“Thou beloved one!” she said, “Thou whose spirit was formerly equal to mine, and to all angels, in God’s sight though through pride it fell!  Learn that thou art nearer to me now than thou hast been for a myriad ages! ... between us are renewed the strong, sweet ties that shall nevermore be broken, unless ...” and her voice faltered,—­“Unless thou, of thine own Free Will, break them again in spite of all my prayers!  For, because thou art immortal even as I, though thou art pent up in mortality, even so must thy Will remain immortally unfettered, and what thou dost firmly elect to do, God will not prevent.  The Dream of thy Past was a lesson, not a command,—­thou art free to forget or remember it as thou wilt while on earth, since it is only after Death that Memory is ineffaceable, and, with its companion Remorse, constitutes Hell.  Obey God, or disobey Him,—­He will not force thee either way, . . constrained love hath no value!  Only this is the Universal Law,—­ that whosoever disobeys, his disobedience recoils on his own head as of Necessity it must,—­whereas obedience is the working in perfect harmony with all Nature, and of equal Necessity brings its own reward.  Cling to the Cross for one moment.. the moment called by mortals, Life, ... and it shall lift thee straightway into highest Heaven!  There will I wait for thee,—­and there thou shalt make me thine own forever!”

He sighed and gazed at her wistfully.

“Alas, my Edris! ...  Not till then?” he murmured.

She bent over him and kissed his forehead,—­a caress as brief and light as the passing flutter of a bird’s wing.

“Not till then!”—­she whispered—­“Unless the longing of thy love compels!”

He started.  What did she mean? ...  His eyes flashed eager inquiry into hers, so soft and brilliantly clear, with the light of an eternal peace dwelling in their liquid, mysterious loveliness,—­ and meeting his questioning look, the angelic smile brightened more gloriously round her lips.  But there was now something altogether unearthly in her beauty, ... a wondrous inward luminousness began to transfigure her face and form, . . he saw her garments whiten to a sparkling radiance as of sunbeams on snow, ... the halo round her bright hair deepened into flame-like glory —­her stature grew loftier, and became as it were endowed with supreme and splendid majesty, . . and the exquisite fairness of her countenance waxed warmly transparent, with the delicate hue of a white rose, through which the pink color faintly flushes soft suggestions of ruddier life.  His gaze dwelt upon her in unspeakable wondering adoration, mingled with a sense of irrepressible sorrow and heaviness of heart, ... he felt she was about to leave him, . . and was it not a parting of soul from soul?