Ziska by Marie Corelli
page 29 of 240 (12%)
page 29 of 240 (12%)
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"Oh. if you do that sort of thing you are a romancist," interposed
Dr. Dean emphatically. "Nature neither idealizes nor transfigures itself; it is simply Nature and no more. Matter uncontrolled by Spirit is anything but ideal." "Precisely," answered Gervase quickly and with some warmth; "but my spirit idealizes it,--my imagination sees beyond it,--my soul grasps it." "Oh, you have a soul?" exclaimed Dr. Dean, beginning to laugh again. "Now, how did you find that out?" Gervase looked at him in a sudden surprise. "Every man has an inward self, naturally," he said. "We call it 'soul' as a figure of speech; it is really temperament merely." "Oh, it is merely temperament? Then you don't think it is likely to outlive you, this soul--to take new phases upon itself and go on existing, an immortal being, when your body is in a far worse condition (because less carefully preserved) than an Egyptian mummy?" "Certainly not!" and Gervase flung away the end of his finished cigarette. "The immortality of the soul is quite an exploded theory. It was always a ridiculous one. We have quite enough to vex us in our present life, and why men ever set about inventing another is more than I am able to understand. It was a most foolish and barbaric superstition." |
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