sked that question."

"And I was going to answer that there are certain secret warnings which
can be received by the soul long before they are intelligible to the
bodily senses-revelations not understood at first, but which later
connect themselves with realities of which they are in some way the
precursors. Do you agree with me, Monsieur Derues?"

"I have no opinion on such a subject, and must leave the discussion to
more learned people than myself. I do not know whether such apparitions
really mean anything or not, and I have not sought to fathom these
mysteries, thinking them outside the realm of human intelligence."

"Nevertheless," said the cure, "we are obliged to recognise their
existence."

"Yes, but without either understanding or explaining them, like many
other eternal truths. I follow the rule given in the Imitation o f Jesus
Christ: 'Beware, my son, of considering too curiously the things beyond
thine intelligence.'"

"And I also submit, and avoid too curious consideration. But has not the
soul knowledge of many wondrous things which we can yet neither see nor
touch? I repeat, there are things which cannot be denied."

Derues listened attentively, continually on his guard; and afraid, he
knew not why, of becoming entangled in this conversation, as in a trap.
He carefully watched Monsieur de Lamotte, whose eyes never left him. The
cure resumed--

"Here is an instance which I was bound to accept, seeing it happened to
myself. I was then twenty, and my mother lived in the neighbourhood of
Tours, whilst I was at the seminary of Montpellier. After several years
of separation, I had obtained permission to go and see her. I wrote,
telling her of this good news, and I received her answer--full of joy
and tenderness. My brother and sister were to be informed, it was to
be a family meeting, a real festivity; and I started with a light and
joyous heart. My impatience was so great, that, having stopped for
supper at a village inn some ten leagues from Tours, I would not wait
till the next morning for the coach which went that way, but continued
the journey on foot and walked all night. It was a long and difficult
road, but happiness redoubled my strength. About an hour after sunrise
I saw distinctly the smoke and the village roofs, and I hurried on
to surprise my family a little sooner. I never felt more active, more
light-hearted and gay; everything seemed to smile before and around me.
Turning a corner of the