The card I had received from the Madame read M. Raymond, Rue Notre Dame des Champs, and then several lines of writing in what I took to be Sanskrit. While not a Sanskrit scholar, I knew the alphabet and simple word-combinations; but this writing I was unable to decipher. Repairing promptly on time to the address given, I was met at the door of an unpretentious residence by a small, nervous-looking man with a black pointed beard and well-waxed mustache. Upon presenting the card he looked at me keenly for a moment, and then invited me in and motioned me to a seat. What is your name, please?" he asked, quite pleasantly. "Alphonso Colono," I replied. "Well, Monsieur Colono, you have been sent here for me to find out how much you know; do you wish to proceed with the examination at once, or do you desire time for preparation?" "No inconvenience," he replied; "we will proceed at once. When a thing is to be done, it should be done. Come into this room." He led the way to an adjoining room which looked like a university condensed. On the walls were blackboards, maps, charts and drawings, while globes, terrestrial and celestial, chemical appliances and laboratory apparatus were on numerous tables. The work commenced at once, and for seven days I was subjected to the most rigid and thorough examination upon every department of human knowledge, from the very elements to the highest studies of science and philosophy. The little man seemed to possess almost universal knowledge, and took everything in a systematic and orderly manner. On the afternoon of the seventh day, without a word or hint to let me know my standing, he gave me a card written in Sanskrit and told me to go to my home and await developments. Not a word of encouragement, not a sign of either commendation or otherwise. I returned home, thinking that I was as much as ever in the dark, and apparently making very slow progress. Another week passed, and still no information. On questioning M. Durant "I will, with one qualification," I replied. "And what is that?" he asked. "That my ideas of God may not be misunderstood or misconstrued, I would have the words—the Infinite and All-pervading Spirit—inserted after the word God. I do not believe in God as many men give meaning to that word." The four men looked at one another and then at M. Raymond. "Very well," said the leader, "we will insert the clause." He took the paper and made the insertion, handing it back when he had finished. Again reading the pledge, I signed. Then each of the four signed as witnesses and handed it to M. Raymond. As the latter signed, I noticed that each had put a different and peculiar mark after his signature. "Now, M. Colono," said the spokesman, as he took the paper, "you are an accepted member of the fifth degree of the Fourth Degree. The Fourth Degree has seven sub-degrees; you were born in the third sub, and have for eight years been unconsciously a member of the fourth. You pass to higher degrees as your growth and knowledge permits. Men are frequently members of the lower degrees when they know it not. Admission does not consist in the possession of a certificate,
I had not learned much that was definite in its nature, but the isolated incidents were becoming more connected. "A party will call for me—I hope it will be my unknown friend," I muttered. "But will she be masked, and will I never see her face?" Thus thinking and soliloquizing I returned home, and applied myself with still greater diligence to my studies. Thursday evening came, and I had robed myself "I have," I answered. "Then it will not be necessary for me to accompany you; and as I have some other very important business to attend to, I will give you my carriage and leave you to proceed alone." Before I could answer, he continued: "When you arrive at the ball-room entrance present your card, and when admitted answer all questions that may be asked and obey all commands that may be given." "I shall do as you have instructed," I answered, at the same time thinking this was a strange proceeding for obtaining entrance into a ball-room. As the stranger vouchsafed no further remarks, we drove on in silence until we reached the Madeleine, when he got out of the carriage which "Alphonso Colono," I answered. "Are you sworn?" asked the low, penetrating voice of the woman. "I am," I answered. "Let us see your card." I handed it to the woman, who, after examination returned it with a bow and motion for me to alsc hand it to the patriarch. Bowing affirmatively to the woman, he returned it and asked: "Your place and date of birth?" "Paris, June the 5th, 18—." "The hour?" "Seven forty-five A.M.," I answered. "Pass to the left," said the woman, who had He opened a door, and I found myself in a brilliantly-lighted ball-room. The sweet strains of a "Sex should be no bar to rights; hearts and brains should determine these. In things of heart the woman should have every right and be supreme; in things of head, the man." "Ah! then the father does not think that woman is equal to man when it comes to mind?" "Not as a rule; exceptions there most truly are, but exceptions only." "Well, father cannot consider the dance a thing of mind, so I ask him to join me in the waltz." The incidents of the last few days had not been of a nature to stimulate the frivolous in me; the sudden appearance of my mother and disappearance of my father, together with my examination and studies, had made me of a very serious turn of mind; but I could not refuse, so we were soon gliding over the waxed floor in the swaying movement of the dance. Get any body of people to do the same thing at "Father forgive me, I will never do it again," I solemnly replied. "Oh, that I should for one moment have allowed a beautiful woman to tempt me thus!" "Another case, my father, of Adam and Eve and the weakness of poor man," said my gay companion with a mocking laugh. "Yes, the devil subtly tempts us under the guise of beauty," I answered, preserving my character with all its dignity. "With subtle sophistries thou triest to defend thy erring mother; beware of heresy, my child." "Heresy! Do not the Scriptures themselves so say? Did she not tempt him to eat of the tree that bringeth a knowledge of good and evil, and makes men as Gods? Who can criticise so high and noble an aspiration?" "Child, child, confess thy sins before God's wrath shall damn thee," I said, wondering if all here were like her. "God has no wrath; the Scriptures say that God is Love." "Child, who taught thee thus to misconstrue the sacred words of Scripture?" "Misconstrue! For two thousand years monks like thee, with biased minds, have perverted truth and filled men's minds with errors; and dost thou now thus question me?" Her eyes sparkled with the fire of enthusiasm and indignation. Evidently her whole soul was in the argument. Things were getting interesting, I was about to be cornered, but I must maintain my part, so I answered: "But why not teach the plain pure truth? why thus deceive by forms?" "It must be so; to cast our pearls before swine, to trample under feet, would be but waste and loss of time and woefully indiscreet." "Ah! does the father hint at occultism in the Church of Rome?" "Hush! Talk not so loud; the walls have ears. What knowest thou of occultism?" "A thumb's length," she answered quickly and mystically; and as I answered not, she looked surprised. Evidently I was caught—there were passwords here. "Ah! I comprehend," she said. "Come with me and I will show you what we know." Now deeply interested, and wondering what was next, I followed. I now noticed that a series of doors lined the hall on each side. Leading the way across to the left, she knocked upon one of these four times. It was immediately opened and we entered. The sides of the room were surrounded by shelves full of books, and the green walls had a frieze of mystic symbols. At a number of tables Turning to me the man said, "Let me see your card, please." After inspecting the card he returned it, and addressing my conductor, said: "The groups are completed to-night; but if Mademoiselle will leave him in my charge I will attend to his instruction." My companion bowed and was about to retire, when I asked if it would be out of order for me to see her after the ball. "I will await the father at the entrance," she smilingly replied, and departed. " Monsieur," said the man, motioning me to draw up a seat near him at the table, "Your card from M. Raymond, E.E. (Exoteric Examiner), says you have passed a very creditable examination and are competent to receive further and more difficult instructions. From now on your study will be that great but wonderfully neglected mystery—Man, including all that pertains to man, socially and individually, but, first of all, man as a being. Now to come closer to the point, you, yourself, are "It is," I answered, thinking I was on the right track at last. "Very well, then know that every man is dual in his nature—male and female in one, as says the much misunderstood book of Genesis when read between the lines. That is, the male and female elements make up your constitution. Now you are a man, the male element predominating; the female element is in you, but subservient. The first thing for you to do, the first great step in all occult initiations, is to bring these two elements into a state of equilibrium. Man must be conjoined with woman; mind must be conjoined with heart. Mind, unchecked by heart or the intuitions that come therefrom, but leads to blind materialism and cold dead forms, the riddle of the universe it cannot solve. Heart, divorced from mind, leads but to blind, fanatic faith, where reason is unknown and fancy runs the imagination wild. To reach supreme enlightenment, reason and conscience must go hand in hand, indissolubly united. Now the method we pursue to bring this end so much desired is very simple, hut its simplicity may lead astray; do not mistake; mark well my words. I thought of the doctrine of sympathetic souls and my parents' early teachings. And here it was that my father met my mother; was I here also to meet my fate? My thoughts drifted to the woman in black, and I was anxious to meet her again and know more of her. "Now," continued my teacher, "we will consider the signs, veiled words, and allegories of the mystics, in particular those of Hermes Trismegistus, Paracelsus, Jacob Bohme, Elephas Levy, and the much misrepresented and little understood Madame Blavatsky. You are supposed to be somewhat familiar with the published works of these teachers, but only the few find the hidden teachings in their books." Now followed two hours of We were now in the hall which, masks being removed, was thronged with beautiful, refined and intelligent-looking women and handsome and serious-looking men. No introductions were necessary, as the man at the entrance had said, your presence being sufficient. I now found myself "But where are Monsieur and Madame Durant?" I asked. "They are not members of this section, they belong to a still higher degree, I believe," she answered. A curly-headed Frenchman now claimed her attention and I turned to seek my peasant sister. As I was vainly searching to find her, the veiled woman in black came out of a side door just as I was passing. That same thrill of pleasure ran through my frame, the same panting breath; now is my time, I thought, I must speak to her. "Mademoiselle," I said, "we meet again." She turned, but even under her veil her face was masked. "Have we ever met before?" she asked in English. The voice was not the same, but perhaps this was because of language; before she had spoken "What carriage drive?" she replied, equally persistent in English. I recalled my pledge of secrecy and was hesitating whether or not I could speak more fully, when we reached another door, and with a low bow that meant dismissal, she left me. What meant this cold reception? Her actions were unlike the others. She did not even deign to speak as friend. Could my heart have made mistake? No, it must be her; I felt her absence. Now I noticed that a number of people were still masked. In the hope of extending my acquaintance I was about to address one of these, when I was surrounded by a group and carried into a discussion on medicine. Another hour passed in most interesting conversation, when a small, white hand was placed upon my shoulder, and, looking up, I saw my peasant sister, but she was still masked. "I am about to leave, my reverend father," she said with a mocking smile, "and will bid you goodnight." "May I not act as escort?" I asked, rising and accompanying her toward the door.MEMBER OF THE FIFTH DEGREE.
