SCENE 4

A cheerful pink room in the home of Strader and his wife Theodora. One notices by the arrangement that they use it as a room in common, where they carry on their various works. On his table there are mechanical models; on hers things to do with mystic studies. The two are holding a conversation which shows that they are absorbed in the fact that it is the seventh anniversary of their wedding day.

STRADER:

'Tis seven years today since thou becam'st The loved and dear companion of my life And also unto me a source of light, Which shone upon a life which formerly Was threatened only with approaching dark. In spirit-life I was a starving man When thou didst first stand at my side and give That which the world had aye withheld from me. For long years had I striven earnestly To probe the depths of science with my mind And find the worth of life and goal of man. One day I clearly had to recognize That all this striving had been quite in vain Hadst thou not shown that man's spirit seeks How to reveal itself through certain things Which shunned my knowledge and my eager thought. I met thee then amongst that company Where Benedictus was the guide of all, And listened to thy revelations there. Later I saw how in Thomasius The spirit-pupilship could work with power Within the human soul. What thus I saw Robbed me of faith in science and good sense, And yet it showed me nothing at that time Which really seemed to me intelligent. I turned away from all the realm of thought And went on living in an aimless way Since life had ceased to be of worth to me. I gave myself to technique that it might Bring me oblivion and forgetfulness, And lived a life of torment, till once more I met thee, for the second time; and then Our friendship soon grew deep and ripe for love.

THEODORA:

It is but natural, that on this day Remembrance of those old times should again Stand out so vividly before thy soul. I also feel a need in mine own heart To look back once again upon those days When we were drawn together in life's bond. I felt the constant strengthening at that time Within me of the power which made my soul Able for knowledge from the spirit-worlds. And under Felix Balde's noble lead This power grew on thenceforward to that height At which it stood just seven years ago. About that time I met Capesius One day in Felix' lovely woodland home. A long life had he spent in deep research And won his way to spirit-pupilship. He greatly wished to be allowed to learn My way of gazing on the spirit-world. So after that I spent much time with him. And in his house I chanced to meet with thee And could bring healing to thy mental wounds.

STRADER:

And then the true light shone into my soul Which long had only gazed upon the dark. I saw at last what spirit is, in truth. Thou ledd'st me on in such a way to see What was disclosed to thee from higher worlds, That every doubt might swiftly disappear. All this at that time worked so much on me That first I thought of thee as nothing else Except a medium for the spirit's work. It was a long while e'er I recognized That not my mind alone hung on thy words, Which did reveal to it its true abode; But that my heart was taken captive too And could no longer live without thee near.

THEODORA:

Then didst thou tell me that which thou didst feel And all thy words were in so strange a form; It seemed as if thou never hadst one thought That all the longing dwelling in thy heart Could even hope it might be satisfied. Thy words showed clearly that it was advice That thou wast seeking from thy sister-soul. Thou spakst of help which thou didst then require And of the strengthening of thy powers of soul Which otherwise must keep thee prison-bound.

STRADER:

That my soul's messenger could be by fate Destined to be companion of my life Lay very far from all I had in mind When, seeking help, I showed my heart to thee.

THEODORA:

And yet those very words which cut adrift Thy heart from mine at first, soon went to prove That all of this could not be otherwise-- Hearts often have to point the way to fate.

STRADER:

And when thy heart pronounced the fateful word My soul was flooded o'er with waves of life Which, though I could not feel, I knew were there; 'Twas not till late, when my memory Rose from the depths of my subconscious soul, That they fulfilled themselves in rays of light. I could know all, from what my mem'ry taught, But could not live it then, because so much Still held me far apart from spirit-life. 'Twas then indeed I first became aware Of spirit in close contact with my soul. Ne'er have I felt like that again; and yet That knowledge gave to me a certainty That hath illuminated all my life. And then flowed on these seven wondrous years. I learned to feel how e'en mechanic skill Which now I study, is enriched by souls Whose attitude t'ward spirit-life is right. 'Twas through the spirit-power which thou couldst give And which made such demands upon my life That I was able to look out beyond The strife for power, and thence quite suddenly As if it had been prompted, there appeared Before my wondering spirit that new work From which we now may dare to hope so much And in thy light I felt within my soul The full awakening of all those powers Which would have perished, had I lived alone. This certainty of life which I had won Let me stand upright then, just at that time When, in such startling wise, Thomasius Condemned before the Rose Cross brotherhood The work of his own brain, and cast himself Adrift, with judgment hard, just at that hour Which could have brought him to his life's full height. This inner certainty could hold me fast When all the outer world seemed to reveal Naught but a mass of contradicting facts. Through thee alone have I gained all this power. The spirit-revelation which thou gav'st Brought me the sense of knowledge I had won; And when the revelation came no more Thou still didst stay my strength and light of soul.

THEODORA (in a broken sentence, as if meditating deeply):

Then when the revelation came no more ...

STRADER:

'Tis that which often made me sorrowful. I wondered if 'twere not deep pain to thee To lose thy seeress' power of second-sight, And whether thou didst suffer silently, Lest I should grieve: and yet thy temperament Showed thou couldst bear with calmness fate's decree. But lately thou hast seemed to me to change, Joy no more streams from thee as heretofore And thine eye's glowing light begins to fade.

THEODORA:

Indeed it could not be deep pain to me When spirit-revelation disappeared. My fate had only changed my way of life; Which I must needs accept with patience calm. But now 'tis born once more, and brings great grief.

STRADER:

This is the first time in these seven years I cannot fathom Theodora's mind; For each experience of spirit-life Was such a source of inward joy to thee.

THEODORA:

Quite different is the revelation now. At first, as then, I feel myself constrained To drive away all thought that is mine own; But where, before, after some little time When I achieved this inward emptiness A gentle light did hover round my soul And spirit-pictures wished to form themselves; There come now unseen feelings of disgust; Which come in such a way that I am sure The power I feel within comes from without-- Then fear I cannot banish pours itself Into my life and governs all my soul-- And gladly would I flee from that dread Shape That is invisible, and yet abhorred. It tries to reach me with its evil will And I can only hate what is revealed.

STRADER:

With Theodora 'tis not possible. They say that what one thus lives through, is but The mirrored working of one's own soul-powers. Yet thy soul could not show such things as these.

THEODORA (painfully, slowly, as if reflecting):

I know indeed that such ideas are held-- Therefore with all the power that still was mine I sank into the spirit-world and prayed That those same beings who so oft before Were kind to me, would graciously reveal How I could learn the cause of all my pain.

(Now follow in broken words):

And then ... the shining Light ... came ... as before And formed ... the image ... of an earthly man.... It was ... Thomasius ...

STRADER (painfully, overcome by the quick inrush of feelings):

... Thomasius ... The man in whom I always have believed ...

(Pause, then meditating painfully.)

When I again recall before my soul How he behaved towards the Mystic League ... How of himself and Ahriman he spake----

(Theodora is lost in contemplation, and stares blankly into space, as if her spirit were absent.)

STRADER:

O Theodora ... what dost thou ... see now....

Curtain