“I am loath to appear boastful; but I apprehend the fact to be not unlike what you suggest,” the voice replied, with a subdued gusto.  “It would depend upon our hypothetical person’s discretion, and his views as to the claims of the august Being who has so long controlled the destinies of the human race, how much the existing order of things might have to fear from him.  I should imagine that the august Being, if He be as wise as they say He is, would be careful how He treated this hypothetical person!”

“You are a liar,” said Helwyse, unceremoniously.  “Why is not Satan, who must possess this all-powerful knowledge, supreme over the universe?”

Instead of taking offence (as Helwyse, to do him justice, hoped it would; for his Berserker blood, which boiled only at heaven-and-hell temperature, was beginning to stir in him),—­so far from being offended, the voice only uttered its peculiar quiet chuckle.

“Your frankness charms me! it proves you worthy to learn.  Satan—­supposing there be such a personage—­divides, with the other august Being, the sovereignty of the spiritual world.  Were I a cynic, I should say he owned at least half of the physical world into the bargain!  But Satan is only a spirit, and his power over men is but as the power of a dream.  Were a Satan to arise in the flesh, so that men could see and touch him, and hear his voice with their fleshy ears,—­there were a Satan!  Already has the Incarnation of goodness appeared to mankind, and, though the world be moved to virtue only slowly and with reluctance, mark how mighty has been his influence!  What think you, then, would be the power of a Christ of evil, showing to men the path they already grope for?  I tell you, the human race would be his only; Hell, full to bursting with their hurrying souls, would outweigh Heaven in the balance; the teller of the secret would be king above all,—­forever!”

The sinuous voice twined round the listener’s mind, swaddling the vigorous limbs into imbecile inertia.  But when before now did a sane human brain let itself be duped by sophistry?  This case were worth marking, if only because it is unparalleled.

“And the only punishable sin is ignorance!” muttered Helwyse.

“Well, I have thought so, too.  And I have questioned whether a man might have power over himself, to put his hand to evil or to good alike, and to remain impartial and impassive; and so make evil and good alike minister to his culture and raise him upwards!”

“The question does credit to your wit,” chimed in the voice of darkness.  “Whoever has in him the making of a deity must learn the nature of opposites.  The soldier will not join battle without studying the tactics of the enemy.  Without experimental knowledge of both evil and good, none but a fool would believe that man can become all-powerful.”

“From the care with which you avoid speaking the name of God, if from no other cause, I should suppose you to be the Devil himself!” observed Helwyse, bluntly.