“Yes, I see it now. Two of the men here appeared to be missing the other morning, and when Davelli missed them I saw his face change with terror and malignity. I said to my friend here, ‘Depend upon it the loss of these men has got something to do with his damnation.’ Did I not say so, Bob?” I nodded assent. “It is true,” said Leäfar. “Then surely,” said I, “they must be dying out rapidly.” “Dying out, certainly, but not as rapidly as you might suppose.” “Have they,” said I, “the power to reproduce their kind?” “No,” said he; “the dwellers in the ether ‘neither marry nor are given in marriage.’ But they recruit their failing ranks from amongst men and from races analogous to man in other worlds like yours; they win them over to their side here and then claim them when they pass over there. Sometimes they steal them away from this world. Their purpose is to steal you away, one of you or both.” “Steal us! Surely that would not be permitted?” “It is not possible unless you yourselves give yourselves away.” “How should we give ourselves away?” “If you submit your will to theirs they get power over you, power which is hard to shake off, and which is very easily increased.” Here he paused, and the smile which usually attended his pauses did not appear. A sad expression, severe yet very gentle, took its place. There was a silence of several seconds. Then I stood up and spoke, standing. “Hear me, sir. I remember and repent my faults. I knew that this man was a bad man. Nay, I had begun to suspect that he was something other and worse than a bad man. But I saw that he knew things which I longed to know, and so I suffered myself to forget his badness and I did for the moment submit myself to his will. He exercised his power upon me and he deceived me in its exercise. He transferred me to the surface of the moon, or showed it me in a trance, I know not which. I am conscious ever since of being somehow in bondage to him; although I am now determined to resist him to the death. Is there any hope?” “Yes, there is hope, surely, although you may have, as you say, to resist him to the death. But if you die resisting him he will have no power over you after death. I am come to rescue both you and your friend. He runs no such risk as you do, although you are both in great danger of your lives.” “And but for my compliance, I suppose neither of us would have run any risk at all.” “Not so. You were both of you in great danger of your lives, and your friend is still so. But any further compliance on your part will make you the slave of this man, living or dead.” I shuddered and said, “What is to be done?” “Your penitence and your present purpose are accepted, and you will have one more opportunity of asserting your own will against this Davelli. Tell me what has passed between you since your first compliance.” I told him in brief all that I have told you in the last chapter.