My Library

he not alone. Powerful in all else, not one of us can read his own future; but for that must depend on gifted ones like yonder Beverly. Such are seldom born; but when they are, there is only one opportunity to make them subservient to our aid—they must be unwedded in soul, else they cannot enter the sleep of Sialam, and in no other way can the scroll of Fate be read for us. Hence the obstacles thrown in his path and in that of yonder girl.... It is possible to shift our fate upon the neutral, whoever he may be; but in this case a strong motive existed to saddle the centuries upon yonder man, who has, in various forms, been my contemporary since ages previous to the laying of the foundations of Babylon and Nineveh. “There is one more in being—by him I have been foiled—the Stranger—and still another— the mother of this Beverly’s body. I hoped to win him by Magic; I have failed. He has seen me thus, as I am,”—and so saying, Ravalette slowly moved around the screen, continuing to speak all the while, until he reappeared on the other corner—and saying, “and thus.” We were astonished beyond measure at the change that had, in less than twelve seconds, taken place. Ravalette no longer stood before us, but instead, we saw a thin, lean, little, wrinkled old man, the perfect opposite in everything of the person we had just conversed with. “Miakus! as I live—the man of Portland and of Boston—the same!”