d
finished, 'which rules over you, my son, has now ordained that a silly
book should make you attentive to your own internal being. I call the
book silly, because it treats of a goblin that is at once repulsive and
without character. What you ascribe to the effect of these licentious
images of the poet, is nothing but an impulse towards an union with a
spiritual being of another region, which results from your happily
constituted organisation. If you had shown more confidence in me, you
would have been on a higher grade long ago. However, I will take you
as my scholar.' O'Malley now began to make me acquainted with the
nature of elementary spirits. I understood little that he said, but
all referred to the doctrine of sylphs, undines, salamanders, and
gnomes, such as you may find in the dialogues of the Comte de Cabalis.
He concluded by prescribing me a particular course of life, and thought
that in the course of a year I might obtain my Biondetta, who would
certainly not do me the wrong of changing into the incarnate Satan in
my arms. With the same ardour as Alvarez, I thought that I should die
of impatience in so long a time, and would venture any thing to attain
my end sooner. The major remained reflecting in silence for some
moments, and then said: 'It is certain that an elementary spirit is
seeking your good graces. This may enable you to obtain that in a
short time, for which others strive during whole years. I will cast
your horoscope. Perhaps your mistress will reveal herself to me. In
nine days you shall hear more.' I actually counted the hours, feeling
now penetrated by a mysterious delightful hope, and now as if I had
involved myself in a dangerous affair. Late in the evening of the
ninth day, the major at last entered my room, and desired me to follow
him. 'Are we to go to the ruins?' I asked. 'Certainly not,' replied
O'Malley, smiling, 'for the work which we now have in hand, we want
neither a remote awful spot, nor a terrible exorcism out of Peplier's
grammar. Besides, my incubus can have no part in to-day's experiment,
which, properly speaking, you undertake, not I.' The major conducted
me to his quarters, and there explained to me that the matter was to
procure something by means of which my own self might be opened to the
elementary spirit, and the latter might have the power of revealing
itself to me in the invisible world, and holding intercourse with me.
This _something_ was what the