“What love? I know not. Did I speak of love? Oh, yes, I remember now. Yesterday I loved a woman and I wished to please her, to work her will at the risk of betraying my duty. If you are a pure essence, as I believe, you know everything. Must I then explain?”
“No, I know the facts that concern the posterity of the family whose name I bear.” “But I am no divinity, I cannot read souls, I did not know that thou lovedst.”
“I love no one. At this moment I love nothing upon earth, and I would like to die if in another state of existence I could follow you.”
“Thou talkest wildly. To be happy after death, it is necessary to have led a pure life. Thou hast a difficult duty to fulfill, and it is for this that thou hast summoned me. Perform thy duty then or thou wilt never see me more.”
“What is this duty? Speak, henceforth I will obey none but thee.”
“This duty,” answered the naiad, leaning towards me and speaking so low that I could with difficulty distinguish her voice from the fresh murmur of the waters, “is to obey thy father. And, afterwards, thou shalt tell the generous woman who wishes to sacrifice herself, that those whom she pities will always bless her, but will never accept her sacrifice. I know their thoughts, for they have summoned and consulted me. I know that they are fighting for their honor, but that they do not fear what men call poverty. For proud souls there is no such thing as poverty. Say this to the lady who will question thee to-morrow, and yield not to the love that she inspires so far as to make thee betray the religion of thy family.”
“I will obey, I swear. And, now reveal to me the secrets of eternal life. Where is your soul now? What different qualities has it acquired in this removal?”
“All that I can say is this: death does not exist—nothing dies; but things in the outer world are very different from what one imagines here. I will tell thee no more. Do not question me.”
“Say at least if I shall see you in this other life.”
“I know not.”