s to
such only as fear not.'

"I had read in a book of Huyghens, Guinand, Newton, Herschel--the great
high-priests of science who had striven through patient years to read the
hieroglyphics of the heavens. 'The wise imbeciles,' I thought. 'They
toiled and died, and Nature held no mirror up to them. For me, the
poor Camille, she has worked in secret while they grew old and passed
unsatisfied.'

"Brilliant projects of astronomy whirled in my brain. The evening of my
last discovery I remained out on the hills, and entered the cave as it
grew dusk. A feeling of awe surged in me as dark fell over the valley,
and the first stars glistened faintly. I dipped under the fan of water
and took my stand in the hollow behind it. There was no moon, but my
telescope was inclined, as it were, at a generous angle, and a section of
the firmament was open before me. My heart beat fast as I looked through
the lens.

"Shall I tell you what I saw then and many nights after? Rings and
crosses in the heavens of golden mist, spangled, as it seemed, with
jewels; stars as big as cart-wheels, twinkling points no longer, but
round, like great bosses of molten fire; things shadowy, luminous, of
strange colours and stranger forms, that seemed to brush the waters
as they passed, but were in reality vast distances away.

"Sometimes the thrust of wind up the ravine would produce a tremulous
motion in the image at the focus of the mirror; but this was seldom.
For the most part the wonderful lenses presented a steady curvature, not
flawless, but of magnificent capacity.

"Now it flashed upon me that, when the moon was at the full, she would
top the valley in the direct path of my telescope's range of view. At
the thought I grew exultant. I--I, little Camille, should first read
aright the history of this strange satellite. The instrument that could
give shape to the stars would interpret to me the composition of that
lonely orb as clearly as though I stood upon her surface.

"As the time of her fulness drew near I grew feverish with excitement. I
was sickening, as it were, to my madness, for never more should I look
upon her willingly, with eyes either speculative or insane."

At this point Camille broke off for a little space, and lay back on his
pillow. When he spoke again it was out of the darkness, with his face
turned to the wall.

"Monsieur, I cannot dwell upon it--I must hasten. We have no right to
peer beyond the boundary God has drawn for