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solemnly。 〃It came quite suddenlylike a gentle dew from heaven。〃 He
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lifted his hand and let it fall back on to his knee to indicate the descent of
the dew。 〃It was one evening。 I was writing my first little book about
the Conduct of Life'Humble Heroisms'。 You may have read it； it has
been a comfortat least I hope and think soa comfort to many thousands。
I was in the middle of the second chapter； and I was stuck。 Fatigue；
overworkI had only written a hundred words in the last hour； and I could
get no further。 I sat biting the end of my pen and looking at the electric
light； which hung above my table； a little above and in front of me。〃 He
indicated the position of the lamp with elaborate care。 〃Have you ever
looked at a bright light intently for a long time？〃 he asked； turning to
Denis。 Denis didn't think he had。 〃You can hypnotise yourself that way；〃
Mr。 Barbecue…Smith went on。
The gong sounded in a terrific crescendo from the hall。 Still no sign
of the others。 Denis was horribly hungry。
〃That's what happened to me；〃 said Mr。 Barbecue…Smith。 〃I was
hypnotised。 I lost consciousness like that。〃 He snapped his fingers。
〃When I came to； I found that it was past midnight； and I had written four
thousand words。 Four thousand；〃 he repeated； opening his mouth very
wide on the 〃ou〃 of thousand。 〃Inspiration had come to me。〃
〃What a very extraordinary thing；〃 said Denis。
〃I was afraid of it at first。 It didn't seem to me natural。 I didn't feel；
somehow； that it was quite right； quite fair； I might almost say； to produce
a literary composition unconsciously。 Besides； I was afraid I might have
written nonsense。〃
〃And had you written nonsense？〃 Denis asked。
〃Certainly not；〃 Mr。 Barbecue…Smith replied； with a trace of
annoyance。 〃Certainly not。 It was admirable。 Just a few spelling
mistakes and slips； such as there generally are in automatic writing。 But
the style； the thoughtall the essentials were admirable。 After that；
Inspiration came to me regularly。 I wrote the whole of 'Humble
Heroisms' like that。 It was a great success； and so has everything been
that I have written since。〃 He leaned forward and jabbed at Denis with
his finger。 〃That's my secret；〃 he said； 〃and that's how you could write
too； if you triedwithout effort； fluently； well。〃
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〃But how？〃 asked Denis； trying not to show how deeply he had been
insulted by that final 〃well。〃
〃By cultivating your Inspiration； by getting into touch with your
Subconscious。 Have you ever read my little book； 'Pipe…Lines to the
Infinite'？〃
Denis had to confess that that was； precisely； one of the few； perhaps
the only one； of Mr。 Barbecue…Smith's works he had not read。
〃Never mind； never mind；〃 said Mr。 Barbecue…Smith。 〃It's just a little
book about the connection of the Subconscious with the Infinite。 Get
into touch with the Subconscious and you are in touch with the Universe。
Inspiration； in fact。 You follow me？〃
〃Perfectly； perfectly；〃 said Denis。 〃But don't you find that the
Universe sometimes sends you very irrelevant messages？〃
〃I don't allow it to；〃 Mr。 Barbecue…Smith replied。 〃I canalise it。 I
bring it down through pipes to work the turbines of my conscious mind。〃
〃Like Niagara；〃 Denis suggested。 Some of Mr。 Barbecue…Smith's
remarks sounded strangely like quotationsquotations from his own works；
no doubt。
〃Precisely。 Like Niagara。 And this is how I do it。〃 He leaned
forward； and with a raised forefinger marked his points as he made them；
beating time； as it were； to his discourse。 〃Before I go off into my trance；
I concentrate on the subject I wish to be inspired about。 Let us say I am
writing about the humble heroisms； for ten minutes before I go into the
trance I think of nothing but orphans supporting their little brothers and
sisters； of dull work well and patiently done； and I focus my mind on such
great philosophical truths as the purification and uplifting of the soul by
suffering； and the alchemical transformation of leaden evil into golden
good。〃 （Denis again hung up his little festoon of quotation marks。）
〃Then I pop off。 Two or three hours later I wake up again； and find that
inspiration has done its work。 Thousands of words； comforting； uplifting
words； lie before me。 I type them out neatly on my machine and they are
ready for the printer。〃
〃It all sounds wonderfully simple；〃 said Denis。
〃It is。 All the great and splendid and divine things of life are
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wonderfully simple。〃 （Quotation marks again。） 〃When I have to do my
aphorisms；〃 Mr。 Barbecue…Smith continued； 〃I prelude my trance by
turning over the pages of any Dictionary of Quotations or Shakespeare
Calendar that comes to hand。 That sets the key； so to speak； that ensures
that the Universe shall come flowing in； not in a continuous rush； but in
aphorismic drops。 You see the idea？〃
Denis nodded。 Mr。 Barbecue…Smith put his hand in his pocket and
pulled out a notebook。 〃I did a few in the train to…day；〃 he said； turning
over the pages。 〃Just dropped off into a trance in the corner of my
carriage。 I find the train very conducive to good work。 Here they are。〃
He cleared his throat and read：
〃The Mountain Road may be steep； but the air is pure up there； and it
is from the Summit that one gets the view。〃
〃The Things that Really Matter happen in the Heart。〃
It was curious； Denis reflected； the way the Infinite sometimes
repeated itself。
〃Seeing is Believing。 Yes； but Believing is also Seeing。 If I believe
in God； I see God； even in the things that seem to be evil。〃
Mr。 Barbecu