bility. We only push the zone of the known a little farther
into the realm of the unknown; but how does that serve your argument?"

"By demonstrating that the mind of a man is simply the mastering
mystery in a world of mysteries, and that there is no known limit to
what it may do. We say that at the point where life enters to
differentiate the germ is beyond science--there of necessity faith is
born."

"You say 'we'--are you an apostle of 'the new church'?" asked Serviss,
abruptly.

The preacher visibly shrank. "I do not care to announce my growing
conviction to my congregation, at present; but I find many things
about the doctrine which appeal to me. Some form of spiritism is the
coming religion--in my judgment. The old order changeth. The
traditional theology--the very faith I preach--has become too gross,
too materialistic, for this age; some sweeter and more mystic faith is
to follow. Even science is prophesying new power for man, new realms
for the spirit. You men of science pretend to lead, but you are
laggards. You pore upon the culture of germs, but shut your eyes to
the most vital of all truths. Is the life beyond the grave of less
account than the habits of animalculae?"

The young scientist listened to this query with outward courtesy, but
inwardly his gorge rose. "I see one gain in your new position," he
answered, lightly. "Matter is no longer the dead, inorganic, 'godless
thing' which the old-time theologians declared it to be. Matter, so
far from being some inert lump, is permeated with life--is life
itself. So far as we now know, all the visible and tangible universe
is resolvable into terms of force--that is to say, chemical process.
There may be no line of demarcation between the organic and the
inorganic."

"And yet with your knowledge of the inscrutable final mystery of
matter you set a mark at the grave! You condemn all manifestation of
the spirit, all the phenomena of spiritism, for example?"

"Condemn is not the word--we simply say the phenomena are absurd, the
spirit cannot exist without the body--"

"Have you ever investigated a single form of spirit manifestation?
Have you studied the claims of those who are in touch with the spirit
world?"

"No."

The preacher's sneer broke forth. "I can't see but you scientists are
quite as dogmatic, quite as bigoted as the theologians."

Serviss laughed. "It does look a little that way. However, I'm not as
uninformed as I seem. It happens that I