released. While in the trance you were not in
hell, but experienced the feelings that all mortals would if allowed to
return immediately. Thus no lover can return to earth till his fiancee
has joined him here, or till, perceiving the benevolence of God's ways,
he is not distressed at what he sees, and has the companionship of a
host of kindred spirits.

"The spirits you saw in the cemetery were indeed in hell, but had
become sufficiently developed to revisit the earth, though doing so did
not relieve their distress; for neither the development of their
senses, which intensifies their capacity for remorse and regret, nor
their investigations into God's boundless mercies, which they have
deliberately thrown away, can comfort them.

"Some of your ancestors are on Cassandra, and others are in purgatory
here. Though a few faintly felt your prayer, none were able to return
and answer beside their graves. It was at your request and prayer that
He freed your spirit, but you see how unhappy it made you."

"I see," replied Ayrault, "that no man should wish to anticipate the
workings of the Almighty, although I have been unspeakably blessed in
that He made an exception--if I may so call it--in my favour, since, in
addition to revealing the responsibilities of life, it has shown me the
inestimable value and loyalty of woman's love. I fear, however, that
my return to earth greatly distressed the waterer of the flowers you
showed me."

"She already sleeps," replied the spirit, "and I have comforted her by
a dream in which she sees that you are well."

"When shall we start?" asked Bearwarden.

"As soon as you can get ready," replied Ayrault. "I would not risk
running short of enough current to generate the apergy needed to get us
back. I dare say when I have been on earth a few years, and have done
something for the good of my soul--which, as I take it, can be
accomplished as well by advancing science as in any other way--I shall
pine for another journey in space as I now do to return."

"How I wish I were engaged," said Bearwarden, glancing at Cortlandt,
and overjoyed at Ayrault's recovery.

Accordingly, they resumed their march in the direction in which they
had been going when they found Ayrault, and were soon beside the
Callisto. Cortlandt worked the combination lock of the lower entrance,
through which they crawled. Going to the second story, they opened a
large window and let down a ladder, on which the spirit