Philip,
would it not be better (instead of leaving me in a maze of doubt) that
you now confided to us both all the facts connected with this strange
history, so that we may ponder on them, and give you the benefit of
the advice of those who are older than yourself, and who, by their
calling may be able to decide more correctly whether this supernatural
power has been exercised by a good or evil intelligence?" "The holy Father speaks well, Philip Vanderdecken," observed Mathias. "If it be the work of the Almighty, to whom should you confide and by
whom should you be guided, but by those who do His service on this
earth? If of the Evil One, to whom but to those whose duty and wish it
is to counteract his baneful influence? And reflect, Philip, that this
secret may sit heavily on the mind of your cherished wife, and may bow
her to the grave, as it did your (I trust) sainted mother. With you,
and supported by your presence, she may bear it well; but, recollect
how many are the lonely days and nights that she must pass during your
absence, and how much she must require the consolation and help of
others. A secret like this must be as a gnawing worm, and, strong as
she may be in courage, must shorten her existence, but for the support
and the balm she may receive from the ministers of our faith. It was
cruel and selfish of you, Philip, to leave her, a lone woman, to bear
up against your absence, and at the same time oppressed with so fatal
a knowledge." "You have convinced me, holy Father," replied Philip. "I feel that
I should, before this, have made you acquainted with this strange
history. I will now state the whole of the circumstances which have
occurred, but with little hope your advice can help me, in a case so
difficult, and in a duty so peremptory, yet so perplexing." Philip then entered into a minute detail of all that had passed from
the few days previous to his mother's death, until the present time,
and when he had concluded, he observed--

"You see, Father, that I have bound myself by a solemn vow--that that
vow has been recorded and accepted; and it appears to me that I have
nothing now to do but to follow my peculiar destiny." "My son, you have told us strange and startling things--things not of
this world--if you are not deceived. Leave us now. Father Mathias and
I will consult upon this serious matter, and when we are agreed, you
shall know our decision." Philip went upstairs to see Amine; she was still in a deep sleep: he
dismissed the servant, and watched by the bedside. For nearly two
hours did he remain there, when he was summoned down to meet the two
priests. "We have had a long conversation, my son," said Father Seysen, "upon
this strange, and perhaps supernatural occurrence. I say _perhaps_,
for I would have rejected the frenzied communications of your mother,
as the imaginings of a heated brain; and for the same reason I
should have been equally inclined to suppose that the high state
of excitement that you were in at the time of her death may have
disordered your intellect; but, as Father Mathias positively asserts,
that a strange, if not supernatural, appearance of a vessel did take
place, on his passage home, and which appearance tallies with and
corroborates the legend, if so I may call it, to which you have
given evidence; I say that it is not impossible but that it is
supernatural." "Recollect that the same appearance of the Phantom Ship has been
permitted to me and to many others," replied Philip. "Yes," replied Father Seysen; "but who is there alive of those who saw
it but yourself? But that is of little importance. We will admit
that the whole affair is not the work of man, but of a superior
intelligence." "Superior, indeed!" replied Philip. "It is the work of Heaven!" "That is a point not so easily admitted; there is another power as
well as that which is divine--that of the devil!--the arch-enemy of
mankind! But as that power, inferior to the power of God, cannot act
without His permission, we may indirectly admit that it is the will of
Heaven that such signs and portents should be allowed to be given on
certain occasions." "Then our opinions are the same, good Father." "Nay, not exactly, my son. Elymas, the sorcerer, was permitted to
practise his arts--gained from the devil--that it might be proved, by
his overthrow and blindness, how inferior was his master to the Divine
Ruler; but it does not therefore follow that sorcery generally was
permitted. In this instance it may be true that the Evil One has been
permitted to exercise his power over the captain and crew of that
ship, and, as a warning against such heavy offences, the supernatural
appearance of the vessel may be permitted. So far we are justifiable
in believing. But the great questions are, first, whether it be your
father who is thus doomed? and, secondly, how far you are necessitated
to follow up this mad pursuit, which, it appears to me--although it
may end in your destruction--cannot possibly be the means of rescuing
your father from his state of unhallowed abeyance? Do you understand
me, Philip?" "I certainly understand what you would say, Father; but--"

"Answer me not yet. It is the opinion of this holy father as well
as of myself, that, allowing the facts to be as you suppose, the
revelations made to you are not from on high, but the suggestions of
the devil, to lead you into danger and ultimately to death; for if it
were your task, as you suppose, why did not the vessel appear on this
last voyage, and how can you (allowing that you met her fifty times)
have communication with that, or with those which are but phantoms and
shadows, things not of this world? Now what we propose is, that you
should spend a proportion of the money left by your father, in masses
for the repose of his soul, which your mother, in other circumstances,
would certainly have done; and that having so done, you should remain
quietly on shore until some new sign should be given to you which may
warrant our supposing that you are really chosen for this strange
pursuit?" "But my oath, Father--my recorded vow?" "From that, my son, the holy Church hath power to absolve you; and
that absolution you shall receive. You have put yourself into our
hands, and by our decision you must be guided. If there be wrong, it
is we, and not you, who are responsible; but, at present, let us say
no more. I will now go up, and so soon as your wife awakens, prepare
her for your meeting." When Father Seysen had quitted the room, Father Mathias debated
the matter with Philip. A long discussion ensued, in which similar
arguments were made use of by the priest; and Philip, although not
convinced, was, at least, doubtful and perplexed. He left the cottage. "A new sign--a corroborative sign," thought Philip; "surely there have
been signs and wonders enough. Still it may be true that masses for
my father's soul may relieve him from his state of torture. At all
events, if they decide for me, I am not to blame.