straight into pure eyes--that thou canst not
but doubt, and art blameless in doubting until thou seest it face to
face, when thou wilt no longer be able to doubt it. But to him who has
once seen even a shadow only of the truth, and, even but hoping he has
seen it when it is present no longer, tries to obey it--to him the real
vision, the Truth himself, will come, and depart no more, but abide with
him for ever."

"I think I see, father," I said; "I think I understand."

"Then remember, and recall. Trials yet await thee, heavy, of a nature
thou knowest not now. Remember the things thou hast seen. Truly thou
knowest not those things, but thou knowest what they have seemed, what
they have meant to thee! Remember also the things thou shalt yet see.
Truth is all in all; and the truth of things lies, at once hid and
revealed, in their seeming."

"How can that be, father?" I said, and raised my eyes with the question;
for I had been listening with downbent head, aware of nothing but the
voice of Adam.

He was gone; in my ears was nought but the sounding silence of the
swift-flowing waters. I stretched forth my hands to find him, but no
answering touch met their seeking. I was alone--alone in the land of
dreams! To myself I seemed wide awake, but I believed I was in a dream,
because he had told me so.

Even in a dream, however, the dreamer must do something! he cannot sit
down and refuse to stir until the dream grow weary of him and depart: I
took up my wandering, and went on.

Many channels I crossed, and came to a wider space of rock; there,
dreaming I was weary, I laid myself down, and longed to be awake.

I was about to rise and resume my journey, when I discovered that I lay
beside a pit in the rock, whose mouth was like that of a grave. It was
deep and dark; I could see no bottom.

Now in the dreams of my childhood I had found that a fall invariably
woke me, and would, therefore, when desiring to discontinue a dream,
seek some eminence whence to cast myself down that I might wake: with
one glance at the peaceful heavens, and one at the rushing waters, I
rolled myself over the edge of the pit.

For a moment consciousness left me. When it returned, I stood in the
garret of my own house, in the little wooden chamber of the cowl and the
mirror.

Unspeakable despair, hopelessness blank and dreary, invaded me with the
knowledge: between me and my Lona lay an abyss impassable! stretched a
distance no chain could me