' H ensue . e h ad been passi ng through the strangest phases of thought and self-analysis — i during these latter weeks , try ng , reluctantly

h h i t o enough , to bend is aughty sp rit down an attitude of humility and patience which i i ll suited h m . H e was essentially masculine i — n his complete belief in himself, and more than all things he resented any interference

i wh e th e r s uc h with h s projects , interference were human or Divine . Wh en therefore the 78 TH E SO UL OF LI LI TH

tranced Lilith had bidden him wait , watch

h h h v and pray , s e ad laid upon him t e ery f injunctions he found most di ﬁcult to follow . H e could wait and watch if he were certain s — h l of re ults , but w ere there was the s ightest

i u n i h gl mmer of certa nty, e grew very soon tired of both waiting and watching . As for ” praying — h e told himself arrogantly that to ask for what he could surely obtai n by the exerted strength of his own will was not only

s superﬂuous, but implied great weaknes of

h ‘ - c aracter . I t was then , in the full armed spirit of pride and assertive dominance that

’ he went up that night to Lilith s chamber, and dismissing Z ar ob a with more than usual

e ntle ne s s of g demeanour towards her , sat down beside the couch on which his lovely ” a nd mysterious subject lay , to all appear anc es inanimate save for her quiet breathing . i H is eyes were sombre , yet gl ttered with a some what dangero us lustre under their droop

— h e ing lids was to be duped no longer, he

— h e i said to himself, had kept fa thful vigil

hO e b e night after night , hoping against p , lieving against belief, and not the smallest

80 TH E SO UL OF LI LI T H

ﬁ elds — wondrous red , its rosy foliage and

ﬂ o we r s - , its great jagged rocks ablaze with

— e amethystine spar, its huge conical sh lls , tall and light , that rose up like fairy towers , fri nged with ﬂags and garlands of marine h blossom , out of oceans t e colour of jasper and pearl . Certainly too , it was not from the testimony of ms inner consciousness th at he had evoked the faith that seemed so natural to her ; Her belief in a Divine Person

my an ality , and utter rejection of y such idea, were two th i ngs wider asunder than the poles , and had no possible sort of connection .

Nevertheless what he could not account for , wearied him out and irritated him by its

— elusiveness and unprovable character , and

ro fit le s s re finally , his long, frequent , and p fl ec t io ns on the matter had brought him this n ight up to a point of determination wh ich b u t a few months back would have seemed

lz r l e t waéen to him impossible . H e ad eso v d o

' l u L i lz . What sort of a being she would

seem when once awakened , he could not

quite imagine . H e knew she had died in i — i his arms as a ch ld , and that her seem ng TH E SO UL OF LI LI TH 8 1

no w w i life , and her gro th into the lovel ness of womanhood was the result of artiﬁcial means evolved from the wonders of chemistry , — but he persuaded himself that though her existence was t he work of science and not

i h a nature , t was better t an n tural , and would l last as ong . H e determined he would break that mysterious trance of body in which the h i departing I ntelligence had been , by s skill , detained and held in connection with its

i i — h e earthly hab tat on , would transform the sleeping visionary into a living woman , for

h u he loved er . H e could no longer disg ise from h i mself that her fair face with its h eavenly smile , framed in the golden hair l h that circ ed it like a halo , aunted him in

i -h e every minute of t me , could not and would not deny that his whole being ached to clasp with a lover’ s embrace that exquisite beauty which had so long been passively

ex er ime nt in s - surrendered to his p g , and with the daring of a proud and unrestrai ned i nature , he frankly avowed his feeling to h m self and made no pretence of h id ing i t any long er . But it was a far deeper mystery

VOL . 111 . 82 TH E SO UL OF LI LI T H

“ n tha his search for the Soul of Lilith , to ﬁnd out when and how this passion had ﬁrst

arisen in him . He could not analyse himself so thoroughly as to discover its vague b e i . t ginnings . Perhaps was germinated by

’ Z arob a s — wild promptings , perhaps by the fact that a certain unreasonable jealousy had chafed his spirit when he knew that his brother F éraz had won a smile of attention

— and response from the tranced girl , perhap s

it was owing to the i rritation he . had felt at h t e idea that his visitor, the monk from S h Cyprus , eemed to know more of her t an he

— at himself did , any rate , whatever the cause , h e who had been sternly impassive once to ’ the su btle attraction of Lilith s outward w beauty , madly adored that out ard beauty

a - now . And as is usu l with very self reliant

and proud dispositions, he almost began to glory in a sentiment which but a short time

ago he would have repelled and scorned . What was f or himself and of himself was

— His b is good in his sight knowledge ,

' lzzs proved things , tested discoveries , all

these were excellent in his opinion , and the T H E SO UL OF LI LI TH 83

Ego of his own abil ity was the pivot on which all his actions turned . H e had laid his plans carefully for the awakening of

- Lilith , but in one little triﬂe they had been put out b y . t h e absence from town of Madam e

V as s iliu s . I rene She, of all women he had

ever met , was the one he would have trusted h with is secret , because he knew that her i l fe , though lived in the world , was as stain it less as though were lived in heaven . H e

h — in had meant to place Lilith in er care ,

order that with her ﬁne perceptions , lofty d ideals , and elicate sense of all things beauti

ful and artistic , she might accustom the girl to look upon the fairest and noblest side of i life , so that she m ght not regret the

- “ visions yes , he would call them visions

— she had lost . But I rene was among the

mountains of the Austrian Tyrol , enjoying a holiday in the intimate society of the fairest

Queen in the world , Margherita of I taly ,

one of the few living . Sovereigns who really strive to bestow on intellectual worth

its true appreciation and reward . And her

house in London was shut up , and under the 84 TH E SO UL OF LI LI TH

v sole charge of the happy Karl , former ser ant to Dr . Kremlin , who had now found with the fair and famous authoress a situation that suited him exactly . Wild horses would not tear him from his lady’ s service h e was wont to say , and he guarded her household i i ” nterests jealously, and sa d Not at home to undesired visitors l ike Roy Ainsworth for f h example , with a gruf ness t at would have done credit to a Russian bear . To I rene

V as s ilius El- , therefore , Rami could not turn for the help he had meant to ask , and he i h was sorry and disappo nted , for e had particularly wished to remove his “ sleeper awakened out of the companionship of both

Z arob a — h and Feraz , and there was no ot er

— at woman like I rene , once so pure and

r e proud , so brilliantly gifted , and so far moved from the touc h and taint of modern

. h social vulgarity H owever, er aid was now m i unattainable , and he had to ake up h s

mind to do without it . And so he resolutely put away th e thought of the after -results of ’ — h e Lilith s awakening , , who was generally

so careful to calculate consequences , instinct T H E SO UL OF L I LI TH 85 iv ely avoided the consideration of them in the present instance . The little silver timepiece ticked with an aggressive loudness as he sat now at h is

- usual post , his black eyes ﬁxed half tenderly ,

’ -ﬁe rc el i — half y on Lilith s wh te beauty , beauty which was , as he told himself, all his own .

H er arms were folded across her breast , h i er features were pall d as marble , and her i h breathing was very l g t and low . The golden lamp burned dimly as it swung from the purple - pavilioned ceiling— the scent of the roses that were always set fresh in thei r vase every day , ﬁlled the room , and though w the windows ere closed against the night , a dainty moonbeam strayed in through a chi nk w here the draperies were not quite d rawn , and mingled its emerald glitter with the yellow lustre shed by the lamp on the

- darkly carpeted ﬂoor . i — El- I w ll risk it , said Rami in a

- a whisper , whisper that sounded loud in the deep stillness I will risk it — why not I have proved myself capable of arresting

f — is — in li e , or the soul for life the soul its 86 TH E SO UL OF LI LI T H

i — I ﬂ ght from hence into the Nowhere , must needs also have the power to keep it in deﬁnitely here for myself in whatever form

I please . These are the rewards of science ,

- rewards which I am free to claim , and what h I have done , t at I have a right to do again . Now let me ask myself the question plainly ; — Do I believe in the supernatural i H e paused , th nking earnestly , his eyes still ﬁxed on Lilith .

No , I do not , he answered himself at last Frankly and honestly, I do not . I h ave no proofs . I am , it is true , puzzled by

’ i — h Lil th s language , but when I know er as i she s , a woman , sentient and conscious of

m a my presence , I y ﬁnd out the seeming

h o f mystery . T e dreams Feraz are only

— dreams , the vision I saw on that one occasion and a faint tremor came over h im as he remembered the sweet yet solemn look of the shining One he had seen standing between him and -h is visitor the monk the

' vision was of course lzzs work - th e work of that mystic master of a no less mystic

— I h brotherhood . No have no proofs of t e

88 T H E SO UL OF LIL I TH

? ordinarily hid it from V iew Slowly his eyes travelled to it and dwelt upon it — slowly they followed the letters of the inscription beneath .

WH OM SAY Y E T H AT 1 AM

The question seemed to him for the moment all -paramount ; he could not shake off the sense of pertinacious demand with h whic it impressed him .

A good M an , he said aloud , staring h ﬁxedly at the divine Face and Figure , wit i its eloquent express on of exalted patience ,

M an grandeur and sweetness . A good , misled by noble enthusiasm and unselﬁsh desire to beneﬁt the poor. A man with a wise knowledge of human magnetism and the methods of healing in wh ich it can be

- a i i employed , man too , somewhat sk lled n the art of optical illusion . Yet when all is

ood — said and done , a g Man too good and wise and pure for the peace of the rulers of

— - the world , too honest and clear sighted to d h ? deserve any other reward but eat . Divine — No I —save in so far as in our highes t T HE SO UL OF LI L I T H 89

l ? moments we are al divine . Existing now

— a Prince of H eaven , a Pleader against

? — Punishment Nay , nay no more existing — h than the Soul of Lilith , t at soul for which

b u t - hi I search , w ch I feel I shall never ﬁnd ! And he drew nearer to the ivory -satin couch on Which lay the lovely sleeping wonder and puzzle of h is ambitious dreams .

a h Leaning tow rds her he touched her ands , they were cold , but as he laid his own upon t hem th ey grew warm and trembled . Closer still he leaned , his eyes drinking in every h detail of her beauty wit eager, proud and masterful eyes . Lilith l— my Lilith ! he murmured s After all , why should we put off happine s i for the sake of everlastingness , when happ ness can be had , at any rate for a few

e years . O ne can but live and die and th re an end . And Love comes but once , . Love — how I have scoffed at it and made a i jest of t as if it were a plaything . And even now while my whole heart craves for it , I question whether it is worth having ! Poor 90 TH E SO UL OF L I L I TH

— n — a Lilith only a woma after all , woman Whose beauty will soon pass— whose days will soon be don e — only a woman - not an

— immortal Soul , there is , there can be , no such thing as an immortal Soul .

h u n Bending down over er , he resolutely h clasped the fair crossed arms , and seized t e l delicate sma l hands in a close grip . h m Lilith Lilit h e called i periously .

— A long and heavy pause ensued , then the ’ girl s limbs quivered v iolently as though i moved by a sudden convulsion , and her l ps parted in the utterance of the usual formula

I am here . h H ere at last , but you ave been absent i El- h long sa d Rami with some reproac ,

Too long . And you have forgotten your ” promise . Forgot ten ! she echoed “ O doubting ! spirit Do such as I am , ever forget h t Her t rilling accents awed him a lit le ,

i u n but he pursued h s own way with her, dau nt dl e y . Then why have you no t fulﬁlled it he d emanded The strongest patience may tire . T H E SO UL OF L I LI TH 9 1

w o u I have waited and atched , as y bade

— — me but now now I am weary of waiting .

Oh W ! , hat a sigh broke from her lips “ I am weary too -she said The angels are weary . God is weary . All Creation is

— weary of Doubt .

- For a moment he was abashed , but only for a moment ; in h i mself he considered

Doubt to be the strongest part of his nature , — a positive sh ield and buckler against pos sible error .

You cannot wait , went on Lilith , speaking slowly and with evident sadness “ — in N either can we . We have hoped , vain ! We have watched— in vam ! T he ’ i strong man s pride w ll not bend , nor the stubborn spirit turn i n prayer to its h Creator . T erefore what is not bent must

r — be b oken , and what voluntarily refuses

am hidden Light must accept Darkness . I

— to come to you , my beloved , to come to

b e - I you as I am , and as I ever shall , will come— but how Will you receive me

With ecstasy , with love , with welcome beyond all words or thoughts !” cried El 9 2 T H E SO UL OF LI LI T H

“ O i . Rami in passionate exc tement Lilith , ! Lilith you who read the stars , cannot you read my heart ? Do you not see that I— I who have recoiled from the very thought of

-I h loving , , who ave striven to make of myself a man of stone and iron rather than

ﬂesh and blood , am conquered by your spells , v ictorious Lilith l— conquered in every ﬁbre of my being by some subtle witchcraft known

w — to yourself alone . Am I eak am I false

i — I to my own bel efs I know not , am only conscio us of the sovereignty of beauty which has mastered many a stronger man than I . W hat is the ﬁercest ﬁre compared to this ? i l fever in my veins I worship you , L lith — h I love you more t an the world , life , time h and hope of eaven , I love you Flush ed with e agerness and trembling with his own emotion , he rained kisses on the i hands he held , but Lil th strove to withdraw

them from his clasp . Pale as alabaster she

- lay as usual with fast closed eyes , and again a

deep sigh heaved her breast . ” “ — You love my Shadow , she said mourn ” fully not M yself. TH E SO UL OF LI LI TH 93

’ But El-Rami s rapture was not to be chilled by these words . H e gathered up a glittering mass of the rich hair that lay scattered on the i p llow and pressed it to his lips . O i ‘ ’ Lilith mine , is th s Shadow he asked “ All this gold in which I net my i heart like a w llingly caught bird , and make an end of my boasted wisdom Are

li s . t h es e h these sweet p , fair features , t is ex ‘ ’ u is ite ? q body , all shadow Then blessed must be the light that casts so gracious a

! s reﬂection J udge me not har hly , my Sweet ,

— for if indeed you are Divine , and this D Beauty I behold is the mere reﬂex of ivinity ,

i ou let me see the Div ne Form of y for once , and have a guarantee for faith through love ! If there is another and a fairer Lilith than the one whom I now behold , deny me not the grace of so marvellous a vision ! I am ready — I fear nothing— to -n igh t I could face God H imself undismayed

— h h H e paused abruptly e knew not w y . Something in the chill and solemn look of h ’ Lilit s face checked his speech . Lilith— Lilith he began again whisper ‘ 94 T H E S O UL OE L I LI TH

? ing ly Do I ask too much Surely not I — not if you love me I And you do love me w !” I feel , I kno you do — There was a long pause , Lilith might have been made of marble for all the move

ment she gave . H er breathing was so light

as to be scarcely perceptible , and when she r answe ed him at last , her voice sounded

- strangely faint and far removed . Yes , I “ love you — she said I love you as I have

loved you for a thousand ages , and as you have never loved me To W in your love has been “ my task— to repel my love has been

you r s .

H e listened , smitten by a vague sense of

compunction and regret .

- h e But you have conquered , Lilith “ answered yours is the victory . And h ave i ? O I not surrendered , w llingly , joyfully

my beautiful Dreamer, what would you have me do ! Pray said Lilith , with a sudden pas

s io nat e thrill in h e r . v o ic e Pray ! Repent El-Rami drew himself backward from her

c o uc h im atient . , p and angered

' 96 TH E S O UL OF LI LI T H

h - famished , eart broken human beings that — h H e exists , that He is aware of t eir misery ,

— - that H e cares for them , that it is all well

— i s for them , that there Eternal Joy hiding itself somewhere amid the great star -thickets of this monstrous universe— that we are not desolate atoms Whirled by a blind ﬁerce Force i i into l fe against our will , and out of it aga n Without a shadow of reason or a gl immer of h e h ? ope . Rep nt for such thoug ts as these I will not ! Pray to a God of such inexorable

i no t I i h— m silence I w ll No , Lil t y Lilith whom I snatched from greedy death — even

— o u you may fail me at the last , y may break

— your promise , the promise that I should see with mortal eyes your own I mmortal Self who can blame you for the promise of a h ' dream , poor c ild You may prove yourself nothing but woman ; woman , poor , frail , weak , h e lpless woman , to be loved and cherished and pitied and caressed in all the delicate i i l mbs , and kissed n all the dainty golden

— — threads of hair, and then then to be laid down l ike a broken ﬂower in the tomb that h has grudged me your beauty all t is while , T HE SO UL OF L I LI T H 97

h i ma all t s y be , Lilith , and yet I will not

G o d pray to an unproved , nor repent of an unprov e d sin ! H e uttered his words with extraordinary force and eloquence— one would have thought he was addr es s mg a multitude of hearers

h irl W ho h instead of t at one tranced g , , thoug beautiful as a sculptured saint on a sarco

h a u s p g , appeared almost as inanimate , save for the slow parting of h er lips when she spoke . “ O superb Angel of the K ingdom ! she murmured I t is no marvel that yo u fell h H e eard her, dimly perplexed ; but strengthen e d in h is own convictions by what he had said , he was conscious of power ,

t o power to defy , power to endure , power

nd command . Such a sense of exhilaration a h igh conﬁdence had not possessed h im for h many a long day , and e was about to speak

’ o again , when Lilith s voice once more st le h musically on t e silence . You would reproach God for the world ’ s

misery . Your complaint is unjust . There

V OL . 1 11 . ‘ 9 8 T H E S O UL OE LI LI T H

— a all is a Law , Law for the earth as for worlds ; and God cannot alter one iota of that Law without destroying H imself and

. O H is Universe Shall all Beauty , all rder , all Creation c Ome to an end because wilful Man is wilfully miserable ? Your world trespasses against the La w in almost every t i i — h f i O h ng t does ence its suf er ng . ther it — worlds accept the Law and fulﬁl , and ” with them , all is well . “ Who is to know this Law ? ” demanded

- t El Rami impatien ly. And how can the world trespass against what is not ex plained I t is explained ; said Lilith The explanation is in every soul’ s inmost conscious it ness . You all know the Law and feel but knowing , you ignore it . Men were

’ i ntended by Law— God s Law— to l ive in broth erhood but your world i s divided into nations all opposed to each other — the result

“ is Evil . There is a Law of H ealth , which men can scarcely be forced to follow— the

a . majority disobey it ag in , the result is Evil

’ There is a Law of Enough — men grasp

1 00 TH E SO UL OF LI LI TH

my erring Beloved l— Watch — for neither my

love nor my promise can fail . But O remem

— ber that you are not ready that your will ,

your passion , your love , forces me hither ere

— the time , that if I come , it is but to depart again— forever ” ! El- No , no cried Rami desperately

a — Not to depart , but to rem in to stay with — b me , my Lilith , my own ody and soul , forever ! The last words sounded l ike a deﬁance

ﬂung at some invisible opponent . H e

— stopped , trembling for a sudden and mys

te r iou s wave of sound ﬁlled the room , like a great Wind among the trees , or the last grand

- chord of an organ symphony . A chill fear a i — h e ssailed h m , kept his eyes ﬁxed on the beauti ful form of Lilith with a strained eager

ness of attention that made his temples ache . — She grew paler and paler , and yet , absorbed in h is intent scrutiny he could not move or speak . H is tongue seemed tie d to

— h e the roof of his mouth , felt as though he could scarcely breathe . All life appeared to c hang on one supreme moment of time , whi h TH E SO UL OF L I LI T H 1 0 1 l ike a point of light wavered between earth

i . H e and heaven , mortal ty and inﬁnity ,

— one poor atom in the vast U niverse , stood , audaciously waiting for the declaration of God ’ s chiefest Secret ! Would i t be revealed at last — or still Withheld C H APT E R V .

ALL u at once , while he th s closely watched

f u her , Lilith with a violent ef ort , sat p stifﬂy erect and turned her head slowly towards him . H er features were rigidly statuesque , i — and wh te as snow , the strange gaunt look of her face terriﬁed him , but he could not cry out or utter a word — h e was stri cken

dumb by an excess of fear . O nly his black i i eyes blazed w th an anguish of expectat on , and the tension of his nerves seemed almost

greater than he could endure . I n the great N ame of God and by the i Passion of Christ , said L lith solemnly , in tones th at sounded far-off and faint and hollow do not look at this Shadow of Me ! h Turn , turn away from this dust of Eart

1 04 T H E SO UL OF L I LI T H i i — nvented for the r pleasure . Why , there ” was nothing there ; N othing there I h h - ~ e alf muttered with a beating heart , rub i bing his eyes and star ng hard before him ,

i — h h noth ng not ing at all , but t e roses

e s — a themselves , and and y Light behind them — a light that wavered round the m and began to stretch upward in wide circling rings ! El- Rami gazed and gazed , saying over and over agai n to himself that it h was the reﬂection of t e lamp , m glitter of that stray moonbea there , or something wrong with his own faculty of v ision , and yet he gazed on , as though h h for t e moment , all is being were made of eyes . The roses trembled and swayed to and fro delicately as the strange Light widened and brightened behin d their blos s omin —a h g clusters , light t at seemed to palpitate with all the wondrous l iving ti nts of the rising sun when it shoots forth its ﬁrst golden rays from the foaming green hollows

h u o f . t e sea U pward , upward and ever p ward the deepening glory extended , till the T H E SO UL OF L I LI T H 1 05 lamp paled and grew d i mmer than the spark of a feeble match struck as a rival to a ﬂash of lightn i ng — and El- Rami s breath came and went in h ard panti ng gasps as he stood watch ing i t in speechl e ss immobility . w i Suddenly , two broad shafts of rainbo lum nance sprang , as it seemed from the ground , and blazed against the purple hangings of the room with such a burning dazzle of prismatic colouring in every glittering line , that it was well -n igh impossible for human sight to bear

El- it , and yet Rami would rather have been

r - st icken stone blind than move . H ad he been capable of thought , he might have remembered the b eautiful old Greek myths which so truthfully and frequently taught the lesson that to look upon the purely divine , meant death to the purely h uman ; but he

— could not think , all his own mental faculties w i ere for the t me rendered numb and useless . H is eyes ached and smarted as though red

n hot needles were bei g plunged into them , but though he was conscious of, he was i i ndifferent to the pain . H is whole m nd was concentrated on watching the mysterious 1 06 T H E SO UL OF LI LI T H radiance of those wing -shaped rays in th e — h i room , and now now w le he gazed , he began to perceive an O utl i ne between the rays , a Shape , becoming every second i more and more d stinct , as though some invi sible heavenly artist were drawing t h e semblance of Beauty in air with a pencil

i - . 0 d pped in morning glory wonderful , ineffable Vision — O marvellous breaking forth of the buds of life that are h id in the

l— quiet ether where , where in the vast wealth and reproduction of deathless and del icate — h atoms , is the Beginning of things w ere the End i Presently appeared soft curves , and gl m mers of vapoury white flushed with rose , suggestive of fire se e n through mountain — i mist , then came a glitter ng flash of gold that went rippl ing and ever rippl i ng back i ward , like the flow ng fall of lovely hair ; and the dim Shape grew still more clearly i visible , seem ng to gather substance and li h t h t solid ity from the very g t a encircled i t . H ad it any h uman l ikeness Yes — yet the resemblance it bore to h umanity was so far

1 08 T HE SO UL OF LI LI TH

i sense into a drear profound , possessed h m , and hardly knowing what he did , he turned h desperately to the couch w ere Lilith , the h Lilith e knew best lay , and looking , !” Ah God he cried , pierced to the heart h by the bitterest anguish he ad ever known , Lilith — ms Lilith was witheri ng before his v ery eyes ! The exquisite Body h e had w atched and tended was shrunken and yellow as — h i a fading leaf, t e face , no longer beaut

- ful , was gaunt and pinched and skeleton like

h -and t e lips were drawn in and blue , strange convulsions shook the wrinkling and sunken breast !

I n one mad moment he forgot everything , forgot the imperishable Soul for the perish

— i ing Body , forgot his long stud es and high

m — h n a bitions , and could t ink of othing , except that th is human creature he had saved from death seemed now to be passing into death ’ s

- d — long denie possession , and throwing him self o n the couch h e clutched at h is fading

r treasure with the despe ation of frenzy . ” — i I Lilith Lil th he cried hoarsely , the extrem ity of his terror choking his voice to T HE SO UL OF L I L I T H 1 9 9

i i i ! a smothered w ld moan L l th M y love , i i m i ! ! my dol , my sp rit , y sa nt Come back — come back I And clasping her in his arms he covered with burning kisses the t hin peaked face h — h the s rinking ﬂesh , t e tarnishing lustre of the once brigh t hai r . i h i h i - Lil t Lil th e wa led , dry eyed and “ p u ! fevered with agony Lilith , I love y ? Has love no force to keep you Lilith ,

! h — love Lilith You s all not leave me , you are mine— mine ! I stole you from death I kept yo u from God — from all the furies of heaven and earth — you s /za ll come back to me— I love y ou ! And 10 ! as he spoke the body he

— held to his heart grew warm , the ﬂesh ﬁlled up and regained its former softness and roundness — the features took back their loveliness— the fading hair brightened to its wonted rich ti nt and rippled upon the pillows

— — in threads of gold the lips reddened , the

— eyelids quivered , the little hands , trembling ’ gently like birds wings , nestled round his throat with a caress that thrilled his whole 1 1 0 T H E SO UL OF LI LI TH

being and calmed the tempest of his grief as suddenly as when of old the Master walked upon the ragi ng sea of Galilee and said to

it Peace , be still Yet this very calmness oppressed him — i heavily , l ke a cold hand laid on a fevered brow i t chilled his blood even while it

soothed his pain . H e was conscious of a

' — sense of irreparable loss , and moreover he

h — a felt e had been a coward , coward

h . p ysically and morally For , instead of con i front ng the Supernatural , or what seemed

in the Supernatural calmly, and with the

u is ito r ial h q research of a scientist , e had

allowed himself to be overcome by I t , and had ﬂed back to the consideration of the

merely human , with all the delirious speed of a lover and fool . Nevertheless he had

— h — his Lilith his own Lilit , and holding her t o jealously his heart, he presently turned h i s head tremblingly and in doubt to where the roses nodded drowsily in the i r crystal vase — only the roses now were there ! The marvellous Winged Brightness had ﬂed , and the place it had illumined seemed by contrast

‘ 1 1 2 TH E SO UL OF L I LI TH

h O s u n like w ite leaves pening to the , the d lids upcurle , disclosing the glorious eyes

— beneath , eyes that had been closed to earthly things for six long years , deep , starry v iolet- blue eyes that shone with the calm and holy lustre of unspeakable purity and peace — eyes that in their liquid softness held all the appeal , hope , supplication and eloquent love , he had seen (or fancied he had seen) in the strange eyes of the only half - visible Soul ! The Soul indeed was looking through its earthly windows for th e

it — last time , had he known , but he did not know it . Raised to as giddy a pinnacle of delight as suddenly as he h ad been lately plunged into an abyss of grief and terror , he gazed into those newly -opened wondrous worlds of mute expression with all a lover’ s

n pride , passio , tenderness and long ing . i ! i I Fear nothing , L lith he said I t s I I Whose voice you have answered and — I ! obeyed , , your lover and lord I t is I

’ W h o c laim l— I o u you , my beloved who bid y waken from death to life ! O h , what a smile of dazzling rapture TH E SO UL OF LI LI TH 1 1 3

illumined her face — it was as if the sun in all his glory had suddenly broken out of a cloud to brighten her beauty wi th h is purest

- beams . H er child like , innocent , wondering El- — eyes remained ﬁxed upon Rami , lifting her white arms languidly she closed them round about h i m with a gentle fervour that

— seemed touched by compassion , and he , thrilled to the quick b y that silent expression

of tenderness , straightway ascended to a

heaven of blind , delirious ecstasy . H e wanted no word from her What use O f words her silence was the perfect eloquence of love ! All her beauty was his own — his v ery o wn !

s o — he had willed it , and his will had

— won its way , the iron Will of a strong wise man without a God to help him - and all he feared was that he might d ie of his own excess of triumph and joy H ush hush ! M usic again - that same o ee p

sound as of the wind among trees , or the solemn organ -chord that closes the song of

— departing choristers . I t was strange very

— strange but though he heard , he scarcely h eeded it unearthly terrors could not shake

VOL . 111 . 1 1 4 TH E SO UL OF LI LI TH

no w — no w h him , not , while he eld Lilith to

his heart , and devoured her loveliness with i i his eyes , curve by curve , l ne by line , t ll with throbbing pulses , and every nerve tingling in w his body , he bent his face do n to hers , and h pressed upon er lips a long , burning pas s io nat e kiss ! h But , even as he did so , she was wrenc ed ﬁercely out of his hold by a sudden and

— h h awful convulsion , her slig t frame writ ed and twisted itself away from his clasp with a shuddering recoil of muscular agony— once i her little hands clutched the a r , and h then , then , t e brief struggle over , her arms dropped rigidly at her sides , and her whole body swerved and fell backward heavily

upon the pillows of the couch , stark , pallid ! and pulseless And he , he , gazing

upon her thus with a vague and stupid stare , wondered dimly whether he were mad or dreaming What what was this sudden ail ment this this strange swoon What bitter frost had stolen into leer veins ? what insatiable hell ﬁre was

! 1 1 6 THE S O U L OF L I LI T H

’ El- i upon the air, and Rami s d storted mind , catching at th e dread suggestiveness of that unearthly harmony , accepted it as a sort of i h invis ble c allenge . ! What , good Death brother Death , are i you there he muttered ﬁercely , shaking h s “ h clenched ﬁst at vacancy Are you ere , ? and are you everywhere Nay , we have crossed swords before now in desperate ! combat and I . have won and I

W in ! De ath I will again H ands off, rival Lilith is mine I

And , snatching from his breast a phial of the liquid with which he had so long kept i i Lilith living n a trance , he swiftly njected it i nto her veins , and forced some drops between her l ips in vain i n vain ! NO breath came back to stir that silent breast no S ign Whatever of return ing animation evinced itself, only , at the expiration of the few moments wh ich generally sufﬁced the

V ital ﬂuid for its working, there chanced a strange and terrible thing . Wherever the liquid had made its way, there the skin blis t e red , and the ﬂesh blackened , as though the T H E SO UL OF LI LI TH 1 1 7

whole body were bei ng consumed by some El- i ﬁerce inward ﬁre ; and Rami , looking w th strained w ild eyes at this destructive result of

h f o is ef rt to save , at last realized to the full

d h is all the awfulness , all the ire agony of fate ! The Soul of Lil ith had departed fo r ever ; even as the Cyprian monk had

t said , it had outgrown its ear hly tenement , its cord of communication with the body had been mysteriously and ﬁnally severed , and the Body itself was crumbling into ashe s

v i before his ery sight , helped into swifter d s solution by the electric potency of hi s own “ vaunted life -elixir I t was horrible horrible was there no remedy

Staring himself almost blind with despair , he dashed the phial on the ground , and stamped it under h i s heel i n an excess of h impotent fury , the veins in is forehead swelled with a fulness of ach ing blood almost to bursting , he could do nothing , nothing ! H is science was of no avail — his VVill — , his proud inﬂexible Will was as a reed shaken in the wind !” Ha ! th e old ! stock phrase it had been said before , 1 1 8 T H E SO UL OF L I L I T H

in old times and in new , by canting creatures

!— i , who believed in Prayer . Prayer would t bring back beauty and vitality to that blacken i ing corpse before him that d sﬁgured , withering clay he had once called Lil ith H ow ghastly I t looked I Shudderi ng

— — violently he turned away , turned , to meet the grave sweet eyes of the pictured Christ h on the wall , to read again t e words , W H OM SAY Y E T HAT I AM Th e letters h i i h danced before m n c aracters of ﬂame , th ere seemed a great noise everywhere as of clash i ng steam -hammers and great church

— bells , the world was reeling round him as

a g iddily as spun wheel . “ Robber of the Soul of Lil ith ! he muttered between h is set teeth “ Whoever you be , whether God or Devil , I will ﬁnd you out ! I will pursue you to the uttermost ends of vast inﬁnit u de ! I wi ll contest her with you yet , for surely she is mine What O c right have you , For e U nknown , to steal my love from me ? Answer me — prove ! yourself God , as I prove myself Man De

someth i n O Inﬂ e xib le l— D o clare g , mute some

1 2 0 T H E SO UL OF LI LI TH

— a absolute , and powerful God of inﬁnite

u s t ic e I O w and inexorable J God , I kno you — I own you— I meet you ! I am part of you as the worm is — and you can change ! me , but you cannot destroy me You have

— done your worst , you have fought against

m e i your own Essence in , till l ght has turned to darkness and love to bitterness , you h ave left me no help , no hope , no comfort ; m O what ore remains to do , terrible God of a million U niverses ! wh at more ? Gone — gone 18 the Soul of Lilith — b u t Where ? Where in the vast U nknowable shall I ﬁnd my love again ? Teach me

Mat O ! , God give me that one small clue thro ugh the million million intricate webs

- i of star systems , and I too w ll fall blindly down and adore an I maginary Good in visible and all -paramount E vi l ! I too

i r will sacriﬁce reason , pride , w sdom and powe and become as a fool for Love ’ s sake ! I too will grovel before an unproved Symbol of Divi nity as a savage grovels before his stone fetish , I will be weak , not strong , i I will babble prayers with the ch ldren , T HE SO UL OF LI LI TH 1 2 1 i only take me where L lith is , bring me to Lilith angel Lilith ! love Lilith I my Lilith ah God ! God I Have mercy mercy ! H is voice broke suddenly in a sharp

— jarring shriek of delirious laughter , blood h — sprang to his mout , and with a blind movement of his arms , as of one in thick d arkness seeking light , he fell heavily face h forward , insensible on the couch where t e

Body he had loved , deprived of its Soul , lay crumbling swiftly away into hideous dis

ﬁg u re ment and ashes . C HA PT E R V I .

’ ’ A W AK E F er az T0-da dr eams ena and , y ,

The words sounded so disti nctly in his ears that the half-roused Feraz turned i i w drows ly on his p llo s and opened his eyes , fully expecting to see the speaker of them in his room . But there was no one . I t was — i early morning , the birds were twitter ng in i h i the outer yard , and br ght suns ne poured through the window . H e had had a long i — i and refresh ng sleep , and s tting up in his bed he stretched himself with a sense of h refreshment and comfort , t e while he tried to think what had so mysteriously and u n pleasantly oppressed him with forebodings

B - -b re on the previous night . y and y he

1 2 4 T HE SO UL OF L I LI T H because El-Rami often slept there on the h ’ ard soldier s couch that occupied one corner , i but this morn ng , all was exactly as it had

— been left at night , the books and papers were undisturbed , and , curiously enough , the little sanctum presented a vacant and deserted appearance , as though it would dumbly express a fear that its master was

n gone from it for ever . H ow such a notio suggested itself to Feraz , he could not tell , but he was certainly conscious of a strange

S h ac t inking at t e heart , as he paused in the of throwing open one of the windows , and looked round the quiet room . H ad anything been moved or displaced during the night that he should rece i ve such a general i mpres ? sion of utter emptiness Nothing — s o far

’ as he could j udge — there was his brother s ebony chair Wheel e d sl ightly aside from the

— r desk , there were the g eat globes , terrestrial

— and celestial , there were the various volumes

r — lately used for eference , and , apart from h h these, on t e table , was t e old vellum book in Arabic that Feraz had once before

- . a c u attempted to read I t was open , cir m TH E SO UL OF L I LI TH 1 2 5

s tance that struck Feraz with some surprise , for he could not recall having seen it in that ’ El- position last evening . Perhaps Rami had come down in the night to refer to it and had left it there by acc ident Fera z felt he must

examine it more nearly , and approaching , he rested his elbows on the table and fixed his eyes on the Arabic page before him which was headed in scrolled lettering The h ” Mystery of Deat . As he read the words , a beautiful butterfly flew in through the open i d window and circled joyously round h s hea , till presently espying the bunch of heliotrope i n the glass where Feraz had set it the

previous day , it ﬂuttered off to that , and c settled on the s ented purple bloom , its

pretty wings quivering with happiness .

i — M echanically Feraz watched ts ﬂight , then his eyes returned and dwelt once more on the “ time stained lettering before him ; The ” — Mystery of Death , and following the close

-ﬁ n e r lines with his fore g , he soon made out

h ' of t e ensuing passages . The Mystery

Death . Whereas , of this there is no mystery at all , as the ignorant suppose , but only a 1 2 6 TH E SO UL OF LI LI TH

i h clearing up of many intr cate matters . W en

— or the body dies , to express it with more pertinacious exactitude , when the body resolves itself into the living organ isms of which earth is composed , it is because the Soul has outgrown its mortal habitation and can no longer endure the cramping narrow ness of the same . We speak unjustly of

in the ag ed , because by their taciturnity and aptitude for worldly business , they seem to us foolish , and of a peevish weakness ; it should however be remembered that it is a folly to complain of the breaking of the husk when the corn is ripe . I n old age the Soul is

and indiffe rent weary of to earthly things , and makes of its tiresome tenement a ’ -it querulous reproach , has exhausted earth s ’ pleasures and surpassed earth s needs , and

. palpitates for larger , movement When this is gained , the husk falls , the grain sprouts forth

— — the Soul is freed , and all N ature teaches this lesson . To call the process death and a mystery is to repeat the error of barbarian — n ages , for o ce the Soul has no more use for the

ouc it - c Body , y annot detain , you annot com

‘ 1 2 8 THE S O UL OF LI L I TH

My mind misgives me ; — she said in low a we - i stricken tones , My mind misg ves me

- I have had dreams m s u eli dreams ! All night I have tossed and turned— my head throbs ” — here , and she pressed both hands upon her — m h ! brow , and my heart y heart ac es I

a have seen str nge creatures clad in white , ghostly faces of the past have stared at me ,

m h e h — m y dead c ildr n ave caressed me , y dead husband has kissed me on the lips— a kiss of ice , freezing me to the marrow . What does it bode No good— no good but ill Like the sound of the ﬂying feet of the whirlwind that brings death to the sons of the desert , there is a sound in my brain which says Sorrow ! Sorrow !’ again and I’ y e t again Sorrow i c S ghing , she lasped her hand s about her knees and rocked herself to and fro , as though she were in pain . Feraz stood gazing at her wistfully and with a some

- what troubled air, her words impressed him u — ncomfortably , her very attitude suggested c misery . The sunlight beaming a ross her bent ﬁgure , ﬂashed on the silver bangles T HE SO UL OF LI L I TH 1 2 9

c o that cir led her br wn arms , and touched her rough gray hair to ﬂecks of brightness , her black eyes almost hid themselves under

— their tired drooping lids , and when she ceased speaking her lips still moved as though she inwardly muttered some weird c in antation . Growing impatient with her, he knew not why , the young man paced slowly up and down the room — her deaf ness precluded him from speaking to her, and he j ust now had no inclination to com m u nic at e with her in the usual way by writing . And While he thus walked about , she continued her rocking movement , and peered at him dubiously from under her

bushy gray brows . I t is ill work meddling with the gods she began again presently I n old time

— they were vengeful , and have they changed c ? ! be ause the times are new N ay , nay The nature of a man may alter with the

— course of his passions , but the nature of a god — who shall make it otherwise than what it has been from the beginning ?

Cruel , cruel are the ways of the gods when

V O L . 111 . 4 5 1 30 T H E SO UL OF LI L I TH they are thwarted — there is no mercy i n the blind eyes of Fate ! To tempt Destiny is to ask the thunderbolt to fall and smite you ,

’ to opp~ose the gods is as though a babe s hand should essay to lift the Universe .

H ave I not prayed the M aster , the Wise

E l- i Z aranos i and the proud Ram , to subm t ? not and contend As God liveth , I say , let us submit while we can like the slaves that ! we are , for in submission alone is safety i i Feraz heard her with ncreasing irritat on , why need she come to hi m with all this

h . melancholy jabbering , e thought angrily H e leaned far out of the open window and h i looked at the ugly houses of t e l ttle square ,

— at i the sooty trees , the sparrows hopp ng

’ i t rade s me n s and quarrell ng in the road , the carts that every now and again dashed to and from their various customers ’ doors in the aggravatingly mad fashion they affect , and tried to realize that he was actually in busy practical London , and not , as seemed at i i the moment more l kely , n some cavern of an Eastern desert , listening to an ancient sybil croaking misfortune . Just then a

THE SO UL OF LI LI TH resignation and gravity The voices that cry to my heart Sorrow ! Sorrow !’ and yet ‘ again Sorrow I f grief must come , then l— welcome , grief one cannot gainsay the

Fates . I will go hence and prove the h — h message of t e air , for t e air holds

invisible tongues that do not lie . With a slow step she moved across the

— room , and on a sudden impulse Feraz “ Z arob a ! sprang towards her exclaiming , ” stay ! — then recollecting she could not hear i w a word , he checked h mself and dre aside f to let her pass , with an air of indif erence h which e was far from feeling . H e was in

u — exhilara tr th wretched and ill at ease , the tion with which he had arisen from sleep had i given way to intense depress on , and he

could not tell what ailed him .

’ A wake F er az To-da dr eams end and , y , ” l ns ife Oeg i . Those were the strange words he had heard the ﬁrst thing on awaking — that morning what could they mean , he wondered rather sadly ? I f dreams were i — ndeed to end , he would be sorry, and if life , as mortals generally lived it, were to T HE SO UL OF LI LI T H 1 33

begin for him , why then , he would be sorrier

still . Troubled and perplexed , he began to

h O in set the breakfast in order , p g by occupa tion to divert his thoughts and combat the m iserable feeling of vague dread which

O ppressed him , and which , though he told himself how foolish and unreasonable it was , remained increasingly persistent . All at once such a cry rang through the house as almost t -a urned his blood to ice , cry wild , despair ing and full of agony . I t was repeated with

- piercing vehemence , and Feraz , his heart beating furiously , cleared the space of the room with one breathless bound and rushed ‘ Z arob a upstairs , there to confront tossing h er arms distractedly and beating her breast like a creature demented . !” Lilith she gasped , Lilith has gone gone ! and El-Rami is dead ! C H APT E R V I I .

U S H I NG h - P t e panic stricken woman aside ,

Feraz dashed back the velvet curtains , and for the second time in his life penetrated i O the myster ous chamber . nce in the i beautiful room , rich w th its purple colour and warmth , he stopped as though he were

i a — smitten w th sudden par lysis , every artery

h — it in is body pulsated with terror , was true ! true that Lilith was no longer there ! This was the ﬁrst astounding fact that bore itself in with awful conviction on his dazed and bewildered mind — the next h thing e saw was the ﬁgure of his brother,

kneeling motionless by the vacant couch . Hushing his steps and striving to calm his

1 3 6 T H E SO UL OF LI LI T H

- dry eyed and desperate , ﬁnding his own h c strengt not sufﬁ ient, bade her, by a passionate gesture , assist him . Trembling violently , she obeyed , and between them both th ey at last managed to drag El-Rami i h up from the ground and get h m to a c air, h h where Feraz chafed is hands , bathed is i forehead , and used every poss ble means to ? restore animation . Did his heart still beat

Yes , feebly and irregularly ; and presently one or two faint gaspi ng sighs came from the labouring breast . ” Thank God ! muttered Féraz What

— ever has happened , he lives Thank God he ! h lives W en he recovers , he will tell me all —there can be no secrets now between him and me . And he resumed his quick and careful m Z arob a inistrations , while still wailed and wrung her hands , and stared miserably at th e m e pty couch , whereon her beautiful h charge had lain , slumbering away t e hours

and days for six long years . She too saw the little heaps and trackings of gray dust i on the pillows and coverl d , and her feeble TH E SO UL OF L I LI T H 1 3 7 limbs shook with such terror that she could

scarcely stand . The gods have taken her !” she whispered fai ntly through her pallid lips “ The gods are avenged ! When did they ever have mercy ! They have claimed their own with

the breath and the ﬁre of lightning , and the dust of a maiden ’ s beauty is no more than ! the dust of a ﬂower The dreadful , terrible gods are avenged— at last at last

And sinking down upon the ﬂoor, she huddled herself together, and drew her yellow draperies over her head , after the Eastern manner of expressing inconsolable

i u gr ef, and covered her aged feat res from the i very l ght of day .

at Feraz heeded her not all , his sole attention being occupied in the care of his c brother, Whose large bla k eyes now opened

' suddenly and regarded h im with a vacant expression like the eyes of a blind man . A

h — h e great s udder ran through his frame , looked curiously at his own hands as Feraz

- gently pressed and rubbed them , and he stared all round the room in vaguely in 1 3 8 T H E SO UL OF L I LI TH

i n qu ring wonderme t . Presently his wander ing glance came back to Feraz , and the vacancy of his expression softened into a

— certain pleased mildness , his lips parted in i a little smile , but he sa d nothing .

E l- ? You are better, Rami , my brother

éraz murmured F caressingly , trembling and almost weeping in the excess of his affec t io nat e i c anx ety , the while he pla ed his own ﬁgure so that it might obstruct a too im

’ w o f mediate vie Lilith s vacant couch , and the covered crouch i ng form of old Z arob a beside it You have no pain you do not suffer El-Rami made no answer for the moment he was looking at Feraz with a gentle but puzzled inquisitiveness . Presently his dark h brows contracted slig tly , as though he were trying to connect some perplexing chain of - h i ideas , then e gave a sl ght gesture of i f fat gue and indif erence . “ h You will excuse me , I ope , he then said with plaintive courtesy— “ I have for gotten your name . I bel ieve I met you

b u h t . once , I cannot remember W ere

1 40 T H E SO UL OF L I LI TH

E l-Rami opened his eyes and stared ; then smiled . ? ” O N o thought he repeated h , you I — I — mistake have thought very much , very h h muc indeed , about many t ings . N ot about — you perhaps but then I do not know you .

— i You say your name is Feraz , that s very strange ; it is not at all a common name . I

éraz —h e only knew one F , was my brother ,

— or seemed so for a time , but I found out ! ! afterwards, hush come closer and he lowered his voice to a whisper,

that he was not a mortal , but an angel , the angel of a Star. The Star knew him better than I did .

éraz h — F turned away his ead , the tears were falling down his cheeks— h e could no t

— speak . H e realized the bitter truth , the delicate overstrained mechanism of h is

’ brother s mind had given way u nder ex c es s iv e pain and pressure , that brilliant , proud , astute , cold and deﬁant intellect was all unstrung and out of gear, and rendered

for useless , perchance ever. El-Rami however seemed to have some T H E SO UL OF LI L I TH 1 4 1

’ Féraz s glimmering perception of grief, for he put out a trembling hand and turned his ’ h brother s face towards im with gentle concern . Tears he said in a surprised ton e Why should you weep There is nothing

to weep for God is very good . f And with an ef ort , he rose from the chair

in which he had sat, and standing upright , looked about him . H is eye at once lighted on the vase of roses at the foot of the couch

and he began to tremble violently . Feraz h — caught him by t e arm , and then he seemed a startled and fraid .

romised I She promised , she p he began in an incoherent rambling way and

you must not interfere , you must let ‘ me do her bidding . Look for me where

’ th e roses are ; there will I stand and wait I

— She said that , and she will wait, and I will

— l ook , for she is sure to keep her word no

angel ever forgets . You . must not hinder — I — me have to watch and pray , you must

help me , not hinder me . I shall die if you will not let me do what she asks ; you cannot tell how sweet her voice is — she talks 1 4 2 T H E SO UL OF L I LI TH

h to me and tells me of suc wonderful things , i things too beaut ful to be believed , yet they are true . I know so well my work ,

- i work that must be done , you w ll not hinder me ? ”

! — i h N o , no sa d Feraz , in anguish imself, yet will ing to say anyth i ng to soothe his ’ “ — 11 0 ! brother s trembling excitement No , — I i h You shall not be hindered , w ll elp

- I -I wi you , will watch with you , ll pray and here ag ai n the poor fello w nearly broke do wn i nto woman ish sobbing .

! El- i e Yes said Ram , eag rly catching at the word Pray ! You will pray — and so i — i h will I ; that s g ood , that s w at I need ,

s a w prayer, they y , draws all H eaven do n

— i to earth . I t is strange , but so it s . You h know e added , with a faint gleam of int elligence l ighting up for a moment his wandering eyes Lilith is not here ! N ot I” here , nor there , she is E verywhere ' i A terrible pallor stole over his face , g ving

i h — it almost the liv d hue of deat , and Feraz , w alarmed , thre one arm strongly and reso lu t e l El- y about him . But Rami crouched

1 44 THE SO UL OF L I LI T H

— ar m are weak , rest on my ; you must try

— and recover your strength , remember, you ” have work to do .

t ru e I El- True , said Rami , rousing him — self Yes , you are right , there is much to be done . Nothing is so difﬁcult as patience .

To be left all alone , and to be patient is very

- — I hard , but I will come, will come . H e suffered himself to be led towards th e

- a n b t door, then , all at once he came to a rup

- stand still , and looking round , gazed full on the empty couch where Lilith had so long been royally enshrined . A sudden passion seemed to seize him — his eyes sparkled

— a Of luridly , sort inward paroxysm convulsed his features , and he clutched Feraz by the shoulder with a grip as hard as steel . Roses and lilies and gold !” he muttered

— thickly They were all there , those deli

cate treasures , those airy nothings of which

m woman I God akes Roses for the features , h I— lilies for the bosom , gold for the air roses , ! — lilies and gold They were mine , but I have burned them all — I have burned the

roses and lilies, and melted the gold . Dust ! TH E SO UL OF LI L I TH 1 4 5

- dust and ashes ! But the dust is not Lilith . !— it d No is only the ust of the roses , the R s h . dust of lilie , t e dust of gold oses , lilies and gold ! So s weet they are a nd fai r to the i t w s gh , one ould almost take them for real substance but they are Shadows l— shadows

- that pass as we touch them , shadows that

we always go , when most would have them stay !” d H e ﬁnished with a eep shuddering sigh , e i and then , loos n ng his grasp of Feraz , began to stumble his way hurriedly out of the apart

i h who ment , w t the manner of one is lost in a

i e dense fog and cannot see wh th r he is going .

h a i u Feraz astened to ss st and s pport him , whereupon he looked up with a pathetic and sm il i ng gratefulness ;

o h You are very go d to me , e said ,

i i n w th a gentle courtesy , which n his conditio was pecul iarly touch i ng I thou ght I should never need any support ; — but I was wrong

— i — i i i t o e qu te wrong , and t s k nd of you h lp

‘ — . was me My eyes are rather dim , there

i and too much l ght among the roses , I

ﬁnd this place extremely dark , it makes

V L 1 1 1 . 6 O . 4 1 46 TH E SO UL OF L I LI TH

' me feel a l ittle confused Her e; — and he passed his hand across h is forehead with a troubled gesture , and looked anxiousl y at Feraz , as though he would ask him for some explana tion of his symptoms . ! Yes , yes murmured Feraz soothingly

— You must be tired you will rest , and pre s ent ly y ou will feel strong and well agai n . ” — — Do not hurry , lean on me , and he guided his brother ’ s trembling limbs carefully down w the stairs , a step at a time , thinking ithin himself in deep sorrow— Could this be the El- proud Rami , clinging to him thus l ike a i ? O h weak old man afra d to move h , w at a wreck was h e re I — what a ch ange h ad been wrought in the few hours of the past night l— and ever the fateful question r e turned again and again to trouble him What had become of Lilith That she was

- — gone was self evident, and he gathered some inkling of the awful truth from h is

’ brother s rambling words . H e remembered that El-Rami had previously declared Lilith

dead to be , so far as her body was concerned , and only kept appar ently alive by artiﬁcial

1 48 T H E SO UL OF LI LI TH You will not leave me alone I hope he i h sa d I am very old and feeble , and I ave

— I do done you no wrong, not see why you should leave me to myself. I should be glad

b e if you would stay with me a little while, cause everyth ing i s at present so strange to me ; I shall no doubt get more accustomed i to t in time . You are perhaps not aware that I wished to live through a great many centuries — and my wish was granted — I i i have l ved longer than any man , espec ally

— now i since She left me , and I am grow ng

i . old , and I am eas ly tired I do not know this place at all — is i t a World or a Dream

i t o h At this quest on , it seemed Feraz t at i i he heard again , like a s lver clarion ring ng through silence , the mysterious voice that “ h A wake ad roused him that morning saying, ,

’ F er az / T0-da dr eams end a nd li e be y , f

i ns ! and i g H e understood , he bent h s

— h e w now head resignedly , kne What the life thus indicated meant — it meant a

e i h i sacriﬁcing of all his po t c aspirations , s i mus c , and his fantastic happy visions , TH E SO UL OF L I LI TH 1 49 complete i mmolation of himself and h i s own desires , for the sake of his brother . H is brother, who had once ruled him absolutely , was no w to be ruled oy him — helpless as a

- . s u fﬁc ie nt h child , the once self and aughty El-Rami was to be dependent for everyth i ng upon the very creature who had lately been — n his slave , and Feraz , humbly readi g in

i n these reversed c rcumsta ces , the Divine ’

Law of Compensation , answered his brother s plai ntive query I s i t a World or a D ream with manful tenderness . “ W — h e I t is a orld , said not a Dream , b e El-R m ﬁ loved a i b u t a Reality . I t is a fair garden belonging to God and the things of

Go d — h e e El- paus d , seeing that Rami smiled placidly and nodded h is head as

’ e n - though he h ard pleasa t music , then he went on steadily a garden in wh ich im

i - mortal sp rits wander for a time self exiled , till they fully realize the worth and loveli ness of the H igher Lands they have forsaken . O Do you understand me , dear and honoured one -do you understand None love thei r home so cl e arly as those who have left it for 1 5 0 TH E SO UL OF L I LI TH

— i - a a time and t is only for a time short , i — short t me , and Feraz , deeply moved by f his mingled sorrow and af ection , kissed and clasped his brother ’ s hands and all the beauty we see here in this beautiful small world , is made to remind us of the greater beauty yonder . We look , as it were , into a little mirror, which reﬂects in exquisite minia ! !” ture , the face of H eaven See and he pointed to the brilliant blaze of sunshine that streamed throug h the window and illumined the whole room There is the tiny copy of — i the larger Light above, and n that little i light the ﬂowers grow , the harvests r pen , the i trees bud , the b rds sing and every living creature rejoi ces — but in t he other Greater

Light , God lives , and angels love and have

h éraz their being ere F broke off abruptly , wondering if he migh t risk the utterance of the words that next rose involuntarily to his

i El- h lips , wh le Rami gazed at him wit great wide -open eager eyes like those of a ch ild i listening to a fa ry story .

- Yes , yes what next he demanded impatiently— “ This is good news you give

1 5 2 TH E SO UL OF L I LI TH great pallor looked as though it were carved i — i n bronze , and h s black , piteous , wandering eyes . A butterﬂy danced towards him in the sparkling shower of sunbeams , the same that had ﬂown in an hour before and alighted on the heliotrope that adorned the centre of

’ E - the table . l Rami s attention was attracted by it— and he watched i ts ai ry ﬂ ut t e r ing s with a pleased , yet vacant smile . Then he i stretched out h s hands in the golden light , h and lifting t em upward , clasped them to h gether and closed is eyes . “ O ur Father he murmured ; wh ich I art in H e av e n H allowed be Thy Name !

éraz i F , bend ng heedfully over him , caught i h the words as they were fa ntly w ispered , caught the hands as they dropped i nert from their suppl icati ng posture and lai d them gently back then listened again w ith i strained attention , the pity ng tears gathering h h i t ick upon s lashes . O ur Father I” once more that i fam liar appeal of kinship to the Divine , stole

- i — upon the air like a far off s gh , then came T HE SOUL OF L I LI TH 1 5 3 the sound of regular and quiet breathing Nature had shed upon the over-taxed brain

o — her balm of blessed unc nsciousness , and Rl- like a tired child , the proud Rami slept . V I I I C H APTE R .

P S T AI RS i U meanwhile , n the room that had

’ been Lilith s , there reigned the silence of a

Z arob a deep desolation . The woman still h crouched there , huddled on t e ﬂoor , a mere

- heap of amber draperies, her head covered , h h er features hidden . N ow and t en a violent

— shuddering seized her , but otherwise she

- gave no sign of life . Hours passed she knew nothing , she thought of nothing ; she was s tupeﬁed with misery and a great in

. i extinguishable fear To her bew ldered , darkly superstitious , more than pagan mind , it seemed as if some terrible avenging angel had descended in the night and torn away her beauti ful charge out of sheer spite and jealousy lest she should awake to the joys of

TH E SO UL OF L I LI TH wrong More than for anyth i ng in the

h El- world had s e longed that Rami , the wise m an who scoffed at passion with a ’ e i h light cont mpt , should love w t a lover s wild idolatry the beautiful creature who was s o t in — in h comple ely his power er dull ,

- a half sav ge , stupid way , she had thought that ’ “ such a result of the long six years e xpe r i ment co u ld but bring happiness to both man and maid ; and she spared no pains to try and foster the spark of mere interest “ which E l- Rami h ad for his subject into h ’ t e ﬂame of a lover s ardour . For this cause she had brough t Feraz to look upon the

E l- i tranced girl , in order that Rami know ng of it , might feel the subtle prick of that — i perpetual motor , jealousy , for th s she had s h aid all s e dared say , concerning love and i ts unconquerable nature ; and now , just when h er long-cherished wish seemed on the point of being granted , some dreadful I n v isible Power had rushed in between the two , and destroyed Lilith with the ﬁre of wr ath and revenge —at any rate that was h o w she regarded it . The sleeping girl had grown TH E SO UL OF L I L I TH 1 5 7

— it dear to her, was impossible not to love such a picture of innocent , entrancing , ideal

- beauty , and she felt as though her heart had been torn open and its very core wrench ed out by a cruel and hasty hand . She knew nothi ng as yet of the fate that had overtaken

E l- - u Rami himself, for as she co ld not hear

s h e h ad a sound of the human voice , only dimly seen that he was led from th e room by ill his young brother, and that he looked , h feeble and distraught . What s e realized most positively and with the gre atest bitter ’ ’ was th e Of i — ness , fact Lil th s loss , Lilith s d evident estruction This was undeniable , this was irremediable and she thought of i t till her aged brain burned as w ith some i h nward consuming ﬁre , and her t in blood i seemed turning to c e . Who has done it she muttered Who i ? i has cla med her I t must be the Chr st , i h i the cold , quiet , pallid Christ , w t H s bleed ing H ands and beckoning Eyes ! H e is a

-He h new god , has called , and she , Lilit has ! h obeyed Wit out love , without life , without aught in the world save the l ily -garb of u m 1 5 8 TH E SO UL OF L I LI T H

— it touched holiness , is what the pale Christ

and — seeks , H e has found it here , here , with the ch ild wh o slept the sleep of innocent ignorance — h ere where no thought of passion

it — or ever entered unless breathed , per

h e— El- — chance Rami thought it , unknow in l O h i g y . what a w te ﬂower for the Christ

i i I — in H eaven , is L l th What a branch of bud ! h and blossom A , cruel , cold new gods of the Earth I— how long shall their sorrowful reign endure I Who will bring back the wise — h old gods , the gods of t e ancient days , h t e gods who loved and were not ashamed ,

— the gods of mirth and life and health , they

i — would have left me L lith , they would have

! — h O ld said Lo , now t is woman is and poor ,

— h — she hath lost all t at she ever had , let us i i leave her the ch ld she loves , albeit t is not

-we her own but ours are great gods , but i I’ O i ! we are merc ful h , L lith , Lilith child

S ! of the sun and air, and daughter of leep would I had perished instead of thee — Would

I had passed away into darkness , and thou been spared to th e light ! c Thus she wailed and moaned , her fa e

TH E SO UL OF L ILI TH

h d to be for the H ig est Goo . But for his

E l- — former life , Rami exists no more , the i h m nd that guided is actions then , is gone . i Slowly, and with pained , ach ng eyes

Z arob a — read these words , she grasped their purport and meaning thoroughly , and yet , she said not a word . She was not surprised , — she was scarcely affected — her feelings

E l- was seemed blunted or paralysed . Rami m ad ? h ad To her, he always seemed mad , -with a madness born of terrible know

e ledge and pow r . To be mad now was noth i ng ; the lo s s of Lili t h was amply s u fﬁ i i c ent cause for h s loss of wit . Nothing could be worse in her m i nd than to have i — loved L lith and lost her, what was the use of uttering fresh cri e s and ejaculations of wo e I — was I t was all over , everything

d — s o Z arob a en ed , far as she , , was con

— e . c rned So she sate speechless , her grand i old face r gid as bronze , with an expression u i of pon it of stern submiss on , as one who waits i mmovably for more onslaughts from th e thunderbolts of destiny . THE SO UL OF LI LI TH 1 6 1

éraz i t e F looked at her very compass ona ly , a nd wrote again

Z arob a . Good , I know your grief Rest El- - try to sleep . Do not see Rami to day . I h h t is better I s ould be alone with im . — H e is quite peaceful and happy , happier i ndeed than he has ever been . H e has so h muc to learn , he says , and he is quite satis

ﬁ d d we w e . For to ay must be alone ith our s — - h orrows , to morrow we s all be able to see more clearly what we must do .

Still Z arob a said nothing . Presently h to owever, she arose , and walked totteringly

’ t he side of Lilith s couch , there , with a n eloquently tragic gesture of s upremest

h - h despair, she pointed to t e gray w ite ashes that were spread in that dreadfully -suggestive i outl ne on the satin coverlet and pillows .

Feraz , shuddering, shut his eyes for a

— O moment then , as he pened them again ,

u he saw , confronting him , the ncurtained “ h e picture of the C rist and H is Discipl s . — El- H e remembered it well , Rami had bough t it long ago from among the despoiled t reasures of an old dismantled monastery ,

VOL . 111 . 1 62 TH E SOU L OF LI LI TH and besides being a picture it was also a i reliquary . H e stepped hast ly up to it and felt for the secret spring which used , he h knew , to be t ere . H e found and pressed it , the whole of the picture ﬂew back like a i door on a hinge , and showed the nterior to

- be a Gothic shaped casket , lined with gold , at the back of wh ich was inserted a s mall piece of wood , supposed to have been a fragment “ of the True Cross . There was nothing — i else in the casket , and Feraz , leav ng it

Z arob a open , turned to who had watched

i . h m with dull , scarcely comprehending e yes h Gather together these sacred as es , h he wrote again on t e slate , and place i d — it h them n this gol en recess , is a oly El- m place ﬁt for such holy relics . Ra i would i w sh it , I know , if he could understand or i - w sh for anything , and wherever we go , the l picture wil go with us , for one day perhaps h e will remember, and ask ,

H e could trust himself to write no more , and stood sadly enrapt , and struggling with his own emotion . ” The Christ claims all ! muttered Z arob a

1 64 TH E SO UL OF L I LI TH

Z arob a stooped yearningly , staring at it till i her tears , the slow , bitter scald ng tears of

age fell upon it where it lay . She longed to

— take it for herself, to wear it against her

— t o own heart , kiss and cherish it as though — it were a living , sentient thing , but thinking El- of Rami , her loyalty prevailed , and she tenderly lifted the clinging , shining , soft silken curl , and laid it by with the ashes in

— the antique shrine . All was now done , and h i s e shut to the picture , wh ch when once h closed , s owed no sign of any opening . Lilith was gone indeed ;— there was now no perceptible evidence to show that she had ever

d - Z a b . ro a existe And , to the grief stricken , h the Face and Figure of the C rist , as painted h on the reliquary at which s e gazed , seemed to assume a sudden triumph and majesty which appalled while it i mpressed her . She read the words “ Whom Say Ye That I Am and shuddered this new god with H is tranquil smile and sorrowful dignity had more terrors for her than any of the old pagan deities . ” I cannot ! I cannot ! she whispered feebly ; THE SO UL OF L I LI TH 1 65

ou I cannot take y to my heart , cold white

i — I i r Chr st , cannot th nk it is good to wea t he thorns of perpetual sorrow ! You offer

— no joy to the sad and weary world , one ’ — must sacriﬁce one s dearest hopes , one must bear the cross and weep for the sins of all ! men , to be at all acceptable to You I am old — but I keep the memories of joy ; I would not have all happiness reft out of the poor lives of men . I. would have them — I full of mirth , would have them love i where they l st , drink pure wine , and rejoice

— I u in the breath of Nature , wo ld have t hem feast in the sunlight and dance in the moonbeams, and crown themselves with the

ﬂowers of the woodland and meadow , and grow ruddy and strong and manful and

— air I generous , and free free as the I would have their hearts bound h igh for the pleasure of life -not break i n a search for things they can never win . Ah no , cold I Ch ris t I cannot love you — at the touch of your bleed ing H and the world freezes like a starvi ng bird in a storm of snow h t e hearts of men grow weak and weary , TH E SO UL OF L I LI T H

O and of what avail is it , Prince of Grief, to l ive in sadness all one ’s days for the hope of a H eaven that comes not ? O Lil ith — ch ild h — VV of t e sun , where art thou here N ever

— to have known the joys of love , never to h u ls e — ave felt the real p of living , never to

’ h - i i ave thrilled in a lover s embrace , ah , L l th , Lilith ! Will H eaven compensate thee for ? ! such loss N ever , never, never N o ’ O God , were H e all the worlds gods in ne , can give aught but a desolate Eden to the loveless and lonely Soul

I n such wise as this , she muttered and i moaned all day long , never st rring from the

’ room that was called Lilith s . N ow and then she moved up and down with slow

— restlessness , sometimes ﬁxing eager eyes upon the vacant couch , with the vague idea that perh aps Lilith m ight come back to i t as suddenly as she had ﬂed ; and sometimes pausing by the vase of roses , and touching l - their stil fragrant , but fast fading blossoms . h Time went on , and she never thoug t of breaking her fast , or going to see how her

- El , master, Rami , fared . H is mind was g one

T H E SOUL OF LI LI TH

— h e r her brain , there were strange noises in — El ears , and she only dimly remembered

h e Rami , as though were someone she had

heard of long ago , in a dream . Pausing on

a - the st ir head , she tried to collect her — h i scattered senses , but s e felt s ck and

t h e giddy, and her ﬁrst instinct was to seek

air . Clinging to the banisters , she tottered

down the stairs slowly , and reached the

- and n a front door, fumbli g c utiously with the h i handle a little w ile , succeeded in turning t ,

and letting herself out into the street . The

- door had a self acting spring, and shut to t instan ly , and almost noiselessly, behind her ,

— th e but Feraz , sitting in study with his

brother , fancied he heard a slight sound , and

came into the hall to see what it was . Find ing everything quiet he concluded he was

m and istaken , went back to his post beside El- i Ram , who had been dozing nearly all

no w day , only waking up and again to mildly accept the nourishment of soup and wine which Feraz prepared and gave him to

was keep up his strength . He perfectly tranquil , and talked at times quite coherently THE SO UL OF LI LI TH 1 69

h c of simple t ings , su h as the ﬂowers on the table , the lamp , the books , and other ordinary

riﬂ s b t e . H e only seemed a little troubled y

— his own physical weakness , but when Feraz assured him he would soon be strong , he smiled , and with every appearance of content , dozed off again peacefully . I n the evening,

— however, he grew a little restless , and then Feraz tried what effect music would have

e upon him . Going to the piano he play d h soft and dreamy melodies , but as e did so , a strange sense of loss stole over

— h e b ut him , had the mechanism of the art , the marvellously del icate attunement of h i s imagination had ﬂed ! Tears rose in his

— h e i n — eyes , knew what was miss g the

’ guiding-prop of h i s brother s wondrous in

ﬂ ue nc e — had fallen , and with a faint terror he realized that much o f his poetic faculty would perish also . H e had to remember that he was not n atu r a lly born a poet or

- El musician , poesy and music had been

’ Rami s fairy gifts to him— the exquisitely happy poise of his mind had been due to his

’ brother s daily inﬂuence and control . H e 1 7 0 TH E SO UL OF LI LI TH would still retai n th e habit and the memory

- h u of art , but what ad been Genius , wo ld

i — — e t now be s mple Talent , no more , y what a difference between th e two I N evertheless h i s touch on the familiar ivory keys was very d i h tender and elicate , and when , d strusting is own powers of composition , he played one

’ of the softest and quai ntest of G r ie g s N or we ia n - was g folk songs , he more than com forted by the expression of pleasure that

’ i El - u llumined Rami s feat res , and by the look of enraptured peace that softened the e p iteous dark ey s . i — ! h I t is qu te beautiful , that music e murmured I t is the pretty sound the daisies make i n growing . And he leaned back in h is chair and com

i e — i posed h mself to r st , wh le Feraz played h i h on softly , t inking anx ously t e while . h i True , most true , t at for h m dreams had ! ended , and life had begun What was he to do ? how was he to meet the daily needs l — h h of iving , ow was e to keep himself and h is brother ? H is idea was to go at once

e to the monastery in Cyprus , wher he had

1 7 2 TH E SOUL OF LI LI T H accredited with being able to acquire information when he chose , by swift and supernatural means . That he had done so in the present case seemed evident , and Feraz stood still with the telegram in his hand , stricken by a vague sense of awe as well as gratitude , thinking also of the glitter “ ing Visio n he had had of that glory of the A ngels in the South — angels who were waiting for Lilith the night she disappeared . El-Rami suddenly opened his weary eyes and looked at him . What is it he asked faintly “ Why has the music ceased Féraz went up to h is chai r and knelt down beside it . i i You shall hear t ag a n he said gently ,

But you must sleep now , and get strong , — because we are soon going away on a

— a i journey far , beaut ful journey “ ? El- To H eaven inquired Rami Yes , — it I know is very far .

r z F é a sighed .

— — h e N o not to Heaven , answered

N ot yet . We shall ﬁnd out the way there , THE SOUL OF LI LI TH 1 73

a w . fter ards But in the meantime , we are going to a place where there are fruits a nd ﬂ o we rs — h , and where t e sun is very

. i bright and warm You w ll come with me , El- — h will you not , Rami , t ere are friends ” there who will be glad to see you . h — El - i I ave no friends , said Ram “ plaintively , unless you are one . I do not - I know if you are , hope so , but I am not

’ c - sure . You have an angel s fa e , and the angels have not always been kind to me . i But I will go w th you wherever you wish ,

' i lac e in s it a p this world , or in some other

- I n this world , replied Feraz A quiet ” little corner of this world . Ab ! and El-Rami sighed profoundly

I wish it had been in another . There are so many millions and millions of worlds — it seems foolish waste of ti me to stay too long ” i n this .

H e closed his eyes again , and Feraz let

- w b e him rest , till , hen the hour grew late ,

n persuaded him to lie dow on his own bed , which he did with the amiable docility of 1 74 THE SOUL OF LI LI TH

a child . Feraz himself, half sitting , half i reclining in a cha r beside him , watched him all night long , like a faithful dog guarding

— its master, and so full was he of anxious thought and tender care for his brother, that

Z arob a he scarcely remembered , and when he did , he felt sure that she too was resting, and striving to forget in sleep the sorrows of the day .

1 76 THE SOUL OF LI LI TH not realized what she was doing when she i h — h let herself out that n g t , only when t e street -door shut noiselessly u pon her she was vaguely startled— and a sudden sense of

d Y e t h great loneliness oppresse her . t e fresh ai r blowi ng against her face was sweet — it i and balmy , helped to relieve the s ckness h i i i — at her eart , the dizz ness n her bra n , and she began to stroll along , neither knowing

i — c hie ﬂ nor caring whither she was go ng , y i mpelled by the strong necessity she felt for

- — movement , space , liberty . I t had seemed to her that s he was being suffocated and buried alive in the darkness and desolation that had fallen on th e chamber of Lilith

O was — here , out in the pen , she free , she

And could breathe more easily . so she went

— on , almost unseeingly , the people she met i looked to her l ke the merest shadows . H er quaint garb attracted occasional attention -b — from some of the passers y, but her dark ﬁerce face and gl i ttering eyes repelled all t hose who might have been inquisitive enough h to stop and question er. She drifted errantly , yet safely, through the jostling crowds like a T H E SO UL OF LI L I TH 1 7 7

- withered leaf on the edge of a storm , her mind was dazed with grief and fear and long i fast ng, but now and then as she went , she fﬂ smiled and seemed happy . A iction had w h sunk so deep ithin her , t at it had reached the very core and centre of imagination and touched it to vague issues of discordant joy ;

— wherefore , persuaded by the magic music of delusion , she believed herself to be at home i h aga n in er native Egypt . She fancied sh e was walking in the desert -the pave ment seemed hot to her feet and sh e took it

— for the burning sand , and when after long and apparently interminable wanderings , she found herself opposite N elson ’ s column in

Trafalgar Square , she stared at the four

i i s t u e ﬁed great l ons w th p dismay .

! i — I t s the gate of a city , she muttered

and at this hour the watchmen are asleep .

o u — o u — I will go still further, there must be i water close by , else there would be no c ty i bu lt . S he had recovered a certain am ou ntl of physical strength in the restorative inﬂuence of the fresh air, and walked with a less feeble VOL 11 1 8 . . 4 1 7 8 T H E SO UL OF LI LI T H tread— she became dimly conscious too of there being a number of people about , and she drew her amber-coloured draperies more closely over her head . I t was a beautiful

— i nig ht the moon was full and br lliant , and hundreds of pleasure-seekers were moving h h — it er and thither, there was the usual rattle and roar of the vehicular trafﬁc of the town

m Z arob a which , it must be reme bered , did not hear . Neither did she clearly see any i — th ng that was taking place around her, for her sight was blurred , and the dull confusion in her brain continued . She walked as i n a — h dream , s e felt herself to be in a dream

i m El- the ages of Rami , of the lost Lilith , of

l a the beautifu young Fer z , had faded away

— i i from her recollection , and she was l v ng in

— the early memories of days long past , days h of youth and ope and love and promise . N o one molested her ; people in London are so accustomed to the sigh t of foreigners and c foreign ostumes , that so long as they are seen walking on their apparent way peace in ably , they may do so any garb that

pleases them , provided it be decent , without

1 80 THE SO UL OF L I LI TH

— and again she continued on her ai mless way . The road widened out before her, the buildings grew taller, statelier and more i mposing — and suddenly she caught sight of

— what she had longed for, the glimmering of water silvering itself in the light of the moon . She had reached the Embankment ; and i a s gh of satisfaction escaped her , as she felt the damp ch illness of the wind from the

i n r ver blowi g against her burning forehead .

and h e r The fresh coolness silence soothed ,

— t — here were few people about , and she slackened her pace unconsciously , and smiled as she lifted her dark face to the clear and

a — quiet sky . She was faint and we ry , light

— headed from want of food , but she was not conscious of th is any more than a fever patient is conscious of his own delirium .

u — in She walked q ite steadily now , no haste , but with the grave , majestic step that belongs peculiarly to women of her type and race , h er f fe atu res were perfectly composed , and her eyes very bright . And now she looked always at the river , and saw nothing else for TH E SO UL OF L I L I TH 1 8 1 a time but its rippl i ng surface lit up by the moon . They have cut down the reeds -she “ said , softly under her breath , and the tall — i h palms are gone , but the r ver is always t e

— h h h . same , t ey cannot c ange t at Nothing

h - i can dethrone t e N ile god , or disturb h s i i h sleep among the l l es , down towards t e path of the sunset . H ere I shall meet my — h beloved again , ere by the banks of the i h N le ; yet , it is strange and cruel t at they w should have cut do n the reeds . I remember how softly they rustled w i th the movements of the little snakes that lived in the golden

— e s — - sand , y and the palm trees were high so high that their feathery crowns seemed

— to touch the stars . I t was Egypt then , and is it not Egypt now ? Yes— surely — surely i — — it s Eg ypt but it is changed changed , all is changed except love ! Love is the same for ever, and the heart beats true to

the one sweet tune . Yes , we shall meet ,

I — we my beloved and , and shall tell one another how long the time has seemed since O — we parted yesterday . nly yesterday and 1 82 TH E SO UL OF LI LI T H

— a n it seems a century , lo g long century of — h pain and fear , but t e hours have passed , i and the wait ng is over,

She broke off abruptly, and stood suddenly

— still the O belisk faced her . Cut sharp and dark against the brilliant sky the huge Cleopatra ’ s Needle ” towered solemnly a i loft, its apex seeming to po nt directly at the planet Mars which glittered with a faint redness immediately above i t . Someth i ng h t ere was in its weird and frowning aspect ,

’ th at appealed strangely to Z arob a s wanderi ng i — e i ntelligence , she gaz d at t with eager, i d lated eyes . To the memory of heroes I” she said i whisperingly , w th a slight proud gesture of h ! er hand , To the glory of the Dead Salutation to the great gods and crowned Kings Salutation and witness to the world of what H ath Been ! The river shall ﬁnd a tongu e — the sh i fting sands shall uphold the h record , so t at none shall forget the things ! h i that Were For t e th ngs that Are , being — h weak , shall perish , but t e things that ! Were , being strong , shall endure for ever

1 84 TH E SO UL OF LI LI TH about her that gave any h i nt as to her pos sible home or friends her statuesque old face ,

allor 'o f grander than ever in the serene p death , somewhat awed the two burly policemen who lifted her stark body and turned her features to the uncertain light of early dawn , but it told h them no istory save that of age and sorrow .

So , in the sad chronicles entitled Found

un Dead , she was described as a woman

of known , foreig n appearance and costume , seemingly of Eastern origin , and , after a

nu day or two , being unrecognised and

in claimed , she was buried the usual way common to all who perish Without name and k i ndred in the dreary wilderness of a great i h m city . Feraz , miss ng er on the orning a h i fter er d sappearance , searched for her

h o w — everywhere as well as he knew , but , as he seldom read the newspapers , and probably would not have recognised the brief account

h h a — of her t ere if he d and as , moreover, he knew noth ing about certain dreary build i ngs in London called mortuaries , where the

u n bodies of the drowned , and murdered , and i i dentiﬁed , lie for a l ttle while awaiting recog TH E SO UL OF L I LI TH 1 85 nitio n i b e , he rema ned in complete and wildered ignorance of her fate . H e could not imagine what had become of her , and he almost began to believe th at she must

’ have taken ship back to her nati ve land and that perhaps he migh t hear of her

And again some day . truly , she had gone

— in - back to her native land , fancy and m i h truly , it was also possible she g t be met

— in d with again some day , another worl than h . t e i this But in meant me she had died ,

b e ﬁt te d as best a servant of the old gods ,

c . alone , and in uncomplaining silen e C H APT E R X .

T H E h i s - a r breadth balance of a Thought , the wrong or right control of Will — o u these i things hang the world , l fe , time , and all

h h t h re ads I Eternity . Suc slig t imper c e t ib le — p , ungraspable , and yet withal strong , — strong enough to weave the everlasting

. O web of good or evil , joy or woe n some h i suc poise , as ﬁne , as subtly del cate , the whole majestic U niverse swings round in i ts ’ — i appointed course , never a p n s point awry , i i never halt ng in its work , never hesitating n i the fulﬁlment of its laws , carry ng out the Divine Command with faithful exactitude

— . e and punctuality . I t is strang mournfully

— strange , that we never seem able to learn t h e grand lessons th at are taught us by th i s

v — un arying routine of N atural Forces , Sub

1 88 TH E SO UL OF L I LI TH

— h now and see , for thou art strong enoug ’ to bear the Light .

! i - i Alas we w ll not wait , hence our life n h t ese latter days of analysis , is a mere i i querulous Compla nt , instead of what t should be , a perpetual Thanksgiving . Four seasons have passed away since the Soul of Lil ith was caught u p into its native

— glory , four seasons , summer, autumn , winte r and spring— and now it is summer

— h again , summer in the I sle of Cyprus , t at i once most sacred spot , dear to h storic and

h lo w poetic lore . Up among t e olive i crowned hills of Baffo or Paphos , there s more shade and coolness than in other parts h of the island , and the retreat believed to ave h been the favourite aunt of Venus , is still full o f something like the mystical glamour that hallowed it of old . As the singer of Love Letters of a Violinist writes !

T h er e i s a g lamour all ab ou t th e b ay h a As if th e nymph s of Greec e ad t r r ied h ere . T h e s and s ar e g olden and t h e r oc ks a ppear Cr es ted with s ilv er and th e b reez es play ’ S na c es of s on e h umm d w en far awa t h g th y h y, ’ ” n re h us h d as if from s udden fear And th e a . T H E SO UL OF LI LI TH 1 89

Flowers bloom luxuriantly, as though the w i - h h te , blue veined feet of t e goddess had b — but lately passed y, there is a suggestive harmony i n t he subdued lo w wh ispering of the trees , accompanied by the gentle murmur of the waves and “ H ieros Kipos ” or the

Sacred Grove , still bends its thick old boughs caressingly towards the greensward as though to remind the dream i ng earth of the bygone glories here buried deep in its silent bosom . The poor fragment of the ruined Temple of Venus ” once gorgeous With the gold and precious stones , silks and embroideries , and other offerings brough t from luxury -loving

Tyre , stands in its desolation among the i quiet woods , and no sound of rejoic ng comes forth from its broke n wall to sti r the heated

off — air. Yet there is music not far , the sweet and solemn music of an organ chant, accompanyi ng a chorus of mild and mellow “ ” voices singing the Agnus Dei . H ere in h this part of t e country , the native inhabit ants are divided in their notions of rel igious — worship , they talk Greek , albeit modern

Greek , with impurities which were unknown 1 99 TH E SO UL OF LI L I TH

i to the sonorous anc ent tongue , and they are h eroes no more , as the heroic Byron has told us in his superb poesy, but simply slaves .

They but dimly comprehend Christianity , the joyous paganism of the past is not yet extinct , and the Virgin Mother of Christ is

A h r odi is s a h here adored as p t . Per aps in dirty F amag ou s t a they may be more ortho dox — - , but among these sea fronting hills “ where the sound of the Agnus De i solemnly rises and falls in soft surges of h m i ar ony , it s still the old home of the Queen of Beauty , and still the birthplace of Adonis , son of a Cyprian King . Commercial England i s now the possessor of th is bower of sweet i h fancies , th s little corner of t e world h aunted by a thousand poetic memories , and in these prosy days but few pilgrimages are made to a shrine that was once the glory of a glorious age . To the native Cypriotes themselves th e gods have simply changed their names and become a little sadder and i — less playful , that s all , and to make up for “ the lost Temple of Venus there is , hidden deep among the foliage, a small monastic

1 92 THE SO UL OF LI LI TH with the glamour of Old creeds and the wider — i glory of the new, yet though t is an inter i esting enough nook of the earth , t is seldom that travellers elect to go thither either to admi re or explore . Therefore the sight of

- - a travelling carriage , a tumble down sort of h ve icle , yet one of the best to be obtained thereabouts , making its way slowly up the ascent , with people in modern fashionable dress sitting therein , was a rare and wonderful spectacle to the ragged Cypriote youth of both sexes , who either stood by the roadway , pushing the ir tangled locks from their dark i eyes and staring at t , or else ran swiftly alongside its wheels to beg for coppers from its occupants . There were four of these ,

- i two ladies and two gentlemen , S r Frederick Vaughan and Lady Vaughan (nee I dina e Ch ster) the fair and famous authoress , I rene

V as s ilius i - , and a distingu shed looking hand

o f some man about forty or thereabouts , the h Duke of Strathlea, a friend of t e Vaughans , W h o had entertained them royally during the previous autumn at h is grand old historic house in Scotland . By a mere chance during TH E SO UL OF LI LI TH 1 93

i the season , he had made the acqua ntance of

Vas s ili us h Madame , wit whom he had fallen d sud enly , deeply and ardently in love . She , h w was o ever , the same unresponsive far i d gaz ng reamy sibyl as ever , and though not entirely ind i fferent to the gentle reverential homage paid to her by th is chivalrous and h honourable gentleman , s e could not make up h er mind to give h i m any decided e n c ou ra e m e nt g . H e appeared to make no pro

i h - — gress w t her whatever , and of course his h discouragement increased is ardour . H e devised every sort of plan he could think of for O btai ning as much of her society as pos

— b e h sible , and ﬁnally , had entreated t e Vaughans to persuade her to join them i n a trip to the Mediterranean in his yacht . At — ﬁrst she had refused then , with a sudden chang e of humour , she had consented to go , provided the I sland of Cyprus were one of the places to be visited . Strathlea eagerly — caught at and agreed to this suggestion , the journey had been undertaken , and had so far proved most enjoyable . Now they had reached the spot I rene most wished to see,

VOL . 111 . 1 94 TH E SO UL OF LI L I TH it was to please her that they were making the present excursion to the “ Temple of ” r h Venus , or at er, to the small and obscure monastery among the h ills which she had

i — expressed a strong desire to vis t , and h i Strat lea , look ng wistfully at her fair h thoughtful face , wondered whet er after all these pleasant days passed together between i sparkl ng sea and radiant sky , she had any

i — e h kinder thoughts of h m , wh ther s e would i i f always be so quiet , so impass ve , so ind f erent to the love of a true man ’ s heart h i — T e carr age went slowly , the view w idened with every upward yard of the way ,

— and they were all silent , gazing at the glittering expanse of blue ocean below them . H ow very warm it is I said Lady h Vaug an at last breaking the dumb spell , and twirling her sunshade round and round to disperse a cloud of gnats and small ﬂies

b roile d I Fred , you look absolutely You are so dreadfully sunburnt I

Am I and Sir Frederick smiled blandly, — h e was as much i n love with his pretty

1 96 TH E SO UL OF LI LI TH of your vexing anybody I You look irritably ’ c — ool in this tremendous heat , that s all . ” — i I love the sun , sa d I rene dreamily To me it is always the visible sign of God in the world . I n London we h ave so little i — i sunsh ne, and , one m ght add , so little of God also ! I was just th en watching that h golden blaze of lig t upon the sea .

Strathlea looked at her interrogatively .

And what does it suggest to you , Madame he asked T he glory of a great e fam , or the splendour of a great love N either she repl ied tranqu illy

Simply the reﬂex of H eaven on Earth . d Love might be esignated thus ,

Strathlea in a low tone .

f r e She coloured a little, but of ered no

ns e s po . I t was odd that you alone should have

’ been told the news of poor El-Rami s mis ” — ad fortune , said Sir Frederick , abruptly dressing her, N one of us , not even my

M elth or e cousin p , who knew him before you ” did , had the least idea of it . H is brother wrote to me -replied I rene ; T H E SO UL OF L I L I TH 1 97

wh o e Feraz , that beautiful youth a com ’ panied h i nt to Lady M e lth orpe s reception

— h e last year . But he gave me no details ,

i i El- i s mply expla ned that Ram , through pro longed over-study had lost the balance of his mind . The letter was very short , and in it he stated he was about to enter a religious fraternity who had their abode near f Baf o in Cyprus , and that the brethren had consented to receive h is brother als o and take charge of him in his great helpless ness . And their place is what we are going to ” see no w ﬁnished Lady Vaughan I dare say it w ill be i mmensely interesting . Poor El- Ram i ! Who would ever have thought it possible for him to lose his wits ! I shall never forget the ﬁrst time I s aw him

was at the theatre . Hamlet being played , and he entered in the very middle of the ‘ ’ speech To be or not to be . I remember how he looked , perfectly . What eyes he I” had — th ey positively scared me

H er husband glanced at her admiringly . ‘ “ — h e Do you know, I dina said , that 1 98 TH E SO UL OF L I LI TH

El- Rami told me on that very n ight— the ‘ ’ night of Hamlet that I was destined to marry you i She lifted her eyel ds in surprise . No ! Really ! And did you feel your self compelled to carry out the prophecy and she laughed . did No , I not feel myself compelled , ’ h — but some ow , it happened didn t it he i i h i nqu red wit na ve persistency . Of course it did ! H ow absurd you are ! and she laughed again “ Are you sorry

— h e H e gave her an expressive look , was

v really ery much in love , and she was still a new enough bride to blush at h is amorous i regard . Strathlea moved impatiently n his seat ; the assured h appiness of others made h im envious .

— El- I suppose this prophet , Rami , as

o u i h i y call him , prophes es no longer , if s wits are lacking — h e said otherwise I should have asked him to prophesy something good for me .

N 0 one answered . Lady Vaughan stole a

2 00 TH E SO UL OF L I L I T H

— he lost all his fortune , his furniture was

u — hé h sold p, stared at t e bailiffs and said ‘ Pourquoi Later on he was suspecte d of

i a being n a plot to ssassinate the K ing , men came and seized his papers and took

h — h e i im away to prison , made no res stance ,

-h e only said Pourquoi H e was tried , found g uilty and condemned to death ; t he

’ judge asked him if he had anything to say H e replied at once Pourquo i N 0 answer

i i he was vouchsafed to h m , and n due time

e x c u was taken to the scaffold . There the e

t io ne r i — h e i bandaged h s eyes , sa d Pour quoi — h e was told to kneel down ; he did ‘ ’ i i ? — so , but aga n demanded Pourquo the

knife fell , and his head was severed from his

— body yet before it rolled into the basket , it

trembled on the block , its eyes opened , its lips moved and for the last ti me uttered

- -b e - that ﬁnal , never to answered query Pour ? ’ q uoi V

u They all laughed at this story , and j st

t he n the carriage stopped . The driver got down and explained in very bad French that h — h he could go no furt er, that t e road had TH E SO UL OF LI LI TH 2 0 1

i h was term nated , and t at there now only a footpath wh ich led through th e trees to the l ittle monasti c retreat wh ither they were h bound . They alighted , t erefore , and found themselves close to the ruin supposed to “ hav e once been the Temple of Venus . h They paused for a moment , looking at t e

scene in silence . There must have been a great joyous

ness in the old creeds , said Strathlea softly, with an admiring glance at I rene ’ s slight

- slim , almost fairy like ﬁgure clad in its close ﬁtting garb of silky white “ At the shrine

’ of Venus for example , one could declare one s

o l ve without fear or shame .

— That can be done still , observed Sir h Frederick laug ingly And is done , pretty

’ O ften . People haven t left off making love -I because the faith in Venus is exploded . expect they ’ ll go on in the same old aban do ne d a w y to the end of the chapter.

’ And , throwing his arm round his wife s i wa st , he sauntered on with her towards the thicket of trees at the end of which their driver h ad told them the refuge was 2 02 TH E SO UL OF LI LI TH

situated , leaving Strathlea and Madame

Vas s ilius to follow . Strathlea perceived and was grateful for the opportunity thus given , and ventured to approach I rene a little more closely . She was still gazing out to the sea ,

her soft eyes were dreamy and abstracted , her small ungloved right hand hung down

’ h — at er side , after a moment s hesitation , he boldly lifted it and touched its delicate white

— ness with a kiss . She started nervously she h — ad been away in the land of dreams , and now she met his gaze with a certain vague reproach in the sweet expression of her

face . h it I cannot elp said Strathlea quickly , c ! and in a low eager tone I annot , I rene

- You know I love you , you have seen it , and you have discouraged and repelled me

— in every possible way , but I am not made of stone or marble— I am mere ﬂesh and

Ir e ne I blood , and I must speak . I love you ,

— I I love you will not unsay it . I want you ? i . to be my w fe Will you , I rene Do not be in a hurry to answer me— think long enough to allow some pity for me to mingle

2 04 TH E SO UL OF L I LI T H Why are you so anxious to see th i s i — E l- man who has lost h s wits , this Rami

Z aranos he asked , with a touch of jealousy in his accents Was he more to you than most people S h e raised her eyes with an expression of a grave remonstr nce . Your thoughts wrong me she said “ simply— I never saw E l- Rami but twice in i — I i my l fe , only pit ed him greatly . I used to have a strong instinct upon me that all would not be well with him in the end . Why

— First , because he had no faith , secondly c be ause he had an excess of pride . H e dis i i m ssed God out of h s calculations altogether, and was perfectly content to rely on the o n

n ward march of his own i tellect . I ntellectual i Egoism is always doomed to destruct on , this seems to be a Law of the U niverse .

I ndeed , Egoism , whether sensual or intel lectual , is always a deﬁance of God . Strathlea walked along in silence for a minute , then he said abruptly ,

I t is odd to hear you speak like this , as TH E SO UL OF L I L I T H 2 9 5

w n if you were a rel igious oma . You are

— s o — not religious , everyone says , you are a

- — r e free thinker, and also , pardon me for

eat in i p g it , soc ety supposes you to be full of ” — this sin you condemn I ntellectual Egoism . Society may suppose what it pleases of i me said I rene I was never its favour te ,

‘ and never shall be , nor do I court its good - h opinion . Yes , I am a free t inker, and freely

u w think witho t narro law or boundary , of the majesty , beauty and surpassing goodness of i — I God . As for intellectual ego sm , hope I

n am not in a y respect gu ilty of it . To be h proud of what one does , or w at one knows , h as always seemed to me the poorest sort of

n — - va ity, and it is the stumbling block over which a great many workers in the literary profession fall , never to rise again . But you ‘ are quite right in saying I am not a r e

’ li iou s g woman I never go to church , and I ” never patronize bazaars . The sparkle of mirth in her eyes was

infectious , and he laughed . But suddenly

o n she stopped , and laid her hand his

arm . 2 06 T H E S O U LO F L I LI T H

i i i Listen , she sa d , with a sl ght tremor n “ m e and her voice You love , you say I— I am not altogether indifferent to yo u — I h i !” confess that muc . Wa t for in an excess of delig ht he had caught both her hands in his own , and she loosened them gently

i — e Wa t you do not know me , my d ar

n friend . You do not understand my ature

— I i i not at all , somet mes th nk myself it is what is understood as ‘feminine ’ I am an abnorm al creature— and perhaps i f you kne w me better you would not like me h I adore you said Strat lea impetuously , and I shall always adore you

She smiled rather sadl y . “ i — ou You th nk so now , she said but y

s — cannot be ure , no man can always be sure of himself. You spoke of society and its

O i i now p n on of me ; , as a rule , average

- a people do not like me , they are v guely

i — afra d of me , and they think it is strange and almost dangerous for a writi ng woman to be still young , and not entirely hideous . Literary women generally are so safely and h armlessly repellant in look and bearing .

? 2 08 T H E SO UL OF L ILI TH honoured by your proposal to make me your

Wife . I do not . This sounds very brusque ,

k now . b u t I , I think as a general rule in

a marriage , a woman gives a great de l more h than s e ever receives . I am aware how very much your position and fortune m ight a - ppeal to many of my sex , but I need scarcely tell you they have no inﬂuence upon

. h i me For, notwit stand ng an entire lack of ‘ log-rollers and press booms — and she i smiled my books br ng me in large sums , sufﬁcient and more than sufﬁcient for all my worldly needs . And I am not ambitious to be a duchess .

— You are cruel , I rene said Strathlea Should I ever attaint you with worldly motives I never wanted to be a duke— I

s o — ! was born , and a horrid bore it is I f I c ? were a poor man , could you fan y me — H e looked at her , and her eyes fell under h is ardent gaze . H e saw his advantage and proﬁted by it . “ You do not positively hate me ? ” he asked . She gave him one ﬂeeting glance through T H E SOUL OF LI L I TH 2 9 9

i t her long lashes , and a fa n smile rested on her mouth . ” How could I ? she murmured— “ you are my friend . i Well , Will you try to like me a l ttle more than a friend -h e continued eagerly “ Will you say to yourself now and then ‘ h H e is a big , bluff, clumsy Englis man , with more faults than virtues , more money than

i i i u bra ns , and a stupid t tle stick ng pon him i ’ like a bow of r bbon on a boar s head , but he is very fond of me , and would give up every thing i n the W orld for me — will you say that

o u c an to yourself, and think as well as y of me — will you , I rene h l She raised er h ead . All co dness and

e hauteur had left her face , and her eyes wer very soft and tender . “ i My dear fr end , I cannot hear you do “ yourself wrong — she said— and I am not

I k no w as unjust as you perhaps imagine . your worth . You have more virtues than i — faults , more bra ns than money , you are — h generous and kindly , and in t is instance , yo ur title sets off the grace of a true and

VOL . 111 . 2 1 0 T H E SO UL OF LI L I TH

gallant gentleman . Give me time to con — — I sider a little , let us join the Vaughans , promise you I will give you your answer to ” day .

A light ﬂashed over his features , and

h . stooping , he once more kissed er hand

Then , as she moved on , a gracefully gliding

figure under the dark arching boughs , he followed with a firm joyous step such as m ight have b e fit te d a knight of the court of

wh o b ad i King Arthur , after hard ﬁght ng , at ’ ’ last won some distin ct pledge of his ladye s future favour .

2 1 2 THE SO UL OF L I LI T H head through the leaves as though inviting attention H ow peaceful ! and listen ! What grand music they are singing !

ﬁ n e r — She held up her g , the others obeyed h the gesture , and hus ed their steps to hear every note of the stately harmony that pealed ’

out upon the ai r . The brethren were chant i ng part of the grand Greek H ymn of ” Cleanthes , a translation of which may be roughly rendered in the following strophes

M an -n am ed and m os lor i ou s of th e Imm or al s Almi y t g t , g hty for v r e e ,

Ruler of N a u re w o se ov ern men i s or er a nd law t h g t d , Hail all ail ! for ood i i s a mor als s oul rai se , h g t th t t h d p th e e !

W e ar e T h offs r i n we ar e th e I ma e o f T h V oi y p g g y c e ,

An d onl th e I ma e as all mor al in s a re a liv e an d y g , t th g th t ov e b T h o w er m y y p , T h er efore do we ex alt T hy N ame and s ing of T h y g lor y forev er

T h ee d oth th e s plen did U n i v ers e ob ey M ovi n w i er s oev er T ou lea es g h th h d t, And all are la l s wa e b T ee g d y y d y h .

Nau is one in th e e ar h wi ou T ee O God g ht d t th t h , Nor i n th e iv i ne s er e of th e eav ens nor i n th e ee es d ph h , d p t de s of th e s ea pth , S ave t h e works th at ev il men c ommit in th ei r h our s of

folly. TH E SO UL OF L I L I TH 2 1 3

Y et th ou kno west wh e re t o ﬁnd plac e for super ﬂ uous in s th g , T ou o s order a w i c s e ems di s or erl h d t th t h h d y, I And thi ng s not d ear t o m en are cl ear t o T h ee

T ou dos ar m oni se i n o O ne b o Goo an d E vil h t h t th d , F or er is O n E v er i n R f th e e last g eason or th em all .

0 ou All-Gi ver D weller i n th e c lou s Lor of th e th , d , d th un den

S av e ou m e n from ei r own self-s ou un a ines s th th g ht h pp , DO ou 0 F a e r s c a er darknes s fr om ei r s ou ls and th , th , tt th ,

g iv e th em lig ht t o di s c o ver tr ue wi s d om .

I n b ei n onour e let em a T ee H o nour g h d th p y h , H ym ni ng T h y glor i ous works c onti nually as b eseem s m or al m en t , S i nc e th er e c an b e n o g r eater g lory for men or g od s th an i s th , I T o p rai se for e v er and ev er th e g r an d an d U n iv ers al Law Amen — Am en l— Amen

Strange they should elect to s ing that “ Said Strathlea musingly - I remember learn i ng it off by heart in my student days . They have left out a verse of it here and

- a h . there , but it is quite a P gan ymn I t seems to me very good Christian ity

Vas s iliu s said I rene , her eyes kindling with emotion I t is a grand and convincing act of thanksgiving , and I think we have more cause for thankfulness th an supplication . 2 1 4 T H E SO UL OF L I LI TH I am not yet qu ite sure about that myself — murmured Strathlea in her ear I shall know better when the day is ended w ” hich I need most , prayer or thanksgiving . h S e coloured a little and her eyes fell , meanwhile the solemn music ceased . Shall I ring ? ” inquired S ir Frederick as h i h t e last note d ed away on t e air .

— They all silently acquiesced , and by means of a coarse rope hanging down among th e ﬂowers the bell was gently set in motion . I ts soft clang was almost i mmediately answered by a venerable monk

i m a in wh te gar ents , with a long ros ry twisted i nto h is girdle and a Cross and Star blazoned

in gold u pon h is breast .

i ! i s Benedic te sa d this per onage mildly , making the sign of the cross before other

— wise addressing the visitors, then , as they i nstinctively bent their heads to the pious

greeting, he opened the door a little wider

and asked them in French what they sought . For answer Madame Vas s ilius stepped

forward and g ave him an open letter , one which she knew would serve as a pass to

2 1 6 THE SO UL OF LI LI TH

The monk shook his head .

O of h no , Madame , not so . We none ‘ ’ us lay claim to genius ; that is for those

— o in the outer world , here we simply w rk and do our best for the mere love of doing it . rew H ere, preceding them a little , he th a a open door, and ushered them into a qu int lo w h room , panelled in oak , and begged t em to be seated for a few moments While he went to inform Brother Sebastian ” of their arrival .

nc e Left alone they gazed about in sil , i i t ll Sir Freder ck , after staring hard a the panelled walls said You may be pretty sure these fellows have carved every bit of that oak th M onks are always wonderful wor ‘ ’ Lab orare est orare you know the

was i way , I noticed that monk artist who w th — I w us j ust now wore no tonsure , onder ? ’ why Anyhow it s a v ery ugly dis ﬁg u re ment and quite senseless ; they do well to abjure it . h c — El- m I s t is man you ome to see , Ra i TH E SO UL OF L I L I TH 2 1 7

— a member of the Fraternity ? asked

Strathlea of I rene in a low tone .

She shook her head compassionately .

O — — h e h no poor creature , would not understand their rules or their discipline . h i H e is simply in t e r charge , as one who ” must for all his life be weak and helpless .

At that moment the door opened , and a i n tall slim figure appeared , clad n the traili g white garments of the b rotherhood ; and in the dark poetic face , brilliant eyes and fine sensitive mouth there was little difficulty in recognising Feraz as the Brother Sebastian for whom they waited . H e advanced towards

and them with singular grace quiet dignity , the - former timidity and impetuosity of youth had entirely left him , and from his outward aspect and bearing he looked l ike a young saint whose thoughts were always set on the i i h ghest th ngs , yet who nevertheless had known what it was to suffer in the search for peace .

— h e You are most welcome , Madame

himself with said , inclining a courteous gentle

— I ness towards I rene , I expected you , felt 2 1 8 THE SO UL OF L I L I TH

u s re that you would one day come to see us . I know you were al ways interested in my brother

I was , and am still replied I rene gently ,

s and in yourself al o . “ Feraz , or Brother Sebastian as he was now called , made another gentle salutation expressive of gratitude , and then turned his eyes questioningly on the oth er members of the party . You will not need to be reminded of S ir

e Fred rick Vaughan and Lady Vaughan ,

— went on I rene , then as these exchanged i greet ngs , she added This gentleman whom you do not know i s the Duke of

— we m Strathlea , have ade the journey from

England in his yacht , and she hesitated a moment , the colour deepening a little in her fair cheeks “ he is a great friend of ” mine . h — c Feraz glanced at er once , then on e at i d Strathlea, and a grave sm le softene his pensive face . H e extended his hand with a

frank cordiality that was charming, and w Strathlea pressed it armly , fascinated by

2 2 0 TH E SO UL OF LI LI TH

i - They hes tated , all except I rene . Lady

— Vaughan was a nervous creature , she had

’ a very vivid remembrance of El- Rami s terrible eyes — they looked ﬁery enough

was — when he sane , but how would they look now when he was mad ? She moved uneasily her husband pulled his long moustache doubtfully as he studied her somewhat alarmed countenance , and Feraz , glancing at the group , silently understood the situation . ” m e ? Will you come with , Madame he “ said , addressing himself solely to I rene I t is better perhaps that you should see him ﬁrst alone But he will not distress you he is quite harmless poor E l- Ram i

I n spite of himself his voice trembled ,

’ and I rene s warm heart swelled for sympathy . i — I w ll come at once she said , and as she prepared to leave the room Strathlea whispered Let me go with you !

i — She gave a mute s gn of assent , and h Feraz leading t e way , they quietly followed , wh ile Sir Frederick and h is wife remained behind . They passed ﬁrst through a long THE SO UL OF LI LI TH 2 2 1

— i l stone corridor, then nto a beautifu quad ran ular g court with a fountain in its centre , and wooden benches set at equal distances under its moss -grown vine -covered colon w nades . Flowers gre everywhere in the i wildest , lovel est profusion , tame doves strutted about on the pavement with peaceful and proud complacency , and palms and magnol ias grew up in tall and tangled pro

h h - fusion w erever t ey could obtain root hold , i i h casting the r long , leafy trembl ng s adows across the qu adrangle and softening the too dazzling light reﬂected from the brilliant sky

' above . Up in a far corner of th is l ittle garden paradise , under the shade of a spread c ing cedar, sat the pla id figure of a man , o ne h of the brethren at first e seemed , for he was clothed in the garb of the monasti c order, and a loose cowl was flung back from h is uncovered head on which the hai r shone white and glistening as fine spun silver . H is h h — ands were loosely clasped toget er, his large dark eyes were fixed on the rays of l igh t that quivered prismatically in the foam

of the tossing fountain , and near his feet a 2 2 2 TH E SO UL OF L I LI TH couple of amorous snowy doves sat brooding in the sun . H e did not seem to hear the i footsteps of h s approaching visitors , and even when they came close up to him , it was only by slow degre es that h e appeared to h become conscious of t eir presence . El- Rami ! said h is brother with tender

El- gentleness Rami , these are friends who have journeyed hither to see you . m Then , like a man reluctantly awaking fro a long and pleasant noonday dream , he rose

h u and stood up wit sing larly majestic dignity , and for a moment looked so like the proud , El-R indomitable ami of former days , that I rene V as s iliu s in her intense interest and compassion for him , half fancied that the surprise of seeing old acquaintances had for a brief interval brought back b oth reason and

' — remembrance . But no , his eyes rested upon her unrecognisingly , though he greeted l her and Strathlea a so , with the stateliest of

salutations .

— h e Friends are always welcome said , — it But friends are rare in the world , is

not in the world one must look for them .

2 2 4 THE SO UL OF LI LI TH

E l- down beside Rami , took his hand in her

—

. a . t own . He turned and looked at her, the

— at fair delicate face and soft ardent eyes , the slight dai nty ﬁgure in i ts close -ﬁtt ing

— white garb , and a faint wondering smile

brightened his features .

e What is this he murmured , then glan ing downward at h er small white ringless hand as it held his I s this an angel Yes

i b e — h h t must , well then , t ere is ope at last . You bring me news of Lilith

I rene started , and her heart beat nervously , h she could not understand t is , to her, new m w phase of his wandering ind . What as she to say in answer to so strange a question ? ? for wh o was Lilith She gazed helplessly

a — h e at Fer z , returned her look with one so earnest and imploring, that she answered at once as she thought most advisable Yes

’ A sudden trembling shook El- Rami s frame , and he seemed absorbed . After a

lo n g pause , he lifted his dark eyes and ﬁxed

u them solemnly pon her . w Then , she kno s all now he de TH E SO UL OF L I L I T H 2 2 5 mande d S he understands that I am patient — that I repent — that I believe and that I love her as s he would have me

h — i love er , faithfully and far beyond all l fe and ti me i Without hesitation , and only anx ous to e soothe and comfort him , I rene answer d at once

e — — Y s yes she understands . Be con soled — b e patient still — you will meet her soon again . ? ” i i Soon again he echoed , w th a pathet c glance upward at the dazzling blue sky Soon I n a thousand years — o r a thou sand thousand -for so do happy angels

— count the time . To me an hour is long but ”

h . to Lilit , cycles are moments

i — h e H s head sank on his breast , seemed to fall suddenly into a dreamy state of med i t at io n — , and just then a slow bell began to toll to and fro from a wooden turret on the monastery roof.

' “ That i s for vespers — said Feraz Will ? you come , Madame , and hear our singing ” - You shall see El Rami again afterwards .

VOL . 111 . 2 2 6 TH E SO UL OF L I LI TH

h Silently s e rose , but her movement to

E l- depart roused Rami from his abstraction , and he looked at her wistfully . They say there is happiness in the world h e said slowly “ but I have not

e o u found it . Little messeng r of peace , are y happy ? ” The pathos of his rich musical voice as he “ said the words little messenger of peace , i h was indescribably touch ng . Strat lea found w i his eyes suddenly gro ing d m with tears , and I rene ’ s voice trembled greatly as she answered “ N o , not quite happy, dear friend ; we h none of us are quite appy . ” - i El- N ot without love , sa d Rami , speak i ng w i th sudde n ﬁrmness and decision

. i Without love we are powerless With t ,

we can compass all things . Do not miss

u l ove ; it is the cl e to the great Secret , — ’ the only key to God s mystery . But you h i — k now t s already , better than I can tell

o u — it — ou y , for I have missed , not lost it , y

understand , but only missed it . I shall ﬁnd

2 2 8 TH E SO UL OF L I L I TH take him alone i nto the chapel and play to him on the organ . H e is very peaceful , and never at any ti me violent . h i And , pursued Strathlea es tatingly , i who is , or who was the L lith he speaks of “ A woman he loved — answered Feraz qu ietly and whom he loves still . She

— h i — in lives for m Heaven . i i N o more quest ons were asked , and n another mi nute they arrived at the o pe n door of the little chapel , where Sir Frederick and

u Lady Vaughan , attracted by the so nd of

i i . e mus c , were already await ng them I ren brieﬂy wh ispered a hurried explanation of

’ El- i i h Ram s condit on , and Lady Vaug an de c lare d she would go and see hi m after the

- vesper service was over . “ You must not expect the usual sort' of “ vespers — said Feraz then O ur form is not the Roman Catholic .

I s it not queried Strathlea , surprised ? Then , may one ask what is it O ” ur own , was the brief response .

- white v c o wled Three or four , White gar m e nt e d ﬁgures now began to glide into the TH E SO UL OF L I L I TH 2 2 9

i - i chapel by a s de entrance , and Sir Freder ck Vaughan asked with some curiosity : Which is th e Superior ? We have no Superior -replied Féraz There is one Master of all the Brother h hoods , but he has no ﬁxed abitation , and he i s not at present in Europe . H e visits the different branches of our Fraternity at dif fe re nt — h intervals , but e has not been here si nce my brother and I came . I n th is house

- we are a sort of small Republic , each man governs himself, and we are all in perfect unity , as we all implicitly follow the same

u i ﬁxed r les . Will you go nto the chapel

o u now I must leave y , as I have to sing the chorale .

They obeyed his gesture , and went softly into the little sacred place , now glowing with i l ght , and redolent of sweet perfume , the natural i ncense wafted on the air from the many ﬂowers which were clustered in every nook and corner . Seating themselves quietly on a wooden bench at the end of the building , they watched t h e proceeding s in mingled

W — onder and reverence , for such a religious 2 39 TH E SO UL OF L I L I T H

service as th is they had assuredly never wit

d — o ni nes s e . There was no altar , y an arched

recess , wherein stood a large , roughly carved

wooden cross , the base of which was entirely

surrounded with the rarest ﬂowers . Through

the stained glass window behind , the warm i —it afternoon l ght streamed gloriously , fell upon the wooden beams of the Sign of Salva

tion , with a rose and purple radiance like

- ﬁ re — that of newly kindled , and as the few monks gathered together and knelt before i t in im silent prayer, the scene was strangely

pressive . though the surroundings were so

simple . And when , through the deep still ness an organ -chord broke grandly like a

éraz wave from the sea , and the voice of F , i i deep , rich , and pathet c exclaimed as t were ,

in song,

' Qu ar e tr i s tzs es an ima mea Qu ar e contur bas me

i c g ving the reply in still sweeter ac ents ,

” Sper a i n D eo I then I rene Vass ilius sank on her knees and

i ' i h h d her face n er clasped hands , her whole

2 3 2 TH E SO UL OF L I L I TH

I n all th e c au sel es s g r ie fs wh er ewith your h earts are m o ved H av e ye no time t o h ear th e V oi c e of th e B elov e d ?

I O h eark en t o th e Vo i c e o f th e B elove d S wee er i i s an m us ic —s we e er far t t th , t T h an a ng el -anth ems in a h appy s tar I ’ O wan er i n c h il ren o f th e Fa er s H ouse d g d th , T u rn omew ar e re th e c omi n of th e n i h d g g ht, F ollo w th e pathw ay l ea di ng to t h e lig ht I S o s h all th e s or r ows of l ong e xile c eas e An d tear s b e tur ned t o s miles and pai n t o peac e Lift u p your h ear ts and let your faith b e p ro ve d An swe r o h ans wer th e V o ic e of t h e B elov e I , d i h Very s mple stanzas t ese , and yet , sung

by Feraz as only he could sing , they carried i n their very utterance a singularly passionate

and beautiful appeal . The fact of his singing the verses in E nglish i mplied a gracefully

i v — intended compl ment to his isitors , and “ after the last line Answer, oh answer the ” voice of the Beloved I a deep silence reigned i i in the l ttle chapel . After some minutes , th s silence was gently disturbed by wh at one might express as the gradual ﬂ owi ng -i a of

— a i music , soft , persuasive r pple of sound that seemed to wind in and out as though it had crept forth from the air as a stream creeps through the grasses . And while that T H E SO UL OF L I L I TH 2 33 delicious harmony rose and fell on the other

a wise bsolute stillness , Strathlea was thrilled through every nerve of his being by th e touch of a small soft warm hand that stole tremblingly near. his own as the music stole into his heart ; a hand , that after a little hesitation placed itself on his in a wistfully submissive way that filled him with rapture and wonder . H e pressed the cling ing dainty fingers i n his own broad palm ’ !” b I rene he whispered , as e bent his head lower in apparent devotion I rene , is th is my answer She looked up and gave him one fleeting glance through eyes that were dim with i tears ; a faint smile qu vered on her lips ,

— — and then , she hid her face again , but left

And i her hand in his . as the mus c , solemn and sweet , surged around them both like a rolling wave , Strathlea knew his cause was s won , and for thi favour of high H eaven , mentally uttered a brief but passionately “ v L au s D e i fer ent o. H e had obta ned the

— best blessing that God can give Love , and he felt devoutly certain that he had 2 34 T H E SO UL OF L I L I TH nothing more to ask for i n th is world or the

— d . h next Love for im was enough , as in eed it should be enough for us all if only we will understand it in its highest sense . Shall we ever understand -or never

2 36 T H E SO UL OF L I LI TH

- O of the cedar tree . ne of the tame doves that had previously been seen nestling at his feet , had now taken up its position on his c knee , and was compla ently huddled down i there , allow ng itself to be stroked , and utteri ng crooning sounds of satisfaction as h is hand pa ssed caressingly over its folded white wings . Feraz said very little as he escorted all his guests up to Within a yard or

’ E l- - so of Rami s secluded seat, but Lady

Vaughan paused irresolutely , gazing timidly a nd with something of awe at the quiet h d reposeful ﬁgure , t e rooped head , the deli

’ cate dark hand that stroked the dove s wings, -and as she looked and strove to real i ze

i h e r that th s gentle , submissive , meditative , mit -like m an was indeed the once proud and

El - indomitable Rami , a sudden trembling h came over her, and a rus of tears blinded h er eyes . I cannot speak to him — she whispered sobbingly to her husband H e looks so —I far away , am sure he is not here with us at all I i ’ S r Frederick , distressed at his wife s tears , TH E SO UL OF LI L I T H 2 3 7 murmured something sooth ing — but he too was rendered nervous by the situation and he could ﬁnd no words i n which to make his feelings intelligible . So , as before , I rene

V s lius a s i took the i nitiati ve . Going close

E l- i e t up to Rami , she with a qu ck y graceful i mp ulsiveness threw herself i n a h alf-kneeli ng i i att tude before h m . ” - El Rami I she said .

H e started , and stared down upon her — h amazedly , yet was careful in all is move ments not to disturb the drowsing wh ite dove upon his knee . Who calls me he demanded “ Who speaks i I call you repl ed I rene , regardless h o w her quite unconventional behaviour might affect the Vaughans as onlookers I

n . ask you , dear friend , to liste to me I want

— to tell you that I am happy very happy , i and that before I go , you must g ve me your blessing . A pathetic pain and wonderment cross e d

’ - El Rami s features . H e looked helplessly

— he at Feraz , for though did not recognise 2 38 T H E SO UL OF L I L I TH

i i h m as h s brother , he was accustomed to rely upon him for everyth ing . This is very strange I” he faltered N o one has ever asked me for a blessing . Make her understand that I have no power at all to do any good by so much as a word or a h i t t ought . I am a very poor and gnoran ’ man — quite at God s mercy Feraz bent above h i m with a sooth ing gesture . ” El- Dear Rami , he said this lady honours you . You will wish her well ere

u s — h she departs from , t at is all she seeks .

El-Ram t t h urned again towards I rene , w o remained perfectly quiet in the attitude she had assumed . h “ I thoug t , he murmured slowly I h — it thoug t you were an angel , seems you are a woman . Sometimes they are one and the same thing . N ot often , but sometimes .

Women are wronged , much wronged ,

when God endows them , they see further than we do . But you must not - I honour me , am not worthy to be honoured . A little child is much wiser

2 40 T H E SO UL OF L I L I TH H e closed h is eyes languidly then and m — h i i see ed fatigued , s hand st ll mechanically h ’ h im stroked t e dove s wings . They left so , moving away from h im with hushed and cautious steps . H e had not noticed Sir

i — and Freder ck or Lady Vaughan , they were i h h almost glad of th s , as t ey were t emselves i i l i ent rely dis nc ned to speak . To see so great a wreck of a once brilliant intellect was a painful spectacle to good -natured Sir — i Frederick , wh le on Lady Vaughan it had f the ef ect of a severe nervous shock . She thought she would have been better able to bear the sight of a di stracted and howl i ng i i man ac . than the solemn pit fulness of that i i s lent subm ssion , that grave patience of a i physically strong man transformed , as t

i i . were , nto a ch ld They walked round the court , Feraz gathering as he went bouquets of roses and jessamine and passi

ﬂ o ra for th e two ladies . H e seems comfortable and happy S i r

Frederick ventured to remark at last . — i . H e is , perfectly so rejo ned Feraz I t is very rarely that he is depressed or TH E SOUL OF LI LI TH 2 4 1

uneasy . H e may live on thus till he is quite

— old , they tell me , his physical health is

exceptionally good . And you will always stay with him ?

said I rene .

Madame I Can you ask , and Feraz “ smiled I t is my one joy to serve him . I grieve sometimes that he does not know me

' wh o I am — really , , but I have a secret feeling

that one day that part of the cloud will lift , h and he will know . For the rest e is pleased — and soothed to have me near him , that is c all I desire . He did everything for me on e , — it is ﬁtting I should do everything for him

— now . God is good , and in H is measure of

afﬂiction there is always a great sweetness . Surely you do not think it well for your brother to have lost the control of his brilliant ? ” intellectual faculties asked Sir Frederick ,

surprised . I think everything well that God designs

answered Feraz gently , now giving the

ﬂowers he had gathered , to I rene and Lady

Vaughan , and looking , as he stood in his white robes against a background of rosy

2 L 1 11 . VO . 5 24 2 TH E SO UL OF L I L I TH

t- i i sunse light , l ke a gloriﬁed young sa nt in ' “ ' a t El- pic ure , Rami s intellectual faculties were far too brilliant , too keen , too dominant , — his great force and supremacy of will too

as absolute . With such powers he had he t would have ruled his world , and lost the next . That is , he would have gained the w h Shado and missed t e Substance N o , no ‘ —it i s best as it is . Except ye become as little children , ye shall not enter the King I’ do m of H eaven That is a true saying .

I n the - Valley of H umiliation the birds of

’ E l- - paradise . sing , and in Rami s earth dark ness there are gleams of the Light Divine .

am — v I content and so , I ﬁrmly and de outly believe , is he . i h a W t this , and few more parting words ,

the visitors now prepared to take their leave . Suddenly I rene Vas s ilius perceived an ex q u is ite rose hanging down among the vines that clambered about the walls of the little monastery — a rose pure white in its outer petals but tenderly tinted with a pale blush pink towards its centre . Acting on her own impulsive idea , she gathered it , and hastened

en 1 118 s 8 81110111 1 e 0 ,

S E L E CT E D F RO M AM O NG T H E B E S T W O RK S OF F I CT I ON O F EAC H Y E AR

E a c oth ch volume can b e ob tai n d e l i n cr own 8vo. l e s p ar a te y , , ’ 107 7506 a t a ll bookseller s and r ai lway b ooks talls i n the ’ U n i ted Ki n dom and a t a ll the leadi n b ookseller s and g , g ’ i m or ter s i n the Coloni e and a t he r ai lwa bookstalls i n p s , t y I ndi a and A li u s tr a a .

LS THE INITIA .

’ B th e BAR ONE SS TAU T P H CE U S nee MONT G ME RY y ( O ) . On e of th ose special an d i n di vi du al tales th e coming of which is l n l w l om e I t m u s lease all wh o love ar a er i n er s n p easa t y e c d . t p ch ct p o s n l N 0 e er u m lower th an Antonys a d C eopatr as . b tt h ou r ed or less car ica t u r ed pictu r e of life i n Germ any h as ever been execu ted b y an E ng lis h ” m en l The Athenceu . p ci .

L S O L S THE A T F THE CAVA IER .

B an ANONY M AUT H y OU S OR . I t i s long s ince t h e liter ar y wor ld h as pr odu ce d a n ovel so able and so or ou l of i t s lass well on e ve and ar s all e e u e I t a bou n s th gh y c c c i d ti tic y x c t d . d i n as sa es and s en es of en u ne a os and r ses o as onall to th e le ve l p g c g i p th , i cc i y of r u e oe r W e c an h ave n o h es a on i n r e ommen n Th e Las of t p t y . it ti c di g t ’ ” t h e Caval er s as th e wor k of a ver f n ot t h e es las s —The i , y high , i high t, c . L iter ar Gazette y . A wor k exceedi ng ly s imilar t o s ome of Walter S co tt 8 bes t efforts on e of th e bes s ri al n ovels we ve a for man ear s — Th e M or nin t hi to c ha r e d y y . g

Chr oni cle. QUITS !

B h B AR ONE s s TA T P H cE U S nee MONT G OM E RY y t e U ( ) .

n m r abl e n ov el s en en ou s r a f l ui s i s a a . u l Q t d i Witty , t ti , g phic , bri ll an u r es of l fe an d m an n er s i s os v el on e of t h e bes i t pict i , it p iti y t m o er n s or es an d m ay b e r ea w del h fu l n er es f r om over d t i , d ith ig t i t t c — v er Th e M or ni n P ost . co . g “ r —Th e bser ver n er n i n t h e es ee . I t es ti g hig h t d eg O . OO S O O U T TRANGE N T T BE TR E .

B L ADY E R G IANA FUL L E R T ON y G O . On e of th e m ost fascin atin g an d delig ht ful wor ks I ev er h ad t h e g ood fort un e t o m e e w i n w en u s oo n es s an d beau m ee o e er t ith , hich g i , g d , ty t t g th i n th e a es om b n a on w th e add on al h ar m of an s or al h ppi t c i ti , ith iti c hi t ic ” ”

bas s E I NONAOH i n N otes a nd u er i es . i . , Q L S T H E T H RE E C E R K .

B AN T HONY TR OL L OPE y .

’ ‘ ’ T r ollo e s n e n ov el was Th e T r ee Cler ks w h we ave p xt h , hic h alwa s rea l a m r e an d en o e b u t w h we fan e h ad om e be for e y g t y d i d j y d , hic ci d c les as al on s T h e s or r ows t h e h r ea en e m or al e th e e . r a a on cc i tic ﬁcti , t t d d g d ti o f oor Ch ar l e T u or t h e er s e u on h e u n er wen fr om t h e low m on e p i d , p c ti d t y len er — all h es e n s s eemed ver a ual t o u s and n ow we kn ow a d t thi g y ct , th t h o r a s r e r odu e r om t h l T h e n o e s eems o h a they wer e p ot g ph p c d f e ife. v l t v e ’ been a s e al fa vou r e of i t s au or s an d er a s h e l a es alm os er p ci it th , p h p p c t high than we s h ou ld b e in clin ed t o do t h e u n dou btedly p ath e tic lov e -s ce n es of w e oodwar i s t h e er o n e H e e lar es el ew er if w K a . s e e r e hich t W d h i d c h , m em ber ar at one Of h es e s en es was t h e m os ou h n h e ev e r ight, th t c t t c i g w An d h e s a s er e Th e as sa e i n w K a e oodwar h n k r o e . t y h , p g hich t W d , t i i n sh e will di e r es t o ake leav e of t h e lad sh e love s s ll br n s ear s t o g , t i t , ti i g t I h ad n ot t h e ear t o ll h er I n e er u ld w en I r ead . k v o my eyes h it h t i . c And I do n ot dou b b ut h a e ar e l v n a l o e er t o do that . t t t th y i i g h ppi y t g th ’ ’ T i m e v wi n An h n r llo A t i o h e T s r e i e t o T o e s u ob r a h . this day . ( g y p g p y) M r T r oll o e am l bear s ou t i n t h e wor k t h e r e u a on b e a u r e . p p y p t ti cq i d ‘ ’ r er s e r e ar d t h e en er n e n l -s a r iﬁ e O f b y B ar ch este T ow . W g t d ss a d s e f c c L in da as on e of t h e m os t g r acefu l and tou ch ing pictu r es Of feminin e h er oism h h l r an e O f m o er n n o els — J h B ull w o e v . i n t e g d o n . h r e ler h ou r n r on I r etu r n Th e T e C ks wit tr u e th an k s a d app eciati . W e both qu ite ag r ee with you i n con sider i ng it t h e b es t Of th e thr ee cle v e r l M h u s an d w an el m et a n o el t o novels befor e th e ub . b h o c s o v p ic y , d g l h im h as b een h el b all r ee an d b s h e s r on es Al s o o t . h d , d y th , y thi t g t it l wh h t h e o er s ave n o s n of or n s a n e I was wr u n h as u a es . F q iti ic th g ig i t c , g ’ o ear s b t h e h r v ol um e a a or ou l m a n s book i s t t y t i d . Wh t th g h y it M r i z a beth ar r tt B r w i n r s A r ollo e L etter o s E l B e o n to M . T . T . f . g . p

U L S L S NC E I A .

SE P E R A LE P A B y JO H SH ID N NU . W e cor dial ly r ecomm en d this r em ar kable n ov el t o all wh o have lei s u r e to r ead sa s e h a for man a da af er war s th e ar a ers er e it, ti ﬁ d t t y y t d ch ct th

B E NTLE Y S ’ F A VO U RI TE N O VE L S 4 . ci pal char acter — t h e her oine— i s or ig in al an d fu ll Of s weetn ess and te nds

n ess . Th e s r u le in h e r min w en wr e h e om eles s and with O t gg d h , tc d , h , love h er ar is o ra lover as ks h er t o be om e h i s m s r ess r omis n h , t c tic c i t , p i g all el and love wi h ou t h e form of m arr a e i s bol l and ru ful ﬁd ity t t i g , d y t th ” r a n — Th e S tator w . d p ec .

O U S LO W C METH P A A F ER . B RHODA BR OU GH T ON y .

A s r k n l or na l and lever al e t h e ef m er s Of w ons t i i g y igi c t , chi it hich c i n th e ower ful v or ou s m anner of it s ell n i n t h e e ee n beau p , ig t i g , xc di g an d oe r Of it s ske es and s en er an d i n th e solilo u es som etim p t y tch c y , q i u a n l h um or ou s s ome m es n all b er s ome m es la n v a q i t y , ti cy ic y itt , ti p i ti e ” melan ol whi ar e u ter e b th e er o ne . The Ti s me . ch y, ch t d y h i

S S ’ S S O A I TER T RY.

B MR S AU GUS T US CRAVE N P AUL INE DE L A FE R R ONAY y . ( S)

A b ook w ook all F r an e and all E n lan b s or m — B la hich t c g d y t . c ’ a wood s M g az i ne. ’ ’ A S s er s S or i s ar m n l wr en and ex ellen l ranslate i t t y ch i g y itt , c t y t ’ n a n r e a on s Of am l e M ontalemb ert s I t is full Of fasci ti g ev l ti f i y lif . lett er n n f h im a u n m an ar e l I n er o n and t h e m e o o as o e fu l . w v e wi ti y g , d ig ht t t h e s tor y of Alex an dr i ne ar e accou n ts of t h e diff er en t m embe r s of t famil of F er r on a s Th e s tor of e r l v es an d ea s i s b eau if y La y . y th i i d th t u th eir letter s an d di ar ies ab ou n d i n exqu is ite th oughts an d ten der r elig i o n — h um f el Th e At ence . e i g .

BREEZI E L O ANGT N .

B MAJ OR H AWL E Y SMAR T y .

A a al novel fu ll Of s wee E n l s r ls and br ave O e n - ear t c pit , t g i h g i , p h l I t abou n s w s rr n s en es on th e rac ec our E nglis h g ent emen . d ith ti i g c and in th e am ol w a r ar e an ma on and a or ou kn owled e c p, t d ith i ti , th g h g ” — a n a ou Tb e ua r dia n. what th e wri ter i s t lki g b t. G H ad th e au or omi W e pr edict for this book a d ecided su ccess . th tt his n ame fr om th e le- a e we s h oul u n es a n l ave re tit p g , d h it ti g y h c dit

e M elvi lle w h i s labour s . Th e for e an d r u O f th e h u nti Mr . Whyt ith c t th and r a n s ke es t h e l vel a of t h e lu b and t h e bar r a ks ci g tch , i y ch t c c , t leasan ﬂi r n s enes an d th e ener al t on e O f oo s o e all arr p t ti g c , g g d ci ty , c y ’ n an r an Th e Sat u r cb bac k t o th e d ays of K ate Cove try d Dig by G d .

S S L SEN E AND SEN IBI ITY . B ANE UST E N y J A .

’ all M s s Au s en no e s arm n th I have now r ea d over ag ai n i t s v l . Ch i g T er e are i n t h e wor l no om os on s w a r oac nea r e r ar e. h d c p iti hich pp h ” ’ — Ma 1 s 1 85 1 M acaula s J our na l t . fec on . per ti y , y , F rs and for emos let J an e Au s en b e n am e th e reatest ar i st th i t t t d , g t h as ever wr en u s n th e er m to s n f th e mos erfec t master ov itt , i g t ig i y t p B E N T L E Y S ’ F A VO RI TE NO VE L S U . 5

mean s t o h er en d L fe as i t r esen s self t o an E n l s en le t h e . i , p t it g i h g t wom an ea efull et a vel en a e i n h er u e v lla e i s m r r or e in , p c y y cti y g g d q i t i g , i d h er wor ks with a pu r ity and ﬁdelity th at m u s t en dow th em with in ter est ife for all me T o r ea on e of h er books i s l k e an a u al e er en e of l . ti . d i ct xp i c Y ou know th e eo le as f ou h ad l v ed w h em an d ou feel some n p p i y i ith t , y thi g m T h e m ar ellou s r eal an d su e of p er son al affecti on t owar d s th e . v ity btl distinctiv e tr aits n oticeable i n h e r p or tr aits h as led M acau lay t o call h er a ” ar — G E E L T r ose akes e e . GEOR IO p Sh p .

’ ’ B ea s th u k u lse o er I n chb ald s r ll n leaf t y q ic p th i i g , ’ ’ B ru n t on s h h m or al O e s ee wr ou r ef ig , pi d p g ht g i H as th e m ld a er on la med th el n ear i ch p c i y yi di g h t, ’ ’ Car r oll s dar k a e T r e v el an s en le ar t p g , y g t Or i s h ou ALL P ERFECT AUS TEN H er e it t , L et on e oor wr ea h a or n th ear l b er p t d y y i , T h at s car ce allowed t h y m odes t you th t o claim ’ I t s livin g por tion of th y c er t ai n fam e h r s B nn e M r s or r s t oo e . N O M . t i ’ le m em or su r v v es w ll r eam Of ou Whi y i e d y . An r ood ou s e w os e abs em ou s li d M . W h , h t i p M us n b u t n ot too n h i s ru el s i t thi , thi , g p . M ss B a es ou r ol ou t h e v lla e b or e i t , id , th gh i g El n ar en ex lor e An d M r s . o t o t , d t p . h le t h e dear s le ows on w h ou r e en e W i ty ﬂ it t p t c , h u n s a n ed u r and u nm a e s ense Wit t i p ity tch d . ’ Or f a s s er e er a r oa e t h e h r on e , i i t pp ch d t , S h e alle h e r I n er an e h er own c d t ich h it c .

T HE EARL or CARLIS LE.

J UD PRIDE AND PRE ICE .

B ANE AUSTE N y J .

T Coler e wou l s om e m es bur s ou t n o en om u m s of S . . idg d ti t i t hig h c i ’ ‘ M ss Au s en s n o vels as b e n i n ei r wa er f e l en u n e an d n i t i g , th y , p ct y g i i di ’ v u al r odu on s The Ta ble-ta lk a m e a or r i . o d id p cti f S u l T yl Cole g e. F er r i er and Au s ten ha ve g iven por tr aits Of r eal s ociety far su per ior t o n h n va n m an h as r o u e of t h e l k e v r n a n a u r e . I a e ea a a yt i g i p d c d i t h d g i , ’ an d for t he r m e M s s Au s en s ver ﬁ nel wr en n ov el Of P r e thi d ti , i t y y itt id ’ T a ou n a h ad a n n l an d P r ej udi ce . h t y g l dy tale t for d escr ibi g t h e i n vo ve m ents and feel n s an d ar a er s Of or n ar l fe w i s t o m e th e m os t i g ch ct di y i , hich H won er fu l I eve r m et w . er e u s e ou w r en er s omm on d ith xq i it t ch , hich d c plac e thing s and ch ar acter s in ter estin g fr om th e tr u th of t h e d es cr iption men i s en e t o m e an d th e s en . a a so f e a rea u r e e ti t , d i d Wh t pity g i t d c t di d — LT ER T so ear ly S I R WA S CO T. ’ P r e an d P r e u e b J an e Au s en i s a e r fe e of a n ov el of id j dic , y t , p ct typ omm on l fe t h e s or s o on s el an d r am a al l old t he l an u a e s o c i t y c ci y d tic y t , g g s m le th e s a es of h u m an ar a er s o lear l r e sen e and t h e o er a i p , h d ch ct c y p t d , p on Of v ar ou s m o v es so del a el r a e d a e s s f ed wom an t o ti i ti ic t y t c , tt t thi g i t ” ’ av e been h er fe m s r e ss of h er ar - s r Ar n n li h te a tu r . h t e p ct i t t . old E g s L i e ’ One Of th e b es of M ss Au s en s u n e uall e wor k H ow er fe l t i t q d s . p ct y it n — ta tor i s wr itte Th e Sp ec . EMMA .

B ANE AUS T E N y J .

I am a r ea n ov el r ea er b u el om r ea G er m an or F r en n ve ls t I s o . g t d , d d ch fi l T h e h ar a er s ar e t oo ar al . M de h i s t o r ead E n l s n ove ls c ct ti ci y ig t g i h , ‘ ’ ’ lar l n r ar u os e wr e wom en C es t ou e u n e é ole de m o ale. p tic y th itt b y . t t c Au s n r r m a s ool h h i n t h e e ellen e and M ss e M s s F e er et c . f o r w i t , i i , , ch ic xc c pr of us ion O f i t s pr odu cti ons r e sembl es th e cloud o f d r am atic p oet s Of t h e ” r ea A h en an a e — GUI Z T O . g t t i g . S h ak e s ear e h as n h er e u l n or e on B ut amon t h e wri ter s p eit q a s c d . g wh o h a ve appr oache d n ear es t t o t h e m an n e r Of t h e g r eat m aste r we h ave n o es a on i n la n J an e Au s en a wom an of w om E n l an i s u s l h it ti p ci g t , h g d j t y ’ r ou d — M a u a . la p a c y s E ss ys . Alfr e d T en nys on t alked v er y pleas an tly th at e ven ing t o An n i e T a ker a H e s oke o f J an e Au s en as J a m es S eddi n do es as n e h c y . p t , p g , xt ” ’ o a e a - H r t r a t S s e r e. S ir i h h k p en y Taylor s Au ob og p y . D ear books bri h t s ar kl n w h w an d an m a o n i n wh th e g , p i g it it i ti , ich om el h er o n es h ar m th e u ll h o ur s fl an d t h e v er b or e s ar e e n h an h y i c , d y , y c t ” i n — M 1 T HA K . S S C ERAY g . ’ I h av e lik ewi se r ead o ne Of M is s Au s t en s wor ks E mm a - r ead it w n e r es t an d w th u s t h e de r ee of a dm r a on h a M s s Au s en ith i t , i j t g i ti t t i t er self wou ld a ve t h ou h n l n s u abl e An h n l ke warm h h g t s e s i b e a d it . yt i g i th or en t h u s as m an h n e n er e o nan or h ea r fel i s u t e r l ou t of i , yt i g g tic , p ig t , t t, t y la e i n omm en d n es e w o r ks All su h em on s r a on t h e au h or ess p c c i g th . c d t ti t would a ve s orn ed as t n d ex r ava an S h e oes h er bu s ness of h c o u r é a t g t . d i delin eati ng t h e s u r face O f t h e lives of g en teel E n glis h p eople c u r i ou sly well h er e i s a h a n h n S h e r u es C n ese el a m n a u r e del i t e a n t . f t i fid ity , i i t ic cy p i i g fl h e h er r ea er b n o h n v eh e m e n d s u r bs h im b n o h n r o fou nd. T d y t i g t, i t y t i g p p ass ion s ar e per fe ctly u nkn own t o h er — S h e r ej e cts e v en a sp e aking acqu ain t an ce with th at s tor my s i s te r h ood e ven t o t h e feeli n g s S h e vou ch safe s n o m or e th an an occas i on al g r ac efu l b u t distan t r ec og n ition ; t oo fr equ ent r ss H er con v er se with th em would r u fl le t h e s m ooth eleg an ce of h e r pr og e . bu s ness i s n ot alf s o m u h w t h t h e h u m an e ar t as w h t h e h u m an e es i h c i h it y , m ou h an s an f k l aks a l m ove s e x bl d d ee . a s ees een S e t , h , t Wh t y , p pt y , fl i y, i t s u s h er t o s tu b u t wh a h r obs fas and f ull h ou en w a it dy t t t t g h hidd , h t t h e b lo o r us h es h r ou h wh at i s t h e u ns ee n s ea Of l fe an d t h e s en en d t g , t i , ti t ’ ar e of ea h — thi M s s Au s en n or es Sh e n o m or e w h er m n s t g t d t s i t ig . ith i d e e b e ol s t h e h ear t o f h er r a e h an e a h m an w t bod l v s on s ees y h d c t c , i h i y i i , t h e h ear t i n h is h eav n br east J ane A u s en was a om le e an d m os i g . t c p t t s en s b le la b u t a ve r n om le e and r a er n sen s ble n o t s en sele ss i dy, y i c p t th i i ( ) ”— woman I f h s i s er es I ann o el it C HAR LOTTE B RONTE. . t i h y c t h p .

S L MAN FIE D PARK .

B ANE AUS T E N y J .

I av e th e u r e s il l b efor e m e O f L o r H ollan l n o n h is b ed h pict t d d yi g , wh e n a a ke w h ou t h i s s s er M ss F ox bes de h im r ea n al ou d tt c d it g , i t , i , i di g , ’ as sh e alwa s did on h es e o as on s s om e on e O f M s s Au s en s no vels Of y t cc i , i t , wh h h e was n ve r wear d I well r e olle th e m e wh e n es e h ar m ic e i e . c ct ti th c i n novels alm os u n u e i n e r s l e of um ou r bu rs s u denl on th e g , t iq th i ty h , t d y

RED A S A ROSE IS SHE .

B RHODA B R OU G HT ON y .

T er e ar e few r ea er s wh o will n ot b e fas n a e b s ale h d ci t d y thi t . h m T e Ti es.

— LADY SUSAN THE W ATSON S .

B ANE AUSTE N y J .

h e Au h or b h e Rev E Au s en-Le h a Memoir f t J . W o t . . it t y . t ig h

I f I cou ld g et m ater ials I r eally would wr ite a sh or t life of that won er fu l wom an an d r a s e a l le m on e t o u t u a m onum en t o h er d , i itt y p p t ” ’ dr al — M a a a s r a l 1 n es er Cat e ul J ou n 5 8 . i n . c 8 Wi ch t h y , “ I av e ear S dne Sm m or e h an on e well w h e lo u en e on h h d y y ith , t c , d it q c ’ s Au s en H e ol m e h s ou a e n th e m er its Of M i s t s nov els . t d e h ld h v e j oy ed ‘ ’ v er h leasu r e f r ea n er r a es n h nbu r e v w g i ing h t e p o di g h p is i t e E di gh R ie . ’ an n P r e was on e O f h i s r m e fav our es I r em ember fMi ss M for d s F y ic p i it . it sa n t o m e I wou l almos c ut off on e of m an s f wou l en able yi g d t y h d , i it d wr l ke ou r au n w t h e — T E EV E AUS TEN m e t o e H R J . it i y t ith . .

LEIGH . ’ M iss Au sten s life as w ell as h er tal en t s eem s t o u s u n iqu e am ong th e l v s of au or ess es of on — h e ua r t r l R vi w i e th ﬁcti . T Q e y e e . “ T h e n v en on of na u r al sm o u r r ed n ot i n P ar s b u t i n E n lan i ti t i cc i , g d su sful n v en o r i s n ot Z ola b u n e Au s n or e an d t h e es t J a e M . T eod cc i t , t . h ’ Du r e a di s n u s ed r u e d av an t ar de i s abou t o for m u la e s t , ti g i h c itiq g , t t thi in en ou s eor i n an es sa I t i s er a nl r emar kable a th e n am e g i th y y . c t i y th t of M iss Au sten sh ou ld at last b e kn own i n P ar i s for n ot many m on ths ag o a well -kn own F r ench au th or was in for m ed i n th e Ofﬁc e of th e R evu e er Contemp or ai ne th at n o on e els e i n F r an ce h ad ev er h ear d Of h er . C t ainly i n E nglan d at this mom en t h er r epu t ati on i s hig h er and wid er th an e ver h as been b efor e I n t h e elebr a e l s Of 1 00bes books la el it . c t d i t t t y u bl s e b t h e Pall M a ll Ga z ette n o m o er n n ovel s w n s s o man p i h d y , d i t i y r a s as e And n ow i n P ar s e ar e ma n h er th e od su ff g e M iss Au st n . i th y ki g g ” mo h er Of Z ol — st n i t r ar ld t a l B o o L e y W or .

OUGHT W E TO VI SIT HER ?

E AR E ANNIE DW D S . B y MR S .

T o s n ov el th e e e s S r e l v el or n al Of es n an d thi pith t pi it d , i y , ig i d ig ,

v or ou s i n wor k n ou t ma b e a l e w ou let or h n r an e . I n ig i g it , y pp i d ith t i d c s or i n all a oes t o m ake u at on e an am u s n and n er es n s or h t , th t g p c i g i t ti g t y , ' — M or n i P st s 7 h e n o . it i s i n ev er y way a su cce s . g “ E war des h as n ev er don e be er an i n h e r h ar m n n ov el M r s . d tt th c i g , ’ ni t F i r Ou ght W e t o V i s it H er ? Va y a . B E L Y ’ L NT E S FA VO U RI TE NO VE S . 9

OO - S W G D BYE , EETHEART

A T B y RHOD B R OU GH ON .

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T H R O W N T O GET HE R FL R E NCE M N T ME R Y B y O O GO .

T s ar m n s or ann o fa l t o lease — a ni t F a i r hi ch i g t y c t i p . V y . A el fu l s or Th e r e i s a r e ad Of ol i n u on w d ight t y . th g d it p hich ar e ” s r u n m an n m n D ail hr n lov el s e e s . Th e W a shi n ton C o i le t g y y ti t g y c .

Y NANC .

B RH ODA B R OU G HT ON y .

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THE W OOING O’ T “ B MR S AL E X ANDE R y . .

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yVor ld.

O W S L U OO W LL N T I E Y , B T T E . B RH DA B R U HT ON y O O G .

’ M iss B r ou ghton s popular ity i n all r anks of s oci ety shows n o s ig n of

e l n e. A s or me a o Ca a n M ar kh am of t h e Aler t was n r o u e d c i h t ti g pt i , , i t d c d t o h er at h i s own r e u es H e old h er h a i n s om e r em o e Ar la q t . t t t t ctic titu des an i ce -bou n d m ou n tain was ch r isten ed M ou n t Rhoda as an ack nowledg e ” m en of th e leasur e w h er ales h ad v en t o th e of e r s Of th e Aler t p hich t g i ﬁc t . ’ I O E T A R E L B N LE Y S F VO U I T NO VE S .

’ ’ COMIN THRO THE RYE .

B H E L E MA E S E E S N T H R MR S R VE . y ( . )

— A l ever n ovel n ev er ull and n eve r an s ﬁ r e . The S tandar d. c d , h g ‘ ’ ’ ’ n h t h e e T er e i s Ther e i s a g r eat deal of power i n C omi t r o Ry . h o r n al i n t h e ra lo a nd an u n eas n u r r en of fu n w save s igi ity t g ic p t, c i g c t hich ” — h e r a fr om b m n mbr e Th Ath enteum . t t g edy eco i g s o . e

LEAH : A W OMA N OF FASHION .

B M R S ANNIE E DWAR DE S . y .

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Th e W or ld. ’ M r s E dwar des s last n ov el i s th e s r on es and m os om l e e w . t g t t c p t hich — w sh e h as et r o u e Th e S a tur da Revi e . y p d c d . y

H E R D E A R E S T F O E . B MR AL E X ANDE R S . y .

r x r r n n er h oo Al ande h as e n o th e . T e al o M s . e w itt i g b tt b k t g ether ’ ’ ab ou n s i n br h an s ar kl n as sa es —1 h e S a tu r a i w d . d Rev e d ig t p i g p g y . Th er e i s n ot a s i ng le ch ar acter i n th is n ov el which i s n ot clever ly c on ” c ei v ed an d s u e ss fu ll llu s r a e d an d n ot a a e w i s u ll — The cc y i t t , p g hich d .

W or ld.

SU SS HOW W ON CCE , AND HE IT .

Fr om th e G er m an of E W E R NE R . .

’ u ess an d H o w H e W on I t es er ves all r a se T h e s o i s S . r cc , d p i t y ar m n an d or n al an d i t i s ol w th a el a w m akes ch i g ig i , t d i d ic cy hich it l — r r es s t b fas na n an d a r a ve Th e S ta nda r d. i i i y ci ti g tt cti . A b ook wh an r dl oo h h l oken f I f ll o f n r c a b e t s O . t i s u e es ich h y ig y p i t t , abou n ds i n e n n den s ou on a n s n o n sen sa on al it xciti g i ci t , th gh it c t i thi g ti ; i s m ar vellou sl a h e t h e ar a t er s ar e r aw n i n a m as er l s le it y p t tic, ch c d t y ty , ” and th e es r ve or on ar e el f ul i r s Th e L ondon F a o. d c ipti p ti d ig ht . g

J O AN .

B RHODA B R OU GHT N y O .

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( on a nother occasi on).

74 N LL ’ S O S E IE MEM RIE .

B RO SA HE T T E ARE Y y NOU C C .

A r e u e s or of E n l s l fe fr ee fr om s en s a on al n en p tty, q i t t y g i h i , ti i cid w ou th e s a o wof a m s er h r ou ou an d wr en i n a s ra n whi ith t h d y t y t g h t, itt t i r l a n h Of r n n a u r a l and s im l is v e y p e s g . M ss C ar ey h as t e g f w g l y p i ' i i t iti t h e r a os i s r ue and u n for ed an d h er on v er s a on s ar e s r l a p th t c , c ti p ig ht y ” sh ar — Th t dar . e S an d p . “ A v er a l ol om es s or w r em n s u s i n i t s m nu y h ppi y t d d tic t y hich i d , i ’ ” an leasan s l l f r em er s ales — T d de r on s of fam e of M s s B . p t c ipti i y i , i t E veni n S tar g .

P ROBATIO N .

L L B y JE SSIE FOT HE R G I . Altog e th er P r obation i s t h e m ost in ter es tin g nov el we h av e r ead f s om m e r n d l n of e . W e los e th e book w v er eal r e r e a a fee ti c d ith y g t , i g t tr u est adm ir ation for th e power which dir ected an d t h e spi r it which i n spir th e wr er an d w th e de e rm na on m or eov er t o m ake th e ac u ain it , ith t i ti , , q n f h r r — a e o e o er s o es . Th e S e ta t c th t i p c or . A n oble and beau tiful book which n o one wh o h as r ead is likely ” for e . Th e M a nch ester Exami n r g t e .

O O FOX D R THY .

B R MR P AR . y S .

n a h o h n el T h e s le is fr e W e m u st tha k th e u t r for a c ar ming o v . ty an d n a u r al v or ou s w h ou v ul ar s m le w ou t m awk is h n es t , ig it t g ity , i p ith Dor o F OX er s elf i s r e r es en e as h ar m n all ear s and sh e w thy h p t d c i g h t , ” ar m all r ead r w o x m n e on s Th Ti m W e s D r o o a . e ch e s . i h thy F y diti U S E C O N D T H O G H T S . A G T O B y RHOD B ROU H N . I lov e th e r oman ces of M iss B r ou ght on I thin k th em m u ch tru er ’ ’ m s on h an e r E o s M i n a ur e an Ou a s and m or e a s e G o e l . t th id , i p i d t g i t ’ B r ou on s er o n es ar e l v n be n s av n n ot onl es and b loo ght h i i i g i g , h i g y ﬂ h b u t also es r i t an d s ou l i n a wor d h e ar e r eal wom en n e er an m p , t y , ith i ”— nor n s l e o o . AN D E T H EU RI ET a el b u t al t b R . g , i d th

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Fr m th Fr en c h Of H E CT R M o e O AL OT .

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O L B RDER AND .

B E SSIE FOT HE R G IL L y J .

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A ROMANCE OF TW O W ORLDS . B M L L y AR IE C ORE I . ’ A r emar kable wor k and w e er b e all e a novel or a oem or , h th it c d , p , s holo al r oman e i t cann ot fail to make a ee im re ss on u on m p yc g ic c , d p p i p ”— t ell ctual m i n s . IA e d f e. “ l — C ever and n en ous . G i g i The lobe. Th e au or h as on i bl w f es r on an d not a h ttl th c s der a e po er O d c ipti , m e of a r eat ea 0 p oetical feeling . Th e b ook i s e vidently th e outc o g d l — s er ous ou t . Th a t r da w i th gh e S u y Revi e . U L MAX NC E .

B RO SA N OU CH E T T E CAR E Y y .

“ I n this book M iss C ar ey h as m ade a v er y distinct advan ce ; sh e ha s le ver l allowe a w ke s el sh m s ef-m ak n woman t o r ev eal er self c y d ic d , ﬁ , i chi i g h b y h er own wor ds an d acts — a ver y differ en t th i ng t o des cr ibing h er an d ons fr om ou s e V lla n s an d e r fem n n e ou n er ar s h er m achinati t id . i i th i i i c t p t ar e n ot ar a er s i n w sh e u su all eals for sh e sees th e bes t s e of ch ct hich y d , id h e h as m a e an n er es n a on t o u r r en on m an n a ur e . S hu t d i t ti g dditi c t ﬁcti , an d it i s so in tri n sic ally g ood that t h e wor ld of n ovel r eader s ou g ht t o b e ”

Th e L ad . g enu in ely g r atefu l . y

MAJ OR AND MINOR .

B E ORR IS y W . . N .

’ Th e au th or s ﬁdelity Of analys is thr oughou t this clever book i s r em ar k able As a r ul e h e er e eals w or n ar s en m en s b u t th e mor e c om . h d ith di y ti t , plicated char acter s Of Gilber t S eg r ave an d M is s H u n tley ar e d r awn wi th th e su b le ou Of t h e a om l sh e ar s T ese m er s ar e fam l ar t o t t ch cc p i d ti t . h it i i ’ t h e r ea ers of M r ; N or r s s for m er wor ks b u t in n on e Of ese i s t o b e d i , th ’ fou n d a v e n Of u enu ne um o r in r n d n or Th e rr e i s ch g i h u as M aj o a M i . i r ess le on r a or B u s el r D h e fa r M ss J u a os e b w l M . u bb n and t l w p i c t ct , i , i i i , h a m r a on for oor B r an lan s h im i n a m or e an awkwar lemm a d i ti p i d th d di , ar e ea and all as l fe -l ke as e r v n s h i s la es t book a e er n . I ch i i th y di ti g thi , t , r N orr s r em a n s th e ele an a r r h e h as e er M . i i g t n d slightly cau s tic w ite v been w le h i s knowle e of t h e wor l an d s m a wi u man na ur e , hi dg d y p thy th h t ” ave be om e w er and m or e r eal — n P t Th e M or ni o . h c id . g s “ ‘ ’ M a n r h as t r o u e . j or a d M inor i s th e b es t n ov el M r . No r i s ye p d c d Ther e i s all th e clev er ness of char acter dr awing which h e lon g ag o accus ” t om ed u s t o e e fr om h im — Th e A adem xp ct . c y . Our en o m en i s u n allo e for M a or an d M n or i s a or ou l j y t y d , j i th gh y ” - — br s or r i n l fe l ke ar a er an d leasan um ou r . Th e ight t y , ich i i ch ct p t h S p ecta tor

L M THE A.

B MAR IE C ORE L L I y .

A r eall a m r able n ov el ur e i n s r w olesom e i n o r ne ic y d i , p pi it , h d ct i , p ” ’ l ass n - tu r es u e oe a o a e a e Ga tte. . ames s ze Th e S t . J q , p tic , p i t , p th tic “ ’ On e of th e few books of th e season which g ladd en th e r eviewer s ” — ear The S ta tesman . h t . ” A ver le ver book — G . The r a hi y c p c . Th e r lo al olour n th e low n ea th e v v and sub tle de ich c c i g , g i g h t, i id sc ri tion s o f su r r oun n s and s en er all el t o m ake t h e book one of p di g c y , h p e e onal m er as th e er o ne i s on e Of e e onal b au an d of ex xc pti it, h i xc pti e ty ” c e tion al alen s . Th e W hiteh a ll Re i w p t t v e . “ Nothing c an b e m or e vivid and at t h e s am e time m or e delicately o u r e an h — c lo d th t e pictur es of th e L an d Of th e M idnight S un . T M or ni n Post g . “ A S wedish tran slation of Th elma h as j u s t been i ssu ed at S t oc kh ol Th e same n ovel i n D u c i s u bl s e at Arn e m an d a S an s vers t h p i h d h i , p i h i ” h as for s om m n s e n l l h e o b en o sa e i n a r . h ai l r a th M d id T e D y Te eg p .

L O U FICK E F RT NE . h Fr m t r m n f E . E RNE R o e Ge a o W .

’ — T az ett A fas n a n s or . h t J a mes s G e. ci ti g t y e S . Wer ner h as established h er claim t o r an k with th os e v er y few wri t e w ose works ar e or sh oul b e m a er s of n er es t o all r ea er s Of c ulti v h , d , tt i t t d ”— n r ou ou E u r o e. Gr a hi tio th gh t p The p c . “ Th e ale ar l r es embles h a Of R omeo an d J u l e in so far as t t p t y t t i t, er o an d er o n e fall i n lov e alm os at r s s an d s over a t h h h i t ﬁ t ig ht, di c th t belon t o fam l es w ar e at ea l feu b u t su ea l feu as g i i hich d d y d, ch d d y d c r r n b m ean s of l w er s n l wsu s T h e s le of wr n b e ca ied o y a y a d a it . ty iti g e ell en Of th e eas l u v va ou s s or wh n ever n du es wear in e xc t, y , cid , i ci t , ich i c ” m — ws r el all h e I llu tr ated L ondon e . an d s ca c y ows ti e for a p au se. T s N Wer ner i s s een t o th e g r eates t advan tag e i n th ose por tion s of t n arr ative which appeal t o t h e g r av er feeling s ; n othin g cou ld Of i t s ki b e be tter than th e in ter view between Os wald an d h is u n su specting cow after t h e f or m er h ad become awar e of th e tr eachery which depr ived him ” h is r Th P e M or nin ost . ig ht . g

O L O SS N Y THE G VERNE .

R SA HE T TE ARE Y By O NOU C C .

This n ovel i s for th ose wh o like s tor ies with s om ething Of J ’ Au s en s ower b u t wi m or e n en s Of feel n an J an e Au s t p , th i t ity i g th s la e wh o ar e n ot n l ne t o all a os wa le and wh o ar e t o di p y d , i c i d c p th t dd , c ” l fe an u m an na ur e i n e r m os b au ful form — The Pall M i d h t th i t e ti .

Gazette. ’ One of th e s weetest an d pleasan tes t Of M i ss Car ey s br ig ht wh oleso ” mes or s — o e The L a d . d tic s t i . y ’ M iss R osa Nou ch ett e C ar ey s n ovel Only th e G overn ess is e e n l l san s or n l kel v r u lar — The ueen e ea a d t o b e e o . xc di g y p t t y , i y y p p Q

O UE THE R G .

E RR S B W . O I . y . N

r n n o e r Nor ri s h as en Th e shr ewd and spa kli g v l t o which M . giv ’ la on u u v l e of Th e R o u e The ester n Pr ess . c ic b t s gg esti e tit g . W “ M r w t o th e for e H e i s r obabl one Of th e N or r s i s u s n o . . i j t p y amon s n v l r Lan s eak s of him as th e T a ker a ' r s n o e s s . M g t i i g i t . g p h c y ’ la er a e — T r ld . h e o t g W . “ M r r lwa s n ar s Tom H e woo i s b no m ean s No r s i s a a . . i y ti t y d y

B E NT LE Y S ’ F A VO RI TE NO VE L S U .

of li fe ; th e om en s which am ong all th e glor ies for etell catastr oph e a ru n t h e a as r o e self w all i t s n en s Of s r an e or r or a i ; c t t ph it , ith i cid t t g h , pain ted with an imag in ative power wh ich for t h e tim e h olds u s spellb ou n T h e ch apter s d ev oted t o t h e fall of Al -K yr i s h av e n ot Often been equ al] i n E ngli s h liter atur e for wealth and splen dour Of lu rid in ven tion ; s o ’ ‘ ’ or on s of B e kfor d s V at h ek a r oa em m os n ear l b u t v p ti c pp ch th t y , c V ath ek i s d eﬁci en t i n s om e Of t h e qu alities whi ch gi ve t o Ar dath i e ul ar m r ess ven ess — h ta t r T e S ec o . p c i i p i . p “ A v er r em ar kable book d s n in on e on an d e e u on fr om y , i ti ct c c pti x c ti t novels of th e a C or ell h as a ea omm and of wor s and d . M ss r y i i g t c d , t e T glow of h er feeling s i s allied t o clearn es s an d s tr en g th of s tyl . pictur e Of life i n Al -K yr i s — th e g r eat B abylonian city— i s a h old a power fu l pi ece of wr iting i n which t h e wr it er sou n d s th e d epth s of s om e ” t h e s r on es as s ons of t h e h u m an ear Th e D ai l T ele r a h . t g t p i h t . y g p “ ‘ ’ Ar a i s mar ke b s wee an d en er fan es an d it s lOf d th d y t t d ci , conception of th e ph ases th r ou g h which a hu man s ou l m ay pas s i n t e velo m en owar s t h e h h es deals h as b een well an d fa ful d p t t d ig t i , ith wor ke ou t — Th e Ath enceum d . .

S L S A S IR CHAR E D NVER .

n R B y a ANONYM OUS AU T H O .

Nov els s o am u s n s o br h l wr en s o fu ll Of s m le s ense a i g , ig t y itt , i p O s er a on ir r r o n e r da I t witty b v ti as S Ch a les Danv er s a e n t fou d v e y y . a arm n lov e s or l en ed u on all s es b th e umor ou s en ch i g t y , ight p id y h , g i ” h ar a er s Th a tu r ke es . e S da evi ew c ct tch y R . Si r C ar les D an ver s i s r eall a el f l b k W e h av e n ot 1: h y d ig ht u oo . fa n es dea wh o th e an on m ou s au or m a b e b u t we mu s on r a u la i t t i y th y , t c g t h im on av n don e an ex ellen wor k S ir C ar l es Danv er s h i g c t pi ece of . h on e Of th e m os fas n a n on e of t h e w es u r es h a a van e t ci ti g , itti t ﬁg t t d c r ee u s fr om th e a es of on em or ar on W e m et h im w k ee g t p g c t p y ﬁcti . ith leasu r e an d ar e fr om im w k r r e — The D a il w N e s . p p t d h ith een eg t . y

M SS S O I HAFT .

B E ORR IS y W . . N .

Th e books of M r N or r s ar e wor r ea n n ot be au s e h e r e alls thi . i th di g , c c or a s n u sh e r e de essor b u t be au s e h e h as a ar m n m ann e th t di ti g i d p c , c ch i g of h i s own wh i s r en er e r e o n sable n ot b e en r or w m h r ich d d c g i y cc t icity hi , b a wh olesom e ar s n v u al an d on e oes n ot n owa a s Of e y ti tic i di id ity , d d y t ’ r ea h — a fr es er br er lev er er bo k . an M s s af o o S . Th d h , ig ht , c t i h t

Academy . T an k s t o alo u es a ar e r s and lev er and to a sense of h umou h di g th t c i p c , a i s as keen as i s r e n e t h e book m a well b e la own w r e r e th t it ﬁ d , y id d ith g ' M s s S a f o i s a ea da r ar e r r odu on a s oc et s or w i i h t th t ch y p cti , y t y hich ” ’ ' ne h er ﬂ i ant n o r s — r P t h M o ni n os . it pp r c oa e . 1 e a O ’ S O HERI T CH ICE .

B ROSA NOU CH E T T E CARE Y y .

’ ’ Ev er on e s ou l r ea H er o s C h o e I t i s or u l . o fr es y h d d i t ic th gh y h , eal an d nv or a n a n l ke a on on th e s s em af er h as h thy , i ig ti g , cti g i t ic y t t it been deb l a ed b t h e u sual h r ee -volu m e ou r se o f n ovels T h e book i it t y t c . sh ou e r — h r H u r l b e in th an s of e v er l . T e Y o k o se P a e d h d y g i p s . ’ H er ot s C o e ser v es t o b e e en s vel known an r e a s i h ic d e xt i y d d. I t i a br w oles om e s or Of a u e b u t or ou h l n er es t n lass an d as ig ht , h t y q i t th g y i t i g c , s u h wi ll oub les s ﬁ n m an adm r er s as r ead r — M r in P d as e s . Th e o n c d t y i g ost. “ ’ An e r em el r e an d well -wr en n ovel Th e r ea er s n er e xt y p tty itt . d i t s t i s n ev er er m e t o ﬂ a for an ns an —S tandar d p itt d g i t t . . ’ H er iot s Choic e i s a well an d car efully wr itten s tor y Of d om estic lif e and t he ar a er of th e r n al er o ne i s a Of a n oble -m n e , ch ct p i cip h i th t i d d ’ woman — M r a s ur n al . J o y .

1 30 BET W EEN THE HEATHER AND THE O S N RTHERN EA .

B y MAR Y L I N S K I L L S T E P HE N Y OR KE

A r em ar kable ook t he wor k of a wom an w os e r e ar a on for b , h p p ti r o n r T s n ma w iting h as b een h er comm u n i on with b oks and atu e . hi i ti cy is M on K ea s elle K n s w e an d a ar en . S akes ear e l S le id pp t h p , i t , t , h y , i g y , Car l le B r own n T enn son an d m an m or e ar e ons an l su l n y , i g , y , y c t t y pp yi g u s r n T h e eau u m o oes t o th e h a er s ou ma e u a ill t atio . b tif l tt c pt w ld k p o e t r a n H er e r a book and t h e v e n am es Of em ar e u o o s . ch ic xt c , y th q t ti fam l a o h e r andes i i r ity with n atu r e i s as eviden t as that with bo ks . T g t passage i n t h e s tory descr ib es with won d er fu l vividn ess and with su btle d elicacy th e shifting scen e s Of a g r eat s ea s torm — we wish we cou ld quote b u t mu s n ot b e mu la e — an d t h e as e s of t h e w l moor it , it t ti t d p ct i d high lan ds t h e lon el desol a e an d r ee m ar sh es th e r ar e b s of or nlan y , t , dy it c d , t h e s el er e or ar w e er b n or da i n w n er or i n su mm er or h t d ch d , h th y ight y , i t , i n lovel eer fu l s r n in th e s or m or i n t h e su ns ne— all ese as e s y ch p i g , t hi th p ct of n atu r e on t h e Y or kshir e m oor s an d on it s dan g er ou s sh or es ar e ske tched w t h e s ame er fe kn owled e t h e sam e ﬁ n e er e on of m n u e ith p ct g , p c pti i t ” ff er — S cta tor en s an han n Th e e . e d es a d th e sam e s en s e Of beau . di c c g , ty p Th e s en Of th e eat er seem s to er vade es e a es so ra is c t h h p th p g , g phic ” th e ur e of r u s l fe h a e on a n Th e M or ni n Pos t . pict tic i t t th y c t i . g “ Al l wh o ave m a e a u a n an e w t h e eal r u ful descri h d cq i t c ith h thy, t th , p tion s Of Y or kshir e scen es an d ch ar acter s pen n ed b y M ary Lin sk i ll m ay b e r T h e p epar ed for s u ch a tr eat as will assu r edly n ot bafﬂ e e xpectation . wor k is in an m n n f f bl I t s fr esh n ess r es s u on e i e t d egr ee r es h an d or ci e . t p ol en fou n da on s i s or f l n ess No one c an ou b t f e om es r om en e . d ti , c c g t d t wh o r ead s t h e epilogu e t o th i s t r uly dr am atic poem Of pr ose -h u m an ity that th e au th or was m oved th r ou gh ou t b y a won der in g e xper ience of t h e f ulne ss of life su as sh e u a n l and en er l e r es s es i n t h e s ee h Of h er , ch q i t y t d y xp p c ” h er e n a d er o ne The D ai l T le r a h . h i . y e g p W O OO RAMA OF ARIS RMW D : A D P .

B MA IE RE L L I y R C O .

h e e ts of e a l ss a A r m r eal s r ama . T ffe lov l w e s s o g i , i tic d c , p i ealou s a r e n san all ar e r ou e o e er r ou n th e 10 j y , h t d , i ity , g p d t g th d ‘ ” ab si nt h eu r w om h u r h as e ted Th t nceu e A h e m. h t e a tho d pic . W e hav e always r ecog n is e d i n M ar ie C or elli exc eptional g ifts ‘ ’ ma n a on an d or m woo i n n o wa m o es ou r e s ma on of i g i ti , W d y diﬁ ti ti h ” fan or er ou r a e G h Th e r a hi c . cy c g . p T h e s or i s v er owe rfu l an d v er r eal s i s also ver t erri b l t y y p y i tic, it y b ut t h e au th or h as cer t ain ly obser ved m en and wom en as they ar e a ” — wr en t h e ru Th e L ondon Fi ar o. itt t th . g L ke e ver n er e ofor e wr en b s f e d au or i s r u e i ythi g h t itt y thi g i t th , it t na u r e I t s a os m or eo er i s su f en o er u t o su s ai n . v l w f l t p th , , ﬁci t y p t t ’ é— r ea er s ea r n n Ga li na ni . d g er in te es t fr om beg in ing t o e d. g “ What a s tir Wor mwood h as cr eate d E very on e i s talking abo u t N ever befor e I s oul s a h as th e s u b e t of absin e -dr nki n i n P a , h d y, j c th i g ” be en on e n s o l an eff e s la bar e — Th e Coun g i to th or oug h y d i t s ct id . Gentlema n . An ything m or e r ealist ic t h an t h e mu r der of S ilvi on Guidél i n W on ” ’ woo I av e n ever r ead — a P i tor Th e L d s c i al. d h . y

ALAS

B RHODA B ROUGH T ON y .

I n i s n ovel t h e au or s r kes er a s a ee er and r u er no e th th t i , p h p , d p t t u m an s m a an h as be en au d ble i n an o er of h er o n T h y p thy th i y th ﬁcti s . ” n er es i s n ot on l well m a n a ne b ut w oles ome and ed f n — T i t t y i t i d , h i yi g .

Globe. “ ss u n s a s a — Th D an M i B r o g ht o i as vivaciou s an d r ead ble a u su l . e

Teleg r ap h . ‘ A ar fr om th e n er es of th e lo Alas i s full of br wo r p t i t t p t , ight u r es of F lor en e an d Al er s and of a leasan and u l va e a pict c gi , p t c ti t d pp c iation Of e r beau es w len an a di onal mer t o it s a es — T th i ti hich d d ti it p g . M orni n P t g os .

ALDY TH .

B E SSIE F T HE R IL L y J O G .

A r epr int Of a tou ching story Of s elf-sacr ifi c e and abneg ation whi r s a ear e f een ear s a o and was th e for er u nner Of it s f fi t pp d fi t y g , g i t ’ ” au or s l on er an d m or e m or t an t n ov l h a il r a h e s T e D T ele . th g i p . y g p “ ’ T s ar m n s or of M ss F o er ll s wh r st a ear e in 1 87 hi ch i g t y i th g i , ich fi pp d h as een out of r n f r s r a r I i far e er an m an b p i t o ev e l yea s . t s b tt th y mo er n n ovel w i s ea er l evou r e and it s r e u bl a on an no f d , hich g y d d , p ic ti c t ’ t o e en th e r le of s alen e au or s r ea er s The s or we n o xt d ci c thi t t d th d . t y,

ells u s ab ou ou war n a u r e i s full of r a e an d n s H e i nter r e t t t d t g c i ight . p and e la ns h er w t keen and lov n obser va on ex r a n an d old xp i i h i g ti , t ic ti g h i u t o ou r s h n u mber les s l le del a e beau es of form olou r a p ig t itt ic t ti , c , m o vem en w we a ve s een n ee a un r ed me s b u t n e v er n o ed t, hich h i d d h d ti , t ’ — I’ l h e P a ll Ma l Gaz ette. “ Th e r u stic pictu r es i n this book ar e mar ked with all th e liter ar y ski th e v v r eal an d t h e a u enes s of obser va on t o w M r J efferi i id ity , c t ti hich . ” m — 7 h as a u s o e u s J o i n B u ll. cc t d . “ r J e er es r as s h i s su e o ness and u r n h M . ff b w b l v o a d i g p j ct ith d ig , man n er of r ea n i s b o for ble an d m a na iv e H is wor - ainti t ti g it th ci i g i t . d p i s be au ful an d fu ll of olour Th e s en e of F el s e at t h e ba i n ti c . c i th t lonel woo i s n ot u n l ke a an vas o f T an i n wh t h e la e of y d i c iti , ich p c t ! m oder n n m i s o u ed b y th e God ess of L ov e Th e M or nin P o y ph cc pi d . g Th e b eau tifu l descr iption in wh ich t h e book abou n d s i s wh at will len h e r i m en ar m W t h e en of e a t wo k t s ost pot t ch . ith p a po t nd th e appr c i at i v en ess of a pain ter h e limn s i n g r acefu l wor ds h i s pictu r es of coun t l fe w su r u a one c an h ear th e w n am on t h e r ees and s i ith ch t th th t i d g t , t h e r ea lou s n n h e r s a ows on th e s war as on e r ea s h g t c d ﬂi g i g t i h d d , d ' ar m n s u es — b oci et . ch i g t di . y Th e D ewy M or n i s wr itten fr om en d t o end i n a kin d of E ng lis wh h an n o b e m a e and h as r ar el been e ualled for beau T] ic c t i it t d , y q ty . descr ipti on s of s cen er y an d of th e aspects of sk y and atmos ph er e ar e vitally tr u e as t o pr odu ce a s en s e of illu s ion like th at pr odu ced b y ” a n n i r . Va ni t F a p i ti g y .

OL ’ S LO AN D MAID VE .

B MAAR T E N MAAR T E N y S .

n er or 0001 s h ado s in e ou es sm oo A ur e of a Du . w f t pict tch i t i , t ch , su r f a es lear ou l n es su bdu e m ean n s am on t es e s it S u z an r c , c t i , d i g , g h e V ar elk am th . old m a d exa l as ou m a s ee i n a D u u r e an 0] p , i , ct y y y tch pict l a i n a r m r oom kn n a s o k n an d look n as f sh e and du dy p i itti g t c i g , i g i o er Th e oo i s fr es r n n had n ev er kn own ea . b k v v o al a ch th h , i id , ig i , o l r s n — Th S a tur da R vi w or u n e e . e e e th g h y i t ti g y . n r u ou e en r ar a r n I t i s en liv e ed th o gh t b y cc t ic ch cte s and qu ai t d r oller y . Times . m r ess of u n en able an d or nal al en — The M r nin B ear s th e i p d i ig i t t . o

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