ai's
consciousness, and he looked up at Deronda, not in the least with
bewilderment and surprise, but with a gaze full of reposing
satisfaction. Deronda rose and placed his chair nearer, where there
could be no imagined need for raising the voice. Mordecai felt the
action as a patient feels the gentleness that eases his pillow. He
began to speak in a low tone, as if he were only thinking articulately,
not trying to reach an audience.

"In the doctrine of the Cabbala, souls are born again and again in new
bodies till they are perfected and purified, and a soul liberated from
a worn-out body may join the fellow-soul that needs it, that they may
be perfected together, and their earthly work accomplished. Then they
will depart from the mortal region, and leave place for new souls to be
born out of the store in the eternal bosom. It is the lingering
imperfection of the souls already born into the mortal region that
hinders the birth of new souls and the preparation of the Messianic
time:--thus the mind has given shape to what is hidden, as the shadow
of what is known, and has spoken truth, though it were only in parable.
When my long-wandering soul is liberated from this weary body, it will
join yours, and its work will be perfected."

Mordecai's pause seemed an appeal which Deronda's feeling would not let
him leave unanswered. He tried to make it truthful; but for Mordecai's
ear it was inevitably filled with unspoken meaning. He only said--

"Everything I can in conscience do to make your life effective I will
do."

"I know it," said Mordecai, in a tone of quiet certainty which
dispenses with further assurance. "I heard it. You see it all--you are
by my side on the mount of vision, and behold the paths of fulfillment
which others deny."

He was silent a moment or two, and then went on meditatively--

"You will take up my life where it was broken. I feel myself back in
that day when my life was broken. The bright morning sun was on the
quay--it was at Trieste--the garments of men from all nations shone
like jewels--the boats were pushing off--the Greek vessel that would
land us at Beyrout was to start in an hour. I was going with a merchant
as his clerk and companion. I said, I shall behold the lands and people
of the East, and I shall speak with a fuller vision. I breathed then as
you do, without labor; I had the light step and the endurance of youth,
I could fast, I could sleep on the hard ground. I had wedded pover