its fiery depths, as if taken at
the keenest flash of fury. To intensify its fierceness a human hand was
raised in front of it so as to throw a dark shadow across the canvas.

"It is the lion's eye," said my uncle, who was standing near me.

There were other paintings--many of them equally strange and
wonderful--hanging on the walls, some of which contained material he
could not have derived from direct observation. It was easy to discern
in his work the fragments of nature that came within the limited command
of his own eyes--the falling snow, the changing phases of the sky and
of vegetation--for they were presented with a stronger and more vivid
touch. Until the fading twilight blended all color into gloom I passed
from one canvas to another along the wall in silence, oblivious of all
save the presence of Rayel, who followed close at my elbow, evidently
enjoying my admiration of his work. When I had finished looking at the
paintings I turned for some sign to indicate his further pleasure, and
discovered that he was gone. My uncle was standing near me.

"It is late," said he.

We returned at once across the yard to my uncle's retreat among his
books and papers. Lighting the lamps he sat down beside me.

"The power of speech is returning," said he. "I can talk more easily."

"Did I not hear you speak to your son?" I asked.

"Yes," he answered. "Long ago difficulties arose. Sometimes he could not
command my thoughts, nor I his. I had known fifty years of life; he had
not--hence an inequality. My physical organism had been neglected. It
was an imperfect agent of the mind. Many of my faculties were lost.
These circumstances stood between us like barriers. It was the beginning
of each communication that troubled us, when our minds were working in
different channels. Something was needed for a cue--a starting-point.
Ten pregnant words of Sanscrit were all we needed. It was easy then."

"I should think he would have lost the power of speech and hearing," I
remarked.

"No. Music saved them--abstract music. His voice is wonderful. His
hearing is quick. Rayel knows words but not speech. His mind has command
of my knowledge. He has never seen the world, but he knows about it.
I tried to begin my life anew and to forget the past. But I could not
wholly cleanse my mind of it. Its memories faded slowly. I have avoided
renewing them for his sake."

"He could, then, learn to speak?"

"With ease, and it were better if he c