e, far-reaching consciousness, that was
more perfect than sight, yet was not sight, but a being everywhere at
once, a universal understanding, a part of something all pervading, a
unification with all things past, present, and to come, with no desire
for them, nor vision of them, but perfect knowledge of them all.

At the same time, there was the presence of another immeasurable
identity in the same space, so that his own being and that other were
coexistent and alike, each in the other, everywhere at once, and
inseparable from the other, and also, in some unaccountable way, each
dear to the other beyond and above all description. And there was
perfect peace and a state very far beyond any possible waking happiness,
without any conception of time or of motion, but only of infinite space
with infinite understanding.

Another phase began. There was time again, there were minutes, hours,
months, years, ages; and there was a longing for something that could
change, a stirring of human memories in the boundless immaterial
consciousness, a desire for sight and hearing, a gradual, growing wish
to see a face remembered before the wall of darkness had closed in, to
hear a voice that had once sounded in ears that had once understood, to
touch a hand that had felt his long ago. And the longing became
intolerable, for lack of these things, like a burning thirst where there
is no water; and the perfect peace was all consumed in that raging wish,
and the quiet was disquiet, and the two consciousnesses felt that each
was learning to suffer again for want of the other, till what had been
heaven was hell, and earth would be better, or total destruction and the
extinguishing of all identity, or anything that was not, rather than the
least prolonging of what was.

The last change now; back to the world, and to a human body. Lamberti
was waked by a vigorous knocking at his door, which was locked as usual.
It was nine o'clock, and a servant had brought him Guido's note.

"My dear friend," it said, "I was altogether in the wrong yesterday.
Please forgive me. I quite understand your position with regard to the
Contessina, and hers towards you, but I sincerely hope that in the end
you may be good friends. I appreciate very much the effort you both made
this afternoon to overcome your mutual antipathy. Thank you. G. d'E."

Lamberti read the note three times before the truth dawned upon him, and
he at last understood what Guido meant. At fir