turned, and on the steps of that crucifix I saw a woman
kneeling. Her arms clasped the feet of the figure, her forehead rested
upon the feet, her long black hair flowed down, she was dressed in
white, and the light came from her body and her head. Very slowly she
turned and looked at me, and oh, Heaven! that face----" and he put
his hand before his eyes and groaned. "It was beautiful; yes, yes, but
fearful to see, like an avenging angel. I fled, and the light--only the
light--came with me down the cave, even at the mouth of it there was a
little. I have seen a spirit, I who did not believe in spirits, I have
seen a spirit, and I tell you that not for all the gold in the world
will I enter that place again."

Then before they could answer, suddenly as though his fear had got some
fresh hold of him, Jacob sprang forward and fled away, crashing through
the bushes and leaping from rock to rock like a frightened buck.

XXI

THE MESSAGE FROM THE DEAD

"Meyer always said that he did not believe in spirits," remarked Mr.
Clifford reflectively.

"Well, he believes in them now," answered Benita with a little laugh.
"But, father, the poor man is mad, that is the fact of it, and we must
pay no attention to what he says."

"The old Molimo and some of his people--Tamas, for instance--declared
that they have seen the ghost of Benita da Ferreira. Are they mad also,
Benita?"

"I don't know, father. Who can say? All these things are a mystery.
All I do know is that I have never seen a ghost, and I doubt if I ever
shall."

"No, but when you were in that trance something that was not you spoke
out of your mouth, which something said that it was your namesake, the
other Benita. Well, as you say, we can't fathom these things, especially
in a haunted kind of place like this, but the upshot of it is that I
don't think we have much more to fear from Jacob."

"I am not so sure, father. Mad people change their moods very suddenly."

As it happened Benita was quite right. Towards suppertime Jacob Meyer
reappeared, looking pale and shaken, but otherwise much as usual.

"I had a kind of fit this morning," he explained, "the result of an
hallucination which seized me when my light went out in that cave. I
remember that I thought I had seen a ghost, whereas I know very
well that no such thing exists. I was the victim of disappointment,
anxieties, and other still stronger emotions," and he looked at Benita.
"Therefore, please forge