And when thy heart pronounced the fateful word My soul was flooded o'er with waves of life Which, though I could not feel, I knew were there; 'Twas not till late, when my memory Rose from the depths of my subconscious soul, That they fulfilled themselves in rays of light. I could know all, from what my mem'ry taught, But could not live it then, because so much Still held me far apart from spirit-life. 'Twas then indeed I first became aware Of spirit in close contact with my soul. Ne'er have I felt like that again; and yet That knowledge gave to me a certainty That hath illuminated all my life. And then flowed on these seven wondrous years. I learned to feel how e'en mechanic skill Which now I study, is enriched by souls Whose attitude t'ward spirit-life is right. 'Twas through the spirit-power which thou couldst give And which made such demands upon my life That I was able to look out beyond The strife for power, and thence quite suddenly As if it had been prompted, there appeared Before my wondering spirit that new work From which we now may dare to hope so much And in thy light I felt within my soul The full awakening of all those powers Which would have perished, had I lived alone. This certainty of life which I had won Let me stand upright then, just at that time When, in such startling wise, Thomasius Condemned before the Rose Cross brotherhood The work of his own brain, and cast himself Adrift, with judgment hard, just at that hour Which could have brought him to his life's full height. This inner certainty could hold me fast When all the outer world seemed to reveal Naught but a mass of contradicting facts. Through thee alone have I gained all this power. The spirit-revelation which thou gav'st Brought me the sense of knowledge I had won; And when the revelation came no more Thou still didst stay my strength and light of soul. THEODORA (in a broken sentence, as if meditating deeply): Then when the revelation came no more ... STRADER: 'Tis that which often made me sorrowful. I wondered if 'twere not deep pain to thee To lose thy seeress' power of second-sight, And whether thou didst suffer silently, Lest I should grieve: and yet thy temperament Showed thou couldst bear with calmness fate's decree. But lately thou hast seemed to me to change, Joy no more streams from thee as heretofore And thine eye's glowing light begins to fade. THEODORA: Indeed it could not be deep pain to me When spirit-revelation disappeared. My fate had only changed my way of life; Which I must needs accept with patience calm. But now 'tis born once more, and brings great grief. STRADER: