—­Are you codding? says I.

—­Honest injun, says Alf.  Read them.

So Joe took up the letters.

—­Who are you laughing at? says Bob Doran.

So I saw there was going to be a bit of a dust Bob’s a queer chap when the porter’s up in him so says I just to make talk: 

—­How’s Willy Murray those times, Alf?

—­I don’t know, says Alf I saw him just now in Capel street with Paddy
Dignam.  Only I was running after that ...

—­You what? says Joe, throwing down the letters.  With who?

—­With Dignam, says Alf.

—­Is it Paddy? says Joe.

—­Yes, says Alf.  Why?

—­Don’t you know he’s dead? says Joe.

—­Paddy Dignam dead! says Alf.

—­Ay, says Joe.

—­Sure I’m after seeing him not five minutes ago, says Alf, as plain as a pikestaff.

—­Who’s dead? says Bob Doran.

—­You saw his ghost then, says Joe, God between us and harm.

—­What? says Alf.  Good Christ, only five ...  What? ...  And Willy Murray with him, the two of them there near whatdoyoucallhim’s ...  What?  Dignam dead?

—­What about Dignam? says Bob Doran.  Who’s talking about... ?

—­Dead! says Alf.  He’s no more dead than you are.

—­Maybe so, says Joe.  They took the liberty of burying him this morning anyhow.

—­Paddy? says Alf.

—­Ay, says Joe.  He paid the debt of nature, God be merciful to him.

—­Good Christ! says Alf.

Begob he was what you might call flabbergasted.

In the darkness spirit hands were felt to flutter and when prayer by tantras had been directed to the proper quarter a faint but increasing luminosity of ruby light became gradually visible, the apparition of the etheric double being particularly lifelike owing to the discharge of jivic rays from the crown of the head and face.  Communication was effected through the pituitary body and also by means of the orangefiery and scarlet rays emanating from the sacral region and solar plexus.  Questioned by his earthname as to his whereabouts in the heavenworld he stated that he was now on the path of pr l ya or return but was still submitted to trial at the hands of certain bloodthirsty entities on the lower astral levels.  In reply to a question as to his first sensations in the great divide beyond he stated that previously he had seen as in a glass darkly but that those who had passed over had summit possibilities of atmic development opened up to them.  Interrogated as to whether life there resembled our experience in the flesh he stated that he had heard from more favoured beings now in the spirit that their abodes were equipped with every modern home comfort such as talafana, alavatar, hatakalda, wataklasat and that the highest adepts were steeped in waves of volupcy of the very purest nature.  Having requested a quart of buttermilk this was brought and evidently afforded relief.