“If thy love is so great!” it repeated, in slow and impressive tones—­“If thy faith is so strong!  If thy trust in God is so sure and perfect!”

There came a moment of tense stillness—­a moment in which my life seemed detached from myself so that I held it like a palpitating separate creature in my hands, Suddenly the recollection of the last vision of all those I had seen among the dark mountains of Coruisk came back to me vividly—­that of the woman who had knelt outside a barred gate in Heaven, waiting to enter in—­“O leave her not always exiled and alone!” I had prayed then—­“Dear God, have pity!  Unbar the gate and let her in!  She has waited so long!”

A sob broke unconsciously from my lips—­my eyes filled with burning tears that blinded me.  Imploringly I turned towards the relentless Figure beside me once more—­its hand still pointed downwards—­and again I seemed to hear the words—­

“If thy love is so great!  If thy faith is so strong!  If thy trust in God is so sure and perfect!”

And then I suddenly found my own Soul’s centre,—­the very basis of my own actual being—­and standing firmly upon that plane of imperishable force, I came to a quick resolve.

“Nothing can destroy me!” I said within myself—­“Nothing can slay the immortal part of me, and nothing can separate my soul from the soul of my beloved!  In all earth, in all heaven, there is no cause for fear!”

Hesitating no longer, I closed my eyes,—­then extending my clasped hands I threw myself forward and plunged into the darkness!—­down, down, interminably down!  A light followed me like a meteoric shaft of luminance piercing the blackness—­I retained sufficient consciousness to wonder at its brilliancy, and for a time I was borne along in my descent as though on wings.  Down, still down!—­and I saw ocean at my feet!—­a heaving mass of angry waters flecked with a wool-like fleece of foam!

“The Change that is called Death, but which is Life!”

This was the only clear thought that flashed like lightning through my brain as I sank swiftly towards the engulfing desert of the sea!- -then everything swirled into darkness and silence!

* * *
* *
*

A delicate warm glow like the filtering of sunbeams through shaded silk and crystal—­a fragrance of roses—­a delicious sound of harp-like music—­to these things I was gradually awakened by a gentle pressure on my brows.  I looked up—­and my whole heart relieved itself in a long deep sigh of ecstasy!—­it was Aselzion himself who bent over me,—­Aselzion whose grave blue eyes watched me with earnest and anxious solicitude.  I smiled up at him in response to his wordless questioning as to how I felt, and would have risen but that he imperatively signed to me to lie still.

“Rest!” he said,—­and his voice was very low and tender.  “Rest, poor child!  You have done more than well!”