Page:Lazarus, a tale of the world's great miracle.djvu/254

242 lives they led believing souls to the gates of knowledge, and then left them to be wounded by their sin, so now they themselves are led, for they fancy ever that at last they will escape; but the spikes do tear them and will in no wise let them pass."

"Then I looked and saw that many of these were women; at which, marvelling, I said: 'Do women lead the innocent to their undoing?' And the Spirit answered: 'Yea, more ofttimes than men. It never satisfieth a woman till she hath caught a young man in her toils. Then she leaveth him; and he, taught by her, betrayeth other women; but for one man that betrayeth a woman there are twenty women who betray men, and these are oft the mothers of children.'

"And I marvelled that women had been created. Then I looked up, and on a high mountain peak I saw a woman of exceeding beauty poised. And her eyes were turned on hell; and I asked Truth: 'Who is she?' And he answered: 'That same is Eve, the mother of all mankind. She sitteth on the highest mountain peak of hell and looketh down and seeth the grief that she hath brought upon the world by disobedience; and she weepeth always and prayeth without ceasing; and her grief of repentance is so great that it is to her even as hell; and it shall be counted to her for righteousness, for she hath believed and repented and suffered much, and, one day, she shall be forgiven; but not till she hath seen the victory over sin, not till she hath seen even the Holy One in hell.'

"Then I asked the Spirit: 'Will the Christ come to this hell? Wherefore?' And the Spirit of