Page:The Great Secret.djvu/129

Rh I could eat and enjoy it. Does a spirit do all these?"

"I don't know," moaned the baron; "I, too, am hungry, wet and cold—oh, so cold!" he shivered violently as he spoke.

"We are all cold, wet and miserable," cried out, like a chorus, the rest of the Anarchists.

"Why did you not join the six who have climbed the wall?"

"We tried to make them see and hear us, but we could not. They passed through our midst whilst we encircled them, and shouted at them without a perception that we were there, and then we grew frightened and hid from them as you did."

Captain Nelson and his company looked on these late enemies, but now miserable objects, with compassion, wonder and some perplexity. What could they mean, and what had been the vague doubts about themselves which they had? Then Adela again spoke.

Listen, my friends, I had another dream last night. I dreamt that I was able to float about in the air, and that it was easy to do this. I merely balanced my hands above my head, as swimmers do when they are floating—"

"Swimmers don't do that, Adela," corrected Philip; they keep their hands down by their sides when they want to float."

"Do they, Philip?—yes, now I remember, you are right. Swimmers hold their arms that way when they wish to float, but to fly you have to clasp your hands at the back of your head and lean back in this way, while you will that you may rise, and lo! it comes to pass as in my dream."