When at length I again turned my eyes upon the wall, the picture that had so terrified me was gone, and instead of it, I saw the enchanter flying through the world, pursued by the evil spirit and that dreadful woman.  Through all the world they seemed to go.  The scenes changed with marvellous rapidity.  Now the picture glowed with the wealth and gorgeousness of the torrid zone; now the ice-fields of the North rose into view; anon a pine-forest; then a wild seashore; but always the same three flying figures; always the horrible three-formed harpy pursuing the enchanter, and beside her the evil spirit with the dragonfly wings.

At last this succession of images ceased, and I beheld a desolate region, in the midst of which sat the woman with the enchanter beside her, his head reposing in her lap.  Either the sight of her must have become familiar to him and, so, less horrible, or she had subjugated him by some spell.  At all events, they were mated at last, and their offspring lay around them on the stony ground, or moved to and fro.  These were lions,—­monsters with human faces, such as I had seen in the beginning of my dream.  Their jaws dripped blood; they paced backwards and forwards, lashing their tails.  Then too, this picture faded and sank into the wall as the others had done.  And through its melting outlines came out again the words I had first seen:  “This is the History of our World,” only they seemed to me in some way changed, but how; I cannot tell.  The horror of the whole thing was too strong upon me to let me dare look longer at the wall.  And I awoke, repeating to myself the question, “How could one woman become three?”

—­Hinton, Feb. 1877

IX.  The Banquet of the Gods

I saw in my sleep a great table spread upon a beautiful mountain, the distant peaks of which were covered with snow, and brilliant with a bright light.  Around the table reclined, twelve persons, six male, six female, some of whom I recognised at once, the others afterwards.  Those whom I recognised at once were Zeus, Hera, Pallas Athena, Phoebus Apollo, and Artemis.  I knew them by the symbols they wore.  The table was covered with all kinds of fruit, of great size, including nuts, almonds, and olives, with flat cakes of bread, and cups of gold into which, before drinking, each divinity poured two sorts of liquid, one of which was wine, the other water.  As I was looking on, standing on a step a little below the top of the flight which led to the table, I was startled by seeing Hera suddenly fix her eyes on me and say, “What seest thou at the lower end of the table?” And I looked and answered, “I see two vacant seats.”  Then she spoke again and said, “When you are able to eat of our food and to drink of our cup, you also shall sit and feast with us.”  Scarcely had she uttered these words, when Athena, who sat facing me, added, “When you are able to eat of our food and to drink of our cup, then you shall know as you are known.”  And immediately Artemis, whom I knew by the moon upon her head; continued, “When you are able to eat of our food and to drink of our cup, all things shall become pure to you, and ye shall be made virgins.”