Rubbing his eyes to make certain that he was entirely awake, Montrose sought for an interpretation. "I do not quite understand." "There is no need for you to understand further, my friend. This much enlightenment has been vouchsafed you through the mercy of God. For the rest you must work and walk by faith, seeing as in a glass darkly, obeying the Great Law of your own free will, so that your unselfish love may cause hatred to cease." "Whose hatred?" "That of the man you sinned against. Only with the aid of the Blessed One!"--Eberstein made the sign of the cross--"can you prevent the Son of Perdition from descending into the Abyss." "Who is the Son of Perdition?" "Your enemy, whom Christ loves as He loves you. Your task is to make yourself a channel through which the grace of the Blessed One can freely pour for the salvation of this erring soul. Oh, think how glorious it is that you should be permitted to be the instrument of Christ in this mighty work." "But I do not know how to go about the work!" exclaimed the bewildered man. "Watch and pray, my son, for the time when you must act is near at hand. Only by making yourself receptive to the holy influence will you know how to act when the time is ripe." "You will help me?" "I am bound to help you since I am obedient to the Law. But much has to be done by yourself, Montrose. I cannot command, as each man has free-will with which even the Logos Himself does not interfere. Christ stands at the door of your heart, but will not enter unless you invite His entrance. Only by doing what you ought to do will the Spirit of Love enter and sup with you." "But what am I to do?" demanded Montrose desperately. "Ask your own heart." "It says nothing." "The time is not yet ripe for it to say anything. Watch and pray! Come," the doctor spoke in a more matter-of-fact tone, "it is growing late. Go home and sleep: you are becoming exhausted." "But tell me, Eberstein, if I am right in what I think," pleaded Montrose earnestly. "I know intuitively that I met Miss Enistor in some previous life and that I loved her, as I love her now when we come together for the first time in this incarnation. I had all the feeling of being her friend. Oh what do I say! Friend is too weak a word--of being her lover. If I understand rightly, some sin committed by me has parted us, and that sin I have to expiate before we can come together again." "That is the case. But ask me no more now. With the aid of the Blessed One you must work out your salvation in fear and trembling." "Indicate my enemy and I shall forgive him for Alice's sake," cried the young man with impetuous generosity. "You must forgive him for his own." "How can I when I don't know why we are enemies?" "You will know when it is necessary you should know." Montrose passed his hands across his brow and stood up slowly. "It is all bewildering and difficult."