ve, then, that talking relieves the mind?" rejoined the
former, softly.

"I believe a thief or a murderer would be glad of an hour--such as now
passes--to impart the story of what is dragging him to Hell. And even
the best houses are better for an airing!"

"A pregnant idea! There are certainly some topics one would like to
discuss, free from the restraint that responsibility imposes. Have you
ever reflected on the subject of omnipotence?"

Somewhat confounded at this bold question, Helwyse hesitated a moment.

"I can't see you, remember, any more than you can see me," insinuated
the voice, demurely.

"I believe I have sometimes asked myself whether it were
obtainable,--how it might best be approximated," admitted Helwyse,
cautiously; for he began to feel that even darkness might be too
transparent for the utterance of some thoughts.

"But you never got a satisfactory answer, and are not therefore
omnipotent? Well, the reason probably is, that you started wrongly.
Did it ever occur to you to try the method of sin?"

"To obtain omnipotence? No!"

"It wouldn't be right,--eh?" chuckled the voice. "But then one must
lay aside prejudice if one wants to be all-powerful! Now, sin denotes
separation; the very etymology of the word should have attracted the
attention of an ambitious man, such as you seem to be. It is a path
separate from all other paths, and therefore worth exploring."

"It leads to weakness, not to power!"

"If followed in the wrong spirit, very true. But the wise man sins and
is strong! See how frank I am!--But don't let me monopolize the
conversation."

"I should like to hear your argument, if you have one. You are a
prophet of new things."

"Sin is an old force, though it may be applied in new ways. Well, you
will admit that the true sinner is the only true reformer and
philosopher among men? No? I will explain, then. The world is full of
discordances, for which man is not to blame. His endeavor to meet and
harmonize this discordance is called sin. His indignation at disorder,
rebellion against it, attempts to right it, are crimes! That is the
vulgar argument which wise men smile at."

"I may be very dull; but I think your explanations need explaining."

"We'll take some examples. What is the liar, but one who sees the
false relations of things, and seeks to put them in the true? The
mission of the thief, again, is to equalize the notoriously unjust
distribution of wealth. A fundamental def