y to
pretend that the two persons who came to him in the vision, actually
entered the office and that he thought them regular customers or
something of that sort, while at the end of the story, when everybody
was bewildered, the whole matter might be explained by announcing the
fact that it was all a dream, but this account being a true and honest
one, no such artifice will be used and at the very beginning the
admission is made that John was the victim of a vision.

In this dream two very beautiful ladies approached him. One was richly
dressed and wore the most dazzling jewelry. The other was clad in plain
attire. At first, the dreaming Mr. Crandall thought, or dreamt he
thought, that the richly dressed one was the prettier. She was
certainly very attractive, but, as she came closer, John imagined that
much of her beauty was artificial. He said to himself that she painted
artistically perhaps, but at any rate she laid it on rather thick.

About the other there was no question. She was a beauty, and what
loveliness she possessed was due to the bounties of Providence and not
to the assistance of the chemist. She was the first to speak.

"Mr. Crandall," she said, in the sweetest of voices, "we have come here
together so that you may choose between us. Which one will you have?"

"Bless me," said Crandall, so much surprised at the unblushing proposal
that he nearly awoke himself, "bless me, don't you know that I am
married?"

"Oh, _that_ doesn't matter," answered the fair young lady, with
the divinest of smiles.

"Doesn't it?" said Mr. Crandall. "If you had the pleasure of meeting
Mrs. Crandall I think you would find that it did--very much indeed."

"But we are not mortals; we are spirits."

"Oh, are you? Well, of course that makes a difference," replied Mr.
Crandall much relieved, for he began to fear from the turn the
conversation had taken that he was in the presence of two writers of
modern novels.

"This lady," continued the first speaker, "is the spirit of wealth. If
you choose her you will be a very rich man before you die."

"Oh, ho!" cried Crandall. "Are you sure of that?"

"Quite certain."

"Well, then I won't be long making my choice. I choose her, of course."

"But you don't know who I am. Perhaps when you know, you may wish to
reverse your decision."

"I suppose you are the spirit of power or of fame or something of that
sort. I am not an ambitious person; money is good enough for me."

"No,