…hovered the form of death.”Art thou satisfied?” asked my tormentor, ”satisfied, or wouldst thou see more of the days to come? Destiny, Destiny, Destiny! It rules the world, from the infant’s cradle to the roar of the guns or — a watery grave. And thou hast seen Destiny. Wake and regard it as fancy if thou wilt. Stifle it, bury it, and drown it. Thou hast seen what thou hast seen, and — it is Destiny!”The creature’s voice rose higher and higher, then dropped, and dropped, till it died out altogether.And as it died out, the horrid phantom vanished, and, in its place, rose a mass of red and curling flames, that in letters of fire wrote, in mid-air:”Art thou going to the zone arty?”A reply rose irresistibly to my lips.”Here eight hours chime,” I said, like one repeating a parrot lesson. And, as I spoke, I felt my despised…

…the earnestness with which he pleaded, flung him on the floor, and would have stabbed him, had not the room suddenly become pitch dark, and a loud and hollow voice uttered these words: “Fool! Thou hast murdered thine own soul! Know thy hell!” Something then struck me heavily on the forehead, I lost consciousness, and on recovering, found myself in a huge kitchen garden.A spade was in my hand, and I was digging for potatoes. The sun was so tremendously hot; my back and arms ached cruelly; and I was desperately thirsty. “Curse it!” I said to myself. “I have had enough of it! The old lady may go without her dinner for all I care! I am not going to wear myself to pieces and get sunstroke for her!’ Then I dashed my spade to the ground, and, looking round, espied a pool of clear water. Revelling in the…