ed.

And thus at last I came to an utter exhaustion; but neither could be
quiet, nor sleep. Yet, presently, I slept.

And when I waked, my first memory was of the wondrous thing which had
befallen in the sleep-time; for none in all this world could have known
those words; save it had been the spirit of Mirdath, my Beautiful One,
looking from above my shoulder in that utter-lost time, as I made those
words to her, out of an aching and a broken heart. And the voice had
been the voice of Mirdath; and the voice of Mirdath had been the voice
of Naani. And what shall any say to this, save that which I had in my
heart.

And immediately I called to Naani, once, and again twice; and in a
little moment there came all about me the throbbing of the Master-Word,
beating solemnly in the night; and I sent the Master-Word to give
assurance, and immediately the voice of Naani, a little weak as was it
always when she had not the Instrument, but sent the message with her
brain-elements.

And I answered her, and questioned her eagerly concerning her sayings of
the past time of sleep; but she disclaimed, and made clear to me that
she had no knowledge of having spoken; but had slept through all that
time of which I made to tell; and, indeed, had dreamed a very strange
dream.

And for a little while I was confused, and meditated, not knowing what
to think; but came suddenly again to a knowledge that Naani's far voice
was thrilling the aether all about; and that she would tell to me her
dream; which had set strong upon her mind.

And she told the dream to me, and in the dream she had seen a tall, dark
man, built very big, and dressed in unfamiliar clothing. And the man had
been in a little room, and very sorrowful, and lonesome; and in her
dream she had gone nigh to him.

And presently the man made to write, that he might ease him by giving
expression to his sorrow; and Naani had been able to read the words that
he wrote; though to her waking spirit the language in which they were
writ was strange and unknown. Yet she could not remember what he had
writ, save but one short line, and this she had mind of in that he had
writ the word Mirdath above. And she spoke of the strangeness of this
thing, that she should dream of this name; but supposed that I had fixed
it upon her, by my first callings.

And then did I, with something of a tremble in my spirit, ask Naani to
tell me what she remembered of the writing of that big, sorrowful
stra