Francis Worcester Doughty

“ ALIVE OR DEAD.
“Granted for argument’s sake that it was all true,” said the Doctor; “admitted that the stupendous claims of this man rest on a solid foundation; that the ravings of Swedenborg are cold facts; that the re-incarnation theories of Reynaud and Kardec have a leg to stand on; that spirits exist, invisible and intangible, bobbing about like so many shuttle cocks in the insuperable abysses of interplanetary space ”

“ It cannot be. I am favored as never man was favored before—I am going to Mars and I shall return.”
“Maurice! Maurice! Will nothing arouse you?”
“I don’t want to be aroused.”
“There is just the trouble. You——”
“Stop, George! This is all old ground, there is no profit for either of us in treading it again. Good-bye, old friend. God bless you! Good-bye!”
He tore himself away, though I tried to stop him. The next I knew he was shaking hands with the Doctor and the man Mirrikh had hold of me. ”

“ You see we had come back into the temple shortly after the termination of the conversation narrated in the previous chapter.
The Doctor was himself again as soon as we had passed the image, where Ni-fan-lu awaited us.
“Be brave my friends! ” said the adept. “Have patience to endure to the end. Think of what a glorious mission will then be yours, to father these stupendous and hitherto unknown truths!”
“Farewell, George!” added Maurice, wringing my hand. “Doctor, all good go with you! Once again before I take the final leap we shall certainly meet.” ”