are many times when we cannot disentangle the spiritual
from the material, nor indeed the good from the evil influences. Dr.
John Brown used to tell the story of a shepherd boy near Biggar, who one
day was caught out on the hill in a thunder-storm. The boy could not
remember whether thunder-storms were sent by God or Satan, and so to be
quite safe, he kept alternately repeating the ejaculations, "Eh, guid
God," and "Eh, bonny deil." One often thinks of Fiona in connection with
that story. You are seldom quite sure whether it is a Christian or a
pagan deity whom you are invoking, but there is no question as to the
paganism of the atmosphere which you often breathe.

As a matter of fact, William Sharp began in frank and avowed paganism,
and passed from that through various phases into a high spirituality.
His early utterances in regard to Art, in which he deprecated any
connection between Art and a message, and insisted upon its being mere
expression, were of course sheer paganism. In 1892, before Fiona was
born, he published one of those delightful magazines which run through a
short and daring career and then vanish as suddenly as they arose. In
fact his magazine, _The Pagan Review_, from first to last had only one
number. It was edited by Mr. Brooks and William Sharp, and its articles
were contributed by seven other people. But these seven, and Mr. Brooks
as well, turned out eventually all to be William Sharp himself. It was
"frankly pagan; pagan in sentiment, pagan in convictions, pagan in
outlook.... The religion of our forefathers has not only ceased for us
personally, but is no longer in any vital and general sense a sovereign
power in the realm." He finished up with the interesting phrase, "Sic
transit gloria Grundi," and he quotes Gautier: "'Frankly I am in earnest
this time. Order me a dove-coloured vest, apple-green trousers, a pouch,
a crook; in short, the entire outfit of a Lignon shepherd. I shall have
a lamb washed to complete the pastoral....' This is the lamb."

The magazine was an extraordinarily clever production, and the fact that
he was its author is significant. For to the end of her days Fiona was a
pagan still, albeit sometimes a more or less converted pagan. In _The
Annir-Choille_, _The Sin-Eater_, _The Washer of the Ford_, and the
others, you never get away from the ancient rites, and there is one
story which may be taken as typical of all the rest, _The Walker in the
Night_:--

"Often he had h