ntical? If the woman were the same, preserved
across the gulf in some unknown fashion, why should not her lover be the
same? What did I say--her lover? Was I her lover? No, I was the lover of
one who had died--my lost wife. Well, if I had died and lived again,
why should not--why should not that Sleeper--have lived again during her
long sleep? Through all those years the spirit must have had some home,
and, if so, in what shapes did it live? There were points, similarities,
which rushed in upon me--oh! it was ridiculous. Bickley was right. We
were all mad!

There was another thing. Oro had declared that we were at war with
Germany. If this were so, how could he know it? Such knowledge would
presume powers of telepathy or vision beyond those given to man. I could
not believe that he possessed these; as Bickley said, it would be past
experience. Yet it was most strange that he who was uninformed as to our
national history and dangers, should have hit upon a country with which
we might well have been plunged into sudden struggle. Here again I was
bewildered and overcome. My brain rocked. I would seek sleep, and in it
escape, or at any rate rest from all these mysteries.

On the following morning we despatched Bastin to keep his rendezvous in
the sepulchre at the proper time. Had we not done so I felt sure that
he would have forgotten it, for on this occasion he was for once
an unwilling missioner. He tried to persuade one of us to come with
him--even Bickley would have been welcome; but we both declared that we
could not dream of interfering in such a professional matter; also that
our presence was forbidden, and would certainly distract the attention
of his pupil.

"What you mean," said the gloomy Bastin, "is that you intend to enjoy
yourselves up here in the female companionship of the Glittering Lady
whilst I sit thousands of feet underground attempting to lighten the
darkness of a violent old sinner whom I suspect of being in league with
Satan."

"With whom you should be proud to break a lance," said Bickley.

"So I am, in the daylight. For instance, when he uses your mouth to
advance his arguments. Bickley, but this is another matter. However, if
I do not appear again you will know that I died in a good cause, and, I
hope, try to recover my remains and give them decent burial. Also, you
might inform the Bishop of how I came to my end, that is, if you ever
get an opportunity, which is more than doubtful."

"Hu