The Bright Messenger

t; for Devonham, competent as himself in knowledge and experience, found explanations for all th

but he went step by step, with caution, declining to move further until the last step was of hardened concrete. To the powers of the subconscious self he set drastic limits, admitting their existence of course, but attaching small value to their use or development. His own deeper being had never stirred or wakened. Of this under-sea, this vast background in himself,

, therefore, conscious of a readiness to accept more than any evidence yet justified-feeling these symptoms clearly, and remembering vividly his experiences in the railway station, he was glad, for truth's sake,

recovered a little from his journey, and was digesting his meal comfortably over a pipe. "You have seen more of him th

am answered both questi

, and then replaced them carefully. This gave him time to ref

nd. The margin between the two-between the normal and the secondary self-is so very slight. It is not cl

aised his

elf, and which the split-off secondary

at we should call his Secondary Self-this 'Nature-being' that worships wind and fire, is terrified by a large body of water, is ignorant of human ways, prob

. H.,'" suggested Fillery, not anxiou

t of him as 'N. H.,' the other, the normal ordinary m

given moment. Now," he went on, "to come to the chief point, and before you give me details of

en though always good-natured, even humorous, the victory not invariably perhaps with the assistant. Later evidence had often proved Fillery's

inded him slyly. "Call it a preliminary conclusion for the

ere was something new, big, serious, it seemed. Devonham, apparently, was already too interested to

ly. The intelligence, also normal, is much above the average in quickness, receptivity of ideas, and judgment based on these. The emotional development, however, puzzles me; the emotions are not entirely normal. But"-he paused again, a grave expression on his face-"to answer your question as wel

Vallon. Now wha

assistant with his steady gaze. He ha

fast, sighed, settled his glasses carefully upon his aquiline, sharp nose, an

of Law. I shan't behead you if you're w

zzled look. Fillery detected a new expression on the k

e, I tell you frankly-I am not sure. I confess myself up against it. It-er-gives me the creeps a littl

" insisted his friend.

w, upon intuition, which I temperamentally dislike. It has no facts to go upon. I distrust generalizations." He took a deep breath, in

and so far as my limit

the personal extras for once, and burn your bridges. Tell me fi

se of humour again and forgot himself. It cost him an

e"-he shrugged his shoulders, compelled by his temperament to hedge-"that he represents, as I fir

ut in the doctor, watching him with amused concentrat

ham, "it may be th

eritance from his paren

acial memory we know. The world-memory, if I dare pu

bconscious powe

re, at any rate, a working hypothesis, with a gre

rely a Secondary Personality, or is it the

know, I cannot say, I dare not-dare not guess. 'N. H.' is something entirely new to me, and I admit it." He seemed to find his stride, to forget himself. "I fe

A

tion, let

d fellow. I felt myself an extraordinary vitality

ked hard at him. "You were hu

ly, "but I can well believe it. I felt

unusually observant, critical and intelligent; during the 'N. H.' periods he becomes-er-super-normal. If

uick appreciation. "You noticed a change in me, well-bu

t way. 'N. H.' seems to me"-he took a deeper breath and gave

what happened and so forth. I remember, of course, your Notes. After your telegram, I read 'em carefully." He glanced round at his companion. "They were very honest,

did not accept the challenge. He tur

ote Jura valley, difficult of access, situated among what they call the upper pastures. I reached it by diligence and mule late i

n, th

d. "And adding

on, of

spect, however, even awe. He hoped I had come to

pot for a thinker or a student. The first thing I noticed was a fire burning on a pile of rock in front of the building. The sun was setting, and its last rays lit the entire little glen-a mere gully between precipices and forest sl

course." Yet he did n

turned and came to me

ment. Fillery's eyes

hat I called just now the creeps. I thought, at last, I had really seen a-a vision. He looked so huge, so wonderful, so radiant. It was, of course, the effect of coloured smoke and magnifying sunset, added to his semi-nakedn

ace of fear in me. I waited for him to come up to me. He did so. H

ncreasing in him as he listened, stared in

ficult to reproduce. He made the name sound like a rush of wind. 'F,' of course, involves a draught of breath between the

-and

t or two-I admit it-I felt as if I had come face to face with something not of this earth quite." He grinned. "A touch of gooseflesh came to me for the first time in my life. The fellow's size and radiance in the sunlight, the fact that he stood there worshipping fire-always, to me, the most wond

bled among the details of what he evidently fou

u'd hardly be human yourself if

nor was there another building of any sort in sight. Anyhow, it seemed, I managed my strange emotions all right, for the young man took to me at once. H

re? Was he actually

ht it best just to accept, or appear to accept, the whole thing as natural. He said something about the Equinox, but I did not catch it properl

ext?" asked the other, notici

it automatically. He did just what it had been his habit to do with Mason all these years. He got the stuff himself-quickly, effectively, no fumbling anywhere-and, from that moment,

le, friendly, but unhappy because it had lost its accustomed master. But on the other hand-I admit it-I was conscio

asked Fillery, avoiding a dozen m

e name himself, adding your own after it: 'Mason Fillery, Mason Fill

nig

n was up and about all night in the building or out of doors. I heard him moving, singing quietly to himself, the wooden veranda creaked beneath his tread. He was active all through the darkness and cannot have slept at all. When

ney? You got h

s below to have the chalet closed up, took my charge to Neuchatel, and thence to Berne,

ple, trains, steamers and the r

the most helpless and pathetic lamb I ever saw. He stared but asked

pefi

tic' rather. He was so open to my suggestions, doing what my mi

r would willingly have foregone its telling evidently. It was relat

o exaggerate, of course." He told it rapidly, accurately, no doubt, because his mind was

ntly what they were. I hadn't the smallest idea myself, I had never seen them before; they were very carefully wrapped up. LeVallon, whose sudden excitement increased the official's interest, told him that they were star-and-weather maps. It doubtless was the truth; he had made them with Mason; but they were queer-looking papers to have at such a time,

t take? Rudeness, anger, violence of any sort?" He was a

some holy relic were being mauled. The maps were sacred. Symbols possibly. Heaven knows what! He tried to take them back. The official, as a natural resu

ory he least wished to describe. He played for

interrupted. "What did LeVallon do? There were

geted. He told the l

suddenly took his fingers off the papers. The man's dirty hand still held them tightly o

hmica

inued, looking up. "You remember that huge draughty hall where they examine luggage at the Lyons Station. I can't explain it. But that breathing somehow caught the draughts, used them possibly, in any case increased them. A wind came through the great hall. I can't explain it," he repeated, "I can only tell you what happened. That wind most certainly came pouring steadily throu

t anythi

tted the ot

ry wa

l-a thrill." His v

is Chief

ed his shoulders a little. Apparently he sought his words with h

think-power." He ground out the confession slowly.

call it. Intensificatio

stimulating. The best word, I think, is liberty, perhaps. An immense and careless sense of liberty." And Fillery, kno

understandingly, sympathetically, at LeVallon. He spoke: 'My father, too,'

y touched me anywhere, the ludicrous was absent. The man bowed, as carefully, respect in every gesture, he

he had relieved himself of his unwelc

cious wakened, and intelligence the natural result." He turned to his colleague. "Interesting, Paul, very," he added in a louder tone,

nham said nothing.

the most lovable thing in human shape I ever saw. He

y did not look at one another for some seconds, and there was a certain tenseness, a

o break the silence that

as if to himself, "whereas you, Edward, I believe, are more-more int

nute or two. Then he looked up, and their eyes met across the smoke-laden atmosph

case. He is deserving of"-he chose his words slowly

ave a night's sleep before taxing you like this." He poured out two glasses o

" said Devonham slowly,

ticipated," remarked Devonham, as he sippe

riods, of course.

nto the bargain, more like a good child or trained animal or happy peasant, if you li

A

moment, so to speak. It was during

lery looked up,

, slipped back into the unconscious state. LeVallon emerged. It was with LeVallon only or chiefly, I had to deal. He became so very quiet, dazed a little, half there, as we call it, and almost entirely silent. He retained little,

g attentively, m

as I said, a narrow one. Indeed, often they merge or interpenetrate. In my judgment, the main, importan

A

ht, at any rate, was in both minds at that instant, the same freight of meaning trailing behind it invisibly across the air. Their hearts burned within them; the two faces upward turned, the lips a little parted as when listening is intense, the heads thrown back. For in the room above that ceiling, asleep at this moment, lay the subject of their long discussion; only a few inches of lath and pl

frame and rugged head, his friend's appearance was almost slight. Devonham, for all his qualifications, looked painfull

respect your reticence. I

e other's shoulder, smil

ave not told me all! The chief pa

y rate," was the reply,

ned, what you saw, at the chalet; the 'peculiar powers' you mentioned; all, in fact,

tion in the eyes and tone. It

ility, of cour

steady gaze, ponderi

letter-even too much. Besides, why complicate it with an account of what were doubtless mere mental pictures-hallucinations-on my part? This is a matter," he went

other. "God bless the boy!

ts contents, its suppressions, its origin; your refusal of the love of women, your deep powerful dreams that you have suppressed and put away. Promise me"-the voice and manner were very earnest-"that you will not com

to you in my turn. This theory of heredity and of mental telepathic transference-the idea that all his mind's content is derived from his parents an

rently, set limits to it, Edward. But-to be

these two men, deeply intrigued by a new "Case" that passed their understanding, as it exceeded their knowledge, practice and experience, swore to

hands. Forced to accept extended telepathy-that all minds can on occasion share one another's content, and that even a racial and a world-memory can be tapped-he feared that his Chief might inf

half-impossible hope. He felt as if someone ran beside his life, bearing impossible glad tidings, an unexpected, half-incredible figure, the tidings marvello

ation, already crumbling, was in full swing everywhere; knowledge, culture, learning threatened in due course with the chaos of destruction that has so far been the invariable rule. The one hope of saving th

into full consciousness of the limitless powers now hidden and inactive in his deeper self-the s

ad piercingly divined in "N. H." a being, whatever he might be, whose natu

his life, had looked, as with fire

s soon in bed, though not soon asleep. Exhausted physically though he was, his mind burned actively.

r had actually, as by telepathic transfer from LeVallon, to

ful, experienced, yet sorely tempted mind-tempted by Nature and by natural weaknesses of birth and origin-who no

new, his judgment and his scientific diagnosis must be drawn hopelessly away from what he consi

is little cautious, accurate mind, believe in. Dreams that inspire, yet sadden, haunted his release from normal consciousness. Someone had walked upon

n, and walked quietly along the corridor towards the Private Suite where the new patient rested. His mind was quiet, yet his inner mind alert. His

ent. Pausing a moment by a window, he listened to the chattering of early sparrows. He felt chill and hungry, unrested too, though far from sleepy. He was aware of London-b

he sought, and ver

ant mountain-top. There was, actually, a tang of dawn, known only to those who have tasted the heights at sunrise with the heart. And into his heart,

The chest and arms were bare, the single covering sheet tossed off. The strange, wild face wore happiness and peace upo

t know, but suddenly, the light increa

y swiftly, as through the open window came the first touch of exhilarating light. Gold stole across the lintel, breaking over the ro

ad wide its arms, lowered its radiant head, began to sing in low, melodious rhythmic chant-and Fillery, as sile