erhaps_, for
I would have rejected the frenzied communications of your mother as the
imaginings of a heated brain; and for the same reason I should have been
equally inclined to suppose that the high state of excitement that you
were in at the time of her death may have disordered your intellect; but
as Father Mathias positively asserts that a strange, if not
supernatural, appearance of a vessel did take place, on his passage
home, and which appearance tallies with and corroborates the legend--if
so I may call it--to which you have given evidence, I say that it is not
impossible but that it is supernatural."

"Recollect that the same appearance of the Phantom Ship has been
permitted to me and to many others," replied Philip.

"Yes," replied Father Seysen; "but who is there alive of those who saw
it but yourself? But that is of little importance. We will admit that
the whole affair is not the work of man, but of a superior
intelligence."

"Superior, indeed!" replied Philip. "It is the work of Heaven!"

"That is a point not so easily admitted; there is another power as well
as that which is divine--that of the devil!--the arch-enemy of mankind!
But as that power, inferior to the power of God, cannot act without his
permission, we may indirectly admit that it is the will of Heaven that
such sighs and portents should be allowed to be given on certain
occasions."

"Then our opinions are the same, good Father."

"Nay, not exactly, my son. Elymas, the sorcerer, was permitted to
practise his arts--gained from the devil--that it might be proved, by
his overthrow and blindness, how inferior was his master to the Divine
Ruler; but it does not therefore follow that sorcery generally was
permitted. In this instance it may be true that the evil one has been
permitted to exercise his power over the captain and crew of that ship,
and, as a warning against such heavy offences, the supernatural
appearance of the vessel may be permitted. So far we are justifiable in
believing. But the great questions are, first, whether it be your
father who is thus doomed? and, secondly, how far you are necessitated
to follow up this mad pursuit, which, it appears to me--although it may
end in your destruction--cannot possibly be the means of rescuing your
father from his state of unhallowed abeyance? Do you understand me,
Philip?"

"I certainly understand what you would say, Father; but--"

"Answer me not yet. It is the opinion of thi