r me. Providence sends me a message
denied to the rest of you, because I am a fit recipient; you are not. It
is Newman's 'Illative Sense'--a conviction arising from well-springs
far deeper and purer than those that account for human reason. I know
because I know. Reasoning, at best, is mere inference deduced from
observation, but I am concerned with an inspiration--a something akin to
the gift of prophecy."

"Then I can only hope that Sir Walter will exercise his rights and
responsibilities and deny you what you wish."

"He has faith, and I am sorry that you lack it."

"No, Mr. May, you must not say that. It is entirely reasonable that
Mannering should ask you to consider others," said Sir Walter. "To you
a sudden and peaceful death might be no ill; but it would be a very
serious ill to the living--a loss to your work on earth, which is not
done, a shock and grief to those who respect you, and a reflection on
all here."

"Let the living minister to the living and put their trust in God."

Mannering spoke to the vicar of Chadlands.

"What do you think, Prodgers? You are a parson, too, yet may be able
to see with our eyes. Surely common sense shouldn't be left out of our
calculations, even if they concern the next world?"

"I respect Mr. May's faith," answered the younger priest, "and assuredly
I believe that if we eliminate all physical and natural causes from poor
Captain May's death, then no member of our sacred calling should fear
to spend the night alone in that room. Jacob wrestled with the angel of
light. Shall the servants of God fear to oppose a dark angel?"

"Well spoken," said Mr. May.

"But that is not all, sir," continued Noel Prodgers. "It is impossible
that we can share such certainty as you claim. Probability lies entirely
against it. This has happened twice, remember, and each time a valuable
and precious life disappears, for causes beyond our knowledge. That,
however, is no reason for assuming the causes are beyond all human
knowledge. We do not all possess learning in physics. I would venture
most earnestly to beg you to desist, at least until much more has been
done and this famous professional man has made such researches as his
genius suggests. That is only reasonable, and reason, after all, is a
mighty gift of God--a gift, no doubt, often abused by finite beings,
who actually use it to defy the Giver--yet none the less, in its proper
place, the handmaid of faith and the light of true progr