“To the Soul that will not study the needs of its immortal nature, life itself becomes a narrow cell.  All God’s creation waits upon it to supply what it shall demand,—­yet it starves in the midst of plenty.  Fear, suspicion, distrust, anger, envy and callousness paralyse its being and destroy its action,—­love, courage, patience, sweetness, generosity and sympathy are actual life-forces to it and to the body it inhabits.  All the influences of the social world work against it—­all the influences of the natural world work with it.  There is nothing of pure Nature that will not obey its behest, and this should be enough for its happy existence.  Sorrow and despair result from the misguidance of the Will—­there is no other cause in earth or heaven for any pain or trouble.”

Misguidance of the Will!  I spoke the words aloud—­then went on reading—­

“What is Heaven?  A state of perfect happiness.  What is Happiness?  The immortal union of two Souls in one, creatures of God’s eternal light, partaking each other’s thoughts, bestowing upon each other the renewal of joy, and creating loveliness in form and action by their mutual sympathy and tenderness.  Age cannot touch them—­death has no meaning for them,—­life is their air and space and movement—­ life palpitates through them and warms them with colour and glory as the sunshine warms and reddens the petals of the rose—­they grow beyond mortality and are immune from all disaster—­they are a world in themselves, involuntarily creating other worlds as they pass from one phase to another of production and fruition.  For there is no good work accomplished without love,—­no great triumph achieved without love,—­no fame, no victory gained without love!  The lovers of God are the beloved of God!—­their passion is divine, knowing no weariness, no satiety, no end!  For God is the Supreme Lover and there is nothing higher than Love!”

Here, on a sudden impulse, I took up the book, closed it and held it clasped in my two hands.  As I did this, a great darkness overwhelmed me—­a sound like thunder crashed on my ears, and I felt the whole room reeling into chaos.  The floor sank, and I sank with it, down to a great depth so swiftly that I had no time to think what had happened till the sensation of falling stopped abruptly, and I found myself in a narrow green lane, completely shadowed by the wide boughs of over-arching trees.  Hardly could I realise my surroundings when I saw Rafel!—­Rafel Santoris himself walking towards me—­but—­ not alone!  The eager impulse to run to him was checked—­I stood quiet, and cold to the heart.  A woman was with him—­a woman young and very beautiful—­his arm was round her, and his eyes looked with unwearied tenderness at her face.  I heard his voice—­caressing, and infinitely gentle.