“No，butitalmostpreventedmefromliving。“
　　“Thenyouarenotrich？“exclaimedMinoret。
　　“Pooh！“saidBouvard。
　　“ButIam！“criedtheother。
　　“ItisnotyourmoneybutyourconvictionsthatIwant。Come，“repliedBouvard。
　　“Oh！youobstinatefellow！“saidMinoret。
　　TheMesmeristledhissceptic，withsomeprecaution，upadingystaircasetothefourthfloor。
　　AtthisparticulartimeanextraordinarymanhadappearedinParis，endowedbyfaithwithincalculablepower，andcontrollingmagneticforcesinalltheirapplications。Notonlydidthisgreatunknownwhostillliveshealfromadistancetheworstandmostinveteratediseases，suddenlyandradically，astheSaviorofmendidformerly，buthewasalsoabletocallforthinstantaneouslythemostremarkablephenomenaofsomnambulismandconquerthemostrebelliouswill。Thecountenanceofthismysteriousbeing，whoclaimstoberesponsibletoGodaloneandtocommunicate，likeSwedenborg，withangels，resemblesthatofalion；concentrated，irresistibleenergyshinesinit。Hisfeatures，singularlycontorted，haveaterribleandevenblastingaspect。Hisvoice，whichcomesfromthedepthsofhisbeing，seemschargedwithsomemagneticfluid；itpenetratesthehearerateverypore。Disgustedbytheingratitudeofthepublicafterhismanycures，hehasnowreturnedtoanimpenetrablesolitude，avoluntarynothingness。Hisall-powerfulhand，whichhasrestoredadyingdaughtertohermother，fatherstotheirgrief-strickenchildren，adoredmistressestoloversfrenziedwithlove，curedthesickgivenoverbyphysicians，soothedthesufferingsofthedyingwhenlifebecameimpossible，wrungpsalmsofthanksgivinginsynagogues，temples，andchurchesfromthelipsofpriestsrecalledtotheoneGodbythesamemiracle，——thatsovereignhand，asunoflifedazzlingtheclosedeyesofthesomnambulist，hasneverbeenraisedagaineventosavetheheir-apparentofakingdom。Wrappedinthememoryofhispastmerciesasinaluminousshroud，hedenieshimselftotheworldandlivesforheaven。
　　But，atthedawnofhisreign，surprisedbyhisowngift，thisman，whosegenerosityequaledhispower，allowedafewinterestedpersonstowitnesshismiracles。Thefameofhiswork，whichwasmighty，andcouldeasilyberevivedto-morrow，reachedDr。Bouvard，whowasthenonthevergeofthegrave。Thepersecutedmesmeristwasatlastenabledtowitnessthestartlingphenomenaofasciencehehadlongtreasuredinhisheart。Thesacrificesoftheoldmantouchedtheheartofthemysteriousstranger，whoaccordedhimcertainprivileges。
　　AsBouvardnowwentupthestaircasehelistenedtothetwittingsofhisoldantagonistwithmaliciousdelight，answeringonly，“Youshallsee，youshallsee！“withtheemphaticlittlenodsofamanwhoissureofhisfacts。
　　Thetwophysiciansenteredasuiteofroomsthatweremorethanmodest。BouvardwentaloneintoabedroomwhichadjoinedthesalonwhereheleftMinoret，whosedistrustwasinstantlyawakened；butBouvardreturnedatonceandtookhimintothebedroom，wherehesawthemysteriousSwedenborgian，andalsoawomansittinginanarmchair。
　　Thewomandidnotrise，andseemednottonoticetheentranceofthetwooldmen。
　　“What！notub？“criedMinoret，smiling。
　　“NothingbutthepowerofGod，“answeredtheSwedenborgiangravely。HeseemedtoMinorettobeaboutfiftyyearsofage。
　　Thethreemensatdownandthemysteriousstrangertalkedoftherainandthecomingfineweather，tothegreatastonishmentofMinoret，whothoughthewasbeinghoaxed。TheSwedenborgiansoonbegan，however，toquestionhisvisitoronhisscientificopinions，andseemedevidentlytobetakingtimetoexaminehim。
　　“Youhavecomeheresolelyfromcuriosity，monsieur，“hesaidatlast。
　　“Itisnotmyhabittoprostituteapowerwhich，accordingtomyconviction，emanatesfromGod；ifImadeafrivolousorunworthyuseofit，itwouldbetakenfromme。Nevertheless，thereissomehope，MonsieurBouvardtellsme，ofchangingtheopinionsofonewhohasopposedus，ofenlighteningascientificmanwhosemindiscandid；I
　　havethereforedeterminedtosatisfyyou。Thatwomanwhomyouseethere，“hecontinued，pointingtoher，“isnowinasomnambulicsleep。
　　Thestatementsandmanifestationsofsomnambulistsdeclarethatthisstateisadelightfulotherlife，duringwhichtheinnerbeing，freedfromthetrammelslaidupontheexerciseofourfacultiesbythevisibleworld，movesinaworldwhichwemistakenlyterminvisible。
　　Sightandhearingarethenexercisedinamannerfarmoreperfectthananyweknowofhere，possiblywithoutthehelpoftheorganswenowemploy，whicharethescabbardoftheluminousbladescalledsightandhearing。Toapersoninthatstate，distanceandmaterialobstaclesdonotexist，ortheycanbetraversedbyalifewithinusforwhichourbodyisamerereceptacle，anecessaryshelter，acasing。Termsfailtodescribeeffectsthathavelatelybeenrediscovered，forto-daythewordsimponderable，intangible，invisiblehavenomeaningtothefluidwhoseactionisdemonstratedbymagnetism。Lightisponderablebyitsheat，which，bypenetratingbodies，increasestheirvolume；andcertainlyelectricityisonlytootangible。Wehavecondemnedthingsthemselvesinsteadofblamingtheimperfectionofourinstruments。“
　　“Shesleeps，“saidMinoret，examiningthewoman，whoseemedtohimtobelongtoaninferiorclass。
　　“Herbodyisforthetimebeinginabeyance，“saidtheSwedenborgian。
　　“Ignorantpersonssupposethatconditiontobesleep。Butshewillprovetoyouthatthereisaspiritualuniverse，andthatthemindwhentheredoesnotobeythelawsofthismaterialuniverse。Iwillsendherwhereveryouwishtogo，——ahundredmilesfromhereortoChina，asyouwill。Shewilltellyouwhatishappeningthere。“
　　“SendhertomyhouseinNemours，RuedesBourgeois；thatwilldo，“
　　saidMinoret。
　　HetookMinoret’shand，whichthedoctorlethimtake，andhelditforamomentseemingtocollecthimself；thenwithhisotherhandhetookthatofthewomansittinginthearm-chairandplacedthehandofthedoctorinit，makingasigntotheoldsceptictoseathimselfbesidethisoraclewithoutatripod。MinoretobservedaslighttremorontheabsolutelycalmfeaturesofthewomanwhentheirhandswerethusunitedbytheSwedenborgian，buttheaction，thoughmarvelousinitseffects，wasverysimplydone。
　　“Obeyhim，“saidtheunknownpersonage，extendinghishandabovetheheadofthesleepingwoman，whoseemedtoimbibebothlightandlifefromhim，“andrememberthatwhatyoudoforhimwillpleaseme——Youcannowspeaktoher，“headded，addressingMinoret。
　　“GotoNemours，tomyhouse，RuedesBourgeois，“saidthedoctor。
　　“Givehertime；putyourhandinhersuntilsheprovestoyoubywhatshetellsyouthatsheiswhereyouwishhertobe，“saidBouvardtohisoldfriend。
　　“Iseeariver，“saidthewomaninafeeblevoice，seemingtolookwithinherselfwithdeepattention，notwithstandingherclosedeyelids。“Iseeaprettygarden——“
　　“Whydoyouenterbytheriverandthegarden？“saidMinoret。
　　“Becausetheyarethere。“
　　“Who？“
　　“Theyounggirlandhernurse，whomyouarethinkingof。“
　　“Whatisthegardenlike？“saidMinoret。
　　“Enteringbythestepswhichgodowntotheriver，thereistheright，alongbrickgallery，inwhichIseebooks；itendsinasingularbuilding，——therearewoodenbells，andapatternofredeggs。Totheleft，thewalliscoveredwithclimbingplants，wildgrapes，Virginiajessamine。Inthemiddleisasun-dial。Therearemanyplantsinpots。
　　Yourchildislookingattheflowers。Sheshowsthemtohernurse——sheismakingholesintheearthwithhertrowel，andplantingseeds。Thenurseisrakingthepath。Theyounggirlispureasanangel，butthebeginningofloveisthere，faintasthedawn——“
　　“Loveforwhom？“askedthedoctor，who，untilnow，wouldhavelistenedtonowordsaidtohimbysomnambulists。Heconsidereditalljugglery。
　　“Youknownothing——thoughyouhavelatelybeenuneasyaboutherhealth，“answeredthewoman。“Herhearthasfollowedthedictatesofnature。“
　　“Awomanofthepeopletotalklikethis！“criedthedoctor。
　　“Inthestatesheisinallpersonsspeakwithextraordinaryperception，“saidBouvard。
　　“ButwhoisitthatUrsulaloves？“
　　“Ursuladoesnotknowthatsheloves，“saidthewomanwithashakeofthehead；“sheistooangelictoknowwhatloveis；buthermindisoccupiedbyhim；shethinksofhim；shetriestoescapethethought；
　　butshereturnstoitinspiteofherwilltoabstain——Sheisatthepiano——“
　　“Butwhoishe？“
　　“Thesonofaladywholivesopposite。“
　　“MadamedePortenduere？“
　　“Portenduere，didyousay？“repliedthesleeper。“Perhapsso。Butthere’snodanger；heisnotintheneighbourhood。“
　　“Havetheyspokentoeachother？“askedthedoctor。
　　“Never。Theyhavelookedatoneanother。Shethinkshimcharming。Heis，infact，afineman；hehasagoodheart。Sheseeshimfromherwindow；theyseeeachotherinchurch。Buttheyoungmannolongerthinksofher。“