THE EQUINOX
the river.
And these lamps were above the river, children of
a nobler element.
And in the river is the great Leviathan
that devours men.
But before I had come within the sphere of attraction
of either of these, suddenly mine eyes were gladdened with a
marvellous vision.
Infinitely far off, as it seemed, a ray of
sunlight shot through the Saturnine gloom of the skies, and
lit the surface of the water.
And then I perceived that upon
the river there floated, within that small circle of light, an ark,
or as it might be, a coffin.
Then looking up into that pierced
cloud I saw within the light a certain house surrounded by
a grove.
Within, all was dark; yet from it proceeded a ray
as silvery as the first ray was golden.
And I desired ardently to enter that house.
Yet, having
no wings, the task appeared beyond my human force.
Then
the heavens closed as suddenly as they had opened, and I was
left darkling.
Yet I had this candle of hope, that within the
ark, could I reach it, might be some help of knowledge or
power whereby that house might be attained.
So I swam steadily toward, though with some fear, for
the eddies in that great stream were numerous, and my
sole guide was a slender snake of light that moved upon
the water.
Or so it appeared ; for I have since discovered that I had
an interior sense of direction as trusty as the mariner’s com-
pass; so that, though I knew it not, it was never possible for
me to go astray.
Now as I swam I
came
upon
one
floundering and
spluttering in the stream, who with mightypuffings urged me
to continue.
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