“Mr. Henley, let the experience of one who has suffered, and who will continue to suffer more than you can possibly understand--let his experience, I say, warn you against the unreasonable yearning for the return of those who have passed on to their spiritual state! Here our eyes are blinded to the blessedness to come, and it is well it is so; for, were it otherwise, the discipline of earth life would be lost, as too monstrous to be endured. No man could submit to the restraints of matter, with the power and freedom of spirit in sight. If once I could have realized the dreadful results entailed upon what I had lost, by my effort to recover it, I would have known that the blackest curse would have been trifling by contrast. Let the dead rest! and let one who knows persuade you that their entrance into spirit life is a time rather for rejoicing than regret!” “And is Dorothy to suffer as you have suffered, for what was no fault of hers?” demanded Paul. “Yes,” said Ah Ben; “the law of Karma is the law of nature and the law of God; and while ordinarily she would have passed safely on in the possession of her new-born powers, the pitfall which I blindly laid beset her unwary feet, and she fell. There is but one course open; but one way in which Dorothy can reach either heaven or earth, by a shorter road than that which I am compelled to travel. It is simple, and yet one which, under the circumstances, is almost impossible to achieve; and this from the fact that it requires the cooperation of a human being.” “I should imagine that any one with the ordinary feelings of humanity would gladly do what he could to assist such an unhappy fellow-creature!” exclaimed Paul. “But she is not a fellow-creature,” urged the old man. “True, but I understood you to say that she might become one with the cooperation of a human being.” “I did,” Ah Ben replied; “but where is that to be found?” “Not knowing the nature of the task, it would be difficult to say,” answered Paul, “but I will adhere to my first proposition, that one with the ordinary feelings of humanity would gladly do what he could.” “Mr. Henley, have you the ordinary feelings of humanity?” “I hope so,” answered Paul. “Would you be willing to marry a ghost, and be haunted for the rest of your life; for the ghost would be sure to outlive you?” Paul started.