The change
which came to me came through eating a sort of bean, grown by an old man
who was brought home from Asia by a great scholar. These beans are
supposed to contain the germ of Truth. I have 'two here--one for you
and one for Alfred. I want you to eat them, and afterwards, what I hope
and believe is that we shall see things more the same way and come
together again."
He produced the beans from his pocket and Ellen took a step forward.
The shortness of her breath and the glitter in her eyes should have
warned him. The greatness of his subject, however, had carried him
away. His attention was riveted upon the beans lying in the palm of his
hand. He looked at them almost reverently.
"Are those the things?" she demanded.
He held them out towards her. A faint pang of regret stirred his heart.
For a single second the picture of a beautiful garden glowed and faded
before his eyes. A wave of delicious perfume came and went. The
girl--slim, white-clad--looked at him a little wistfully with her sad
blue eyes. It was a mirage which passed, a mirage or some dear,
vanishing dream.
"Take one yourself, Ellen," he directed. "Keep the other one carefully
for Alfred."
She snatched them from his hand and before he could stop her she had
thrown them out of the open window into the street.
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