Whoe'er is suffered to tread spirit-ways Finds many a hint to shape his destiny. On soul paths he will try to follow them, Yet they have not been rightly understood If they disturb his duties on the earth. (Capesius sits, and is plunged in thought while the vision of Lucifer appears to Maria.) LUCIFER: Thine effort will not bring thee much reward. New force begins to stir within his heart That opes the portal of his soul to me. Maria, gaze with thy clairvoyant sight Upon his inmost soul; and there behold How he doth free himself on spirit-wings From thy warm loving bonds of work on earth. (Lucifer remains on the scene.) (Maria turns towards Capesius to rouse him from his meditation, but at the same moment he seems to rouse himself of his own accord.) MARIA: If on the spirit-path Johannes felt The nature of his duties hinder him, 'Twould not be right, though so it might appear. He needs must work upon the outer plane. Thy task is to expound the spirit-lore To other men and such a task as this Cannot impede the progress of thy soul. CAPESIUS: Far more than when they work on outer things Do spirit forces lose themselves in words. Words make one reason o'er what one has seen, And reason is a foe to seership's power. I had a spirit-vision even now Which only could disclose itself to me Because the soul which was revealed to me, Although our earthly bodies are close friends, Had never been by me quite understood If I saw truly, I am no more bound By any ties unto this work of earth. For I must feel persuaded that high Powers Now set another goal before my soul Than that prescribed for it by Hilary. (He places himself in front of Johannes.) CAPESIUS: Johannes, tell me truly, didst thou not A while ago feel old, outlived desires That lived within thee like thy present self, While thou wast lost in meditation deep? JOHANNES: Can then my spirit's struggle work to form Experience within another's soul? And can such vision make mine error strong To find its way to life in cosmic space? (Johannes again falls into meditation.) (Maria turns her face towards Lucifer and hears him say:) LUCIFER: Here too I find the soul's gate open wide. I'll not delay but use this chance at once. If also in this soul a spirit-wish Is born, that work of love must come to naught Which doth bode ill to me through Hilary. I can destroy Maria's might in him: And thus can add her power unto mine own. (Capesius at this moment straightens up self-consciously, and, during the following speech, shows an increasingly definite conviction.) CAPESIUS: