"Nay--the beasts share the gift of reason in common with us,"
replied Heliobas, "and Man only proves his ignorance if he denies
the fact. Often indeed the very insects show superior reasoning
ability to ourselves, any thoroughly capable naturalist would bear
me out in this assertion."

"Well, well!" and Alwyn grew impatient--"reason or no reason, I
again repeat that the legend on which Christianity is founded is
absurd and preposterous,--why, if there were a grain of truth in
it, Judas Iscariot instead of being universally condemned, ought
to be honored and canonized as the first of saints!"

"Must I remind you of your early lesson days?" asked Heliobas
mildly. "You will find it written in a Book you appear to have
forgotten, that Christ expressly prophesied, 'Woe to that man' by
whom He was betrayed. I tell, you, little as you credit it, there
is not a word that the Sinless One uttered while on this earth,
that has not been or shall not be in time fulfilled. But I do not
wish to enter into any controversies with you; you have told me
your story,--I have heard it with interest,--and I may add with
sympathy. You are a poet, struck dumb by Materialism because you
lacked strength to resist the shock,--you would fain recover your
singing-speech--and this is in truth the reason why you have come
to me. You think that if you could gain some of the strange
experiences which others have had while under my influence, you
might win back your lost inspiration--though you do not know WHY
you think this--neither do I--I can only guess."

"And your guess is ... ?" demanded Alwyn with an air of affected