CHAPTER X.
AYRAULT.
As the, night became darker they caught sight of the earth again,shining very faintly, and in his mind's eye Ayrault saw hissweetheart, and the old, old repining that, since reason and lovebegan, has been in men's minds, came upon him and almost crushedhim. Without saying anything to his companions, Ayrault left thecave, and, passing through the grove in which the spirit had paidthem his second visit, went slowly to the top of the hill abouthalf a mile off, that he might the more easily gaze at the faintstar on which he could picture Sylvia.
"Ah!" he said to himself, on reaching the summit, "I will stayhere till the earth rises higher, and when it is far above me Iwill gaze at it as at heaven."
Accordingly, he lay down with his head on a mound of sod, andwatched the familiar planet.
"We were born too soon," he soliloquized; "for had Sylvia and Ibut lived in the spiritual age foretold by the bishop, we mighthave held communion, while now our spirits, no matter how much inlove, are separated absolutely by a mere matter of distance. Itis a mockery to see Sylvia's dwelling-place, and feel that she isbeyond my vision. O that, in the absence of something better, mypoor imperfect eyes could be transformed into those of an eagle,but with a million times the power! for though I know that withthese senses I shall see the resurrection, and hear the lasttrump, that is but prospective, while now is the time I long forsight."
On the plain he had left he saw his friends' camp-fire, while onthe other side of his elevation was a valley in which the insectschirped sharply, and through which ran a stream. Feeling adesire for solitude and to be as far removed as possible, hearose and descended towards the water. Though the autumn, wherethey found themselves, was well advanced, this night was warm,and the rings formed a great arch above his head. Near thestream the frogs croaked happily, as if unmindful of the longvery long Saturnian winter; for though they were removed butabout ten degrees from the equator, the sun was so remote and theaxis of the planet so inclined that it was unlikely theseindividual frogs would see another summer, though they might liveagain, in a sense, in their descendants. The insects also wouldsoon be frozen and stiff, and the tall, graceful lilies thatstill clung to life would be withered and dead. The trees, as ifweeping at the evanescence of the life around them, shed theirleaves at the faintest breeze. These fluttered to the ground,or, falling into the tranquil stream, were carried away by it,and passed from sight. Ayrault stood musing and regretting thenecessity of such general death. "But," he thought, "I wouldrather die than lose my love; for then I should have had thetaste of bliss without its fulfilment, and should be worse offthan dead. Love gilds the commonplace, and deifies all ittouches. Love survives the winter, and in my present frame ofmind I should prefer earth and cold with it to heaven and spring.Oh, why is my soul so clogged by my body?"
A pillar of stone standing near him was suddenly shattered, andthe bishop stood where it had been.
"Because," said the spirit, answering his thought, "it has notyet power to be free."
"Can a man's soul not rise till his body is dead? asked Ayrault.
The spirit hesitated.
"Oh, tell me," pleaded Ayrault. "If I could see the girl to whomI am engaged, for but a moment, could be convinced that she lovesme still, my mind would be at rest. Free my soul or spirit, orwhatever it is, from this body, that I may traverse interveningspace and be with her."
"You will discover the way for yourself in time," said the spirit.
"I know I shall at the last day, in the resurrection, when I amno longer in the flesh. Then I shall have no need of your aid;for we, know that in the resurrection they neither marry nor aregiven in marriage, but are like the angels of God in heaven. Itis while I am mortal, and love as mortals do, that I wish to seemy promised bride. A spirit may have other joys, and perhapshigher; but you who have lived in the world and loved, show methat which is now my heart's desire. You have shown us the tombin which Cortlandt will lie buried; now help me to go to one whois still alive."
"I pray that God will grant you this," said the spirit, "and makeme His instrument, for I see the depth of your distress." Sayingwhich, he vanished, leaving no trace in his departure except thatthe pillar of stone returned to its place.
With this rather vague hope, Ayrault set off to rejoin hiscompanions, for he felt the need of human sympathy. Saturn'srapid rotation had brought the earth almost to the zenith, thelittle point shining with the unmistakably steady ray of aplanet. Huge bats fluttered about him, and the greatcloud-masses swept across the sky, being part of Saturn'sceaseless whirl. He found he was in a hypnotic or spiritualisticstate, for it was not necessary for him to have his eyes open toknow where he was. In passing one of the pools they had noticed,he observed that the upper and previously invisible liquid hadthe bright colour of gold, and about it rested a group of figuresenveloped in light.
"Why do you look so sad?" they asked. "You are in that abode ofdeparted spirits known as paradise, and should be happy."
"I suppose I should be happy, were I here as you are, as thereward of merit," he replied. "But I am still in the flesh, andas such am subject to its cares."
"You are about to have an experience," said another speaker."This day your doubts will be at rest, for before another sunsetyou will know more of the woman you love."
The intensity of the spiritualistic influence here somewhatweakened, for he partially lost sight of the luminous figures,and could no longer hear what they said. His heart was in hismouth as he walked, and he felt like a man about to set out onhis honeymoon, or like a bride who knows not whether to laugh orto cry. An indescribable exhilaration was constantly present.
"I wonder," thought he, "if a caterpillar has these sensationsbefore becoming a butterfly? Though I return to the rock fromwhich I sprang, I believe I shall be with Sylvia to-day."
Footprints formed in the soft ground all around him, and the airwas filled with spots of phosphorescent light that coincided withthe relative positions of the brains, hearts, and eyes of humanbeings. These surrounded and often preceded him, as thoughleading him on, while the most heavenly anthems filled the airand the vault of the sky.
"I believe," he thought, with bounding heart, "that I shall beinitiated into the mysteries of space this night."
At times he could hear even the words of the choruses ringing inhis ears, though at others he thought the effect was altogetherin his mind.
"Oh, for a proof," he prayed, "that no sane man can doubt! Myfaith is implicit in the bishop and the vision, and I feel thatin some way I shall return to earth ere the close of another day,for I know I am awake, and that this is no dream."
A fire burned in the mouth of the cave, within which Bearwardenand Cortlandt lay sleeping. The specks of mica in the rocksreflected its light, but in addition to this a diffusedphosphorescence filled the place, and the large sod-coveredstones they used for pillows emitted purple and dark red flames.
"Is that you, Dick?" asked Bearwarden, awaking and groping about."We built up the fire so that you should find the camp, but itseems to have gone down." Saying which, he struck a match,whereupon Ayrault ceased to see the phosphorescence or bluishlight. At that moment a peal of thunder awakened Cortlandt, whosat up and rubbed his eyes.
"I think," said Ayrault, "I will go to the Callisto and get ourmackintoshes before the rain sets in." Whereupon he left hiscompanions, who were soon again fast asleep.
The sky had suddenly become filled with clouds, and Ayraulthastened towards the Callisto, intending to remain there, ifnecessary, until the storm was over. For about twenty minutes hehurried on through the growing darkness, stopping once on highground to make sure of his bearings, and he had covered more thanhalf the distance when the rain came on in a flood, accompaniedby brilliant lightning. Seeing the huge, hollow trunk of afallen tree near, and not wishing to be wet through, Ayraultfired several solid shots from his revolver into the cavity, todrive out a
ny wild animals there might be inside, and thenhurriedly crawled in, feet first. He next drew in his head, andwas congratulating himself on his snug retreat, when the skybecame lurid with a flash of lightning, then his head droppedforward, and he was unconscious.
A Journey in Other Worlds: A Romance of the Future Page 27