Lives of Alcyone

convincing proofs could he be brought to understand the astonishing
fate which had overtaken him. From that moment however, his
mediumship ceased entirely, although his sensitiveness and his
power of psychometry remained. He was no longer amenable to the
influence of Narayan, of whom indeed he never heard again, nor did
any other entity speak through him for the rest of his life. People
continued to flock to him for the curing of various diseases; this was
now no longer done though him as before, but by a careful
experiment he found that in many cases he himself by his own
insight was able to diagnose and to cure their ills.
He had of course a greater reputation than ever, in
consequences of his long trance, but when at the urgent solicitation
of the chief priest he resumed his temple addresses, he found that
he had now to prepare and to think them out entirely for himself,
though he had certainly a greatly enhanced power of thought and
capacity of expression. He tried again and again the
psychometrisation of the Peruvian seal, and found himself able to
call up the whole of the older life as vividly as before; yet never
again did the loved form of his Peruvian uncle change into its
modern Indian presentment, nor was he able to come into touch on
the physical plane with him to whom he owed so much.
The communication made by Percy to the chief priest of the
temple seven years before had led to the priest’ s throwing the
weight of the temple influence into the scales in favour of the rightful
heir Orpheus, and in consequence of that this heir had since come
to the throne. There was naturally therefore a close link between the
temple and the palace, and the new King, mindful of what he owed
to Alcyone, showed marked favour to him in every way, so that on
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