The herald., 1898-04-24
PART II.

Grant read from the servants face
as she opened the door that nothing
had occurred; that there was no de-
cisive change either one way or the
other. And his inquiries were only a
matter of form.
Good day, sir" said the man, in re-
ply to his greeting.
Miss Valance is no worse, 1 hope?"
mo, sir. Just about the same, no
better, nor no worse"
When Grant entered the library he
found Mr.. Valance, Sir Henry Bris-
towe, DIR. Hale and DR.. Matthews, al
ready there talking.
Mr. Valance crossed the room to
greet him, and said:
Good morning, Grant; you have
heard, I suppose, that there is no
change, and just as you rang we had
decided to send to your rooms to ask
you to come"
The fact of the matter is,' inter-
polated Sir Henry, when Grant had
shaken hands, I'VE are entirely at a
loss what to do. Hale can suggest
nothing; Matthews is as bad. All that
We know is that the poor child is un-
der the influence of hypnotic spell
which none Of us apparently is able to
remove. We had decided just as you
came in to let you try what you could
do That is, of course, if you are will
ing to make the trial. There may be
a risk that we do not know, but we are
bound to try everything"
Are you willing to try?" asked Mr..
Valance.
1t was a minute or two before Grant
replied, and then he said:
Yes, I am perfectly willing, I am
even sanguine of success; but before
/ do so, you must listen to something
] wish to tell you. 1t is a vision a
dream, call it what you like, which
saw last night I dare say you will
think me crazy, but no matter, listen
to the end, and then l will see what
can do if you still wish it."
The four men gathered round the
fire. Grant standing at one corner of
the mantlepiece, with his arm resting
upon it.
Then he told them his dream in Ian
guage so graphic and earnest that
they saw the scene and the actors in it
themselves. All was clear to hnl-as
clear as the vision had been itself, and
he carried his hearers along with
him.
Sir Henry was a widely read man; he
listened to the recital with the utmost
attention. 1t would not do, of course,
for a leading medical man of estab-
lshed reputation openly to avow his
belief in visions and dreams, other
than as existing states of excited minds
when asleep, but for several years he
had secretly possessed heterodox opin-
ions on the subject.
Grant in his half confessed love for
Ethel Valance, and his wholly avowed
love of science had confined himself to
the main issue of his dream. The
girl-the extraordinary double of the
unconscious one up stairs-and her
trance state and the means pursued by
the woman for, her restoration had alb
sorbed his attention and interest to
the exclusion of all details.
Sir Henry's mind, however, was soon
engaged in the endeavor to elucidate
the vision which the other had seen,
and when Grant had finished his re-
cltal the former said:
II am not prepared to interpret your
dream as whole, Grant, but / be-
lieve in one of the scenes you dreamt
that you witnessed was the building
of the Pyramids, and the other the de-
struction of the hosts of one of the
Pharaohs. But let us waste no more
time" he continued, whatever the ul-
innate result is we will put your
knowledge of hypnotism to the test.
1t is almost our last hope. God grant
all may yet be well.'
There was the murmur of assent,
then the five men rose, and Mr.. VAL
lance leading the way, proceeded to
the room where Ethel Valance lay.
Grant was trembling, not with ner-
vousness, but with a strange sensation
of abnormally aroused will-force, as he
knelt down beside the couch. He loved
the girl who lay with her sweet face
upturned and her lips-red and finely
formed-slightly parted as if to whis-
per secret.
He gave one glance at her face and
Its strange, passive beauty, and then
he grasped her by the hand-her right
in his left. He raised his right hand
and made the mystic passes. In an in
stant he felt the beating of her heart;
1t thrilled him through and through.