Lucifer: A Theosophical Magazine. Volume I. September 1887-February 1888.Various
Religion
Lucifer: A Theosophical Magazine. Volume I. September 1887-February 1888.
Various
Theosophy -- Periodicals
To him went Hilary some days later. In the interim he had not seen
the Princess. His soul had been torn hither and thither, to and fro.
His passion for the beautiful girl held him fast, while his horror
of the magician repelled him from her. He went to the Cathedral in
the afternoon determined that he would reveal all his distress to
the priest. Father Amyot was in his confessional, but some one was
with him, for the curtain was drawn. Hilary knelt down at the small
altar of the chapel there to wait. Presently there was a slight
sound; he turned his head to see if the confessional was now free.
The Princess Fleta stood beside him, her eyes fixed on him; it was
she who at this instant only had risen from her knees in the
confessional. Hilary, amazed and dumb with wonder, could only gaze
upon her. She kept her strange and fascinating eyes fixed on his for
a moment and then turned and with swift, soft steps left the chapel.
Hilary remained kneeling motionless before the altar, his mind
absorbed in what was hardly so much thought as amazement. Fleta was
not then what he thought her. If she were sensitive to religious
impressions she could not be the cold magician which she had
appeared to him to be when he recollected the last scene in the
laboratory. Perhaps after all she used her power generously and for
good. He began to see her in another light. He began to worship her
for her goodness as well as for her strong attractions. His heart
leaped with joy at the thought that her soul was as beautiful as her
body. He rose from his knees and turned instinctively and without
thought to follow her. As he did so he passed Father Amyot, who
seeing that no one else came immediately to the confessional, had
left it and flung himself at full length upon the ground before the
altar. He wore a long robe of coarse white cloth, tied at the waist
with a black cord; a hood of the same cloth covered his shaven head.
He was like a skeleton, perfectly fleshless and emaciated. His face
lay sideways on the stone; he seemed unconscious, so profound was
his abstraction. The eyes were open but had no sight in them. They
were large grey blue eyes, full of a profound melancholy which gave
them an appearance as if tears stood in them. This melancholy
affected Hilary strangely; it touched his heart, made thrill and
vibrate some deeply sensitive cord in his nature. He stood gazing a
moment at the prostrate figure, and then with a profound obeisance
left the chapel.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account