The vision was that of the fate of the soul of the son of Anthony and Barbara through a thousand, thousand ages that were to come, and it was a dreadful fate.
"Pray again, my father," said Barbara, "and ask if it may be changed." So the spirit of Septimus Walrond prayed, and the spirits of his daughters and of the daughter of Anthony and Barbara prayed with him.
Together they kneeled and prayed to the Glory that shone above.
There came another vision, that of a little child leading a man by the hand, and the child was Barbara and the man was he who had been her son.
By a long and difficult path--upwards, ever upwards--she led him, and the end of that path was not seen.
Then these spirits prayed that the meaning of this vision might be made more clear.

But to that prayer there came no answer.
Barbara went apart into a wilderness where thorns grew and there endured the agony of temptation.

On the one hand lay the pure life of joy which, like the difficult path that had been shown to her, led upwards, ever upwards to yet greater joy, shared with those she loved.

On the other hand lay the seething hell of Earth, to be once more endured through many mortal years and--a soul to save alive.

None might counsel her, none might direct her.