Alice: An Adultery

present in the reader’s mind. I need only instance the 46th, 40th, 38th, 31st, 29th, 28th, and the in- famous 21st day as examples of what I mean. The secret of the 10th day is peculiarly obscure, and apparently refers to some long-past event in the author’s life. To turn for a moment to an examin- tion of the facts as found in the poem. 1st day.—They are on a tropical island in the Pacific. 6th day and 11th.—The man is a meddler with magic and a believer in the Theosophical Doctrines of Evolution (4th day), and yet also in existence of Gods.* 8th day.—He calls his island “ the extreme west of all the world.” 16th day.—“ Alice ” had a husband living (where is mentioned in 48th day, but not printed now) and a boy was travelling with her. 22nd day.—There is a talk of going to Japan. *I have asked Sri Abhavananda, the eminent European Buddhist, and he is quite clear that the author has practi- cally no knowledge of true Buddhism, and less than no claim to describe himself as an adherent. See Day the 38th. xvi