Page:Dealings with the dead.djvu/203

 In the student I beheld the operations of this great mystery; whenever the drowsiness came over him—and he exerted his will to keep it off—I noticed that one side of this winged globe (for there were two wing-like appendages attached thereto, something like the connections of the uterus) would collapse, and straightway a perfect stream of radiant fire-flecks went forth in the opposite direction, like spark-rays from the sun. These corruscations sped through all parts of the brain, causing it to sparkle more brightly; they ran along the nerves, leaped to the muscles, and diffused new life and animation throughout the body,—which being accomplished, the globe resumed its former shape again. This struck me as being at once both sublime and curious; but something still more so now took place. As I observed above, when he strove to keep awake, the globe became indented, from the outside, which was generally smooth,—albeit a countless multitude of filmy rays of light streamed forth in all directions—the surface meanwhile retaining its polished, burnished, and ineffably dazzling general appearance.

The man laid down his book, lifted a pen, dipped it in the inkstand, held it over the table for a while, and appeared to be concentrating his thoughts; and while he did so the winged globe within his head began to enlarge until it occupied not less than four times its original space within the brain. This it did gradually, and as gradually resumed its former bulk; but, in the mean time, his hand had flown over the paper, and the man had indited ! Anxious to know what