to meet and absorb it,—­inwardly I set my whole being in tune with the great wave of light which opened itself over the sea and land, and as I did so found every nerve in my body thrilled with responsive ecstasy, even as harpstrings may be thrilled into sound by the sweep of the wind.  I rose and went out, through the loggia into the garden—­feeling more like a disembodied spirit than a mortal, so light and free and joyous were my very movements—­so entirely in unison was I with everything in Nature.  The sunset bathed me in its ruby and purple magnificence,—­I lifted my eyes to the heavens and murmured almost unconsciously—­“Thank God for Life!  Thank God for Love!  Thank God for all that Life and Love must bring to me!”

A sea-gull soaring inland flew over my head with a little cry—­its graceful poise reminded me of the days I had passed in Morton Harland’s yacht, when I had watched so many of these snow-white creatures dipping into the waves, and soaring up again to the skies--and on a sudden impulse I stretched out my hand, determining to stay the bird’s flight if I could and bring it down to me.  The effort succeeded,—­slowly, and as if checked by some obstacle it felt but could not see, the lovely winged thing swept round and round in an ever descending circle and finally alighted on my wrist.  I held it so for a moment—­it turned its head towards me, its ruby-brown eyes sparkling in the sun—­then I tossed it off again into the air of its own freedom, where after another circling sweep or two it disappeared, and I walked on in a happy reverie, realising that what I could do with the visible things of Nature I could do as easily with the invisible.  A sense of power vibrated through me [Footnote:  The philosophy of Plato teaches that Man originally by the power of the Divine Image within him could control all Nature, but gradually lost this power through his own fault.]—­power to command, and power to resist,—­power that forbade all hesitation, vacillation or uncertainty—­power which being connected by both physical and spiritual currents with this planet, the Earth, and the atmosphere by which it is surrounded, lifts all that it desires towards itself, as it rejects what it does not need.

Returning slowly through the garden, and lingering by the beds of flowers that adorned it, I noticed how when I bent over any particular blossom, it raised itself towards me as though drawn upward by a magnet.  I was not inclined to gather a single one for my own pleasure—­some occult sympathy had become established between me and these beautiful creations—­and I could no more sever a rose from its stem than I could kill a bird that sang its little song to me.  On re-entering my room I found the usual refection prepared for me—­ fresh fruit and bread and water—­the only kind of food I was allowed.  It was quite sufficient for me,—­in fact I had not felt at any time the sensation of hunger.  I began to wonder how long I had been a ‘probationer’ in the House of Aselzion?  Days or weeks?  I could not tell.  I was realising the full truth that with the things of the infinite time has no existence, and I recalled the verse of the ancient psalm: