The Mystics

hen involuntarily she stepped backward,

advanced and, passing the Mystic

voice. And as the man slunk away, h

honor? Truly, woman is the undoing of man!" With an excited gesture, he lift

with the courage that

because you are unjust and a coward that you fear-that

surged ove

ged!" he cried-"I

nimal, you turn to devour t

and ju

nds and laughed sudd

l it justice to trap one man and se

rphew turne

"What spell has he cast upon you that you

e; searching Bale-Corphew's turbulent face,

something higher and better than myself. Now I know that my belief was wrong and false; that it was because he

gave a short,

of his manhood! We have had our disillusioning; yours is to come. Here,

ind the picture of one tall, white-robed figure confronting a sea of

y recompense-" But even as it was spoken, the appeal died. Somewhere in the heart of the House a solemn clock chimed the hour of eight; and as tho

l scene; then, with a sensation of physical weakness and helplessne

w left her without a word, and

action-the time for hope-was irrevocably passed, Enid felt deprived of the power to move. She sat crouching in he

g catastrophe, she saw another of the unconventional black-robed servants emerge from behind the Sanctuary curtain, and proceed with maddening deliberation to light the sixteen groups of wax tapers that were s

at, since the entry of the first devotee, had unceasingly filled the chapel sudde

re blur; their strained, fanatical faces looked white and set; while the marble walls shone out, sharp and polished, in the same contrasting hues. Over the whole scene t

ess of light and grouping; but her eyes had barely skimmed the scene when

e figure of the Prophet move slowly into the chapel and pass u

h a head held even higher than usual, and reaching th

re with the man who, only a few hours before, had humiliated himself in her presence. For a moment her mind refused the connection of ideas; but the next a full re

nxious lines; but under his black cap and red hair, his skin looked colorless and drawn. But after the first glance, her eyes

t face of Bale-Corphew, who brought up the rear. The survey was rapid and comprehensive; and to her uneasy mind the thought came with unerring certain

whole group seemed unaware of her presence. Still inert, she sat, watching every movement in the scene befor

he Scitsym and, following the customar

ue and incomprehensible; but, from the first, it had been one of the Prophet's special gifts that his deep, grave voice could lend weight and meaning to the fantastic utterances. And to-night it seemed that he inte

ng faces turned in his direction. It was as if, by strength of will, he had determined that no point, no syllable, of this, his last reading, should be lo

the evening service, he closed the book and calmly moved across the Sanctuary to the Throne. As he n

e upon the massed faces. This, according to custom, was the signal for a general movement. The congregation swayed forward, prostrating t

must she gather strength to act? She crouched upon the ground, her hands pressed tightly over her eyes. It seemed to her that all the torture, all the suspense and apprehension of the universe, were gathered into that half-hour of appalling silence. Once she ventured

to her seat. Then, in dumb, stricken helplessness such as envelops us in a terrible dream, she saw the

in a single moment he would have begun to speak spurred her to a fever of alarm,

emory, she half rose in her chair, her hands grasping the back of the seat in front of her; but suddenly the chapel, the

"heretofore I have spoken to you as a teacher. T

sightless eyes towards the Throne, while Enid's hands tightened spasmodically on the back of the chair in front of her, and her lips parted in new fear. What was he going to say? How much f

athering of fanatics-some might even call you a gathering of fools. But fool

blue eyes flashed; but still the Pr

oing to tell you the story of a man-a man as passionate, as headstrong, as weak and vulnerable as yo

n here, in this city of London. Don't lose

f a tenement-house, and the picture he saw was the picture of an alley-dark, foul, teeming with life. His first knowledge of existence was the realization

the miracles that love can accomplish-every day of that boy's life was illum

ioned the supreme Name, and as if conscious of the trem

e that the world's machinery is kept in motion. The inexpressible, unwearying tenderness of this mother for her son, the love of this boy for his mother, grew

n had been won by his forefathers, he conceived the idea of becoming in his own person a hero-a knight-errant. And in the grimy, common alley; in the poor, bare sitting-room wh

atever sacrifice-there must be a golden future, in which the mother he adored would sit in high places; in which the worn hands would ne

oice it seemed that a wave of emotion passed across the chapel. The congregation, too fascinated by his words to question their meaning, drew a sigh of rapt anticipation. Enid, amazed, bewil

d his ideas for the continuation of h

pment. That is not my intention. But were I to hold up a picture for your inspection, you could not properly appreciate it were you ign

en heir to a vast property; and through all his youth, this had been the golden mirage that had floated before his vision-this had been the fabled country from whi

By one of those strange chances for which no man can account,

lled upon to leave his mother; to leave the place that, however sordid, however mean, was yet his home; and to enter upon a per

ace; an inarticulate sound escaped him, and he made a tremulous attempt to rise. But the movemen

face had paled as if with some deep emotion; and lowering hi

pose. Remember that, my People! He went into the service of this man animated by one purpose-the determination to win back his rightful fortune!

of knowing that his end was gained-he had the pride of knowing that he had become indispensable to the master whom he served!" Again he paused, but this time the pause was of impressive

y and nervously, as though he were muttering inaudible prayers; while Bale-Corphew's florid face flamed, as, with a rapid, agitated movement, he glanced over the tense faces of the

d in this boy's place-this boy, built like yourselves of human desires, human hopes, human weaknesses. After seven long yea

ence the boy saw his task complete

, his dreams were dispelled. He learned that, in the eyes of the man he had served, he had never passed beyond the position of the outcast-the dependent, whose services are liberally rewarded by the gift of a few hundred pounds. The fortune-the inh

of his chair, his face contorted, his mouth working, while a rustle, an audible murmur of excitement passed over the whole chape

eemed that he was exalted by some emotion, lifte

tely-had been wrenched from him by a band of people who, in his eyes, were either fools or knaves. What would you have done in his position? What would

reed that denied the high, simple theory of Christianity, and awaited the coming of a mythical Prophet was a subject for healthy scorn. And now suddenly i

peless, stranded, inspiration came to him. He conceived the tremendous idea of entering upon a new fight-a second que

ment, Bale-Corphew rose; at the same instant the Precursor spran

ing, turned very white and dropped back into her seat, while the whol

e-Corphew met that of the Prophet. He glared at him for on

oice. "In accordance with a solemn

d proceed the Prec

sing his penetrating voice. "Is

ose from t

w's face be

an is no Prophet. He is an impostor! A f

er of intuition, rather than by physical observation, she saw the look of intense surprise, of incredulity merging to dismay, that crossed the Prophet's face at the Arch-Mystic's words. And at the sig

? Would not one solution-and one only-present itself to his mind? The idea that she had betrayed his confidence. With the horror of the suggestion an ungovernable impulse filled h

people had become as a turbulent sea. The Precursor, pale with intense nervous excitement, stood vainly strivin

and; and by habit and training,

e-Corphew's v

he cried

e Precursor

the Prophet the right of speech? Will

Norov suddenly raised his voic

rophet calls upon you. Will you deny it?"

truth!" Bale-Corphew appealed to

ult broke f

ll, alarmed tones rose for an instan

d babel of sound one cr

e Prophet! Let t

n, answering to the demand, the Pr

. When silence had been restored he began to speak; and never, since he had addressed the

d mine. You probably know, without my telling, that the boy of my story and I are one and the same person; that the fanatic sect, for which I was made a beggar, is your own sect-the sect of the Mystics. But so it is. On a wild, dar

I had only one desire-to destroy-to be avenged. My uncle, Andrew Henderson, was an Arc

he blind Arch-Councillor turned

lack thoughts of revenge in my heart. But the devil of temptation lurks in strange places. In the very act of destruction, an inspiration came to me. A man was expect

ome many obstacles. That night I copied out the whole of your Scits

l, I was to inherit his fortune in ten years' time, and that in the interval I was to fit mys

s happened since then is immaterial. My second probation has been as hard as my first. But I accomplished two things. I fitted myself mentally and physic

le-Corphew sprang forward and, resting his hands

he is. He is blinding you-weaving a bandage of specious words across your eyes. B

, full of authority, the Pro

tween the People and myself." With a pale face and burning eyes he stepped

in a steady voice. "I believe I will even use the word he himself

gasp went up from the breathless crowd; and, by one accor

as a rock, the Prop

e by force that which should have come to me as my right. The fact that my intention faltered at the last moment does not affec

mple truths, that my personal action could not desecrate. I stand before you

hment, punish me! If you think circumstances have made me w

rang out across the chapel, as, with a savage moveme

" Bale-Corphew's voice

weapon with which to tamper, and the dethronement of a king is not accomplished i

tangled itself from

the people. The man who for months had been exalted-honored-well-nigh worshippe

rash-and the high, gilt railings of the

moment of fear and clamor, in which the cry of "The Prophet! The Prophet!" dominated her consc

he drawn curtains the hum of London came subdued and soothing; in the room itself the lights were modulated and the fire glowed soft and mellow, while a faint, pungent smell of restoratives filled the

e of an extraordinarily prolonged and harassing dream, or whether it had any bearing upon real life; then, as the pained, bewildered

peak he laid his finge

hink," he said. "

cent? What happen

de a soothi

gathered round me. They were gen

his hand upon her face. Then suddenly a new thought obtruded i

-?" she said, in a

the soft light it seemed to her that

out her hand a

g to do?" she aske

his head and loo

life is awaiting me there. It is a very bitter thin

ed at hi

our mother? You are th

nt hi

was conscious of the hum of traffic and of the softly crackling fire; then at last Enid

e with you-and let me tell her! We are both women, and-" Her hea