Dawn

by H. Rider Haggard

  That night Lady Bellamy sat at an open window, rising continually toturn her dark eyes upon the starry heavens above her.

  "It is of no use," she said at last, "my knowledge fails me, mycalculations are baffled by a quantity I cannot trace. I am face toface with a combination that I cannot solve. Let me try once more! Ah,supposing that the unknown quantity is a directing will which at thecrisis shatters laws, and overrides even the immutability of theunchanging stars! I have heard of such a thing. Let me change thepositions of our opposing planets, and then, see, it would all beclear as day. George vanishes, that I knew before. She sailstriumphant through overshadowing influences towards a silver sky. AndI, is it death that awaits me? No, but some great change; there thepale light of my fading star would fall into her bright track. Bah, myscience fails, I can no longer prophesy. My knowledge only tells me ofgreat events, of what use is such knowledge as that? Well, come whatmay, fate will find one spirit that does not fear him. As for this,"and she pointed towards the symbols and calculations, "I have donewith it. Henceforth I will devote myself to the only real powers whichcan enlighten us. Yet there is humiliation in failure after so manyyears of study. It is folly to follow a partial truth of which we missthe keynote, though we sometimes blunder on its harmonies."