"Youth is strong," said Clayton; "it can survive much. But I am surprised that Mrs. Dudley has called there."
When Justin had nothing further to communicate Clayton turned again to his writing. But that night he called Justin into his study, a place in which Justin had passed many pleasant hours. Clayton was hollow-cheeked and nervous. The news of the coming of Sibyl to Paradise Valley had not been without its evil effect.
"You are well, Justin?" he inquired solicitously.
"Quite well," said Justin, with some show of surprise.
"I hoped so; but things have gone so wrong here lately that I worry about every one."
He took up some sheets of paper on which he had been writing.
"In our latest talk I was telling you something about the new views I have worked out concerning spiritual matters. I told you I had come to the conclusion that the laws which apply to the material world apply also to the spiritual world. In the material world we have the law of evolution. We do not know how life begins, but we know how it develops. Applying this to the spiritual world, we may say that though we cannot know how spiritual life begins it must develop after it begins. And development implies different grades or orders of beings; name them angels, or what you will."
"You know I said I wasn't able to agree with you about all those things," Justin reminded, gently.
"That doesn't matter; it is nothing to me who believes or disbelieves. Whatever is truth is truth, if it is never accepted by any one. I simply work out these results for my own satisfaction, and I like to talk them over with you."
Justin settled in his chair to listen. This new view of Clayton's seemed strange, but it was sure to be presented in an interesting manner.
"I think I have made a startling discovery." Clayton's eyes shone and his manner astonished Justin. "In the material world man is the highest product of evolution, though he has not reached the highest possible state. In the spiritual world, which must be more advanced, the highest state has been reached, and he who has reached it we call God. The one best fitted to reach it of all spiritual beings has reached it, and has become absolute. Yet every spiritual being is entitled to reach that state, if he is worthy, each in turn. Being infinite, God could prevent that, and occupy the throne forever. The common belief is that he does so occupy it. But, being just, as well as infinite, he abdicates--suicides, if I may use the word without irreverence--so that another spirit, becoming perfect through ages of development, may take the throne; and when he does so we have what is popularly conceived of as 'the end of the world'--the universe goes back in the twinkling of an eye to fire-mist and chaos, and all tilings begin over again. That is the great day of fire, when all things are consumed; the day of which the Revelator wrote when he said, 'And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together.'"