ecker.

"If her eye ignores space," replied Wilfrid, "if her thought is an
intelligent sight which enables her to perceive all things in their
essence, and to connect them with the general evolution of the universe,
if, in a word, she sees and knows all, let us seat the Pythoness on her
tripod, let us force this pitiless eagle by threats to spread its wings!
Help me! I breathe a fire which burns my vitals; I must quench it or it
will consume me. I have found a prey at last, and it shall be mine!"

"The conquest will be difficult," said the pastor, "because this girl
is--"

"Is what?" cried Wilfrid.

"Mad," said the old man.

"I will not dispute her madness, but neither must you dispute her
wonderful powers. Dear Monsieur Becker, she has often confounded me with
her learning. Has she travelled?"

"From her house to the fiord, no further."

"Never left this place!" exclaimed Wilfrid. "Then she must have read
immensely."

"Not a page, not one iota! I am the only person who possesses any books
in Jarvis. The works of Swedenborg--the only books that were in the
chateau--you see before you. She has never looked into a single one of
them."

"Have you tried to talk with her?"

"What good would that do?"

"Does no one live with her in that house?"

"She has no friends but you and Minna, nor any servant except old
David."

"It cannot be that she knows nothing of science nor of art."

"Who should teach her?" said the pastor.

"But if she can discuss such matters pertinently, as she has often done
with me, what do you make of it?"

"The girl may have acquired through years of silence the faculties
enjoyed by Apollonius of Tyana and other pretended sorcerers burned
by the Inquisition, which did not choose to admit the fact of
second-sight."

"If she can speak Arabic, what would you say to that?"

"The history of medical science gives many authentic instances of girls
who have spoken languages entirely unknown to them."

"What can I do?" exclaimed Wilfrid. "She knows of secrets in my past
life known only to me."

"I shall be curious if she can tell me thoughts that I have confided to
no living person," said Monsieur Becker.

Minna entered the room.

"Well, my daughter, and how is your familiar spirit?"

"He suffers, father," she answered, bowing to Wilfrid. "Human passions,
clothed in their false riches, surrounded him all night, and showed him
all the glories of the world. But you think these things m