Slowly，outoftheawfulshadows，theGhostsofMemoryroseaboutme。Thedeadpopulationofavanishedworldcamebacktoliferoundme，alivingman。Menandwomenwhoseearthlypilgrimagehadendedlongsince，returneduponmefromtheunknownspheres，andfond，familiarvoicesbursttheirwaybacktomyearsthroughtheheavysilenceofthegrave。Movingbymeinthenamelessinnerlight，whichnoeyesawbutmine，thedeadprocessionofimmaterialscenesandbeingsunrolleditssilentlength。Isawoncemorethepleadingfaceofafriendofearlydays，withthehauntingvisionthathadtorturedhimthroughlifebyhissideagain——withthelong—forgottendespairinhiseyeswhichhadoncetouchedmyheart，andboundmetohim，tillIhadtrackedhisdestinythroughitsdarkestwindingstotheend。Isawthefigureofaninnocentwomanpassingtoandfroinanancientcountryhouse，withtheshadowofastrangesuspicionstealingafterherwherevershewent。Isawamanwornbyhardshipandoldage，stretcheddreamingonthestrawofastable，andmutteringinhisdreamtheterriblesecretofhislife。
Otherscenesandpersonsfollowedthese，lessvividintheirrevival，butstillalwaysrecognizableanddistinct；ayounggirlalonebynight，andinperilofherlife，inacottageonadrearymoor——anupperchamberofaninn，withtwobedsinit；thecurtainsofonebedclosed，andamanstandingbythem，waiting，yetdreadingtodrawthemback——ahusbandsecretlyfollowingthefirsttracesofamysterywhichhiswife’sanxiouslovehadfatallyhiddenfromhimsincethedaywhentheyfirstmet；these，andothervisionslikethem，shadowyreflectionsofthelivingbeingsandtherealeventsthathadbeenonce，peopledthesolitudeandtheemptinessaroundme。TheyhauntedmestillwhenItriedtobreakthechainofthoughtwhichmyowneffortshadwoundaboutmymind；theyfollowedmetoandfrointheroom；andtheycameoutwithmewhenIleftit。IhadliftedtheveilfromthePastformyself，andIwasnowtorestnomoretillIhadlifteditforothers。
Iwentatoncetomyeldestbrotherandshowedhimmyson’sletter，andtoldhimallthatIhavewrittenhere。Hiskindheartwastouchedasminehadbeen。Hefeltformysuspense；hesharedmyanxiety；helaidasidehisownoccupationonthespot。
\"Onlytellme，\"hesaid，\"howIcanhelp，andIwillgiveeveryhourinthedaytoyouandtoGeorge。\"
Ihadcometohimwithmymindalmostasfullofhispastlifeasofmyown；IrecalledtohismemoryeventsinhisexperienceasaworkingclergymaninLondon；Isethimlookingamongpaperswhichhehadpreservedforhalfhislifetime，andtheveryexistenceofwhichhehadforgottenlongsince；Irecalledtohimthenamesofpersonstowhosenecessitieshehadministeredinhissacredoffice，andwhosestorieshehadheardfromtheirownlipsorreceivedundertheirownhandwriting。Whenwepartedhewascertainofwhathewaswantedtodo，andwasresoluteonthatverydaytobeginthework。