which so many of mankind will perish.  He waits there, in a contentment which people cannot even realise without some glimmering of spirituality—­the sixth sense—­themselves, for the arrival of his future companions.”  This is perfectly true.  I always found that the full enjoyment of this sixth sense among mahatmas was heightened just in proportion to the numbers of other people who perish, so long as you were safe yourself.

Here among the Sisters, on the other hand, the principle which was inculcated was, “Never mind if you perish yourself, so long as you can save others;” and indeed the whole effort was to elaborate such a system by means of the concentration of spiritual forces upon earth, as should be powerful enough to redeem it from its present dislocated and unhappy condition.  To this end had the efforts of the Sisters been directed for so many centuries, and I had reason to believe that the time was not far distant when we should emerge from our retirement to be the saviours and benefactors of the whole human race.  It followed from this, of course, that I retained all the supernatural faculties which I had acquired as a mahatma, and which I now determined to use, not for my own benefit as formerly, but for that of my fellow-creatures, and was soon able—­thanks to additional faculties, acquired under Ushas’ tutorship—­to flit about the world in my astral body without inconvenience.

I happened to be in London on business the other day in this ethereal condition, when Mr Sinnett’s book appeared, and I at once projected it on the astral current to Thibet.  I immediately received a communication from Ushas to the effect that it compelled some words of reply from the sisterhood, and a few days since I received them.  I regret that it has been necessary to occupy so much of the reader’s time with personal details.  They were called for in order that he should understand the source of my information, and my peculiar qualifications for imparting it.  It will be readily understood, after my long connection with the Thibetan brotherhood, how painful it must be to me to be the instrument chosen not merely of throwing a doubt upon “the absolute truth concerning nature, man, the origin of the universe, and the destinies toward which its inhabitants are tending,” to use Mr Sinnett’s own words, but actually to demolish the whole structure of Esoteric Buddhism!  Nor would I do this now were it not that the publication of the book called by that name has reluctantly compelled the sisterhood to break their long silence.  If the Thibetan Brothers had only held their tongues and kept their secret as they have done hitherto, they would not now be so rudely disturbed by the Thibetan Sisters.

* * * * *