She  lay  at  full  length  in  the  transparent  medium,  in  which  20
she  supported  herself  with  ease,  and  gamboled  with  en-
chanting grace.  I  tried  an  experiment  to  satisfy  myself
if  her  powers  of  reflection  were  developed.  I  lessened
the  lamp-light  considerably.  By  the  dim  light  that  re-
mained, I  could  see  an  expression  of  pain  flit  across  her  25
face.  She  looked  upward  suddenly,  and  her  brows  con-
tracted. I  flooded  the  stage  of  the  microscope  again  with
a  full  stream  of  light,  and  her  whole  expression  changed.
She  sprang  forward  like  some  substance  deprived  of  all
weight.     Her  eyes  sparkled  and  her  lips  moved.     Ah!  30


236  Fitz-James  O'Brien

if  science  had  only  the  means  of  conducting  and  reduplicat-
ing sounds,  as  it  does  the  rays  of  light,  what  carols  of
happiness  would  then  have  entranced  my  ears!  what
jubilant  hymns  to  Adonais  would  have  thrilled  the  illu-
5  mined  air!

I  now  comprehend  how  it  was  that  the  Count  de
Gabalis  peopled  his  mystic  world  with  sylphs, — ^beautiful,
beings  whose  breath  of  Hfe  was  lambent  fire,  and  who
sported  forever  in  regions  of  purest  ether  and  purest  Kght.
10  The  Rosicrucian  had  anticipated  the  wonder  that  I  had
practically  realized.
