reason for his death may be this: that we are now called to
understand what is hidden in the Grey Room. My son's death may
have been necessary to that explanation. Human intervention may
be demanded there. One of God's immortal souls, for reasons we
cannot tell, may be chained in that room, waiting its liberation
at human hands. We are challenged, and I accept the challenge,
being impelled thereto by the sacred message that has been put
into my heart."

Even his fellow-priest stared in bewilderment at Septimus May's
extraordinary opinions, while to the physician this was the chatter
of a lunatic.

"I will take my Bible into that haunted room to-night," concluded
the clergyman, "and I will pray to God, Who sits above both quick
and dead, to protect me, guide me, and lead me to my duty."

Sir Walter spoke.

"You flout reason when you say these things, my dear May."

"And why should I not flout reason? What Christian but knows well
enough that reason is the staff that breaks in our hands and wounds
us? Much of our most vital experience has no part nor lot with
reason. A thousand things happen in the soul's history which
reason cannot account for. A thousand moods, temptations,
incitements prompt us to action or deter us from it--urge us to
do or avoid--for which reason is not responsible. Reason, if we
bring these emotions to it, cannot even pronounce upon them. Yet
in them and from them springs the life of the soul and the