! Ye shall flame and burn upon the
heads of these two persons and announce to them that the Invisibles are
with us. Come to me, ye spirits of fire!"

He clinched his fingers, extending them again, and upon the points
there danced and flickered a blue light. A heavenly smile shone upon the
beautiful face of the Magus, his hands slowly sank upon the heads of
the kneeling ones, the flames gliding upon their heads, resting there a
moment, and then dying away.

"The Invisibles have proclaimed themselves to you through the sign of
fire," cried Cagliostro. "The sacred flame has glowed upon your heads,
and I now press upon your brow the solemn kiss of consecration and
knowledge!"

He bowed down to the kneeling ones. It seemed as if a cloud of perfume
had passed over their glowing faces, or as if an odorous lily had been
pressed upon their foreheads, and their hearts quivered with delight.
He passed his hand lightly over their faces, and a feeling of rapture
spread through their whole being. Then as he commanded them to rise,
they obeyed, without realizing that they had limbs or body, but regarded
the miracle-worker, entranced with his smile.

Cagliostro, with hasty decision and earnest, commanding air, made a few
opposite strokes in the air, and immediately the faces of the magnetized
looked as if they had awakened from a dream of splendor and delight to
insipid, flat reality.

"I have permitted you to behold, for an instant, the mysteries and
miracles which are serviceable to the knowing ones," said Cagliostro,
with calm earnestness. "Your souls were in communion with the
Invisibles, and from the source of knowledge a spark of illumination
fell upon your heads. Guard it as a heavenly secret that no one should
know of, and now let us continue our conversation."

"Permit me once more to lay my head at your feet, and receive power from
the touch thereof," implored Bischofswerder.

"Let me embrace your knees, and entreat pardon and grace," begged
Woellner, as he sank down to clasp them, and the former threw himself at
the feet of his master, passionately kissing them.

Smilingly he received their homage, and assisted them to rise.

"Now let us speak in a human, reasonable manner, my friends. Brother
Theophilus, you, first of all, return the letter to the envelope and
seal it."

Bischofswerder obeyed; taking from the table a little bottle and a small
brush, he carefully applied an adhesive substance to the edges, pressi