
In a world that prides itself on scientific certainty, a reflective narrator confronts the growing wall of skepticism that denies any hint of the supernatural. From bustling lecture halls to quiet evenings of contemplation, he questions the “Law of Universal Necessity” that modern thinkers invoke to explain existence itself. The opening frames a society that dismisses miracles as mechanical tricks, yet feels an undeniable, though invisible, influence guiding human conscience.
Against this backdrop, the narrator recounts a series of uncanny events that have touched his own life—moments of inexplicable foresight, sudden bursts of generosity, and a lingering sense of an unseen intelligence. These experiences become the heartbeat of a “romance” between the tangible world and a higher, spiritual realm, inviting listeners to consider whether the soul’s quiet flame might yet endure beyond the physical. The tale balances philosophical inquiry with intimate storytelling, offering a thoughtful meditation on faith, doubt, and the mysteries that linger just beyond the reach of reason.
Language
en
Duration
~9 hours (551K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Charles Franks and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team. HTML version by Al Haines.
Release date
2003-08-01
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1855–1924
A Victorian bestseller with a flair for the mystical and dramatic, this once wildly popular novelist captivated huge audiences from the 1880s into the early 20th century. Her books mixed romance, spirituality, and social criticism in a way that won devoted readers even as critics often pushed back.
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