that　cleanliness　is　next　to　godliness。〃
  Hugh　restrained　his　laughter；　and　shifted　his　ground。
  〃But　there　is　nothing　dirty　about　them；〃　he　said。
  〃Not　dirty？　　Now　really；　Mr。　Sutherland；　you　provoke　me。　　Nothing
  dirty　in　long　hair　all　round　your　mouth；　and　going　into　it　every
  spoonful　you　take？〃
  〃But　it　can　be　kept　properly　trimmed；　you　know。〃
  〃But　who's　to　trust　you　to　do　that？　　No；　no；　Mr。　Sutherland；　you
  must　not　make　a　guy　of　yourself。〃
  Hugh　laughed；　and　said　nothing。　　Of　course　his　beard　would　go　on
  growing；　for　he　could　not　help　it。
  So　did　Mrs。　Appleditch's　wrath。
  CHAPTER　X。
  CONSULTATIONS。
  Wo　keine　G鰐ter　sind；　walten　Gespenster。
  NOVALIS。　Christenheit。
  Where　gods　are　not；　spectres　rule。
  Ein　Charakter　ist　ein　vollkommen　gebildeter　Wille。
  NOVALIS。Moralische　Ansichten。
  A　character　is　a　perfectly　formed　will。
  It　was　not　long　before　Hugh　repeated　his　visit　to　Falconer。　　He　was
  not　at　home。　　He　went　again　and　again；　but　still　failed　in　finding
  him。　　The　day　after　the　third　failure；　however；　he　received　a　note
  from　Falconer；　mentioning　an　hour　at　which　he　would　be　at　home　on
  the　following　evening。　　Hugh　went。　　Falconer　was　waiting　for　him。
  〃I　am　very　sorry。　　I　am　out　so　much；〃　said　Falconer。
  〃I　ought　to　have　taken　the　opportunity　when　I　had　it；〃　replied　Hugh。
  〃I　want　to　ask　your　help。　　May　I　begin　at　the　beginning；　and　tell
  you　all　the　story？　or　must　I　epitomize　and　curtail　it？〃
  〃Be　as　diffuse　as　you　please。　　I　shall　understand　the　thing　the
  better。〃
  So　Hugh　began；　and　told　the　whole　of　his　history；　in　as　far　as　it
  bore　upon　the　story　of　the　crystal。　　He　ended　with　the　words：
  〃I　trust；　Mr。　Falconer；　you　will　not　think　that　it　is　from　a　love　of
  talking　that　I　have　said　so　much　about　this　affair。〃
  〃Certainly　not。　　It　is　a　remarkable　story。　　I　will　think　what　can　be
  done。　　Meantime　I　will　keep　my　eyes　and　ears　open。　　I　may　find　the
  fellow。　　Tell　me　what　he　is　like。〃
  Hugh　gave　as　minute　a　description　of　the　count　as　he　could。
  〃I　think　I　see　the　man；〃　said　Falconer。　〃I　am　pretty　sure　I　shall
  recognise　him。〃
  〃Have　you　any　idea　what　he　could　want　with　the　ring？〃
  〃It　is　one　of　the　curious　coincidences　which　are　always　happening；〃
  answered　Falconer；　〃that　a　newspaper　of　this　very　day　would　have
  enabled　me；　without　any　previous　knowledge　of　similar　facts；　to　give
  a　probably　correct　suggestion　as　to　his　object。　　But　you　can　judge
  for　yourself。〃
  So　saying；　Falconer　went　to　a　side…table；　heaped　up　with　books　and
  papers；　maps；　and　instruments　of　various　kinds；　apparently　in
  triumphant　confusion。　　Without　a　moment's　hesitation；
  notwithstanding；　he　selected　the　paper　he　wanted；　and　handed　it　to
  Hugh；　who　read　in　it　a　letter　to　the　editor；　of　which　the　following
  is　a　portion：
  〃I　have　for　over　thirty　years　been　in　the　habit　of　investigating　the
  question　by　means　of　crystals。　　And　since　18；　I　have　possessed　the
  celebrated　crystal；　once　belonging　to　Lady　Blessington；　in　which
  very　many　persons；　both　children　and　adults；　have　seen　visions　of
  the　spirits　of　the　deceased；　or　of　beings　claiming　to　be　such；　and
  of　numerous　angels　and　other　beings　of　the　spiritual　world。　　These
  have　in　all　cases　supported　the　purest　and　most　liberal
  Christianity。　　The　faculty　of　seeing　in　the　crystal　I　have　found　to
  exist　in　about　one　person　in　ten　among　adults；　and　in　nearly　nine　in
  every　ten　among　children；　many　of　whom　appear　to　lose　the　faculty　as
  they　grow　to　adult　age；　unless　they　practise　it　continually。〃
  〃Is　it　possible；〃　said　Hugh；　pausing；　〃that　this　can　be　a　veritable
  paper　of　to…day？　　Are　there　people　to　believe　such　things？〃
  〃There　are　more　fools　in　the　world；　Mr。　Sutherland；　than　there　are
  crystals　in　its　mountains。〃
  Hugh　resumed　his　reading。　　He　came　at　length　to　this　passage：
  〃The　spiritswhich　I　feel　certain　they　arewhich　appear；　do　not
  hesitate　to　inform　us　on　all　possible　subjects　which　may　tend　to
  improve　our　morals；　and　confirm　our　faith　in　the　Christian
  doctrines。。。The　character　they　give　of　the　class　of　spirits　who　are
  in　the　habit　of　communicating　with　mortals　by　rapping　and　such
  proceedings；　is　such　that　it　behoves　all　Christian　people　to　be　on
  their　guard　against　error　and　delusion　through　their　means。〃
  Hugh　had　read　this　passage　aloud。
  〃Is　not　that　a　comfort；　now；　Mr。　Sutherland？〃　said　Falconer。　〃For　in
  all　the　reports　which　I　have　seen　of　the　religious　instruction
  communicated　in　that　highly　articulate　manner；　Calvinism；　high　and
  low；　has　predominated。　　I　strongly　suspect　the　crystal　phantoms　of
  Arminianism；　though。　　Fancy　the　old　disputes　of　infant　Christendom
  perpetuated　amongst　the　paltry　ghosts　of　another　realm！〃
  〃But；〃　said　Hugh；　〃I　do　not　quite　see　how　this　is　to　help　me；　as　to
  the　count's　object　in　securing　the　ring；　for　certainly；　however
  deficient　he　may　be　in　such　knowledge；　he　is　not　likely　to　have
  committed　the　theft　for　the　sake　of　instruction　in　the　doctrines　of
  the　sects。〃
  〃No。　But　such　a　crystal　might　be　put　to　other；　not　to　say　better；
  uses。　　Besides；　Lady　Blessington's　crystal　might　be　a　pious　crystal；
  and　the　other　which　belonged　to　Lady〃
  〃Lady　Euphrasia。〃
  〃To　Lady　Euphrasia；　might　be　a　worldly　crystal　altogether。　　This
  might　reveal　demons　and　their　counsels；　while　that　was　haunted　by
  theological　angels　and　evangelical　ghosts。〃
  〃Ah！　　I　see。　　I　should　have　thought；　however；　that　the　count　had
  been　too　much　of　a　man　of　the　world　to　believe　such　things。〃
  〃He　might　find　his　account　in　it；　notwithstanding。　　But　no　amount　of
  world…wisdom　can　set　a　man　above　the　inroads　of　superstition。　　In
  fact；　there　is　but　one　thing　that　can　free　a　man　from　superstition；
  and　that　is　belief。　　All　history　proves　it。　　The　most　sceptical　have
  ever　been　the　most　credulous。　　This　is　one　of　the　best　arguments　for
  the　existence　of　something　to　believe。〃
  〃You　remind　me　of　a　passage　in　my　story　which　I　omitted；　as
  irrelevant　to　the　matter　in　hand。〃
  〃Do　let　me　have　it。　　It　cannot　fail　to　interest　me。〃
  Hugh　gave　a　complete　account　of　the　experiments　they　had　made　with
  the　careering　plate。　　Now　the　writing　of　the　name　of　David　Elginbrod
  was　the　most　remarkable　phenomenon　of　the　whole；　and　Hugh　was
  compelled；　in　responding　to　the　natural　interest　of　Falconer；　to
  give　a　description　of　David。　　This　led　to　a　sketch　of　his　own
  sojourn　at　Turriepuffit；　in　which　the　character　of　David　came　out
  far　more　plainly　than　it　could　have　come　out　in　any　description。
  When　he　had　finished；　Falconer　broke　out；　as　if　he　had　been
  hitherto　restraining　his　wrath　with　difficulty：
  〃And　that　was　the　man　the　creatures　dared　to　personate！　　I　hate　the
  whole　thing；　Sutherland。　　It　is　full　of　impudence　and　irreverence。
  Perhaps　the　wretched　beings　may　want　another　thousand　years'
  damnation；　because　of　the　injury　done　to　their　character　by　the
  homage　of　men　who　ought　to　know　better。〃
  〃I　do　not　quite　understand　you。〃
  〃I　mean；　that　you　ought　to　believe　as　easily　that　such　a　man　as　you
  describe　is　laughing　with　the　devil　and　his　angels；　as　that　he　wrote
  a　copy　at　the　order　of　a　charlatan；　or　worse。〃
  〃But　it　could　hardly　be　deception。〃
  〃Not　deception？　　A　man　like　him　could　not　get　through　them　without
  being　recognised。〃
  〃I　don't　understand　you。　　By　whom？〃
  〃By　swarms　of　low　miserable　creatures　that　so　lament　the　loss　of
  their　beggarly　bodies　that　they　would　brood　upon　them　in　the　shape
  of　flesh…flies；　rather　than　forsake　the　putrifying　remnants。　　After
  that；　chair　or　table　or　anything　that　they　can　come　into　contact
  with；　possesses　quite　sufficient　organization　for　such。　　Don't　you
  remember　that　once；　rather　than　have　no　body　to　go　into；　they　crept
  into　the　very　swine？　　There　was　a　fine　passion　for　self…embodiment
  and　sympathy！　　But　the　swine　themselves　could　not　stand　it；　and
  preferred　drowning。〃
  〃Then　you　do　think　there　was　something　supernatural　in　it？〃
  〃Nothing　in　the　least。　　It　required　no　supernatural　powers　to　be
  aware　that　a　great　man　was　dead；　and　that　you　had　known　him　well。
  It　annoys　me；　Sutherland；　that　able　men；　ay；　and　good　men　too；
  should　consult　with　ghosts　whose　only　possible　superiority　consists
  in　their　being　out　of　the　body。　　Why　should　they　be　the　wiser　for
  that？　　I　should　as　soon　expect　to　gain　wisdom　by　taking　off　my
  clothes；　and　to　lose　it　by　getting　into　bed；　or　to　rise　into　the
  seventh　heaven　of　spirituality　by　having　my　hair　cut。　　An　impudent
  forgery　of　that　good　man's　name！　　If　I　were　you；　Sutherland；　I　would
  have　nothing　to　do　with　such　a　low　set。　　They　are　the　canaille　of
  the　other　world。　　It's　of　no　use　to　lay　hold　on　their　skirts；　for
  they　can't　fly。　　They're　just　like　the　vultureseasy　to　catch；
  because　they're　full　of　garbage。　　I　doubt　if　they　have　more
  intellect　left　than　just　enough　to　lie　with。I　have　been　compelled
  to　think　a　good　deal　about　these　things　of　late。〃
  Falconer　put　a　good　many　questions　to　Hugh；　about　Euphra　and　her
  relation　to　the　count；　and　such　was　the　confidence　with　which　he　had
  inspired　him；　that　Hugh　felt　at　perfect　liberty　to　answer　them　all
  fully；　not　avoiding　even　the　exposure　of　his　own　feelings；　where
  that　was　involved　by　the　story。
  〃Now；〃　said　Falconer；　〃I　have　material　out　of　whi