From a Dream-book 



of what we fear by continuing to make part of 

 such an existence as thine." 



"But ye have died innumerable times?" 

 wonderingly said the Man. 



"No, we have not," said the Souls, "not 

 even once that we can remember ; and our mem 

 ory reaches back to the beginnings of this world. 

 We die only with the race." 



The Man said nothing, being afraid. The 

 Souls resumed : 



"Thy race ceases. Its continuance depended 

 upon thy power to serve our purposes. Thou 

 hast lost all power. What art thou but a charnel- 

 house, a mortuary- pit ? Freedom we needed, 

 and space: here we have been compacted to 

 gether, a billion to a pin-point! Doorless our 

 chambers and blind; and the passages are 

 blocked and broken ; and the stairways lead to 

 nothing. Also there are Haunters here, not of 

 our kind, Things never to be named." 



For a little time the Man thought gratefully of 

 death and dust. But suddenly there came into 

 his memory a vision of his enemy's face, with 

 a wicked smile upon it. And then he wished 

 for longer life, a hundred years of life and 

 pain, only to see the grass grow tall above the 



