of every art and science--including astrology, astronomy, necromancy,
etc.; and for this stage is reserved the greatest power of
all--namely, the complete dominion over woman's will and affections.
The powers of creating life, and of extending life beyond the now
natural limit, and of avoiding accidents, will never be conferred on
you. Neither shall you learn, not at least during your physical
existence--who or what we are, or the secrets of creation.

"Each successive stage will cancel the preceding one--that is to say,
the powers you have acquired in the first stage will be annulled on
your arriving at the second stage, and so on. But if you carry out
your compact faithfully--that is to say, if at the end of the
twenty-one months you are still united--all the powers you have held
hitherto, in the different stages, temporarily, will return to you and
remain in your possession permanently. Have you anything to say?"

"Yes!" Hamar answered; "I fully understand all you have explained to
us and I like the idea of it immensely. The fear of our coming to any
serious loggerheads and of dissolving partnership doesn't worry me
much--but I must say, it seems very remote--the prospect of gaining
such tremendous powers--powers that will give us practically
everything we want--save youth--"

"Youth you will never regain," lisped the voice. "And elixirs of life,
surely you must know, are no longer sought after, by beings of the
planet Earth. They are quite out of date. You will, of course, learn
the most efficacious means of making yourselves and other people
youthful in appearance."

"Yes, but how shall we learn these secrets?" Kelson nerved himself to