tter, that is corroborated by the testimony of our own
consciousness, don't you, Mr. De Riemer?"

"On the whole, yes," replied Paul. "And still, if she had said that the
severing of her personality from that which succeeded it was sharp and
clearly defined, so that up to a certain day, or even hour, her memory
was full and distinct, and then became a blank, there are passages in my
own experience, and I think in that of many persons, which her statement
would have made comprehensible. I think that to many, perhaps to all
persons of reflective turn of mind, there come days, even hours, when
they feel that they have suddenly passed from one epoch of life into
another. A voice says in their hearts with unmistakable clearness,
'Yesterday I was young; to day I am young no longer.' There is also
sometimes a day, I think, when the middle-aged man becomes suddenly aware
that he is old. Who shall deny the truth of these intuitions, or say that
it is not in that very day and hour that the spirit of youth or of
maturity takes its flight?"

"By the way," said Dr. Hull, "have you ever speculated on the probable
number of the souls of an individual? It is an interesting question."

"I suppose that the number may greatly differ in different individuals,"
replied Paul. "In individuals of many-sided minds and versatile
dispositions, there are, perhaps, more distinct personalities than
constitute an individual of less complex character. But how many in
either case only God can tell. Who can say? It may be that with every
breath which I expire a soul or spiritual impression of myself is sent
forth. The universe is large enough even for that. Such may at least be
the case in moments of special intensity, when we live, as we say, a year
in an hour."

They smoked on awhile in silence. Presently Paul said, "When the world
comes to recognize the composite character of the individual, that it is
composed of not one, but many persons, a new department will be added to
ethics, relating to the duties of the successive selves of an individual
to one another. It will be recognized, on the one hand, that it is the
duty of a man to fulfil all reasonable obligations incurred by his past
selves, on the same principle that a pious son fulfils the equitable
obligations incurred by a parent. This duty is, indeed, recognized
to-day, although not on the correct basis. As regards the ethical
relation of a man to the selves who succeed him, a wholly new ide