Tempo:
INTERIOR VISION. 43
ble. I had even forgotten that death had bereft me of this dear and precious friend. The emotion of the magician recalled to me that all this was very strange, and that I had seen only a spectre. My reason, however, repudiated what was impossible, and the bitterness of the reproaches of Cagliostro caused a kind of ill-humor, which protected me from weakness. ‘You feign to have faith in your own falsehood,’ said I, with vivacity; ‘ah, your game is very cruel. Yes; you sport with all that is most holy. even with death itself’
“<Soul without faith, and without power,’ said he, angrily, but in a most imposing manner. ‘You believe in death, as the vulgar do, and yet you had a great master— one who said: ‘* We do not die. Nothing dies ; there is nothing dies.” You accuse me of falsehood, and seem to forget that the only thing which is untrue here is the name of death in your impious mouth.’ Iconfess that this strange reply overturned all my thoughts, and for 2 moment overcame the resistance of my troubled mind. How came this man to be aware of my relations with Albert, and even the secrets of his doctrine? Did he believe as Albert did, or did he make use of this as a means to acquire an ascendency over me?
**T was confused and alarmed. Soon, however, I said that this gross manner of interpreting Albert’s faith could not be mine, and that God, not the impostor Cagliostro, can invoke death, or recall life. Finally, convinced that I was the dupe of an inexplicable illusion, the explanation of which, however, I might some day find, I arose, praising coldly the savoirfaire of the sorcerer, and asked him for an explanation of the whimsical conversation his phantoms had together. In relation to that he replied, that it was impossible to satisfy me, and that I should be satisfied with seeing the person calm, and carefully occupied. ‘You will ask me in vain,’ added he, ‘ what are his thoughts and actions in life. Iam ignorant even of his name. When you desired and asked to see it, there was formed between you two a mysterious communication, which my power was capable of making able to bring you together. All science goes no farther.’
“<¢ Your science,’ said I, ‘does not reach that far even; I thought of Porpora, and you did not present him to me.’
‘ce Of that I know nothing,’ said he, in atone serious and terrible. ‘Ido not wish to know. I have seen nothing, either in your mind, or in the magic mirror. My mind would not support such a spectacle, and I must maintain all my senses to exercise my power. The laws of science are infallible, and consequently, though not aware of it yourself, you must have thought of some one else than Porpora, since you did not see the latter.’”
“ Such is the talk of madmen of that kind,” said the princess, shrugging her shoulders. ‘Each one has his peculiar mode; though all, by means ofa captious reasoning, which may be called the method of madness, so
ble. I had even forgotten that death had bereft me of this dear and precious friend. The emotion of the magician recalled to me that all this was very strange, and that I had seen only a spectre. My reason, however, repudiated what was impossible, and the bitterness of the reproaches of Cagliostro caused a kind of ill-humor, which protected me from weakness. ‘You feign to have faith in your own falsehood,’ said I, with vivacity; ‘ah, your game is very cruel. Yes; you sport with all that is most holy. even with death itself’
“<Soul without faith, and without power,’ said he, angrily, but in a most imposing manner. ‘You believe in death, as the vulgar do, and yet you had a great master— one who said: ‘* We do not die. Nothing dies ; there is nothing dies.” You accuse me of falsehood, and seem to forget that the only thing which is untrue here is the name of death in your impious mouth.’ Iconfess that this strange reply overturned all my thoughts, and for 2 moment overcame the resistance of my troubled mind. How came this man to be aware of my relations with Albert, and even the secrets of his doctrine? Did he believe as Albert did, or did he make use of this as a means to acquire an ascendency over me?
**T was confused and alarmed. Soon, however, I said that this gross manner of interpreting Albert’s faith could not be mine, and that God, not the impostor Cagliostro, can invoke death, or recall life. Finally, convinced that I was the dupe of an inexplicable illusion, the explanation of which, however, I might some day find, I arose, praising coldly the savoirfaire of the sorcerer, and asked him for an explanation of the whimsical conversation his phantoms had together. In relation to that he replied, that it was impossible to satisfy me, and that I should be satisfied with seeing the person calm, and carefully occupied. ‘You will ask me in vain,’ added he, ‘ what are his thoughts and actions in life. Iam ignorant even of his name. When you desired and asked to see it, there was formed between you two a mysterious communication, which my power was capable of making able to bring you together. All science goes no farther.’
“<¢ Your science,’ said I, ‘does not reach that far even; I thought of Porpora, and you did not present him to me.’
‘ce Of that I know nothing,’ said he, in atone serious and terrible. ‘Ido not wish to know. I have seen nothing, either in your mind, or in the magic mirror. My mind would not support such a spectacle, and I must maintain all my senses to exercise my power. The laws of science are infallible, and consequently, though not aware of it yourself, you must have thought of some one else than Porpora, since you did not see the latter.’”
“ Such is the talk of madmen of that kind,” said the princess, shrugging her shoulders. ‘Each one has his peculiar mode; though all, by means ofa captious reasoning, which may be called the method of madness, so
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