Ye here have found yourselves in spirit-realms And so it is permitted unto me To stand once more beside you in these realms. I could confer the power that urged you here, But I could not conduct you here myself. Thus read the law, which I must needs obey:-- Ye must through your own selves first gain the eye Of spirit, which doth here make visible My spirit to you. Ye have just begun E'en now the path of spirit-pilgrimage. Henceforth indeed upon the plane of sense Endowed with novel powers shall ye both stand, And with the spirit in your hearts unsealed The cause of human progress shall ye serve, For Fate itself hath so united you, That ye together may unfold the powers Which needs must serve divine creative work. And as ye journey on the path of souls Wisdom herself will teach you that the heights May only be obtained by souls of men, Who have gained spirit-certainty, when they Unite in faith to do salvation's work. My spirit-guidance hath united you To realize each other: now do ye Unite yourselves to do the spirit's work. May powers that dwell within this realm confer On you through these my lips this Word of strength:-- 'The weaving essence of the light streams forth From man to man to fill all worlds with truth. The grace of love spreads warmth from soul to soul To work out bliss eternal for all worlds. And spirit-messengers come forth to wed Man's works of love and grace to cosmic aims. And when a man who dwells amongst mankind Can wed these twain, there doth stream forth on earth True spirit-light from his warm loving soul.'
Scene: same as in the Prelude. The day after the play to which Estella, in the Prelude, invited her friend to accompany her.
SOPHIA: Forgive me, dear Estelle, for keeping you waiting. I had to attend to something for the children.
ESTELLA: Here I am back again with you already. I long for your sympathy, whenever anything stirs me deeply.
SOPHIA: Well, you know that I shall always sympathize most warmly with you in your interests.
ESTELLA: This play, of which I spoke to you, Outcasts from Body and from Soul touched me so deeply. Does it seem to you odd when I say that there were moments when all I had ever known of human sorrow stood before me? With highest artistic force the work not only gives the outer mischances, met with by so many people, but also points out with wonderful penetration the deepest agonies of the soul.