speech or of raiment or of appetite
was within the grasp of an average human being, but only a few spirits
in a generation enjoyed the perfection of love. This was the crown of
his philosophy; but it was here that he felt the need of further
investigation before endeavoring to demonstrate the remedy by means of
which this number might be increased, so as finally to include all
earnest souls. An immature statement would impair the authority of the
more elemental truth he had sought to establish; but he hoped in a
subsequent volume to complete the exposition of this last step in his
system.

III.

I rapped at Miss Kingsley's door on Wednesday evening with some
trepidation, but with a sense of pleasurable excitement. I felt that her
entertainment was sure to be very unlike those to which I was
accustomed. In the first place, the idea of combining home and business
quarters in one apartment was new to me, and seemed slightly
incongruous. The Studio Building was large, and she had doubtless a host
of neighbors who lived in the same manner; but they were a class with
whom I was wholly unacquainted. Miss Kingsley's rooms were in the top
story where, as I reflected, she could enjoy fresh air and escape the
everlasting tinkling of the horse-cars and rattle of vehicles in the
street below.

She opened the door herself, and her face assumed its most radiant
expression as she recognized me.

"This is too delightful, Miss Harlan!"

I found myself face to face with several people whom she hastened to
introduce. The only familiar name was that of Mr. Paul Barr, which I
instantly recollected to have seen on the dedicatory page of Mr.
Spence's volume of poems. The inscription read, "To my soul's brother,
Paul Barr," and hence I gazed at the stranger with interest.

From Mr. Barr I got the impression of a handsome but dishevelled looking
man of large stature, with a coal-black beard and dark piercing eyes,
which he bent upon me ardently as he bowed his figure in what might well
be styled a profound and lavish obeisance. He wore a velveteen coat and
a large cherry neck-tie, the flowing ends of which added to his general
air of disorder. The other names--to which I gave slight heed, for their
owners were not especially significant in appearance--were Mr. Fleisch,
a short, small German with eye-glasses, and Mrs. Marsh, a fat, genial
matron of five-and-forty.

All this I took in at a glance, for Miss Kingsley conducted me
immedi