gone　back　into　the　clay　out　of　which　they　were　formed　and　are　not；　nor
  evermore　shall　be？　You　have　but　one　life；　turn；　turn　to　the　living；
  and　make　it　happy。〃
  〃I　do　not　agree　with　you；　Mr。　Meyer。　To　me　the　dead　are　still　living；
  one　day　I　shall　find　them。　Now　let　me　go。〃
  〃I　will　not　let　you　go。　I　will　plead　and　wrestle　with　you　as　in　the
  old　fable　my　namesake　of　my　own　race　wrestled　with　the　angel；　until　at
  length　you　bless　me。　You　despise　me　because　I　am　a　Jew；　because　I　have
  had　many　adventures　and　not　succeeded；　because　you　think　me　mad。　But　I
  tell　you　that　there　is　the　seed　of　greatness　in　me。　Give　yourself　to
  me　and　I　will　make　you　great；　for　now　I　know　that　it　was　you　whom　I
  needed　to　supply　what　is　lacking　in　my　nature。　We　will　win　the　wealth；
  and　together　we　will　rule〃
  〃Until　a　few　days　hence　we　starve　or　the　Matabele　make　an　end　of　us。
  No；　Mr。　Meyer；　no；〃　and　she　tried　to　push　past　him。
  He　stretched　out　his　arms　and　stopped　her。
  〃Listen；〃　he　said；　〃I　have　pleaded　with　you　as　man　with　woman。　Now；　as
  you　refuse　me　and　as　you　alone　stand　between　me　and　madness；　I　will
  take　another　course。　I　am　your　master；　your　will　is　servant　to　my
  will；　I　bid　you　obey　me。〃
  He　fixed　his　eyes　upon　hers；　and　Benita　felt　her　strength　begin　to
  fail。
  〃Ah！〃　he　said；　〃you　are　my　servant　now；　and　to　show　it　I　shall　kiss
  you　on　the　lips；　then　I　shall　throw　the　sleep　upon　you；　and　you　will
  tell　me　what　I　want　to　know。　Afterwards　we　can　be　wed　when　it　pleases
  me。　Oh！　do　not　think　that　your　father　will　defend　you；　for　if　he
  interferes　I　shall　kill　that　foolish　old　man；　whom　until　now　I　have
  only　spared　for　your　sake。　Remember　that　if　you　make　me　angry；　I　shall
  certainly　kill　him；　and　your　father's　blood　will　be　on　your　head。　Now
  I　am　going　to　kiss　you。〃
  Benita　lifted　her　hand　to　find　the　pistol　at　her　waist。　It　fell　back
  again；　she　had　no　strength；　it　was　as　though　she　were　paralysed　as　a
  bird　is　paralysed　by　a　snake　so　that　it　cannot　open　its　wings　and　fly
  away；　but　sits　there　awaiting　death。　She　was　given　over　into　the　hands
  of　this　man　whom　she　hated。　Could　Heaven　allow　such　a　thing？　she
  wondered　dimly；　and　all　the　while　his　lips　drew　nearer　to　her　face。
  They　touched　her　own；　and　then；　why　or　wherefore　Benita　never
  understood；　the　spell　broke。　All　his　power　was　gone；　she　was　as　she
  had　been；　a　free　woman；　mistress　of　herself。　Contemptuously　she　thrust
  the　man　aside；　and；　not　even　troubling　to　run；　lifted　her　pail　of
  water　and　walked　away。
  Soon　she　saw　the　light　again；　and　joyfully　extinguished　her　lamp。
  Indeed；　the　breast　of　Benita；　which　should　have　been　so　troubled　after
  the　scene　through　which　she　had　passed；　strangely　enough　was　filled
  with　happiness　and　peace。　As　that　glorious　sunlight　had　broken　on　her
  eyes；　so　had　another　light　of　freedom　arisen　in　her　soul。　She　was　no
  longer　afraid　of　Jacob　Meyer；　that　coward　kiss　of　his　had　struck　off
  the　shackles　which　bound　her　to　him。　Her　mind　had　been　subject　to　his
  mind；　but　now　that　his　physical　nature　was　brought　into　the　play；　his
  mental　part　had　lost　its　hold　upon　her。
  As　she　approached　the　hut　she　saw　her　father　seated　on　a　stone　outside
  it；　since　the　poor　old　man　was　now　so　weak　and　full　of　pain　that　he
  could　not　stand　for　very　long；　and　seeing；　remembered　Meyer's　threats
  against　him。　At　the　thought　all　her　new…found　happiness　departed。
  She　might　be　safe；　she　felt　sure　that　she　was　safe；　but　how　about　her
  father？　If　Meyer　could　not　get　his　way　probably　he　would　be　as　good　as
  his　word；　and　kill　him。　She　shivered　at　the　thought；　then；　recovering
  herself；　walked　forward　steadily　with　her　bucket　of　water。
  〃You　have　been　a　long　while　gone；　my　love；〃　said　Mr。　Clifford。
  〃Yes；　father；　Mr。　Meyer　was　in　the　cave；　and　kept　me。〃
  〃How　did　he　get　there；　and　what　did　he　want？〃
  〃I　don't　know　how　he　got　therecrept　in　when　we　were　not　looking；　I
  suppose。　But　as　for　what　he　wantedlisten；　dear；〃　and　word　for　word
  she　told　him　what　had　passed。
  Before　she　had　finished；　her　father　was　almost　choking　with　wrath。
  〃The　dirty　Jew！　The　villain！〃　he　gasped。　〃I　never　dreamed　that　he
  would　dare　to　attempt　such　an　outrage。　Well；　thank　Heaven！　I　can　still
  hold　a　rifle；　and　when　he　comes　out〃
  〃Father；〃　she　said　gently；　〃that　man　is　mad。　He　is　not　responsible　for
  his　actions；　and　therefore；　except　in　self…defence；　you　must　not　think
  of　such　a　thing。　As　for　what　he　said　about　you；　I　believe　it　was　only
  an　empty　threat；　and　for　me　you　need　have　no　fear；　his　power　over　me
  is　gone；　it　went　like　a　flash　when　his　lips　touched　me；〃　and　she
  rubbed　her　own　as　though　to　wipe　away　some　stain。　〃I　am　afraid　of
  nothing　more。　I　believeyes；　I　believe　the　old　Molimo　was　right；　and
  that　all　will　end　well〃
  As　she　was　speaking　Benita　heard　a　shuffling　sound　behind　her；　and
  turned　to　learn　its　cause。　Then　she　saw　a　strange　sight。　Jacob　Meyer
  was　staggering　towards　them；　dragging　one　foot　after　the　other　through
  the　grass　and　stones。　His　face　was　ghastly　pale；　his　jaw　had　dropped
  like　that　of　a　dead　man；　and　his　eyes　were　set　wide　open　and　full　of
  horror。
  〃What　is　the　matter　with　you；　man？〃　asked　Mr。　Clifford。
  〃IIhave　seen　a　ghost；〃　he　whispered。　〃You　did　not　come　back　into
  the　cave；　did　you？〃　he　added；　pointing　at　Benita；　who　shook　her　head。
  〃What　ghost？〃　asked　Mr。　Clifford。
  〃I　don't　know；　but　my　lamp　went　out；　and　then　a　light　began　to　shine
  behind　me。　I　turned；　and　on　the　steps　of　that　crucifix　I　saw　a　woman
  kneeling。　Her　arms　clasped　the　feet　of　the　figure；　her　forehead　rested
  upon　the　feet；　her　long　black　hair　flowed　down；　she　was　dressed　in
  white；　and　the　light　came　from　her　body　and　her　head。　Very　slowly　she
  turned　and　looked　at　me；　and　oh；　Heaven！　that　face〃　and　he　put　his
  hand　before　his　eyes　and　groaned。　〃It　was　beautiful；　yes；　yes；　but
  fearful　to　see；　like　an　avenging　angel。　I　fled；　and　the　lightonly
  the　lightcame　with　me　down　the　cave；　even　at　the　mouth　of　it　there
  was　a　little。　I　have　seen　a　spirit；　I　who　did　not　believe　in　spirits；
  I　have　seen　a　spirit；　and　I　tell　you　that　not　for　all　the　gold　in　the
  world　will　I　enter　that　place　again。〃
  Then　before　they　could　answer；　suddenly　as　though　his　fear　had　got
  some　fresh　hold　of　him；　Jacob　sprang　forward　and　fled　away；　crashing
  through　the　bushes　and　leaping　from　rock　to　rock　like　a　frightened
  buck。
  XXI
  THE　MESSAGE　FROM　THE　DEAD
  〃Meyer　always　said　that　he　did　not　believe　in　spirits；〃　remarked　Mr。
  Clifford　reflectively。
  〃Well；　he　believes　in　them　now；〃　answered　Benita　with　a　little　laugh。
  〃But；　father；　the　poor　man　is　mad；　that　is　the　fact　of　it；　and　we　must
  pay　no　attention　to　what　he　says。〃
  〃The　old　Molimo　and　some　of　his　peopleTamas；　for　instancedeclared
  that　they　have　seen　the　ghost　of　Benita　da　Ferreira。　Are　they　mad
  also；　Benita？〃
  〃I　don't　know；　father。　Who　can　say？　All　these　things　are　a　mystery。
  All　I　do　know　is　that　I　have　never　seen　a　ghost；　and　I　doubt　if　I　ever
  shall。〃
  〃No；　but　when　you　were　in　that　trance　something　that　was　not　you　spoke
  out　of　your　mouth；　which　something　said　that　it　was　your　namesake；　the
  other　Benita。　Well；　as　you　say；　we　can't　fathom　these　things；
  especially　in　a　haunted　kind　of　place　like　this；　but　the　upshot　of　it
  is　that　I　don't　think　we　have　much　more　to　fear　from　Jacob。〃
  〃I　am　not　so　sure；　father。　Mad　people　change　their　moods　very
  suddenly。〃
  As　it　happened　Benita　was　quite　right。　Towards　suppertime　Jacob　Meyer
  reappeared；　looking　pale　and　shaken；　but　otherwise　much　as　usual。
  〃I　had　a　kind　of　fit　this　morning；〃　he　explained；　'the　result　of　an
  hallucination　which　seized　me　when　my　light　went　out　in　that　cave。　I
  remember　that　I　thought　I　had　seen　a　ghost；　whereas　I　know　very　well
  that　no　such　thing　exists。　I　was　the　victim　of　disappointment；
  anxieties；　and　other　still　stronger　emotions；〃　and　he　looked　at
  Benita。　〃Therefore；　please　forget　anything　I　said　or　did；　andwould
  you　give　me　some　supper？〃
  Benita　did　so；　and　he　ate　in　silence；　with　some　heartiness。　When　he
  had　finished　his　food；　and　swallowed　two　or　three　tots　of　squareface；
  he　spoke　again：
  〃I　have　come　here；　where　I　know　I　am　not　welcome；　upon　business；〃　he
  said　in　a　calm；　matter…of…fact　voice。　〃I　am　tired　of　this　place；　and　I
  think　it　is　time　that　we　attained　the　object　of　our　journey　here；
  namely；　to　find　the　hidden　gold。　That；　as　we　all　know；　can　only　be
  done　in　a　certain　way；　through　the　clairvoyant　powers　of　one　of　us　and
  the　hypnotic　powers　of　another。　Miss　Clifford；　I　request　that　you　will
  allow　me　to　throw　you　into　a　state　of　trance。　You　have　told　us
  everything　else；　but　you　have　not　yet　told　us　where　the　treasure　is
  hidden；　and　this　it　is　necessary　that　we　should　know。〃
  〃And　if　I　refuse；　Mr。　Meyer？〃
  〃Then　I　am　sorry；　but　I　must　take　means　to　compel　your　obedience。
  Under　those　circumstances；　much　against　my　will；