The Equinox (Volume I, Number IX)

THE KEY OF THE MYSTERIES all, evident proof of miracle. Am I indiscreet in asking you that?” “Not the least in the world; but which shall I choose? There are so many!” “Let me think,” added Mr. Madrolle, after a moment's reflection and with a slight trembling in the voice, “ the prophet is in London, and weare here. Eh! well, if you only make a mental request to the prophet to send you immediately the communion, and if in a place designated by you, in your own house, in a cloth, or in a book, you found a host on your return, what would you say?” “T should declare the fact inexplicable by ordinary critical rules.” “Oh, well, sir,” cried Mr. Madrolle, triumphantly, “ there is a thing that often happens to me; whenever I wish, that is to say, whenever I am prepared and hope humbly to be worthy of it! Yes, sir, I find the host when I ask for it; I find it real and palpable, but often ornamented with little hearts, little miraculous hearts, which one might think had been painted by Raphael.” Eliphas Levi, who felt ill at ease in discussing facts with which there was mingled a sort of profanation of the most holy things, then took his leave of the one-time Catholic writer, and went out meditating on the strange influence of this Vintras, who had so overthrown that old belief, and turned the old savant’s head. Some days afterwards, the qabalist Eliphas was awakened very early in the morning by an unknown visitor. It was a man with white hair, entirely clothed in black; his physio- 143