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A Romance of Two Worlds

A NOVEL.


BY

MARIE CORELLI,


Author of "Thelma," "Ardath," "Vendetta," Etc.




CONTENTS

          PROLOGUE
      I.  AN ARTIST'S STUDIO.
     II.  THE MYSTERIOUS POTION.
    III.  THREE VISIONS.
     IV.  A DANCE AND A PROMISE.
      V.  CELLINI'S STORY.
     VI.  THE HOTEL MARS AND ITS OWNER.
    VII.  ZARA AND PRINCE IVAN.
   VIII.  A SYMPHONY IN THE AIR.
     IX.  AN ELECTRIC SHOCK.
      X.  MY STRANGE DEPARTURE.
     XI.  A MINIATURE CREATION.
    XII.  SECRETS OF THE SUN AND MOON.
   XIII.  SOCIABLE CONVERSE.
    XIV.  THE ELECTRIC CREED.
     XV.  DEATH BY LIGHTNING.
    XVI.  A STRUGGLE FOR THE MASTERY.
   XVII.  CONCLUSION.
          APPENDIX




A ROMANCE OF TWO WORLDS.

PROLOGUE.


We live in an age of universal inquiry, ergo of universal scepticism.
The prophecies of the poet, the dreams of the philosopher and
scientist, are being daily realized--things formerly considered mere
fairy-tales have become facts--yet, in spite of the marvels of learning
and science that are hourly accomplished among us, the attitude of
mankind is one of disbelief. "There is no God!" cries one theorist; "or
if there be one, _I_ can obtain no proof of His existence!" "There is
no Creator!" exclaims another. "The Universe is simply a rushing
together of atoms." "There can be no immortality," asserts a third. "We
are but dust, and to dust we shall return." "What is called by
idealists the SOUL," argues another, "is simply the vital principle
composed of heat and air, which escapes from the body at death, and
mingles again with its native element. A candle when lit emits flame;
blow out the light, the flame vanishes--where? Would it not be madness
to assert the flame immortal? Yet the soul, or vital principle of human
existence, is no more than the flame of a candle."

If you propound to these theorists the eternal question WHY?--why is
the world in existence? why is there a universe? why do we live? why do
we think and plan? why do we perish at the last?--their grandiose reply
is, "Because of the Law of Universal Necessity." They cannot explain
this mysterious Law to themselves, nor can they probe deep enough to
find the answer to a still more tremendous WHY--namely, WHY, is there a
Law of Universal Necessity?--but they are satisfied with the result of
their reasonings, if not wholly, yet in part, and seldom try to search
beyond that great vague vast Necessity, lest their finite brains should
reel into madness worse than death. Recognizing, therefore, that in
this cultivated age a wall of scepticism and cynicism is gradually
being built up by intellectual thinkers of every nation against all
that treats of the Supernatural and Unseen, I am aware that my
narration of the events I have recently experienced will be read with
incredulity. At a time when the great empire of the Christian Religion
is being assailed, or politely ignored by governments and public
speakers and teachers, I realize to the fullest extent how daring is
any attempt to prove, even by a plain history of strange occurrences
happening to one's self, the actual existence of the Supernatural
around us; and the absolute certainty of a future state of being, after
the passage through that brief soul-torpor in which the body perishes,
known to us as Death.

In the present narration, which I have purposely called a "romance," I
do not expect to be believed, as I can only relate what I myself have
experienced. I know that men and women of to-day must have proofs, or
what they are willing to accept as proofs, before they will credit
anything that purports to be of a spiritual tendency;--something
startling--some miracle of a stupendous nature,