For this is the mystery of the Osiris.

Of a sudden, as I saw the visions, these things became clear to me.  The mummy cloths of symbol and of ceremony that wrap Osiris round fell from him, and I understood the secret of religion, which is Sacrifice.

The pictures passed, and again the priest, my guide, spoke to me.

“Hast thou understood, Harmachis, those things which it has been granted thee to see?”

“I have,” I said.  “Are the rites ended?”

“Nay, they are but begun.  That which follows thou must endure alone!  Behold I leave thee, to return at the morning light.  Once more I warn thee.  That which thou shalt see, few may look upon and live.  In all my days I have known but three who dared to face this dread hour, and of those three at dawn but one was found alive.  Myself, I have not trod this path.  It is too high for me.”

“Depart,” I said; “my soul is athirst for knowledge.  I will dare it.”

He laid his hand upon my shoulder and blessed me.  He went.  I heard the door shut to behind him, the echoes of his footsteps slowly died away.

Then I felt that I was alone, alone in the Holy Place with Things which are not of the earth.  Silence fell—­silence deep and black as the darkness which was around me.  The silence fell, it gathered as the cloud gathered on the face of the moon that night when, a lad, I prayed upon the pylon towers.  It gathered denser and yet more dense till it seemed to creep into my heart and call aloud therein; for utter silence has a voice that is more terrible than any cry.  I spoke; the echoes of my words came back upon me from the walls and seemed to beat me down.  The stillness was lighter to endure than an echo such as this.  What was I about to see?  Should I die, even now, in the fulness of my youth and strength?  Terrible were the warnings that had been given to me.  I was fear-stricken, and bethought me that I would fly.  Fly!—­fly whither?  The temple door was barred; I could not fly.  I was alone with the Godhead, alone with the Power that I had invoked.  Nay, my heart was pure—­my heart was pure.  I would face the terror that was to come, ay, even though I died.

“Isis, Holy Mother,” I prayed.  “Isis, Spouse of Heaven, come unto me, be with me now; I faint! be with me now.”

And then I knew that things were not as things had been.  The air around me began to stir, it rustled as the wings of eagles rustle, it took life.  Bright eyes gazed upon me, strange whispers shook my soul.  Upon the darkness were bars of light.  They changed and interchanged, they moved to and fro and wove mystic symbols which I could not read.  Swifter and swifter flew that shuttle of the light:  the symbols grouped, gathered, faded, gathered yet again, faster and still more fast, till my eyes could count them no more.  Now I was afloat upon a sea of glory; it surged and rolled, as the ocean rolls; it tossed me high, it brought me low.  Glory was piled on glory, splendour heaped on splendour’s head, and I rode above it all!