be　anything　more　than　a　man　who　has　succeeded　in　winning　a　knowledge
  of　his　own　powers　out　of　the　depths　of　the　dark　that　lies　behind　us。
  Of　course　I　mean　out　of　his　past　in　other　incarnations　long　before　he
  was　Jorsen。　Moreover；　by　degrees；　as　I　grew　fit　to　bear　the　light；　he
  showed　me　something　of　my　own；　and　of　how　the　two　were　intertwined。
  But　all　these　things　are　secrets　of　which　I　have　perhaps　no　right　to
  speak　at　present。　It　is　enough　to　say　that　Jorsen　changed　the　current
  of　my　life　on　that　night　when　he　saved　me　from　death。
  For　instance；　from　that　day　onwards　to　the　present　time　I　have　never
  touched　the　drink　which　so　nearly　ruined　me。　Also　the　darkness　has
  rolled　away；　and　with　it　every　doubt　and　fear；　I　know　the　truth；　and
  for　that　truth　I　live。　Considered　from　certain　aspects　such　knowledge；
  I　admit；　is　not　altogether　desirable。　Thus　it　has　deprived　me　of　my
  interest　in　earthly　things。　Ambition　has　left　me　altogether；　for　years
  I　have　had　no　wish　to　succeed　in　the　profession　which　I　adopted　in　my
  youth；　or　in　any　other。　Indeed　I　doubt　whether　the　elements　of　worldly
  success　still　remain　in　me；　whether　they　are　not　entirely　burnt　away
  by　that　fire　of　wisdom　in　which　I　have　bathed。　How　can　we　strive　to
  win　a　crown　we　have　no　longer　any　desire　to　wear？　Now　I　desire　other
  crowns　and　at　times　I　wear　them；　if　only　for　a　little　while。　My　spirit
  grows　and　grows。　It　is　dragging　at　its　strings。
  What　am　I　to　look　at？　A　small；　white…haired　man　with　a　thin　and　rather
  plaintive　face　in　which　are　set　two　large；　dark　eyes　that　continually
  seem　to　soften　and　develop。　That　is　my　picture。　And　what　am　I　in　the
  world？　I　will　tell　you。　On　certain　days　of　the　week　I　employ　myself　in
  editing　a　trade　journal　that　has　to　do　with　haberdashery。　On　another
  day　I　act　as　auctioneer　to　a　firm　which　imports　and　sells　cheap
  Italian　statuary；　modern；　very　modern　copies　of　the　antique；　florid
  marble　vases；　and　so　forth。　Some　of　you　who　read　may　have　passed　such
  marts　in　different　parts　of　the　city；　or　even　have　dropped　in　and
  purchased　a　bust　or　a　tazza　for　a　surprisingly　small　sum。　Perhaps　I
  knocked　it　down　to　you；　only　too　pleased　to　find　a　/bona　fide/　bidder
  amongst　my　company。
  As　for　the　rest　of　my　timewell；　I　employ　it　in　doing　what　good　I　can
  among　the　poor　and　those　who　need　comfort　or　who　are　bereaved；
  especially　among　those　who　are　bereaved；　for　to　such　I　am　sometimes
  able　to　bring　the　breath　of　hope　that　blows　from　another　shore。
  Occasionally　also　I　amuse　myself　in　my　own　fashion。　Thus　sure
  knowledge　has　come　to　me　about　certain　epochs　in　the　past　in　which　I
  lived　in　other　shapes；　and　I　study　those　epochs；　hoping　that　one　day　I
  may　find　time　to　write　of　them　and　of　the　parts　I　played　in　them。　Some
  of　these　parts　are　extremely　interesting；　especially　as　I　am　of　course
  able　to　contrast　them　with　our　modern　modes　of　thought　and　action。
  They　do　not　all　come　back　to　me　with　equal　clearness；　the　earlier
  lives　being；　as　one　might　expect；　the　more　difficult　to　recover　and
  the　comparatively　recent　ones　the　easiest。　Also　they　seem　to　range
  over　a　vast　stretch　of　time；　back　indeed　to　the　days　of　primeval；
  prehistoric　man。　In　short；　I　think　the　subconscious　in　some　ways
  resembles　the　conscious　and　natural　memory；　that　which　is　very　far　off
  to　it　grows　dim　and　blurred；　that　which　is　comparatively　close　remains
  clear　and　sharp；　although　of　course　this　rule　is　not　invariable。
  Moreover　there　is　foresight　as　well　as　memory。　At　least　from　time　to
  time　I　seem　to　come　in　touch　with　future　events　and　states　of　society
  in　which　I　shall　have　my　share。
  I　believe　some　thinkers　hold　a　theory　that　such　conditions　as　those　of
  past；　present；　and　future　do　not　in　fact　exist；　that　everything
  already　is；　standing　like　a　completed　column　between　earth　and　heaven；
  that　the　sum　is　added　up；　the　equation　worked　out。　At　times　I　am
  tempted　to　believe　in　the　truth　of　this　proposition。　But　if　it　be
  true；　of　course　it　remains　difficult　to　obtain　a　clear　view　of　other
  parts　of　the　column　than　that　in　which　we　happen　to　find　ourselves
  objectively　conscious　at　any　given　period；　and　needless　to　say
  impossible　to　see　it　from　base　to　capital。
  However　this　may　be；　no　individual　entity　pervades　all　the　column。
  There　are　great　sections　of　it　with　which　that　entity　has　nothing　to
  do；　although　it　always　seems　to　appear　again　above。　I　suppose　that
  those　sections　which　are　empty　of　an　individual　and　his　atmosphere
  represent　the　intervals　between　his　lives　which　he　spends　in　sleep；　or
  in　states　of　existence　with　which　this　world　is　not　concerned；　but　of
  such　gulfs　of　oblivion　and　states　of　being　I　know　nothing。
  To　take　a　single　instance　of　what　I　do　know：　once　this　spirit　of　mine；
  that　now　by　the　workings　of　destiny　for　a　little　while　occupies　the
  body　of　a　fourth…rate　auctioneer；　and　of　the　editor　of　a　trade
  journal；　dwelt　in　that　of　a　Pharaoh　of　Egyptnever　mind　which
  Pharoah。　Yes；　although　you　may　laugh　and　think　me　mad　to　say　it；　for
  me　the　legions　fought　and　thundered；　to　me　the　peoples　bowed　and　the
  secret　sanctuaries　were　opened　that　I　and　I　alone　might　commune　with
  the　gods；　I　who　in　the　flesh　and　after　it　myself　was　worshipped　as　a
  god。
  Well；　of　this　forgotten　Royalty　of　whom　little　is　known　save　what　a
  few　inscriptions　have　to　tell；　there　remains　a　portrait　statue　in　the
  British　Museum。　Sometimes　I　go　to　look　at　that　statue　and　try　to
  recall　exactly　under　what　circumstances　I　caused　it　to　be　shaped；
  puzzling　out　the　story　bit　by　bit。
  Not　long　ago　I　stood　thus　absorbed　and　did　not　notice　that　the　hour　of
  the　closing　of　the　great　gallery　had　come。　Still　I　stood　and　gazed　and
  dreamt　till　the　policeman　on　duty；　seeing　and　suspecting　me；　came　up
  and　roughly　ordered　me　to　begone。
  The　man's　tone　angered　me。　I　laid　my　hand　on　the　foot　of　the　statue；
  for　it　had　just　come　back　to　me　that　it　was　a　〃Ka〃　image；　a　sacred
  thing；　any　Egyptologist　will　know　what　I　mean；　which　for　ages　had　sat
  in　a　chamber　of　my　tomb。　Then　the　Ka　that　clings　to　it　eternally　awoke
  at　my　touch　and　knew　me；　or　so　I　suppose。　At　least　I　felt　myself
  change。　A　new　strength　came　into　me；　my　shape；　battered　in　this
  world's　storms；　put　on　something　of　its　ancient　dignity；　my　eyes　grew
  royal。　I　looked　at　that　man　as　Pharaoh　may　have　looked　at　one　who　had
  done　him　insult。　He　saw　the　change　and　trembledyes；　trembled。　I
  believe　he　thought　I　was　some　imperial　ghost　that　the　shadows　of
  evening　had　caused　him　to　mistake　for　man；　at　any　rate　he　gasped　out
  〃I　beg　your　pardon；　I　was　obeying　orders。　I　hope　your　Majesty　won't
  hurt　me。　Now　I　think　of　it　I　have　been　told　that　things　come　out　of
  these　old　statues　in　the　night。〃
  Then　turning　he　ran；　literally　ran；　where　to　I　am　sure　I　do　not　know；
  probably　to　seek　the　fellowship　of　some　other　policeman。　In　due　course
  I　followed；　and；　lifting　the　bar　at　the　end　of　the　hall；　departed
  without　further　question　asked。　Afterwards　I　was　very　glad　to　think
  that　I　had　done　the　man　no　injury。　At　the　moment　I　knew　that　I　could
  hurt　him　if　I　would；　and　what　is　more　I　had　the　desire　to　do　so。　It
  came　to　me；　I　suppose；　with　that　breath　of　the　past　when　I　was　so
  great　and　absolute。　Perhaps　I；　or　that　part　of　me　then　incarnate；　was
  a　tyrant　in　those　days；　and　this　is　why　now　I　must　be　so　humble。　Fate
  is　turning　my　pride　to　its　hammer　and　beating　it　out　of　me。
  For　thus　in　the　long　history　of　the　soul　it　serves　all　our　vices。
  THE　GREAT　WHITE　ROAD
  Now；　as　I　have　hinted；　under　the　teaching　of　Jorsen；　who　saved　me　from
  degradation　and　self…murder；　yes；　and　helped　me　with　money　until　once
  again　I　could　earn　a　livelihood；　I　have　acquired　certain　knowledge　and
  wisdom　of　a　sort　that　are　not　common。　That　is；　Jorsen　taught　me　the
  elements　of　these　things；　he　set　my　feet　upon　the　path　which
  thenceforward；　having　the　sight；　I　have　been　able　to　follow　for
  myself。　How　I　followed　it　does　not　matter；　nor　could　I　teach　others　if
  I　would。
  I　am　no　member　of　any　mystic　brotherhood；　and；　as　I　have　explained；　no
  Mahatma；　although　I　have　called　myself　thus　for　present　purposes
  because　the　name　is　a　convenient　cloak。　I　repeat　that　I　am　ignorant　if
  there　are　such　people　as　Mahatmas；　though　if　so　I　think　Jorsen　must　be
  one　of　them。　Still　he　never　told　me　this。　What　he　has　told　is　that
  every　individual　spirit　must　work　out　its　own　destiny　quite
  independently　of　others。　Indeed；　being　rather　fond　of　fine　phrases；　he
  has　sometimes　spoken　to　me　of；　or　rather；　insisted　upon　what　he　called
  〃the　lonesome　splendour　of　the　human　soul；〃　which　it　is　our　business
  to　perfect　through　various　lives　till　I　can　scarcely　appreciate　and　am
  certainly　unable　to　describe。
  To　tell　the　truth；　the　thought　of　this　〃lonesome　splendour〃　to　which
  it　seems　some　of　us　may　attain；　alarms　me。　I　have　had　enough　of　being
  lonesome；　and　I　do　not　ask　for　any　particular　splendour。　My　only
  ambitions　are　to　find　those　whom　I　have　lost；　and　in　whatever　life　I
  live　to　be　of　use　to　others。　However；　as　I　gather　that　the　exalted
  condition　to　which　Jorsen　alludes　is　thousands　of　ages　off　for　any　of
  us；　and　may　after　all　mean　something　quite　different　to　what　it　seems
  to　mean；　the　thought　of　it　does　not　trouble　me　over