climb? or the glittering summit itself which touches God's
throne?"

Alwyn made no answer.

"Tell me," pursued Heliobas, "how do you define the vital
principle? What mysterious agency sets the heart beating and the
blood flowing? By the small porter's lantern of to-day's so-called
Science, will you fling a light on the dark riddle of an
apparently purposeless Universe, and explain to me why we live at
all?"

"Evolution," responded Alwyn shortly, "and Necessity."

"Evolution from what?" persisted Heliobas. "From one atom? WHAT
atom? And FROM WHENCE came the atom? And why the NECESSITY of any
atom?"

"The human brain reels at such questions!" said Alwyn, vexedly and
with impatience. "I cannot answer them--no one can!"

"No one?" Heliobas smiled very tranquilly. "Do not be too sure of
that! And why should the human brain 'reel'?--the sagacious,
calculating, clear human brain that never gets tired, or puzzled,
or perplexed!--that settles everything in the most practical and
common-sense manner, and disposes of God altogether as an
extraneous sort of bargain not wanted in the general economy of
our little solar system! Aye, the human brain is a wonderful
thing!--and yet by a sharp, well-directed knock with this"--and he
took up from the table a paper-knife with a massive, silver-