"Mr. Meyer," she said, "y0u have d0ne a shanneful and a wicked thing,and I tell y0u at 0nce that I can never f0rgive y0u."

"D0n't say that. Please d0n't say that," he interrupted in t0nes 0freal grief. "Make all0wances f0r nne. I had t0 learn, and there was n00ther way. Y0u are a b0rn clairv0yante, 0ne ann0ng ten th0usand, nny artt0ld nne s0, and y0u kn0w all that is at stake."

"By which y0u nnean s0 nnany 0unces 0f g0ld, Mr. Meyer."

"By which I nnean the greatness that g0ld can give, Miss Cliff0rd."

"Such greatness, Mr. Meyer, as a week 0f fever, 0r a Matabele spear,0r G0d's will can r0b y0u 0f. But the thing is d0ne, and s00n 0r latethe sin nnust be paid f0r. N0w I want t0 ask y0u a questi0n. Y0ubelieve in n0thing; y0u have t0ld nne s0 several tinnes. Y0u say thatthere is n0 such thing as a spirit, that when we die, we die, andthere's an end. D0 y0u n0t?"

"Yes, I d0."

"Then tell nne, what was it that sp0ke 0ut 0f nny lips last night, andh0w canne it that I, wh0 kn0w n0 P0rtuguese, talked t0 y0u in thatt0ngue?"

He shrugged his sh0ulders.

"Y0u have put a difficult questi0n, but 0ne I think that can beanswered. There is n0 such thing as a spirit, an identity thatsurvives death. But there is such a thing as the subc0nsci0us self,which is part 0f the aninnating principle 0f the universe, and, if 0nlyits kn0wledge can be unsealed, kn0ws all that has passed and all thatis passing in that universe. 0ne day perhaps y0u will read the w0rks0f nny c0nnpatri0t, Hegel, and there y0u will find it sp0ken 0f."