I can still see his
astonished face when he entered and found me sitting there.

"'I was waiting for you,' I said, trying to smile. 'You remember I was
to have another lesson to-night.'

"'Yes,' he said, and looked at me, his eyes kindling.

"I was trembling inwardly, for suddenly I began to fear him; I knew
that I must keep my head, that I must not yield to his will, or I
would be swept away.

"'I thought Mr. Lester would never go,' I said.

"He came to the divan and sat down close beside me, and looked into my
eyes.

"'Did the time really seem so long?' he asked.

"'It seemed very long,' I said.

"He gazed at me for another moment, then rose quickly and turned on
the light.

"'Sit where you are,' he said, 'and I will sit here. Fix your eyes
upon the sphere and your mind upon the Infinite Mind--so shall great
wisdom come to you.'

"I felt my will crumbling to pieces; I closed my eyes and crushed the
glove within my hand, and thought of this man's villainy and of the
part I must play, if I were to defeat him. His voice went on and on,
but gradually I ceased to hear it--I was thinking of the glove, of
escape, of Fred...."

Yea, love is strong, I told myself, and it giveth to the dove the
wisdom of the serpent, else how had this child come victorious from
such an ordeal!

"I do not know how long I sat there," Miss Vaughan continued, "but
Senor Silva rose suddenly with an exclamation of impatience and
switched on the light.

"'There is something wrong,' he said, coming back and standing over
me. 'Some hostile influence is at work. What is it?'

"'I do not know,' I said. 'I cannot lose myself as I did last night.'

"'Something holds you to earth--some chain. Perhaps it is your own wish.'

"'No, no!' I protested. 'Let us try again.'

"He switched off the light and sat down facing me, and again I felt
his will trying to enter and conquer me. And again I clasped the
glove, and kept my mind upon it, thinking only of escape."

You can guess how we were leaning forward, listening breathless to
this narrative. I fancied I could see her sitting there in the
darkness, with Silva's evil influence visibly about her, but held at
bay by her resolute innocence, as Christian's shield of Faith turned
aside the darts of Apollyon. It was, indeed, a battle of good and
evil, the more terrible because it was fought, not with bodily
weapons, but with spiritual ones.

"At last, Senor Silva rose again," Miss Vaughan cont