It was broken by a deep male voice from the darkness. It was an educated English voice, well modulated, a voice which spoke in a fashion to which the good Bolsover could never attain.
“Good evening, friends. The power seems good to-night.”
“Good evening, Luke. Good evening!” cried everyone. “It is our teaching guide,” Bolsover explained. “He is a high spirit from the sixth sphere who gives us instruction.”
“I may seem high to you,” said the voice. “But what am I to those who in turn instruct me! It is not my wisdom. Give me no credit. I do but pass it on.”
“Always like that,” said Bolsover. “No swank. It’s a sign of his height.”
“I see you have two enquirers present. Good evening, young lady! You know nothing of your own powers or destiny. You will find them out. Good evening, sir, you are on the threshold of great knowledge. Is there any subject upon which you would wish me to say a few words? I see that you are making notes.”
Malone had, as a fact, disengaged his hand in the darkness and was jotting down in shorthand the sequence of events.
“What shall I speak of?”
“Of love and marriage,” suggested Mrs. Bolsover, nudging her husband.
“Well, I will say a few words on that. I will not take long, for others are waiting. The room is crowded with spirit people. I wish you to understand that there is one man, and only one, for each woman, and one woman only for each man. When those two meet they fly together and are one through all the endless chain of existence. Until they meet all unions are mere accidents which have no meaning. Sooner or later each couple becomes complete. It may not be here. It may be in the next sphere where the sexes meet as they do on earth. Or it may be further delayed. But every man and every woman has his or her affinity and will find it. Of earthly marriages perhaps one in five is permanent. The others are accidental. Real marriage is of the soul and spirit. Sex actions are a mere external symbol which mean nothing and are foolish, or even pernicious, when the thing which they should symbolise is wanting. Am I clear?”