it was I held to it as my last hope, and gradually steadied myself upon it like a drowning creature clinging to a plank for rescue.  Presently I found myself able to ask questions of my inner consciousness.  What, after all, could this Phantom—­if Phantom it were—­do to work me harm?  Could it kill me with sheer terror?  Surely in that case the terror would be my own fault, for why should I be afraid?  The thing called Death being no more than a Living Change did it matter so much when or how the change was effected?

“Who is responsible,”—­I said to myself—­“for the sense of fear?  Who is it that so mistrusts the Divine order of the Universe as to doubt the ultimate intention of goodness in things which appear evil?  Is it not I alone who am the instigator of my own dread?—­and can this dark, dumb Spectre do more to me than is ordained for my blessing in the end?”

With these thoughts I grew bold—­my nervous trembling ceased.  I now chose deliberately to consider, and willed to determine, that this mysterious Shadow, darker still as it grew, was something of a friend in disguise.  I lifted my head half defiantly, half hopefully in the gloom, and the strange fact that the only light I saw came from the weirdly gleaming edge of radiance round the Phantom itself did not frighten me from the attitude I had resolved upon.  The more I settled myself into that attitude the firmer it became—­and the stronger grew my courage.  I gently moved aside the table on which I had been writing, and stood up.  Once on my feet I felt still bolder and surer of myself, and though the Shadow opposite to me looked darker and more threatening than before, I began to move steadily towards it.  I made an effort to speak to it, and at last found my voice.

“Whatever you are,” I said aloud, “you cannot exist at all without God’s will!  God ordains nothing that is not for good, therefore you cannot be here with any evil purpose!  If I am afraid of you, my fear is my own weakness.  I will not look at you as a thing that can or would do me harm, and therefore I am coming to you to find out your meaning!  You shall prove to me what you are made of, to the very depth and heart of your darkness!—­you shall unveil to me all that you hide behind your terrifying aspect,—­because I know that whatever your intention towards me may be, you cannot hurt my Soul!”

As I spoke I drew nearer and nearer—­and the luminous edge round the Phantom grew lighter and lighter, till—­suddenly a flash of brilliant colour like a rainbow glittered full on my eyes so sharply that I fell back, half blinded by its splendour.  Then—­as I looked—­ I dropped to my knees in speechless awe—­for the Shadow had changed to a dazzling Shape of winged radiance,—­a figure and face so glorious that I could only gaze and gaze, with all my soul entranced in wonder!  I heard delicious music around me, but I could not listen—­all my soul was in my eyes.  The Vision grew in stature and in splendour, and I stretched out my hands to it in prayerful appeal, conscious that I was in the shining Presence of some inhabitant of higher and more heavenly spheres than ours.  The beautiful head, crowned with a diadem of flowers like white stars, bent towards me—­the luminous eyes smiled into mine, and a voice sweeter than all sweet singing spoke to me in accents of thrilling tenderness.