to him that it did the girl no good to lose herself in such a
trance as this. The troubled expression of her face, the piteous cry
in her voice, her restlessness convinced him of this. When she had
spoken to him of crystal gazing, he had thought of it only as a
harmless amusement such as the Ouija board. This seemed different,
more serious, either owing to the surroundings or to some really
baneful influence from this thing of gold. And the responsibility of
it was his; it was he who had led the girl in here, it was even he who
had placed the image in her hands. At the fret of being forced to
stand there powerless, the moisture gathered on his brow.

The stranger knelt on one knee by the girl's side, facing the door and
Wilson. He placed one hand upon her brow and spoke to her in an even
tone that seemed to steady her thoughts. Her words became more
distinct.

"Look deep," he commanded. "Look deep and the mists will clear. Look
deep. Look deep."

His voice was the rhythmic monotone used to lull a patient into a
hypnotic trance. The girl responded quickly. The troubled expression
left her face, her breathing became deeper, and she spoke more
distinctly. Her eyes were still upon those of the image as though the
latter had caught and held them. She looked more herself, save for the
fact that she appeared to be even farther away in her thoughts than
when in normal sleep.

"Let the image speak through you," ran on the stranger. "Tell me what
you see or hear."

"The lake--it is very blue."

"Look again."

"I see mountains about the lake--very high mountains."

"Yes."

"One is very much higher than the others."

"Yes! Yes!"

"The trees reach from the lake halfway up its sides."

"Go on!" he cried excitedly.

"There they stop and the mountain rises to a point."

"Go on!"

"To the right there is a large crevice."

The stranger moistened his lips. He gave a swift glance at Wilson and
then turned his gaze to the girl.

"See, we will take a raft and go upon the lake. Now look--look hard
below the waters."

The girl appeared troubled at this. Her feet twitched and she threw
back her head as though for more air. Once more Wilson calculated the
distance between himself and that which stood for death. He found it
still levelled steadily. To jump would be only to fall halfway, and
yet his throat was beginning to ache with the strain. He felt within
him some new-born instinct impelling him to her side. She stood