Atlantis

The Book Of Angels
By D. Bridgman-Metchim

LIBER I

Index

LIBER II | LIBER III

I. THE TEMPLE
II. THE INTERIOR
III. TEKTHAH
IV. THE PALACE
V. THE HALL OF FEASTING
VI. THE GARDEN
VII. THE MARKET-PLACE
VIII. THE MARCH OF HUITZA
IX. AZTA
X. THE THRONE
XI. NOAH
XII. A MAN AND A NATION
XIII. THE CIRCUS
XIV. THE THIRD DAY
XV. THE CHILD OF DOOM
XVI. THE FEAST OF DEATH
XVII. THE PASSING OF TEKTHAH
XVIII. THE HALT OF TRIUMPH

CHAPTER I. THE TEMPLE.

THE days when the sons of Adam increased and multiplied, and in the days when they overran Atlantis and builded themselves cities, the noise of their sin rose up the Heaven. And to me, Asia, an archangel and which stood before the Throne of God, was given command to go forth upon the Earth and by reason of my words turn the heart of Man back to the faith of his fathers, and destroy his groves and altars which he had raised to the worship of gods created of his evil imaginings, which were detestable to Us.

Now certain also among Us had gone forth and cohabited with the daughters of Man, in mystic visions of the night or by more physical manifestations causing them to conceive and bear children unto them, which was neither seemly nor proper; but in such strong form was the celestial passion manifested in the beings of Earth that even angels stooped to partake of its pleas- ures, (such angels as moved in very close communion with the farther circles, and looked to an extent upon material things). And indeed the separate Female was a mysterious and wonderful creation.

Mrs. Jameson in "Sacred and Legendary Art" gives us the following: " The great theologians divide the angelic hosts into three hierarchies, and these again into nine choirs, three in each hierarchy: according to Dionysius the Areopagite, in the following order: I. Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones. 2. Dominations, Virtues, Powers. 3. Princedoms, Archangels, Angels. The order of these dominations is not the same in all authorities: according to the Greek formula, St. Bernard, and the Legenda Aurea, the Cherubim precede the Seraphim, and in the hymn of St. Ambrose they have also the precedence To Thee, Cherubim and Seraphim continually do cry, etc.; but the authority of St. Dionysius seems to be admitted paramount, for, according to the legend, he was the convert and intimate friend of St. Paul, and St. Paul, who had been transported to the seventh heaven, had made him acquainted with all he had there beheld.

The first three choirs receive their glory immediately from God, and transmit it on to the second' the second illuminate the third; the third are placed in relation to the created universe and man. The first hierarchy are as counsellors, the second as governors, the third as ministers. The Seraphim are absorbed in perpetual love and adoration immediately around the throne of God. The Cherubim know and worship. The Thrones sustain the seat of the Most High. The Dominations, Virtues and Powers are the Regents of stars and elements. The three last orders, Princedoms, Archangels and Angels, are the protectors of the great monarchies on earth, and the executors of the will of God throughout the universe.

The term angel is properly applied to all these celestial beings; but it belongs especially to the last two orders, who are brought into immediate communication with the human race. The word Angel, Greek in its origin, signifies a Messenger, or more literally, a bringer of tidings. In this sense, the Greeks entitle Christ "The great Angel of the will of God."

For a discussion on the meaning and etymology of Seraphim and Cherubim see note, cap. XVII., lib. II., where some curious information is revealed. The word "Archangel" of the text is, in the original, "Great Angel," or signifies perhaps 'Mighty Spirit.''

In manifested shape among them were many evil spirits, working confusion by their own confusion, and whereby Man came to know more than was meet that he should: whence would have come much tribulation by reason of his turbulence and ambition, and the use of powers superhuman for the attainment of Earthly things, which is sorcery and witchcraft.

Not very much had I known of the New Creation and of the world among the stars; to me was sufficient the vast delights of space and those far circles where the billows of Life broke upon horizons beyond which flaming worlds fed the Immensity with fire and light; sufficient was the song of endless spheres so justly poised upon the seas of immeasurable air where the rolling wheels of Fate turned, ever moved by the Word, hymned of the winged aons.

And would that I had never left my happy estate, nor ever looked upon thee, Earth world, thou dull spot within the starry coronet that crowns the brows of God. When the noise of thy rebellion and unrest arose, we marvelled; and thinking upon thy smallness it was as the noise of a tiny insect buzzing in a great mansion. Yet, little pest, thy sting is sharp, and many have felt it.

For it was whispered that the beings of Earth were goodly to look upon, and were attractive in their wit and wisdom and high in the sight of our Lord Jehovah, being greatly esteemed that they combined with the subtlety of Heaven a manifested form of Earth. Beautiful in sad truth were they, and excellent in arts, particularly of mischief. And I, who have seen the days when man first came upon Earth, and the last-created man, Adam, and who have looked upon the face of God, bear witness herein to their excellence, and to that ambition that ministered by the female element, medium of Heaven, caused their downfall.

Why should we sing our defeats? Whence the desire that others of Earth shall learn my record of them, that is hidden up in the closing book of the Past? Fain would I lose myself in profound meditation, yet it may not be; and ever arises in sad memory the dreamy glories of Atlantis and starry nights of love. Gone thou art, Zul, city of gods! and thou, my Love, where art thou now? Wilt thou remember when we meet again? O Azta, could I but have led thee in those careless paths where false ambition has no home and the fleeting triumph of dearly-bought glory troubles not! The Siren of Earth, that ever sits beyond your reach and throws gifts of self-esteem whereby ye need no warning and perish in self-created flames, sits not in the lofty groves of Paradise.¹

Hear, Peoples of the Future, a recital of days that are past and gone beyond the reach of history a recital ol a power that sought to strive with the creator of itself for a mastery that would have brought but a horror of impotent ruin on Universes unimagined a recital of how the heavenly power of Love brings disaster when not applied in its own spirit and learn, if but in a passing flash of intuition, that misapplied Good begets a more powerful evil than Evil itself can do.

Stooping from Heaven, and full of the trust reposed in me, I sought the Earth lying like a cloudy wonder on the bosom of space; and attaining at length the terrestrial atmosphere with the speed of the Word, and the brightness of the Earth-atoms generating light, stood thereon, an embodied Intellect, upon a vast land, by the side of a lake of water wherein I perceived myself fashioned wondrously. Thereon I gazed in an ecstacy of admiration, not fully understanding as yet that it was my own image, for I had never before taken on any carnal mani- festation; and then confusion overcame me and I rose up and surveyed the surrounding beauties.

And to me was given the power to take on whatsoever form of Earth I wished, which power I perceived to be balanced by a certain dulness of thought and intellect fitted to the heavy atmosphere and the solidity around me.

With what curiosity I gazed on the white swans that skimmed^ the lake, and how I was ravished with the towering beauty of palms and stately trees shadowing the fruitful Earth beneath the blueness of the deeps of sky as apparent. Afar were moun- tain slopes and grotesque yet shapely masses that filled a whole horizon with irregular outlines, and I cried in the language of Earth, How beautiful!

But suddenly the brightness fled. The Earth rose above the sun and there was darkness over everything. In eager haste I mounted into the air and grasped the sword that lay along my thigh, and soon I saw the burning planet and that half the Earth was bright and half was not.

Curious, I lighted down again upon the dark part, near to where I had at first come, and presently the moon shone with a wonderful pure white gleam.

It was night. I stood on the sandy beach of the old sea, that I knew was there long before man came, and that after in more human nature I loved so well because of its restless sorrow; a beach fringed with palm-groves and luxuriant vegetation, with strange animals wandering upon it. I raised my eyes, full of wonder, to the shapely masses rising from its plain, and perceived a city.

The etymology of the Atlantean Zul, which appears to indicate the Sun, is perpetuated in the Akkad Zal, the Aymara Sillo, and the Latin Sol.

There lay Zul from East to West horizon stretching, dark against the moonlight; and afar, standing out in white sheen and misty beauty, rose tower, pyramid and pylon in endless grouping, mass above mass, terrace above terrace, in cyclopean gloom. Grim, awful and majestic in its immensity of sleeping strength, lay the mighty city; and full of the wonder of the night, I drank my full of the mystery of it and marvelled at the glory of Earth. Methought in the darkness it was the city of Satan and of his legions, and at times I wonder now if I were correct in my thought. Never, ah! never can I forget the stupendous wonder of Zul as it came upon me that night, when as an atom of Earth I stood beneath its majesty.

Up and upward it rose from the bosom of the waters, and within the mighty shadow of its walls I saw gates, massive ports with carven columns and colossal statues, and within the walls, palaces, arches and colonnades, and on this side a wide moat.

I saw the waving flames on temple roofs; I strove to analyse the piles of enormous masonry that rose in confusion the thronging columns, colossi, roofs and towers. This was a city of giants!

There was life within; there was music. Not like the strains my soul loved, but blatant and ribald, and methought, discordant. I perceived many more lights; before a propylon stood a pyramid; and now the light began to return and to disclose monstrous forms and faces, crude clashing colours and rough ornamentations.

The colossi exhibited hideous deformities, and yet there was nought to disgust. Nay; although afterwards I knew them in all their daring obscenity, all was so vast, so enormous, and the grand columns clustered in such confusion of magnificence, that the beastliness of some of their figures was forgotten in the unblushing hugeness that exhibited the deformity so openly. Vast, amorphous shadows formed a background to gray, towering piles of such proportions that caused me to marvel at their grand immensity; square masses of brick and masonry standing there under the shades of the night in bewildering grandeur, simple in their massive immobility, intricate in the dim vistas of colonnade and arch, gate and stairway, column, altar and colossus.

The arch is known in early architecture, but only in a crude form a beam laid on the tops of two pillars, or the structure known as the "false arch," in which bricks or stones project in each layer until they meet at the top.

I saw strange scenes that then I did not understand, and heard sounds of voices, and shrieks; cries that seemed of terror, and the occasional clash of arms. How well, ah, how well was I to know that scene, and hear those sounds in days to come that then I recked not of, being amazed and bewildered by my tumult of emotions and delighted with the strangeness of it all. It was so real, so oppressive and wonderful, and the gray twilight so mysterious, that my senses were intoxicated, and I gazed on the lofty walls and anon over the dark waters with ecstacy.

A sound fell on my ears above all the rest and grew louder and louder. It was the drum of the great temple of Zul, crowning the hill above the waters, that, being struck, rolled out like the awakening voice of Heaven over the city of the Sun, and looking up, I perceived the topmost tower flash like a polished mirror as the first rays of the returning Day struck on it.

I wished to observe what might come, unseen, and, burning with curiosity, lighted on the topmost tower and mingled with the wavy flame, so pure was I then and so powerful. Far above the great ocean that laved the terraced cliff, and far above all the city that spread away into the dark shadows below; beneath me, the temple, story on story, four-sided and flat-topped, each pyramidal and smaller than the one below, reared its mighty mass to Heaven and, from immediately beneath me, the roar of the drum swelled louder and more sonorous, reverberating through the quiet atmosphere; then died slowly away in tremulous waves of sound most beautiful to my ears as they floated afar.

From the very earliest times we find a pyramidal form used in building, probably not so much for the sake of the outline as for the fact that this form aids the effort to obtain vast dimensions with perfect solidity; and the ruins testifying to this are found in Babylonia, Egypt and America, while the form is seen in India in her grandest temple, the great pagoda at Tanjore, rising in 14 stories to a height of nearly 200 ft. from a base 83 ft. square.

In Babylonia the great mound Babil among the ruins of the capital, represents the temple of Bel, which was a pyramid of 8 square stages with a winding ascent to the top platform; and the mound of Birs Nimroud is all that is left of the "temple of the seven spheres" which was but 156 feet in height, but wonderful by reason of each of the seven stages being a mass of one colour different from the others. Of this class we find temples built in stages of 3, 5, or 7, each of which numbers had a mystic significance. In Yucatan are found sculptured and architectural monuments of a coarse character, temples (teocallis) elevated far above the surrounding buildings on square basements, rising by huge steps to the summit in the form of a low truncated pyramid.

The architecture of Egypt is too well known and too familiar to need any description here, hut by no means is the pyramid an exclusively Egyptian form, as we see.

Of the architecture of Zul we have no comparative measurements, and with the one vague statement on p. 14 "greater than great Babylon," and the bare description, we must imagine an architecture at least equal to Egypt in her prime. of all the wonders of these mighty works surely the greatest is the size of the blocks of stone used in their construction. Professor Lewis tells us that the very ancient Egyptians must have reached a proficiency in the mechanical arts of which we can form no conception, by reason that they were able to quarry rocks of even granite and to move them to great distances, polishing their almost iron sides and carving upon them, raising huge masses that would puzzle our most powerful appliances of to-day to move. Nor in this again were the Egyptians unique, for in America, at Txinal. Tiluianaco, Palenque and other places are found stupendous ruins, of which the huge blocks had been brought into shape and angle without the use of iron.

And now the flame on the golden tower in which I was, which stood in the centre of the topmost roof wafted by the sea-breezes, seemed to have become absorbed in the glory of the Sun and vanished in the splendour, and from the shadows of the base of the tower a dark figure moved to the edge of the platform facing the brightness. It was a man, and with a great curiosity I gazed upon this one individual atom of the human Life of Karth, that in manifested form could move apart from the rest and live with his own separate functions. And methought there was a strange sympathy between us, for he started and gazed up towards where I hung in airy flame, and then turned and looked long on the flashing beauty of the ocean and the shades beneath. His attitude betokened adoration, and once, twice, three times he bowed his whole body with outstretched hands towards the glory of the sunrise.

Very far off inland I perceived mountains among golden fields of wheat, and other cities, and abundant verdure covered the fair, shadowy Karth, where rivers ran and lakes reflected the tiny pink clouds and the city walls and battlements. After, I learned that the mighty piles were built by the enforced labour of conquered nations of physique and presence immeasurably inferior to the white conquerors in their midst, and who had been there since, as their old traditions told, the entrance of that first man and woman from the East, where great Gabriel guarded the gates of Eden, from whom had sprung a nation that subjugated all around by its arts and prowess.

Lost in contemplation, I surveyed the massive architecture and rejoiced in the solemn and shadowy grandeur of the city as it lay vast and magnificent, with the flames of its many temples leaping and swaying like bright spirits from the Sun that never sleep nor die.

There was a great palace, vast and striking beyond all the rest, enclosing a courtyard of palms and pleasant verdure with red towers and pylons and sweeping terraces of steps, grim and massive as the halls of Hell, and in truth holding as much sin. Yet then I knew it not, and did but gaze in wrapt pleasure on the mighty structures that rose in impious pride above the gloom lying in a wan purple cloud over the gardens that faced the sea beyond the temple, and noted the open spaces of the Circus and the market-place yawning darker than the wide streets. I saw the square pile of the Museum, and palaces of nobles; a round temple, that I afterwards knew to be that of the virgin Goddess Neptsis, whose emblem was a serpent, and whose son, the Lord of Light, was worshipped in Zul, standing conspicuously, near by which were the temples ot Winged things, the Serpent, and the Moon. I saw the fortifications stretching far as the eye could see, and below, the cliff facing the sea, where it declined to the level of the beach and formed a bay; the harbour and water-way and an outer protecting reef of rocks.

The roar of the drum was answered in the far-echoing spaces for a long time, by others on the surrounding temples, and the music of a myriad birds arose to my delighted ears. I perceived many people to be approaching, and, mounting the stairway running up the eastern front of the temple of " The Lord of Light" Zul came a long procession, the leaders chanting a hymn to the Divinity. Up, up, from the comparative gloom, until the sunlight brightened the yellow mantles of the leading priests and flashed back from helmets and armour and the gorgeous cloaks of those following. It was the procession of the Emperor's household and the great nobles.

Upwards they came with a growing hum of voices and clatter of feet, reaching each terrace successively, where ten men could walk abreast, until a zig-zag of bright colour reached from top to bottom as the priests stepped onto the platform of the highest roof. Following them came many priestesses, for the god Zul was supposed to partake within himself of the nature of both sexes and was equally served by both, and by twos the succes- sors followed them until over fifteen score were gathered beneath my enraptured eyes, delighted to watch their movements and hear all that they said. Beneath their feet plates of gold gleamed sombre in the shadows cast; from their midst arose the golden tower, a pyramid of light, with the imperishable flame waving like a vapour over it, in which I lay entranced. Within this tower was the drum and also within it was kept the victorious standard of the nation, the sacred symbol of victory a Cross with four arms stretching horizontally, signifying the national prowess North, South, East and West the old, rough rally-signal carried by the Emperor Tekthah from the North. Afterwards I knew that all the other cities had, in their Temple of the Sun, that same emblem, feared and venerated throughout the land and Oh, confusion as I write! worshipped as a god. There also stood an altar on that roof, overlaid with gold, and all was bright save the dark man I had first seen come from the tower, which one still remained on the edge looking towards the Sun, and to whom a priestess handed a little smoking bowl.

The men before me were tall and godlike and of excellent stature, and I knew them afterwards to be sons of Tekthah and some of the great Tzantans a, and Patriarchs chiefs of the armies, Polemarchs, and tribe leaders. There were women too, on whom I gazed with exceeding admiration, for they were of beautiful form; conspicuous among them stoodest thou, my Love, shining as the moon among stars the Empress Azta, her tawny hair, where golden streams seemed to move in waves of light, fastened above her head by a pin crowned by a butterfly of gold and very large as to size; her yellow eyes heavy and slumbrous and their fires dull, as new awaked from sleep. There were daughters of the Imperial household and of the favoured chiefs, and many that were concubines of Tekthah, which last were very splendid in their* persons and majestic in carriage, and some of them were of other races. Upon their faces lay thickly powdered white pearl-dust, and as they smiled they disclosed their teeth in which were set flashing gems, which gave them a strange appearance.

Some of the men's faces were half concealed by large beards, nearly all black, falling from under their helmets of various shapes according to their rank and following, and flowing over their polished breast-plates. Their hair was as long as that of the women, but coarser, and I learnt that in war the thick tresses were rolled around the neck under closed visors to afford additional protection and make an elastic shield under the metal. Among these ebon chevelures the red-brown one of Huitza, first son of the Tzan Tekthah, (which was King over all the land,) and a very splendid prince, was conspicuous by contrast, with its subtle effects of yellow. From the colour he was supposed to be particularly favoured of the Sun, and the people's hopes leaned to him, their idol, builder of the great province of Tek-Ra: whose Empress-mother, Atlace, had hidden her baby boy, begotten by a celestial lover, until such time as she could mingle him with the unremembered crowd and claim him as a child of the Throne. He stood now the real, though not openly acknowledged, leader of the armies of the mightiest power of Atlantis and the World the Last-created.

My eye roved over the gay throng, but ever returned to Azta; and, O Zul, I looked upon thee, thou fair abode of Evil, greater than Great Babylon, yet unheard of and unknown. Every terrace of the great temple was filled with worshippers, and the roofs of all the other temples were swarming with superstitious idolaters fresh from some wild orgie of the night, and by reason of my perception of spirits I saw their thoughts turning on their wanton excesses and planning more in their hearts, while their crossed hands and bent heads revealed a mockery of adoration. Through a tube the dark man upon the edge of the platform inhaled the smoke from the bowl, which he expelled in clouds towards the four quarters of the heavens,

This custom was always practised as an invocation by the American tribes, among whom tobacco smoking and chewing, (especially the former,) were universal and immemorial usages.

The yellow-robed priests, with wild movements indicative of joy, broke into a weird chant, and in the pauses the faint echo of the distant myriads rose into the pure air with wonderful beauty from below and afar. The god had arisen! a thousand voices shouted in rapture as from the shadows flashed tower and sculptured column, and like a coloured carpet the city rose through the mist.

And who could dream a fairer dream of all the wealth of Earth! There stood revealed the massive grandeur of enormous piles of wonder and awe, scarce o'ertopped by mighty trees of thy many groves, cooled by lakelets and fountains, surrounded by colonnades and courts and the lacy beauty of palms, ablaze with the flaming blossoms of the yellow sartreel bushes and the crimson flowers of the pomegranate, lovely with the columned arches and the statues surpassingly beautiful. O excellent in majesty, would that I had never seen thee!

And then a fleeting idea of my mission ran though me, but I wondered why and how I must fulfil it, my thoughts immediately becoming fixed on the scene before my eyes, causing much perplexity to me, as the dark man which stood against the sun now, with movements representing terror, leaped towards the golden tower, everyone making hasty room. For a short space he disappeared and then, mounting the interior, stood out before me on the highest summit, distinct and clear against the bright sky.

The dark mantle was thrown open torn off cast into the flame, that consumed it in a breath and the pantomime of Night fleeing before Day was over as the High Priest Acoa, the "Voice of God," stood forth in a gleaming garment of the universal yellow and bowed in adoration to the flashing dawn.

Priest of Zul, I rejoice that thy deep lore was locked within thy bosom, for thou knewest indeed more than many of Our- selves. This same was a furious fanatic, believing, heart and soul, in his god, and zealous of the observances of the rites of his temple. Thus ever dwelling on the divinity, with a feverish zeal, he would have sacrificed Tekthah himself or his own person even to the " Lord of Light." How wondrous an influence is fanaticism on the heart of man! Unreasoning, devoted, it is almost noble by its very unselfishness and steadfastness of purpose, by its fury and its zeal.

1. CONCERNING the existence of the semi-mythical island of Atlantis there appears to be no definite information, and it is probable that there never will be; for even could we find its whereabouts stated, the geography of the world has altered since and would render such statement of no avail. In the angelic narrative we get no information as to where it was situated, and as there was no reckoning by latitude and longitude in those days we have to content ourselves with the name, a name that we have often heard of and placed among the myths without thought or reason. We cannot locate this land by any climatic hypothesis, because we find the climate under going apparently a total change in its latter days, possibly even heralding the glacial epoch.

CHAPTER II. THE INTERIOR

THE god comes! A myriad voices hailed him from temple and house-top. The kneeling thousands bowed in real emotional adoration now, the gay crowd on Zul in weary compliance to custom. With the virtue of the dark cloak of Acoa I became more aware of the meaning of all I saw; and bear Thou witness now, O Elohim, ^ who knows and understands all, and perceives how the torment of the spirit forces foolishness from the lips, that to none is showed the hidden things nor the accomplishment of those great affairs that I revealed to such as lived then. For in my impious pride and profound despair I dared to raise the rebellious head, but all those are dead which saw my works and none shall know them more.

I perceived that the people were daringly and defiantly weary, preferring to look with bold glances upon one another to bending their thoughts on worship. But to the mass of the people the glowing orb was a terrific Thing to be appeased the Father of Flame as well as Lord of Light, and King of the leaping Spirits that ever dwelled on their temples ruler of the internal fires that devoured them in thunder, to whom the messenger of Zul flew in the bright lightning and raised in frightful revolt from hidden cares in the mountains; those distant hills, from which, to the west, towering Axatlan lifted her high cone with its coronet of fire and smoke.

There are four names by which God was known of old: Adonai, Lord or Possessor: Shaddai, Almighty: Jehovah, the self-existing one; and Elohim, God, the Covenant-keeper, and Lord of the Universe.

The word Elohim is probably derived from the Hebrew word " Alah " to swear, in support of which we have the Arabic "Allah", God, an almost identical word. Our Lord's last words from the Cross also seem to indicate this meaning: "Eli, Kli, lama sabachthani ". That is to say, "My God, my God''... where is the covenant! And in S. Mark it is still nearer: Eloi, Eloi . . . ". The word Elohim or Elim is the plural of El, chief of the Phoenician divinities.

I understand that the origin of the word "Javeh" or Jehovah appears to be lost in mystery, but apparently indicates One who w, and is Eternal, and true to his covenant: and of these two names, which are frequently used, each with its own significance, Elohim is regarded as treating natural, Jehovah revealed, religion.

From every corner of the great city arose the voice of prayer and praise, and now the High Priest descended from the central tower to the platform. The wild clangour of a song boomed and clashed out, and a silence of death lay over all.

It was the signal for a sacrifice. A death was to take place up there in the pure, holy calm of the early morning, and with that unappeasable appetite of the terrible human heart to gloat over suffering, an appetite that never wearies, the mul- titudes strained their eyes upwards to the temple platform, and those too far off to see were yet pleasantly aware of what was transpiring. For, despite bloody carnivals, brutal scenes of torture and devilish butcheries on a ghastly scale, there was yet something in the solemnity of the hour that startled the ghoulish appetites and made the pulses beat with a pleasant interest.

Up the stairway came the Procession of Atonement, the attendant priests robed in black, the victim in the middle, in silence deep and profound, broken by a weird chant from the priestesses.

The sad procession moved slowly; and moved by an intuition, I knew something dreadful was about to happen, yet, alasl so curious was I, I moved not one step to its hindrance.

I perceived a feeling of natural horror to pervade the multitudes as the dark butcher stood silhouetted against the sky and seized the victim as he stepped on to the platform a grisly pantomime that often resulted in a terrible struggle, the more fearful to those below from its silence and desperate earnestness.

As now, it always resulted in the same thing the victim being carried to the golden altar facing the sunrise and bound down securely. The High Priest raised his voice in a poetic appeal to the Sun, then one gash of a dagger of obsidian laid open the victim's breast, from which the butcher's fingers tore the pulsating heart. Raised aloft, the gory trophy, yet oozing its living blood, was offered to the Sun, and a myriad voices countenanced the murder.

A reproach entered my mind, a feeling of mortified annoyance that I had allowed curiosity to so overcome my just interference. I looked, marvelling, on the victim, for I had no knowledge of death, and perceived him to be a Clay and immoveable; and although I did not quite comprehend what had been done, yet I knew by his former acts and the people's that all was not well, and indeed, most improper. Yet I confess that I did not care to fully comprehend before, being anxious to witness what I might.

In a profound silence the crowds wended their way downwards; the morning worship was over. Through every street they threaded, looking like ants from Zul's stately height, as one vast body made up of tiny units, that, studied individually, exhibited individual characteristics, but were all alike in the issue. The unbiassed mind of one was the unbiassed mind of all. As the pebbles of the beach looked at in a mass form one great plain, yet each has a different shape and no two would fit the same hole; but taken individually or as a mass there is the same groundwork. Also among them may be gems, pearls, diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and the commoner precious stones. I reflected deeply on them and considered their ways and passions without at all understanding what I had already seen, nor dreamed that in those evil hearts burned the seed of the madness that would one day murder the Son of God, their own Creator and mine.

O fools! who worshipped the work and not the Maker, and preferred any god to the all-powerful one! In the empire cities of Chusa, Aten, Lote, Talascan, and a hundred others the same rites had been observed, for though bowing the knee to many divinities, the Lord of Light was esteemed first, the mightiest, most popular and dreaded.

All had gone, and with a desire to allow busy works to cover that weary feeling of reproach, I looked upon the shadowy mass of the temple, whose high front facing the sun was refulgent above the pearly tints below. Considering it well, I entered downwards into the great cool chambers, dark after the morning glow above, and whose thick walls kept out all heat of the Sun, and noted the bold paintings therein. Here all was still and silent; I was alone with those coloured portrayals that spoke to me with an unknown tongue; but after, when I understood, I wondered at the daring audacity that conspired to mingle Heaven and Earth in obscene confusion as there represented. Together with the serpent, which was of that species bearing upon its swelling neck the emblem of the Sun. A great bird appeared to hold high place in these imaginations the vulture, which, preying upon the entrails of the dead, soared to the eternal presence of the gods with the released spirit which would otherwise lose its way. All over the land the foul birds were worshipped as the messengers of the gods. and temples were erected in their honour the honour of a created thing!

The secondary chambers, buried in the enormous mass of the temple, were cold and gloomy, tall columned vaults of shade where no sound ever entered and no air stirred, and where intricate passages led to still darker places beyond number. And here dwelt those priests and priestesses which ministered to the divinity, entombed in the twilight all their lives; for the light, entering by square apertures, or through distant brazen doors which turned within stone pivots, here had to traverse a great thickness of wall, and lighted the inner vaults but feebly, and in awe I gazed around, oppressed by the silence and gloom, while from around peered diabolical faces, grim and immobile, from the colossi supporting the dark roofs. Three on every side they stood, those giant forms of stone, as though they had been there from the beginning of the world, gazing on a dark altar in the central gloom, on which, upheld by three dragons with outstretched wings, was a stone sarcophagus. This chamber was to contain the mortal remains of Tekthah, whose dust, being burned to an ash, would rest in the sarcophagus, built by him for that end, and I wondered at the earthly idea that would wish to lie there in the gloom watched by those stony figures until all of Earth should cease. Ah, man, thou couldst not read the book of fate. On the high roofs were bats that hung like little dark devils and sometimes squeaked as their bones touched one another's, while their evil eyes flared at times upon me.

This may indicate a species of cobra having a circular marking upon it hood, or may refer to the "hood'' itself. Here I've may note thai the only difference between the Indian cobra and the Egyptian is the spectacle-like marking upon the back of the former's neck, both specie having the skin of the neck loose and dilatable at will.

With a strange feeling almost of fear I went downwards into the third floor of chambers, and, as a great moth, flitted here and there in a chamber from which led many galleries. My wings brushed the long webs of spiders in the dark roofs, and upon the gross bosom of a colossus I poised high up to consider the ways stretching in dark avenues hither and thither. In those soundless spaces was no sign of life or movement, but afar off I perceived a light which I believed came from one of the cave-like opening in the outer walls, and speeding thence by an instinct that overcame me, found myself in the chamber of the High Priest.

Buried within those walls, above the earth yet within it, there stood the dark man, bending over a little flame on a brazier, that showed up his clear, hollow, ghastly face and vivid eyes and long white hair, leaving his lower figure in the gloom of the vault, and making the shadows of the place fearful. Methought he gazed anxiously, for he shaded his eyes with both palms and stared with trembling intensity into the flame, that rolled in a purple-red coil topped by the orange brightness, and then turned swiftly towards a faint disc of light away in the gloom. He cried aloud in a fearful voice of rage and command, extending his long, skeleton claws over the flame, his whole form dilated and exalted, his face transformed and his eyes like a devil's.

Wondering that no inspiration entered my mind to address him, I watched, heavy with the great chill and gloom. Suddenly the faint disc brightened until a golden light flooded the vault and struck on the opposite wall, where mystic emblems and figures were grouped in mysterious configuration. It was the light of the Sun which entered and was flashed back from a mirror of obsidian, lighting the whole space and disclosing its contents.

The little flame struggled and coiled. Three of the symbols on the wall moved to a certain place and stood still. Acoa, his face vivified to a terrible degree, watched, and then cried aloud: "Conceive, O thou pregnant one! Bring forth that which is in thee!"

From the flame arose a white amorphous shape, vague and horrible. The man had ceased to breathe and was gazing with an intensity of soul on the spectral figure, that writhed in horrible contortions, yet so indistinct that nought could be seen of what it was. The Thing emitted a very faint sound and then appeared to dissolve in the shadows, and the High Priest fell prone on the floor. The disc was darkening and methought the life of the man was going with the brightness, and I felt sad at the thought what the mortal part was so frail. But, as I stood regarding him, he arose and retired to his stone couch and laid himself thereon, murmuring many things that I did not understand. So I left him.

The fourth chambers were around me, filled with warmth and a deep lurid glow issuing from the centre of the floor where yawned a square bright opening. I was filled with mystery and awe, and the sensation that I was in unknown depths, nor perceived any end to the other chambers stretching right left. The one I stood in was immense, and columns threw great shadows away from the central light that appeared at times to flare more brightly. Pictures with bold, luminous outlines stood out in the farther shadows, mystic representations somewhat similar to those in the first chamber mostly, I found, depicting the wondrous conception of Neptsis and labour with the hermaphrodite Zul. Wild and horrible the phosphoric representations stood, flickering and smoking, and at certain times an indefinable sound echoed round the gloomy vault, while the eyes of the colossi clustering round the columns moved and glittered from on high as though the stony abortions actually lived. No sound disturbed the awful calm where stood those giant forms, save only at times that weird sigh or moan, or what it might have been, that seemed to come from nowhere and return thither.

The Sun is usually a female divinity among Turanians, in earlier religions the moon being often considered of the male sex. The Esquimo regard the moon as a man who visits the earth, and again as a girl whose face is spotted by ashes thrown at her by the sun. Among the Hindu Khasias the Sun is a woman and the moon a man, and in the Andaman Islands the Sun is the wife of the moon. Among aboriginal Hindus the moon is the bride of the Sun.

A fear seized me, a new strange feeling I had never known before, and an inclination to mount thence with speed and seek my native skies; and yet I longed to see and know more, and the curiosity overcame the sudden trembling fear.

And thus in trepidation I explored the fifth central chamber, of which I could see every part, being, as it were, a great pit of light in which tossed a sea of molten gold. Three figures of superior size sat around the bright wonder, with faint, half-imagined shadows playing over them, and my spirit sank with the dread feeling that I stood in some awful presence. Sublime in their majestic stillness they sat, gazing with inscrutable faces downwards, carven from the solid rock that formed the cone of a volcano. In awe I gazed on their calm grandeur, and methought they gazed on me; and I cried in my heart that it was small wonder that man was so esteemed who could create such as this. I yet deemed it might not be of human skill, and believing myself to be beyond the World and in the petrified presence of Those whom God hath chained for ever, I fled upward precipitately, nor ceased my strenuous flight until I hovered far above the city in the gleam of the sun.

CHAPTER III. TEKTHAH.

Now Tekthah was the son of Lamech and brother of Noah the Righteous, remembering also the children of Seth the son of Adam, by his wife Lilith, (which was also his sister) a and the children of all the sons of Adam, spread abroad and multiplied into nations very great and powerful. And being of a bloody nature and of vast ambition he had conceived great ideas, and with all the families of Lamech his father and the families of the sons of Mathusaleh and of all the sons of Enoch and Jared, (the beauty of whose daughters first tempted the sons of God to stray), he had crossed the sea from his own land to found an empire.

Upon the north coast landing, with all their flocks and herds, with cruel arms and many warriors advancing, taught of Azazel in the art of war, the inhabitants were swept before them in ruin and downfall; and along their path of dreadful conquest they built great citadels where the ground was steep and high, half hewn in the rock, half built above, terrace above terrace, with galleries and corridors and ladders to climb upon, which, being pulled up, rendered access impossible. These great Pallos were as one huge fort, full of rooms and very strong, and the chief of them was called Surapa, which was in the province of Astra. Nor was there anything lost by so building, for it was by this discovered where lay the yellow gold and the mines of gems, and where good stone was, and clay for making bricks.

The custom was observed in Egypt of marrying sister to brother in the royal line.

An analogy, which I am not competent to discuss, appears to me to exist between this passage of the Adamites and the legendary start of the Nahoas or Toltecs from the unknown Huelme or Tlapallan, which they left in consequence of a revolution; but which event, however, is said to have taken place shortly before the Christian era The account states apparently that seas and countries intervened between them and their native land before they reached America.

These most remarkable buildings, (i. e. those built of brick or stone,) are apparently in later history only found among the oldest Americans and were generally one huge construction occupying three sides of a court, built on the pyramidal step system, but possessing no apparent internal means of ascent, being mounted by moveable ladders. Such structures were probably the outcome of a vital necessity to protect a small colony of agriculturists from the depredations of less civilized nomads, and their remains are scattered throughout central America and Mexico, on mountain and in forest, many occipied now by Indians. There are the great structures of Pueblo Pintado, the Pueblos of Taos, San Juan, Zuni, Hungo Pavie, and of Pecos, this last estimated by Bandelier to be the largest aboriginal structure of stone in the United States, with a circuit of 1480 ft., 5 storeys in height, and once including by calculation $00 rooms. There is the wonderful rock citadel of Acoma, whose 600 inhabitants live between earih and sky, and Pueblo Bonito, on the Chacos, 1716 ft. in circuit, with 641 rooms and an estimated population of 3000 Indians.

I have seen stated an opinion that the Aztec city of Mexico was but a vast Pueblo, but I think this is highly improbable, as the wonder of such a construction would be certainly greater than an ordinary city of scattered buildings; and it would have taken cleverer men than the followers of Cortez and Piznrro to have fabricated cities and polities like those of Mexico aud Peru.

The northern Indians, the Iroquois and Nez-Perces, also followed the com- munistic idea in their "long-house." such as one described by Lewis and Clarke on the Columbia river; a single house 150 ft. long, built of sticks, straw, and dried grass, containing 24 fires, about double that number of families, and num- bering about 100 fighting men. This represents a communal household of nearly 500 people, and another building of the same race (Nechecolees) was larger, being 226 ft. long. Some tribes of the Amazon and of Borneo have such houses.

It is interesting to trace the etymology of the word Pallo, in Pueblo, palace and the Egyptian Pharaoh, which last word is very curious as embodying the communistic idea, representing the Egyptian words Per-fia, "great house [in which men live]."

And thus with expanding minds they marched southwards until they came to the tall volcano that looked above the waters, whereon they built a Pallo and fought a great battle, establishing themselves there. And for their protection they digged a wide moat, far-reaching and deep; in intervals of peace increasing and multiplying greatly, for that was a very fat land.

And there being but few women, each took unto herself as many husbands as she chose, and round the Pallo, which they called Zul and by which they worshipped the sun, sprang up a village, a town, a city, a great city, a city of grand buildings and later ornamentation, and the temple, built on the crest of the volcano, crowned the height of progress.

Now in all this time the people were not idly resting on their triumph, for parties continually sallied forth to farther conquests and found new cities. Whereby the Tzantan Iztli swept the far province of Trocoatla, and Rhadaman the son of Maroa, a concubine of Tekthah, carried conquest afar; and many others did likewise, Huitza adding the province of Tek-Ra to the territories of the nation.

Until at last the whole great land of Atlantis was subservient to Tekthah, yet only such parts as were fairest being occupied; and such savage races as menaced the frontiers were kept afar by the terror of their conquerors. These latter also among themselves caused dissensions, for there were ambitious spirits among them who wished to follow the example of Tekthah and form a kingdom for themselves; but as a terrible lesson to all such rebels, the warriors of Rhadaman lay round the pallo of Zoe, (the mother of the dead chief Tygan, who wished to seize a Queendom for herself,) until such time as famine forced them to surrender, and then one hundred and fifty-four of the froward ones were carried to Zul, and died horrible deaths. In likewise fell the pallos of Adiar, Vul and Amarek, and there was given full allegiance to the might of Tekthah.

Then, with peace, there arose a great discussion among the leaders of the allied families as to Tekthah's position, he resting as a ruler over all and dictating affairs. But this with prudent forethought perceiving, he had formed around him a very strong confederacy, there being, besides his own giant brood, his uncle Mehir, (sprung from Azura, daughter of Adam) and the Tzantans Nezca, Amal, Shar-Jatal, Izta, Toloc, Ombar, Colosse and and many more great and powerful.

This name, and that of Avan, are the only names we possess of any daughters of Adam, but an old tradition says he had twenty-three daughters and thirty-three sons.

And especially Nezca advised him strongly as to what policy he should adopt and how he should bind the hearts of people. So the patriarchs and chief warriors in a great council, called upon him to declare his intent, and the issue was that Tekthah's commanding front and gracious promises caused him to be recognized as the ruler over all the land, he pointing out that such course were wise as their brethren might arrive from across the seas and attempt to take from them the fruits of all their heavy labours. But this in the issue they never did, but lay in their forwardness and increasing evil until the waters drowned them with the Earth. Yet Tekthah was also compelled to agree that one chosen of the nation should be always with him to act for the people's welfare and protection.

And being thus, he took on a great pomp and circumstance, yet with politic circumspection; and to please the people (acting also by the advice of Acoa) he caused grand services to be celebrated with horrid bloodshed in the temples of Zul and others, drenching the new altars with the blood of captives. He built a Circus and instituted games and competitions therein, securing powerful adherents by distributing new posts of honour and military glory, and with the enforced labour and aid of thousands of captives working with soaked wedges, rollers, and levers, he constructed his great red palace with stone from the province of Axatlan, and many more buildings of vast size, so that the city of Zul became a wonder and an awe in the land. And in manner becoming to so great a ruler, he established a great national polity, setting up around him certain of his sons and others as judges over the people, to whom was given the power of calling upon the officers of legions to enforce laws, punishments being meted out for various offences. To aid him in government he created princes, counsellors, captains, rulers of territories, governors, treasurers, rulers of tribes and private domestic officers and overseers; while by word of mouth teachers were instructed in many arts and knowledge was greatly propagated.

And Thanaron, the celestial master of Ophie, daughter of Jared, invented a kalendar by which seasons were divided; and Armers showed how to prepare the smoking-herbs for enjoyment of inhalation, many other things being invented and put forward.

All over the land cities began to grow from villages surround- ing pallos to huge walled marvels, taking unto themselves standards and insignia; fields of wheat sprang from the kindly earth, and a navy was built which could sail round the moat of Zul and across the sea to certain islands which lay upon the horizon. The pleasant arts of peace were opened to all to increase, and with security ended that slaughter of female children (which was of necessity when useless mouths but hindered warriors' progress). Yet none might say who was his father, for every woman had many husbands; and indeed wherever I looked the policy of man ran contrary to all natural creation. And by many means the proportion of the females very greatly increased, some being stolen away and sold to a distant master, who disposed of the male offspring as slaves, which soon died, and thus the women were preserved to the great increase of the nation.

And before this had there sprung up a new race a by reason of the Last-created taking unto themselves mistresses from among the captives, and by indiscriminate misdemeanors, which offspring, degraded, and unowned, became servants and slaves, being also encouraged to multiply to aid the supply.

Tekthah, Tzan of Atlantis, with a brilliant court, led the nation afar from its upright paths, followed willingly enough, for indeed human nature ever sins naturally. The cities of the land followed whatsoever the capital led.

The nation halted.

The desire and instinct of progress and development, that, formed by congregation and led by a few energetic minds, precocious children in Life's nursery, manifested itself in the eager restlessness, the collecting into potential communities and the desire for civilization and its benefits, was satisfied with a power that was able to supply itself with every need and luxury, falling before the temptation of slothful enjoyment and turning its vast warlike energies on the satisfaction of carnal lusts. The proud bearing and haughty impetuosity of conscious masters of Earth grew into an arrogance at perceiving the works of their hands flourish and the desire for vast effect gratified; and by reason of the appearance among them of celestial beings who showed them the revelations of mysteries, they gazed entranced with daring knowledge on the hidden things. Forsaking their pure instinctive religion they began to worship idols, and with that strong human feeling that belongs especially to primitive minds, of a desire to worship something visible and tangible, they bowed down to conceptions of their own minds, and the wonders of the Heavens which they represented by them, ot, Such were the Sun, and gems supposed to be born of sunbeams, and the dragon which guarded them and was the emblem of the sun, the moon and stars, the male and female ox, the cat, the frog and other things, to each of which was given a legend which was in part a fact; yet all these were but created things. They believed their forefather Adam to have been a god, and deified all those hoary elders whose terrible years brought such vast experience, magnifying the deeds which they had done until they assumed an appearance surpassing all of Earth. And these they also worshipped under various emblems, nor wag there any end to their imagining.

They became more violent in their ideas, and as with luxury their minds grew licentious and imaginative, so also did their religion, and at length they had the most sensual and debased mythology that the subtlety of their evil minds could conceive; not sparing their ancestors the obscene representations of mystical creation. And in every temple, in every pleasant grove and palmy garden sat enthroned an effigy of some god, degraded and bestial, and each man took unto himself a divinity among manifested animals or insects, eating also food of flesh by subtle reasoning of their minds, and after for their stomach's sake.

The Atlantean religion was in advance, perhaps we may say, of all traces that are understood of the religion of prehistoric times, which is supposed to be Xature-worship alone, with no representations to aid the imagination. But that a people so powerful and of such perceptions should conceive physical forms of natural objects is scarcely surprising.

Friedrich Ratzel mentions the Frog, among many other animals worshipped as gods and adopted as totems by the American Indians, as being met witli in countless typical representations, especially where Toltec civilization reached. Among the Egyptians 1'tah, as creator of man, is a frog.

So falling, those early sinners who came to Atlantis with a pure faith and knowledge of God, raised descendants who fell still farther into idolatry and wickedness, degraded superstition, and still more degraded practices, mingling with them a ferocious and dauntless prowess in war and a luxuriance of living in later days that caused their name to be spoken of with respect and reverence and their power to be undisputed among the races who had been there beyond the legends of all time. Superstitious, ferocious, and of tremendous powers, Atlantis lay under the foot of the sons of Adam; but the world instead of being improved, threatened to sink in a chaos of confusion and blood, and all by the desire of Tekthah, who wished to maintain his high estate.

CHAPTER IV. THE PALACE.

THE palace of Tekthah rose in its colossal grandeur from vast spreading areas of steps, on every landing of which a pair of Andro-sphinxes lay. Built of the red stone of Axatlan, it was as a small city to itself, with its courts and galleries, colonnades, arches and statues and outlying pylon towers, housing within its painted halls many of the great officers of state with their servants, and ladies of high rank which were in the Tizin's train, the astronomers, astrologers and soothsayers, magicians and chemists and many which led Tekthah's inclinations by evil cunning to the great detriment of the land. A structure of grand architecture and gloomy beauty, vast and massive and plain, it never failed to fill me with a. certain awe; indeed a bewildering beauty lay in the spreading fall of the stairways guarded by those stony sentinels on their oblong, flat pedestals, that sat looking with impassive, inscrutable faces on space, and the pairs of colossi which guarded every doorway and were called the Guardians of the entrance; a sense of majesty and power that aspired to great things and could only satisfy the longing by being immense and grand and wondrous. In certain spaces were tall columns of stone of a carnal significance, towering obelisks of which the like were seen all over the land, each one graven with the symbols of genealogy. And each obelisk had a name.

There were gardens surrounding, where feathery palms grew, and yellow sartreels spread their masses of sunny lovliness above the elegant ferns, blended with crimson roses and various flowers of all manners of colours and shapes and perfumes, shaded by great spreading forest trees; and down by the fountains the songs of birds rose from morning to night. Towers supplied these watery jets, the water being pumped up thence by wheels on which generations of slaves had grown up and died.

On a pylon terrace that commanded a view of the ocean the Tzan Tekthah reclined on his couch, attended by one who bore an inhaling-pipe, and a fan-bearer who kept off the rays of the sun and the persecutions of flies. He was a man of great stature, and the white hair that framed his face well became the ruler of so great a nation. White also were his brows and beard, but his face was sensual and cruel, and although he looked a ruler, yet he appeared to have some traits that boded ill for the welfare of his charges. From his mouth and nostrils he blew volumes of fragrant smoke, inhaled from the pipe, in which lay a burning herb, which enjoyment to me appeared at first very curious, but was indulged in by all of the land. The early beauty of the sea and sky arrested his gaze, and I also looked wonderingly to where, within the reef, moved a large black bulk; fine-like arms beat the water and propelled it through the waves, and three gaily-coloured squares of cloth, bellying to the wind, accelerated the speed. I watched it with a lively interest, Tekthah with a listless curiosity; it was one of his vessels, the three-masted warship, Tacoatlanta, bearing at the prow the enormous semblance of a human head, large enough to hold nine hundred warriors, tx, but never venturing more than a mile from shore for fear it would get caught in the current of the great cataract that everyone believed fell over the edge of the world where the Sun rose and where the great sea-animals lived that they saw occasionally monsters of the deep that reared like enormous serpents from the waves.

It is evident that the art of shipbuilding had reached a considerable proficiency in the old days of Atlantis, and in after times we are informed by the best authorities that the Egyptians possessed ships nearly 3000 years B.C. By the cargo consisting of cattle, and the number of rowers employed, these would be of no inconsiderable size, and were not merely large boats or canoes, as, according to the Rev. Edmond Warre, the earliest of all presents us with the peculiar mast of two pieces, stepped apart, but joined at the top. He shows us that " the legend of Helen in Egypt, as well as the numerous references in the Odyssey, point, not only to the attraction that Egypt had for the maritime peoples, but also to long-established habits of navigation and the possession of an art of shipbuilding equal to the construction of sea-going craft capable of carrying a large number of men and a considerable cargo besidts." But in matters maritime the Phoenicians were unsurpassed and the order kept aboard their fine ships, together with their skill of utili/.ing every inch of space, won the later admiration of the Greeks.

It seems strange to learn that some southern Indians had sailing-boats, while the Aztecs, who united witli their predecessors the Toltecs, knew nothing of them, notwithstanding the fact that the latter must have used large crafts to bear them from the legendary Tlapallan to the shores of America.

The vessels of Homer were capable of carrying over too men, but the Atlantean war-ship must have been much larger than any that we read of in ancient times.

The ship entered the harbour, and still Tekthah mused; now scowling up at the temple, where the eunuch priests and their female co-ministers held service to the hermaphrodite Zul, and trying to distinguish some face at that distance, now again scanning the sea. He believed, like most of his people, in what Gorgia the magician said concerning the ebb and flow of the waters: that the gods, the makers of the great animals, who lived over there, drank it down and then threw it up again, and the thunders were the sound of their females in labour producing the monsters.

At the Tzan's feet lay his favorite mistress, Sumar, and on the terrace below, that commanded every approach to the tower, was a company of the Imperial Guards. Their captain was Nezca, a tall prince of exalted beauty, who had as apart- ments the whole base of that tower, for Tekthah feared what he dared not express. For this also it was that he had caused an arm of the sea to flow round the walls of Zul, stopped at each outlet by rocks, that the ebbing tide might not drain it, and had built warships to navigate it if needed.

And thus I perceived the penalty of earthly greatness, and pondered much within my mind if that, Tekthah being over- thrown, the land would be saved from evil. Even should T cause myself to be the Emperor? It was a pleasing thought, but I knew that it might not be; and indeed I had no knowledge of man or his ways, nor the ordering of such.

A trumpet sounded. It was the hour for the morning meal, called the After-worship, and Tekthah arose to enter the Hall of Feasting, for he reclined on a couch which was on the dais at the top of the chamber, and none durst enter until such time as he was seated.

The walls of which splendid apartment were very lofty and of an oblong formation, enclosing a great space with their painted barriers panelled and frescoed in gaudy colourings representing the advent of their race and their wars. Four tall columns supporting the central ceiling, which was painted with scenes as upon the walls. # But how barbarous were their colours when viewed separately, although imposing on the whole I Bright vermilions clashed with ochres and crude greens in all of them: there were sanguinary representations of the chase, in which appeared Mastodons, /3 aurochs, and gigantic stags; and vile pictures of amorous designing, hideous in their beastliness and grotesqueness, and abominable in their atrocious conceptions. Between these panels were long mirrors of gold polished so brightly as to reflect the minutest detail and lending a richer colouring by its own sunny tint.

Attended by his guards the Tzan swept in with his mistress and took his seat. At the sound of a second trumpet the Tizin Azta entered with her guards and attendants, occupying a seat immediately below Tekthah, with her entering Shar-Jatal the Representative of the People; and then, at another trumpet-call, the couches were all filled with the households and suites, numbering three hundred males of various ages, from boys to old men, and ladies greater in number and of the same varia- tions of years. Behind and about them were innumerable attendants, especially around the Tzan, at the back of who stood the Imperial Guards clad in armour, young nobles all, their breastplates of orichalcum fashioned after the emblem of the Sun, cothurns of the same metal, and gold-overlaid shields. For arms they bore long spears with heads of obsidian, and heavy swords of the same; their gleaming helmets were crowned by the plumes of the ostrich, those of the officers being dyed red with minium, and Nezca's being of cunningly wrought gold a mass of beautiful filigree work. And behind each great lord stood his shield-bearer, his cup-bearer, and his pipe-bearer, and many others to be at his instant command; and the ladies also had each her cup-bearer and pipe-bearer among the rest, and to every one there was a fan-bearer to brush away flies.

Sumar lay at the feet of her mighty lord, and on her Rhadaman, the firstborn by a concubine, leader of warriors, whose name was known among all the tribes and among the barbarian hordes afar off, cast a long stare of such a character that, blushing, she averted her face. From her his glance travelled to the Tzan, but as soon as he found he was in danger of being observed he resumed his meal.

The Tzantan Huitza had observed both expressions with a- frown, and I watched keenly, seated among the lower guests, using my perceptions and power to understand all I saw and gathering the meaning then and afterwards. I perceived that he and Rhadaman were both bent upon obtaining sovereign power, and that both as warriors were unequalled in the land, being also greatly beloved by the populace. Yet lately Huitza, ambitious and energetic, blotted out by strenuous works the remembrance of his brother's past deeds, and nought but the sire's power upheld above him the rival.

For Huitza had altered the fashion of war, making his troops most formidable, and causing jealousy to the Tzan, and a great unrest, (he loving not to see one too powerful).

Yet all my regards went forth to the Tizin Azta, and at that first mingling with human beings came my first intuition of my mission, my first trial, my first rebellion.

For of all that godless land Noah was the only just man, being also governor of the province of Tek-Ra, under Huitza, his lord. And it was shown to me that I should uphold Huitza and cause him to become the Tzan, whereby Noah, who was much entrusted by him, would come into great power. Yet being greatly entranced by the beauty of Azta, methought I might win her regards and do also as much good by aiding her to gain the sovereign power, knowing nought of women or why they were not as fitted to rule as men, and repressing the voice that told me that the more earthly mould should greatest excel upon Earth.

In sad mood I gazed around, hesitant, not at all willing to abjure this woman and fulfil my mission unbiassed, but looking upon her until her beauty drowned my reason.

O Azta, dear Love, how queenly wert thou, and how my soul regarded thee! Thou didst not know how I watched thee then, nor conceived the great love which I bore to thee.

To me everything was wondrous and strange and impressive, nor can I tell the peculiar emotions I experienced on perceiving that which was eaten by these godlike forms to be flesh of other animals. It is as a dream those early days of my mission to Earth, the gradual perception of the material grossness of its inhabitants and faint intuition of my end and object.

For ever among the great ones of the land sat the mystics who opened up to their minds the hidden things. So that the counsellors, judges, treasurers, privy officers and all rulers forbore to interest themselves in affairs of Earth, being greatly captivated by strange arguments and visions of delightful things. And especially the queens lent willing ears to such revelations, fascinated by the magic of those evil ones and the things of marvel and awe which they revealed; so that at last none of the people did aught but interest themselves in the most exhilarating things.

The meal was over. The great joints of meat were carried away and the huge, clumsy vesssels, and all manner ot platters of slate, stone or more precious materials carefully lifted and taken to the kitchens by the slaves to be cleaned. Some of the privileged menials remained behind, their position entitling them to the favours extended to the ladies, and they laughed and chattered in broken language to one another, returning sneer for sneer with the haughty queens whenever the latter deigned to notice them. Most of them were slim youths chosen for their beauty, some almost children, covered with a profusion of ornaments; with hair varying from huge frizzled chevelures to oily, coarse masses of curls, all of a black colour; and in like manner their skins varying in shades from yellow to intensest black, and physiognomies of every grade and class.

The Tzan's exodus was the signal for the dispersal, and with noise and laughter the crowd broke up, some to hunt, or play games of ball, others to try their fortune at casting dice, some to transact business of state and some to review the troops. Others went to the vast round building of the Circus that held a semicircle of seats overlooking an arena, where once a year games were held and mock battles took place. These went to practice for the approaching ceremony and view the combatants who were to take part in the display, for the purposes of laying wagers on who should win and who should not, and to see that the brute combatants were well cared for and savage.

I saw Azta cast a glance at the Tzantan Huitza before she* retired to the gardens where she loved to sit and watch the fish in the fountains, and I wondered at its character and that the lord gave no sign of having perceived it. A shade of annoyance clouded the Tizin's face as a cloud coming over the sky a black, furious, sullen look from which her great yellow eyes flared like lightning, while her opening lips disclosed the flaming rubies set in her teeth. She suffered her vivid gaze to fall on Sumar, who yet remained, and who, frightened at their strange beauty, stared with a terrified fascination, as a bird might stare on a serpent; while Azta, enjoying her power, let the long lashes fall softly over them and then averted her head.

I believed her about to kill this one by her glance, for she could never bear that another should stand above herself; and, after, I found that even towards Tekthah, her lord, she nourished an impatient hauteur that the Tzan condescendingly humoured; yet notwithstanding he was her lord such feeling would have been of terrible danger to him if circumstances had favoured the passion for supremacy that caused it. But as concerned Sumar I found there was another motive for her feeling.

She passed out into her garden, attended by the slaves who served her at meals. These, as most of the serfs of the city, were from the dark peoples of the south-east, having black eyes like antelopes and curly hair and great lips. Through the cartilage of the nostrils of each one was thrust a golden skewer, by which they were secured when they were punished for any offence, which many frequently were, being whipped with thongs; and each had, cut on the breast and dyed, the emblem of the particular thing worshipped by his or her owner. Azta's divinity was a butterfly, and the golden emblem overshadowed her proud head, rivers of gold appearing to flow from it as the light moved over the thick silky coils of her hair, that was looped up on either side of her face and confined at the temples by a jewelled strap from which dangled golden plaques, each stamped with the emblem, and representing, I learned, the stars; for Azta's head-dress of state supported the emblem of the moon. A second's hesitation, one swift desperate struggle with my con- science, and I had cast duty aside, preferring to follow this wondrous beauty and feast my eyes upon her lovliness to staying where intuition bade.

Down by the fountains, whose fern-shaded lakes were alive with jewelled fish, was a swinging couch, and to this the Tizin went, and suffered herself to fall upon the soft cushions. She dismissed her retinue, keeping only old Na, a serving- woman, versed in simples and the making of most subtle perfumes the envy of all the queens of Tekthah's court and an endless theme for aspiring gallants.

Of a truth the more I watched this being the more did I love, and half methought to appear suddenly before her in a blaze of glory, being scarce able indeed to resist my love. And surely here was the scene for promoting such a passion; the blue depths above, the flecked shadows from the ferns and magnolias, the tinkle of the waterfall and the sonus of birds among the sartreel bushes; while afar lay entrancing vistas of dazzling surf-lined beaches with their woods and villages, and inland the white towns of Bab- Ala, Lasan, Dar, Ban and Ko.

The Tacoatlanta was moving from the harbour, visible through the trees, and suddenly Azta perceived the black bulk, that looked, with its human head, to be like a great swimming man progressing with a wash of foam at either side, that rolled astern and seethed in a long wake of white, and gazed curiously on it.

Not lone she looked, but turned her face to where rose the pylons and battlements of the palace, seen at intervals, about which flashed the armour of sentinels guarding the monarch who lay within.

"See!" she cried to the old nurse "This day have I lost one of the plates from off my forehead-strap." Yet I knew she only took this as an excuse to vent her temper, and not for sorrow at the loss, which was to be for a great token in after days. "Didst mark the Lady Sumar?" she continued, looking curiously under her lashes at the woman.

"Yea," answered Na; "yet it would ill-become me to speak aught of so exalted an one; but methought she did favour the Lord Mehir overmuch." This she said to soothe Azta, for she knew her regard for Huitza, and feared the wiles of Sumar.

Then, with one of those impetuous motions I learned to love so passionately, Azta turned her lithe body over on the couch,, addressing old Na more than any other object in the landscape but because she could speak. Her countenance unrelieved by aught of colour save on the full lips, framed by waves and masses of living gold, took on, apart from its usual serene calm, a glowing vivacity, and her great eyes, yellow as the liquid amber and lurid as fire, flashed in their vivid beauty, her features expressing joyousness, contempt, savagery, hauteur, and a wild reckless menace.

"Behold me I" she said; "am I not beautiful? who can equal me in all Atlantis? At my feet are all the princes, whom I scorn, even Rhadaman the Superb ha! He, forsooth! There is but one other who is equal to me; who is it, thou old one?"

" There is none. The only one who approaches thee is the Lord Huitza."

Azta's eyes flashed at the name, and to me came an un- comfortable idea.

"It is he, the Lord Huitza! Ay, equal to me, and excelling.

He is a god and all men tremble before him. His face is as the Sun and hast marked his hair, woman? But I have hid from him the love I bear him, preferring to wait until such time when I can make him to rise yet greater in power. Dost hear, old fool?"

"Yea, mistress," answered Na meekly, for Azta's mien was haughty and dangerous as she uttered the words, that were untrue. Then her manner changed and she spoke almost in suppliance "Thinkest thou he is a god to despise all of Earth?" " Belike he is, Lady; who but thyself has so divine a presence?" The Empress passed her hand across her eyes as if she would awake from a vision. "It is enough," she said; "fan me, for I would sleep."

CHAPTER V. THE HALL OF FEASTING.

So great became my love for Azta that I yearned mightily to embrace her, and did but await an opportunity to reveal myself. Forgot I for what I was here, or to study after what fashion I was to act in reforming the sons of Adam; all my thoughts went out to this daughter of Earth and her exceeding lovliness.

Xow Mali was the priest of the temple of the Moon, whom I perceived to be of celestial mould, knowing all the astromomers, astrologers and soothsayers, all such as reckoned analogously concerning man and practised sorcery. Over certain he had a great power, and Azta oft went thither to consult with him, pretending to worship the moon; but I perceived in what manner she worshipped, and how she trusted to his knowledge concerning the means by which she might obtain the sovereign power. Also, as being the Tizin, she had power to enter any temple which she chose, being the High Priestess of the land, and I marvelled that she conferred not with Acoa: but Mali was more of the Earth and practical in its affairs.

Alone with the priest, Azta spoke to him on matters other than of worship, calling him her old counsellor and bidding him speak if he had aught to say. "Zul awaits thee," she said, with a swift glance at him. He smiled, and I knew that evil reigned in his heart, yet of what fashion I knew not, but it was an unpleasant look that he wore, and methought Azta seemed displeased as she gazed haughtily at the mystic insignia and the dark corridors.

"My daughter," he said, "haste will ruin all, and care must be taken in selecting our tools, or they will wound the hand that guides them. The Lord Shar-Jatal, whom Tekthah favours, is in the toils of the Lady Pocatepa, who will bid him administer a potion prepared by me to Tekthah. But thou must first take Rhadaman to be thy right hand wherewith to gain the throne; with him thou canst make terms, he being thy suppliant slave; and thou, being more powerful than he, canst so secure thyself that thou wilt reign alone and supreme. Thou understandest? "

"But of Huitza?"

"Hal Ever Huitza! I will charge myself also with him, or the Lord Rhadaman can plant his foot on him."

"Peace, thou old slave!" cried Azta, furiously, her tall figure quivering with rage; " Rhadaman shall never trample such as Huitza beneath his foot. Against such infamy is his own godlike person, all the peoples of Atlantis, and me, my old father, me I Huitza must be absent from Zul when this comes about, that he may be shut out and we may come to terms with him. He and I are born of the Sun and I love him as a brother."

The old man's eyes flashed at the insult, but when Azta had ceased he was calm again.

"The words of the Tizin are full of wisdom," he said coldly.

Azta's manner changed. " Forgive my hastiness, my old one," she said in a sweet, gracious tone: "Ever was I impetuous, father, and my regard for this man is great, I am not as the gay wantons around me, who love all and none, and surely I may like one born as I was born."

" 'Tis nought, daughter; the young are ever impetuous. But I tell thee, it is for thyself to get Rhadaman into thy power. Remember!"

Azta bowed, somewhat icily, for she could scarce brook this manner of speech, and retired, going out to her slaves. I, who perceived many things, heard Mah whisper in his beard, "Thou fool! The Priests shall rule in Zul": and in like manner Azta murmured, " When the sword has struck, it shall be broken." Whereat I wondered. And in after days I forgot those words, for what reason I cannot tell.

There was the evening meal in the palace, when the hunters returned with bear, ox, goat and venison, and at times brought in one of the small horses that were so difficult to catch, with short necks, and manes and tails like mats of vegetation: fierce little brutes that bit with their big yellow teeth and flung themselves madly about, but whose flesh was very good to eat.

A clear and musical trumpet-call summoned all to the banquet, lighted by torches after the sun had set, in order that its pleasures might be kept up far into the night, for these beings were unsubdued by the mystery of the darkness. Then the flaring lights cast lurid, waving shadows over the noisy throng, and consumed the winged moths with a horrid sound, causing Azta and her attendants to cry out with terror. They would catch up the tortured creatures, and, immersing them in wine, endeavour to ease their sufferings and keep them alive; but, although perhaps they succeeded in the former effort, they never did in the latter, which I perceived they took for an omen of something.

And O human nature, how vile thou artl and how canst thou be excused yet who am I to say this? On great occasions, slaves, secured to crosses, were set up in the open courtyard beyond, and, being fed on fat for some previous time and smeared with grease for the occasion, were set on fire, the streaming lights doubly illuminating the feasting debauchees within, who roared with evil laughter at the shrieking, writhing, living torches flinging the fire from their anguished bodies. Others again were set upon stakes which pierced their bowels, so that they wriggled in most fearful agony, yet their fellowmen did but smile at their pain, and instead of being distressed were very greatly amused thereby.

This punishment of crucifixion appears to be one of the earliest. In historical times it was, however, unknown to the Jews until introduced by the Romans, who themselves only inflicted its degradation upon slaves and the lowest malefactors. Hut persons were hanged on a -tree as far back as the days of Joshua (VIII. 29), and I understand that hanging was a very early Egyptian penalty.

The punishment of burning alive and the presence of women at feasts were essentially Babylonian customs.

The scene in the hall was wondrous of an evening, for the great frescoes took all manner of imaginings under the swaying lights, the gaudy colours rushing together in masses of tone; and, with the glitter of armour and the blending of dresses and mantles of white, yellow, imperial purple and red, forming an effect rivalling the kaleidoscope in colour, reflected and flashed back dazzlingly by the long golden mirrors. Most of the ladies wore their hair looped up like Azta's, and thickly powdered with gold-dust and tiny gems, and wreathed with gay flowers, so that the effect was surpassing beautiful and gave added radiancy to the coloured scene, which was continued among the viands by rich fruits, flowers and leaves, and gold and silver vessels.

And what a company was there! Warriors and princes, gray-haired patriarchs and glittering chiefs in the various dresses of border tribes. Tzantans of Talascan with their profusion of heavy gold ornaments, and mighty warriors of Trocoatla in their great silver breastplates; tall mystics who gazed with their dreadful eyes upon the throngs, full of dire knowledge of hidden things and covered with symbols, and many whose strange beauty bespoke a superhuman descent. Imposing headdresses of metal, horn and feathers mingled in a splendour of warlike confusion among the gemmed tiaras of the ladies; and the roar of voices arose, loud and confident.

There reclined the splendid Mehir, an uncle of the Tzan, next to Huitza; Shar-Jatal with his sinister smile showing his teeth gemmed like a woman's; Zebra, Tzantan of the sea; Ju, and Eto-Masse his friend; Izta, Lord of Astra, the bosom friend of Shar-Jatal; the majestic Nezca, Lord of Axatlan, who was one of the best-favoured figures of the court, old Nahuasco, Adar, and the giant Amal, which last was so huge that in after-days his bracelet of bronze served as an Amazon's coronet, that would have caused him much shame. There was also Ham, the tall son of Noah, governor of the province of Tek-Ra, which former was kept by Tekthah secretly as an hostage, and because he feared his father, being under Huitza, Lord of Tek-Ra. Also was Ham excellent in architectural design, and had raised some of their grandest buildings.

And among these the ladies shone fairest, thou, my Azta, far more than all; and next Sada and the Lady Pocatepa, who was a priestess of Neptsis and knew much magic, wearing the insignia of the goddess to whom she administered in daring blasphemy, as not being a virgin she should not have ministered.

Large circular bowls held wine, distributed among the revellers in huge horns, although some of the more intemperate among the feasters plunged their heads into the large vessels and swilled like the beasts, pledging their mistresses in shameful phrases. Among whole joints of meat and masses of cakes, fruits and vegetables, spices and strong scents made the air reek with their heavy perfumes. Slaves walked freely among the viands to pass them to their masters, who used knife and sword to hew the smoking joints, or with their spears lifted out this or that for themselves or their women, occasionally hurling a bone at some slinking shadow passing the entrances. Here I perceived the transient joys of Earth, the Individual feeling that excludes all else and can think of nought but its own present joy, heedless of the future and only regardful as to how to be the hero of the moment.

To-night they seemed less noisy than usual. Tekthah, looking down like a white-maned lion on his harem and household, seemed to seek for a friendly face; Azta's thoughts were busy, and Rhadaman's and Huitza's brows were both bent with the same schemings. None had attended the evening ceremony at Zul save of the greater citizens. Which, one of the nobles, a guest and boon companion of Rhadaman, said, was sufficient to express the sentiment of the whole of the sacred city, and they had the Spirits beaming on them from the torches. Nevertheless there were a few qualms regarding it.

The feasting and heaviness pressed on the gay crowd; they abandoned themselves to the voluptuousness of all around, and much foolishness and wantonness was wrought The musicians increased the uproar, and after the feasters had eaten and drunk their fill, which was a goodly amount, girls came in who danced and sang, jugglers displayed many wondrous feats, and the chief of the musicians told tales of strange mystery. This one was named Tairu, who related weird things of monstrous creations; of a nation, living among the beasts, who had teeth like the great apes and ate their own offspring; long histories that caused Azta's eyes to glisten, of warlike women of the North and West, who fought in battle like men and killed all their male children, and whose husbands were captured in raids and afterwards killed also. Whereat were many sayings, silenced sneeringly by Azta; and Tairu, continuing, rehearsed the amours of Neptsis, the female principle; of how, pregnant by Night, she brought forth the Earth and the hermaphrodite Zul and much evil.

The land was full of these legends, and many others; indeed, there was no end of them; and their hunters spoke of peoples spotted and striped, some having horns and tails, and some species living apart and driving away the others. Abnormal creations were the topic of every feast, and some even openly boasted misconduct that all indulged in.

To Azta these weird tales had a great interest, and she often questioned old Na and, later, myself concerning them, her yellow eyes dilating with awe of the marvellous and half-doubtful of the truth of it all; and to-night as she watched Tairu she bade him speak of the Amazon warriors, and listened attentively while drunken lords snored on their couches, and wanton women twined garlands in their hair and decorated them with flowers and feathers.

In view of the drowsy state of the warriors, Gadema, Tekthah's cupbearer, a youth whose white skin and fair proportions had raised him to the rank of favourite, murmured a compliment to Azta as he passed her intentionally, but she impatiently repulsed him, not wishing for conversation with any, but sitting silent until the feast ended, and such as cared, or were able, retired to their apartments. The moon arose and her pale light shone down on the city, where behind coloured walls and columns the citizens lay in wantonness and disorder working their damnation. Shone on those mighty masses of man's creation, silvering temple and palace and monument, lighting up the gardens and scintillating in showers of prinkling points on the waters that ever heaved so restlessly, and made the forests stand out like gray masses of lava. Lighted a tall dark figure that glided from the pylons and columns of the palace like a shadow, and lost itself among the trees with the silence and mystery of one.

CHAPTER VI. THE GARDEN.

I SHALL never forget thee, my Love, vanquisher of all those early scruples by thy might of beauty, yet how oft have I wished I had never beheld thee I And how often have I looked sadly back to the days before ever this passion had possessed me and I loved but Jehovah, loving Him with an enthusiastic fervour of adoration for the wonder and the beauty of life and health around. And full of my holiness and purity I yet strayed to love one of Earth, and my love was as the breath of a furnace that consumed me and would not let me go. Would I had been warned by suspicions, but I would admit none of them, pretending to believe that by indulging my passion for this fair woman I should be possessed of that knowledge of earth useful to the end of my mission. Judge me, merciful Creator, that I sinned but by inviting a power too strong to be overcome, and not for the lust of sin; nor judge me harshly, O Thou who sinnest not, that the spirit of Heaven in so fair a guise of Earth could cause me to embrace it.

It was Azta who stole out from the palace in the moonlight, for I had cast my spirit over her that she should do this, and she had wrapped about her a fine purple robe. To her couch within the great arbour-forming vine by the fountains I drew her, and thither she went, casting herself upon the cushions, her full white bosom heaving under the sway of suppressed passions and bitter thoughts heightened by wine.

O evening of my happiness! O night of bliss! Ever in my ears shall sound the far-away thunder of the surf borne upon the scented breeze, that ravished the soul with music, a slumbrous background to the ripple of the fountains among the water-lilies. And thou wert like the Queen of the night, my fair Love, yet woe is me I stayed after thou hadst spoken those words.

For she cried in a low, passionate voice: "O Huitza, where art thou now? why hast thou taken thy love from me, whom I deemed loved me well? What is this pale girl Sumar to me? Would now that I were a man and a warrior to fight by thy side! But who would be master, my Lord Huitza ha! who would be master, thou haughty prince? Thou shalt bow to me, I swear it! By Zul and the Holy Mother Neptsis, by all the fires of Heaven and the dark Hereafter I swear it! Why, why," she cried, shaking her hands and throwing herself back on the cushions, " are women as nought but playthings for the warriors? We, who solace their restless hours, who nurse them in sickness and bear sons and daughters to them? Why may we not be warriors too, companions in the field as well as in the home? Yet will I rule supreme in Atlantis!" she cried, leaping up "but how how? Were I thyself, proud chief, 'twould scarce be easy. O dreams, dreams of nigh impossible glory! If thou should'st see me great, powerful and uncaring of thy love, then ah Zull"

Now I, being full of desire of her, could scarce restrain myselC so entrancing was her glorious beauty and so subtle the curves of her body The fine spirit showed in every gesture she made, and stood revealed in her eyes, that were luminous in the moonlight. As a great moth I appeared before her and chained her attention with a flurry of wings, gazing with my eyes in hers and holding her by my power.

With a little cry of fear she sank upon her couch, yet gazed continuously, with a new passionate desire in me to be wholly absorbed in this being. And thus I wooed her, until I stood forth in proper shape, being of stature superior to all she had seen and radiant with the love of God, as yet scarce misdirected.

" Azta," I said, and then alas, that aught but truth should have come from such lips " I have come from afar to thee. As thou art the most mighty of the daughters of Man, so also am I of the sons of Heaven."

How did thy large eyes look on me, most beautiful! Yet exclaiming, " Sir, how knowest thou aught of me if thou art not of our race?"

" Nevertheless, I know thee and concerning thee," I answered, loving her yet the more, " and of how Tekthah took thee as Empress after that Atlace died, who lies in the pyramid near to the temple of Neptsis. It is known to Us that thou bearest no regard to him, and there are among Us those who look lovingly on thee and marvel at a beauty more like to Heaven than Earth. And I have come to speak with thee, Azta; is not thy lord now too old for such as thou art, who excellest in beauty?"

"Thy speech is fair, courteous stranger," she said; "yet would I fain know whom thou art and whence thou comest."

My eyes never wavered from hers; a rosy flush suffused her features as she gazed, and I forgot all but herself and her beauty.

"My name is Asia," I said, enraptured with her exceeding lovliness: "I am not of this Earth, being of the breath of Heaven. Yet, Azta, I love thee as never yet a mortal man could love." And, being full of passion towards her, bent my head, thinking to salute her with a kiss, but she repulsed me. At that I wondered, knowing nought of women nor of the strong passions that drive them hither and thither, nor of the pretended actions of them.

"Salute me not," she said, yet scarce displeased; ''I love one with a true love; I am not as other women."

Methought she was subdued by the mystery of the night and of such a visitation, being more fearful than pleased.

"Thou fearest me," I said, very gently, seeking to soothe her mind and allay her uneasiness, yet not understanding her haughty spirit and high courage.

"Forsooth, great sir," she cried, laughing, "I fear no man!"

"Thy voice trembles, fair one," I said; "it is thy bold spirit that speaks, the heart is silent. See, my Azta, I kneel to thee, even as in days past the winged hosts knelt to thy fair mother Eve." And overcome by what madness I know not, I bent the knee to her, (that should never have been bowed but before the Throne of God,) and raising her hand to my lips, pressed it with them.

A certain light was around me, and I perceived how its beauty dazzled the fair woman, and how she regarded me as one of her divinities. She suffered the salute wonderingly, and the mystery of it all was beginning to cast a spell over her.

" And is this the manner of such visitations?" she murmured, as though she thought she dreamed; for Huitza and Mehir, two of the most powerful of the princes, boasted celestial descent, which their splendid prowess and towering presence gave colour to; although the latter had a worldly appearance, having heavily black hair and a swarthy complexion. Fae, a mistress of Huitza, and Sada boasted such a visitation, and many others also.

How fair was this woman on that night the night of the beginning of my sorrow; for after then I can never forget her. Restfully she lay back on the cushions and watched me, smiling happily with half-opened lips that were so soft and full; and my whole soul was lost in contemplation of her utter lovliness as I held her hand and noted the perfect outline of her face and the manner of how the ruby-studded teeth shone, and how the lashes drooped over her eyes, luminous with the light of deep fires in a crater; and I thought of the last chamber of the temple of Zul and the idols that were set round the lurid pit to withdraw worship from God. Yet but for an instant, and I dismissed the thought, and watched how those long lashes quivered and how quickly her bosom rose and fell where the drapery fell from it, exposing its creamy whiteness, the whiter for the powder of pearls and the chaplets of pink roses that were fastened in voluptuous masses beneath her breasts, rising from their scented, crumpled fretwork like ivory domes from seas of sunset-lighted clouds. Over her shoulders the billowy waves of hair fell, scented and wondrous, with their curious streams of gold that seemed to run like molten metal whenever she moved, freed from the broad forehead-strap with its pendant circular plates and the shadowing golden pin, and intertwined with yellow sartreel flowers. How perfect she was, and how tangible O wondrous Creation!

Again and again I kissed her hand, she was so wonderful in that moonlit night, and around her was a sublety that was not of Earth.

"Thou art very beautiful! " I cried in rapture, "too beautiful for Earth 1" and I gazed on her with a passion of love, such a warm feeling as I had never known before. It was enough to but look on such and drink deep draughts of the joy of beholding perfect beauty; and, O Father of Heaven and Keeper of the Souls, what is love created for but to revel in reciprocal bliss?

"Azta," I said, "long have I watched thee from afar and longed for thee. Dost thou know what it is to love truly, sweetest one?"

"Perhaps," she said, softly, gazing into my eyes with a strange fixedness.

I know now that because I did not use my comprehension for the end of my mission it was denied to me to understand certain things, and thus I ever tried to unite my soul with Azta's against all reason or possibility. Yet so it was, and thus I continued to woo her.

"Thou art very young and beautiful," I said, "fairer, methinks than Eve. Woman was made for love, and thou surely thou art the very lovliest of all."

She watched me dreamily, as though she would consider after what manner I was, and as to my power, perchance. For there were many tales of evil Spirits which had carried away their mistresses, and others who had destroyed them while bearing them in mid-air, or had blasted them by too great power or in anger. And there were others which dwelt among them and wrought great works and not a little confusion, taking the fairest among the women to wife; which same were much considered of.

"Ah, would that this would last," she said, "for we of Earth know but little peace, and woe to that one who falls in the struggle for power! For such an one has enemies, and friends who follow close do not disdain to leave the falling banner, and being unfatigued, fight onward thence and use their leader as a stepping-stone to their end."

She spoke bitterly, rising up and gazing hard upon me. Perchance she saw the sorrow in my eyes, for she smiled a little and waved with her hand as though to put it from her.

"Fear not," I said, "thou shalt not fall an thou wiliest, if I am with thee." Yet I said no more, wishing her to love me not only for an award so low.

"And thou lovest me?" she said, musingly; "whilst others scorn; and I, Tizin of Atlantis!"

She laughed a rippling, scornful laugh. "To look on thee is to forget," she said, more to herself than to me; and throwing herself back, gazed with half-closed eyes and a certain smile, as she tried to read in my face the passion she could not wholly understand.

"Fairest, the day will soon be here," I said, "and the night passes."

"The night passes," she repeated slowly with deep emphasis.

"Wilt thou come here again to-morrow night?" I asked, longingly.

She nodded abstractedly. With a tumult of joy I kissed her hand again and again and she smiled like the Sphinxes on the steps serene, inscrutable.

"How I love thee! "I cried " never have I loved so before!

"Never before? Hast never felt the power of love and sought for that of another?" she asked softly.

"There speaks thy beauteous sex, fair Azta," I answered; " ask thine heart the question."

"Nay, Sir," she said, haughtily, "I came not to thee:" and with one finger on her lips she drew back, taking her hand from mine.

I caught it again hastily, crying, "Sweetest, be not angry 1 Never have I loved before."

A black cloud passed across the moon and hid it, so that all was dark. And in the night I heard the rush of a Seraph's wings as the sound of a tempest, and a great fear possessed me.

HALLOWED MOMENTS THAT SO SWIFT SPEED TO THE GATES OF DOOM

My Love cried out, because of the light that encompassed me, and my shining front. "Art thou the Archangel Satan?" She asked in an awed voice.

"Nay, nay! Oh name me not thus!" I implored her, bowing my head; yet recovering my madness as I felt her hand seek mine and marked her trembling. " Nay; I am an Archangel, but of the hosts of Heaven, and my name I have revealed." And moving closely to her I took her in my arms.

It became light again, although we perceived not its coming, for we did nought but gaze into the other's eyes. She sighed very softly, and still gazing upon me with that fixedness as though she sought for something, said as speaking to herself, "Methinks thou art my Ideal." I felt the warmth of her body and cried in ecstacy, "How beautiful thou art"

She lay still and offered no resistance to my embrace, and emboldened by her sweet acquiescence I drew her closer to me and pressed her to my bosom, feeling her heart beat faster and faster with a wild joy as she yielded to my love and lay peacefully in my arms with a happy smile on her lips.

I looked straight into her eyes, and she returned the look. Ah, the electricity of souls! The leaping fire that springs from one to the other and wraps both in a mad whirl, melting two into one with its hot embrace and ever burning more furious with its own increasing passion. Brighter and brighter it grows, and faster and more fast rush the streams of frenzy, mingling and whirling and uniting in one great irresistible torrent of ecstatic Life that leaves the body and soars to the skies. Our lips met, and with the hot contact and with her arms about me she closed her eyes.

O hallowed moments that so swift speed to the gates of Doom! O wondrous fire of Paradise that lights the Earthly gloom! O Life that blasts the soul it leaves to dream upon its bliss the soul that gives up everything for one sweet woman's kissl O God, if all our Heaven's life might be that holy joy when souls in purest unity are free from Earth's alloy, give us that moment of delight and then let all things cease one moment in the living Fire, and then eternal peace.

Small wonder that the Angels need Eternity from which to make a day, yet ah, this was sweeter than all the days of Eternity.

A distant rolling uproar, swelling and increasing the crashing, roaring echoes of a huge drum, shattering and reverberating and thundering, dispelled the Dream.

Azta's face was ghastly white, but the smile on her lips was divine. She opened her eyes and laughed very softly, and I gazed into her glorious eyes with a depth of ineffable love, and smoothed her hair. Ah, those moments of damnable delight!

CHAPTER VII. THE MARKET-PLACE.

ARRIVING with that first taste of the joy of Earthly love came the longing for more, and in the guise of a Magician I claimed admittance to the palace, nor dared one refused me. And mingling with the crowd I entered and seated myself, yet away from the dais, for I wished to observe as yet the full manners of man, and there were ever vacant couches there on account of absentees.

Azta's late appearance was not noticed. It was usual, though not with her, truly, and there were many there who gazed curiously upon myself. I felt a new joy leap within me, yet terribly tainted with misgivings which caused me to ignore the feeling that certain power had been removed from me, whereby clearness of intellect was obscured and unreasoning rebellion felt. The knowledge that should have grasped in an open understanding all the economy of Earth was obscured, and I found myself thinking painfully of how to compass my desires, yet not finding any solution or perceiving certain results.

The worshippers had returned from Zul, edified by the sacrifice of a savage chief recently captured on the frontier, whose death was presumed to be very acceptable to the devastating spirits that dwelt in the mountain ranges, as I learned.

At times I caught a glimpse of the glory of Azta, and saw my Love as she reclined at the meal, with averted eyes and a happy smile on her face, attended by old Na and many more.

Rhadaman, who reclined next below her, by reason, not of birth, but of favouritism and older standing of rank to Huitza, complained aloud to the Tzan of the aggressive prowess of the savage tribes, who from the south and west began to encroach back, destroying the crops and spoiling the farther hunting grounds. And afterwards I knew he was prompted by the power of the Priest Mali to speak.

I, intent upon his utterances, heard that which the roar of conversation denied to the others, and did mark how Azta gazed upon the prince and anon averted her eyes, like a captain that steers the course of a ship; he also covertly watching her, as he made damaging insinuations regarding Huitza, playing a deep game to obtain both herself and the throne and endeavouring to supplant his brother. Which one sat with Fae, his mistress, by whom also was Mehir.

Azta looked furious, yet she cared not to show it; and I pondered deeply as to what was transpiring, as the prince declared that it was Fae who kept the Lord Huitza supplied with secret information for wrongful purposes, and held seditious meetings with others. Whereat I perceived Azta to bite her lip.

A look of alarm passed across Tekthah's face. He shook his head furiously, like an enraged lion, and growled deeply in his beard.

Rhadaman smiled diabolically and turned his large, full eyes down the hall. Like thunder the voice of the sire rang above the wanton laughter and lewd conversation, commanding the woman Fae to appear before him.

Mehir, the Lord of Chalac, who was dallying with her and playfully seeking to make an appointment, looked up as the roaring tones fell on his ear, and then glanced hastily at Huitza. A flush spread over that prince's face and his dark eyes rolled round on his sire, while his mighty arm was outstretched towards the spear that lay behind him.

The girl, startled, looked up like a frightened deer, wondering what had caused the summons and guiltily conscious of numberless wrong-doings. She arose and went tremblingly up to the dread monarch, making a deep obeisance to Azta and before him, her face ashen with terror.

A tiny gleam of triumph showed on Azta's face, and her eyes flared with a yellow fire as she watched, like a lioness watching the quarry she is driving to her lord.

I wondered at her savage nature and at the deep play that was being acted before my eyes, which disturbed my mind by its incomprehensibility, but that was unmistakable.

A gradual hush fell over the riotous assembly, until there was a stillness of death. The women, observant of what was transpiring, and trembling for themselves, caught their breath and paled; the warriors gazed curiously, some with hands clutching a joint that they abstained from gnawing, some with poised wine-bowls and horns; the slaves trembled, even the favourites. All watched with flung-back hair to see what would come.

This was a mistress of their favourite warrior; and all knew his furious and impetuous nature; that morning he had killed two slaves for quarrelling in his presence, hewing them in sunder from the crown down with his sword. I, too, wondered what would come of it, perceiving that as yet the prince made no demonstration, not understanding what was to come, and not wishing to cause open enmity between himself and the sire.

The woman ascended to the dais and made another deep obeisance before it. Sumar trembled with white lips, noting every movement of the unfortunate one; the queen Axazaya buried her face in her robe and gave a shuddering cry of terror, and all the women paled.

"And who art thou?" cried Tekthah to the guilty woman, in a thundrous voice, half rising and bending his ferocious eyes on her; thus exerting himself more for the purpose of impressing the lesson he intended to teach on the assembly than for aweing this frail being; "who art thou to dare our wrath? To bestow thine harlot favours on our subjects? Is not thine own lord good enough for thee?"

A startled glance crossed Huitza's countenance, as, clutching his spear, he leaned forward on his elbow. The woman, in guilty terror, averted her eyes, and implored him with her gaze.

Tekthah's countenance grew livid with rage as he perceived the rebellion in Huitza's heart, and the mute appeal of Fae to him.

" A report has reached us that our secrets are betrayed," he hotly said; " that thou hast deserted thy chief lord the Tzan to favour a subject, and may lead him to act to his detriment.

Before our son shall do this accursed thing to his gods and his sire we will remove all temptations from his path."

A stifled cry burst from the woman's lips as she glared wildly at Tekthah and strove to articu'.ate; yet could I perceive nought of pity in that stern heart. Before him he saw, not a frail woman, but rebellious warriors and a son whom he feared and envied. A long, bright shaft flashed in his hand as he threw his arm up and backwards and then cast it forward, and next instant the luckless woman, pierced through by the great spear, fell with a gasping shriek and lay pinned to the steps of the dais, the shaft quivering upright above her blood-sprinkled bosom.

Her poor hands convulsively beat the air; a low muttering sound arose, and faint shrieks. Huitza leaped to his feet with a shout of rage, and his spear was poised threateningly towards the Tzan. There was a moment of thrilling stillness. A slave clutched his arm: the chief felled him to the earth, and then, swinging him up, dashed him down among the viands, glaring defiantly towards the dais.

A low murmur followed the act, a challenge to the sire's wrath. Rhadaman uttered a surprised ejaculation intended to encourage the monarch to protest.

The incensed chief turned on him furiously, correctly believing him to be the instigator of it all.

"Thou spawn of a foreigner!" he roared; for Rhadaman's mother, Maroa, was from among the slave peoples of the west: "There is thine 'enemy, Tekthah; there is the traitor!"

"How!"shouted the attacked warrior, grasping his spear and rising in wrath: "dost thou, rebellious one, dare to taunt me who led the armies of warriors before thy whipling arm could twirl a sling! By Zul, thou shalt not so dare again!"

Tekthah made a sign to the Guards, and the ominous clang of arms sounded fearfully above the angry voice. Yet he liked not to deal too severely with the princes, preferring to calm them himself.

"Silence!" he commanded in a great shout, as the more timid began to seek the exits; " may we not administer justice in our own palace? A pretty pass, by the gods, such rude brawling in our very presence!"

Huitza, with a deep and dreadful oath, seated himself, and Rhadaman, glaring round and encountering Azta's fiery glance, did likewise. Both remembered the fate of the last brace of quarrellers in the Imperial presence; both marked the preparations for the onrush of the Guards, the seizure, the death of the reckless ones. Tekthah never permitted his supremacy to be questioned; but, as becomes the wisdom of one who would rule, never set his power against anything that could have a chance of being successfully opposed, keeping down such as only a display of exhausting power could combat by hints that such was objected to, so that his authority was never obtrusively displayed for mere effect.

All this withdrew attention from me, for each one was too engrossed to notice a stranger, and I had time to consider how to remain unobserved.

Slaves carried out the dead woman, whose pouring blood, running from the spear-point that came through her back, made a long, horrid track. Mostly such of the Imperial household, dead, were lowered into the arms of one of those awful idols that ever looked upon the majesty of the crater of Zul, and were consumed so by the fires; the ashes being placed in the temple whose Divinity they worshipped; all but the heart, which, before cremation, was thrown to the vultures.

But the slave that Huitza had cast amid the viands, lay there with his back broken on a great wine-bowl that was smashed beneath him, from which the red flood ran in rivers in all directions.

I watched the chief and saw that his fierce eyes were blazing with wrath, and he moved his fingers as one who thinks deeply. All feared a momentary outburst, as the broken slave, who yet lived, moaned shudderingly and writhed occasionally. I marvelled that man might so shed man's blood, and wondered at the long whiles that must ensue before any order could be brought to man and his violence, in the ordering of Earthly affairs. There was that just man, Noah, governor of Tek-Ra, whom I knew beforetimes was beloved of God and of Us; but what was one among so many? and what use therefore to aid his power?

I could perceive the electricity of defiance and aroused devilry in the air. Every man's weapon lay ready to his hand, and none might know what would happen next. The giant Mehir wore a truculent air, and even ventured to stare defiantly at Rhadaman; but the meal passed with no further interruption, and sullenly the throng passed forth, steeped in reverie, and moving with steady, defiant steps.

The Tizin looked at Huitza as though she longed to speak to him, yet the desire manifested itself no farther than the eager forward leaning of her gracious body.

Rhadaman remained behind, and a message bade the warrior Shar-Jatal remain also. Which last was, I have said, the Representative of the People at the Court, a post held for seven years, and now with this one being perpetual by reason of exceeding popularity. For, being also beloved of Tekthah, who wished for no irksome person to dispute aught, he advised such things for the people as satisfied them and pleased the Emperor, and also himself, for he loved to be at Court.

Tekthah waved his hand against the Tizin, who questioned him with her eyes as to whether she also might remain, and. retired with the Tzantans to the Council-Chamber. I debated yet again in my mind as to whether I would present myself thither, yet would I not leave my Love, so mad was I. For, superb in my powers, I deemed that I could easily combat aught of Earth, and forgot that my mission was diplomatic and that my Creator Himself could not force the ways of Man.

Thus I followed in the train of Azta, as she went in her coach, carried by slaves, to the temple of the Moon.

Eight tall slaves bore the golden carriage, and her body-guard of twenty warriors surrounded it, whose captain was Nahuasco. These men wore for head-dress the skin-covered skulls of bison, whose great horns gave them an imposing appearance, breast-plates of orichalcum, heavy shields and cothurns of leather with metal ornaments; and were armed with spears and swords of obsidian.

From the hill of Zul the city lay on a downward slope in all its mighty grandeur, the tree-shaded streets running in all directions among the clustering houses. Without the walls and down by the Waterway were the round-topped huts of the fishermen, among which were continual conflagrations, who crowded the beach and harbour with their little boats and worshipped the Fish-god in the harbour. This was a monstrous image, of which half was in the likeness of a man and half of a fish, and in whose frightful lineaments the artist had endeavoured to express the fear of the mysterious waves. One hand held a model of the Tacoatlanta, and its great goggle eyes, set on stems, were like those of a crab, the reeking odour of fish rising from it with an overpowering stench from the numerous rotting oblations on an altar.

Closely within the walls was the great Market-place, where savage hunters, leading in leashes large spotted and striped felines and huge dogs, and occasionally exhibiting monsters that they had captured and exacted a toll to view, mingled with the vendors of fruits and rare flowers, water-sellers who brought water from the reservoirs, that were situated on the hill in order that their contents might flow down all over the city, and were filled from the river without the walls, being pumped up by slaves on the great wheels and conveyed across the sea-moat in an aqueduct. There were many auctioneers of wine also, for the grape was abundant in the land, and was much cultivated.

In the centre of the Market-place was the sarcophagus of Maroa, mother of Rhadaman; which building was of the shape of a pyramid, upon whose top lay coiled the semblance of a serpent overlooking all the lower places: around the open spaces of the square were set up images of gods, among which the cow, cat, serpent and the hideous and obscene god of Flies were the most prominent, a priest of the temple represented by each standing near to receive offerings. All over the land were these temples, and, in places, colossal statues hewn from the living rock in well-chosen situations that added to their silent majesty, startled the beholder. The larger temples disdained such patronage, their munitions being more than sufficient.

Also there were magicians, which held audiences spell-bound by marvels of awe; whom priests and priestesses of various Orders from the Museum of which the name signified the Secret of God, where they were trained and instructed by the graven tablets and oral teaching in dark mysteries of fire and the cloven flame,* watched intently to learn what they might of the arts exhibited to be used for their own ends. There were those who prophesied of things to come, eating the leaves and roots of plants to increase their perceptions, and dentists and such as sold medicinal plants and wondrous nostrums were always surrounded by thronging crowds, who hoped to find in their remedies some relief for disorders and pain, or increase of beauty to stimulate their vanity. Poor human creatures!

* This undoubtedly refers to electricity. I understand that the natural electric flame is cloven in shape.

My heart bled for sorrow at some of the things I perceived, the anguish and tears and fear.

Yet so much the more my soul became rilled with the mystery of Earth and the wonder of the mighty city. Rising beyond the Market-place was the Circus, whose annual fetes supplied an equal number of imposing sacrifices to the near temple of Neptsis; for while Zul engaged himself in the arduous care and tutelage of the soul, the holy mother dedicated herself to the welfare and amusement of the body on Earth; and the remnant of the combatants and candidates of foreign nations captured and compelled to contribute to their masters' amusement were offered up to her in gratitude.

Around the Market-place was the Bazaar, where all manufactures were carried on, and where crowds, dressed in the universal yellow, x bowed low before our procession, gazing very curiously upon me, for my countenance was awful and my stature superior to all others. And lying by one of the aqueducts a woman held forth an infant towards me, beseeching that I would heal it of a curved back; and gazing thereon, so great a pity lay in my heart to see the misfortune of the little mite that I stretched forth my hands over it and cried for mercy on this one, sinless but by the sin of others, and it was healed because of my sorrow. And the guards swept back the crowd by reason of pressure on our march.

The houses, some of two storeys high, but most only one from the ground, built of blocks of stone and not a few of brick cemented with bitumen, were painted in many wondrous colours, and many had square columns in the front, leaning inward from their bases, 7 and some sculptured with skill. On either side of every doorway were the two images called the Guardians of the entrance, and there was a goodly space around every house because of the fear of flames spreading when a roof caught fire.

Here, to the factories of the merchants were brought immense quantities of gold from Talascan, where it was greatly abundant, and silver from the mines of Trocoatla to be manufactured into fancy things in the shops, and beaten into coverings for war and made into large vessels in the armoury where shields, helmets, swords, spears, bows and arrows, slings and cuirasses were made.

How greatly the children of Earth excelled in comforts for their short existence! There were manufacturers of musical instruments and woven goods, paints and dyes, particularly yellow and the royal purple which was only used in the garments of the court, knives and spear-heads of obsidian and metal, ornaments in brilliant pebbles, onyx, jasper and orichalcum; leather war-trappings, breast-and back-plates, shields and cothurns, the former of which were also formed from shells of turtle and tortoise. There were factories for breads of wheat and maize and bark, torches and other combustibles, open shops of butchers and makers of sweetmeats and preparers of the smoking-herbs, large factories of pottery and of coach-builders, carpenters, workers in stone and images, and cabinet-makers; shaded stalls where dairy produce was sold, brought in from farms without the walls, where large flocks and herds roamed and fattened on the fine herbage, and where all kinds of fruits, vegetables, meats and drinks were exchanged for other commodities. And indeed, everything was obtained by barter, save all things for the Emperor and lords, which were given to them in proportions. There were the offices of marble-merchants, stone-masons, builders and timber-merchants, and beautiful open stalls where furriers and mantle-makers exhibited their goods; wine-merchants, drinking-palaces and glittering emporiums of gems and precious stones, feathers and cosmetics, gold-dust and pearl-dust and the tiny gems for the hair

Everything that man could wish could be obtained there, and from morning until night there was one long roar of crowds and voices, buying, selling, crying their goods or auctioneering; and verily there is a pleasure in not being able to subsist without such, for the joy of obtaining that which is required.

On the roofs sat the great carrion-birds, who acted as scavengers in the city together with troops of dogs; and in an angle by a pyramid stood a fearfully-maimed man, a hunter, who told, for the alms of hearers, stories of mastodons, whose giant tusks were at times exhibited in the market; describing the vast bulks and earth-shaking terror of them, and reciting hunts and hardships endured.

Yet larger and more wondrous than mastodons had I seen in the long, dark ages before man came on earth, terrible forms of land and flood that caused wonder among Us.

The Bazaar extended to the fortifications, on whose top rows effigies of gods, most of atrocious conception, were placed to bid defiance to all but the lords of the land, and methinks frightened even them. Within the walls were the great ports whose valves of stone and bronze turned within pivots of diorite what times the greased drawbridges were thrown across the moat, their tall pylons rising above the walls and crowned with figures of serpents, which were also the emblem of Zul. The military guards, who were ever kept along the wall, slept, played games of chance and held nightly debaucheries; and this part of the city was full of dreadful women who laughed insanely and tossed their dishevelled hair, dancing and shrieking.

It may be interesting to note here that the fortifications of ancient Egypt appear to bear a strong resemblance to mediaeval works, the ramparts of the walls and towers having battlements. We find this also in Hindoo architecture.

One of these unhappy beings flung herself down before Azta's cortege, imploring an audience of the Tizin, but a guard roughly spurned her, and on her wild persistence ran her through with his spear and cast her aside. And at this I was very sad, yet methought to prevent such I must ever forbid it before it was dreamed of, for mankind appeared to slay without thought or hindrance.

Yet Azta frowned, and beckoned her fan-bearers to shut out the blaze of the sun and the insolence of the people who stared upon her.

CHAPTER VIII. THE MARCH OF HUITZA.

AZTA and I alone entered within the mighty shadows of the pylon of the great Temple of the Moon. She wished me to accompany her, believing that in my power I could aid her; and of a truth I wished nothing better.

New, strange feelings were beginning to make themselves felt within me, and the oppression of Interiors lay heavy on my thoughts, whose mystic Genius was greatly worshipped in Zul with awe and obscenity. The heaviness and wonder of inward places was very peculiar, and all souls recognized their spell. The dark wombs of unknown things yet. uncreated, hollow places where one was hidden from another, vaults and caverns wherein, dwelt evil creatures and such as should not be, nor cared to look upon expanse.

My soul was uneasy, I say. Problems assailed me, and new anxieties, and the wish to feel again at perfect ease, yet intangible and unexplainable; and I, which had dwelt ever in Space where the glories of immensity swept in waves of luminous beauty to horizons beyond conception, felt the chains of Earth press upon me and in a measure bind me.

The priest Mali knew of what fashion I was, but concerned himself not. He bowed low before Azta, yet with a certain mockery in it, which stirred her haughty spirit. Within the shadow of his grim walls he stalked like that evil Genius I have named, and methought he was in truth a Spirit of darkness.

The Tizin returned his salute coldly. "Zul still awaits thee," she said tauntingly.

"Zul still awaits," he replied. But while Azta meant the great Temple, Mali meant the city and Atlantis,

"Now give heed unto me, my old father, for it is of a great matter I would speak," said Azta; and to him she told all the affairs of the morning, what had happened at the after-worship.

With thoughtful eyes he listened, and for long after her words had ceased there was silence.

"All is well," he said at length. "The power leans to thee, Azta; and it is but for thee now to be resolved."

"But Huitza? What of Huitza?"

A shade of fury crossed Mah's countenance.

"Fear not for thy lover!" he said, words that caused the fire to leap from Azta's stormy eyes. " He is safe. Even now, with his troops, he leaves the city. Rhadaman is thy slave and Shar-Jatal thy tool. For his advancement by Rhadaman he will destroy his master and thou shalt reign with thy propitious lord whom thy tool will remove in season, leaving thee Tizin of Atlantis in very truth." .

And thus I heard. For Mah, deeming me of the fallen Ones, scrupled not to voice his plans with an admirable ruffianism that caused me to stare. Alone, for the most part, in the great Temple, surrounded by the mystic shadows of the hierophantic walls and the dark vaults of unknown sin and corruption, he lived a life more of the spirit, yet dark and terrible, and as yet I knew not how the throne of the land could please him. In a thronging maze of new understandings and wonderingS I stood, forgetting my high mission in the interest of weighing why this was and why that, and possessed of a great passion for the lovely woman before me, who should work my ruin.

"Hearest thou these things?" she asked of me.

"Yea, I hear," I answered; loving her that she did appeal to my soul to commune with hers, and unheeding the sharp command in her voice.

She looked upon me very thoughtfully, and the dreadful priest watched us both. I was minded to chide him, yet me thought not yet. He knew more of the ways of Earth than I, and the time was not ripe for interference; neither did I know by what reason to chide, save of evil of design.

"Dost approve the plan?" he asked of Azta.

" Yea," she answered, somewhat abstractedly.

"Art thou ready?" he asked, striking with his staff on the ground. "Behold thine handmaid, the Lady Pocatepa!"

A symbol on the dark wall sparkled with light and life, and what was a picture stood forth in carnal form, one of the darkeyed queens of Tekthah's household, and priestess of Neptsis.

Azta frowned, and her sullen glance fell on the priest. " Thine arts are deep," she said, in a slow, menacing voice, "yet forget not mine."

"Nay, great Lady, 'twas but for thy convenience that this was done," he said deprecatingly.

Yet she still frowned, and looking on the woman, addressed her with scant courtesy:

"Soh! Hast heard of what we conversed?"

"Nay, O Queen."

Mah looked disturbed, yet I perceived he cared not to interfere with Azta's humour. But I liked not the look in Pocatepa's eyes.

' Tis well. Return where thou earnest until such time as I shall send for thee," commanded Azta.

She stretched forth her hand. The figure of the woman faded, and vanished, and from the floor where she had stood rose a great moth that sped swiftly into the shadows.

"Peace, my old father," she said to the priest. "Thou seest she is in truth my handmaiden, even as thou didst say. I go to consider this thing.'

We went, and as we traversed the streets there was a sudden halt and a dispersion of the yellow robed crowds. Huitza's troops were coming through the Bazaar to the fortifications, and the Tzantan himself marched at their head.

Over his towering stature the golden vulture-wings rose from his helmet, for as a son of Tekthah he wore the emblem to signify that he might soar near the glory of Zul and still yet not attain to it, the people of Earth delighting in such figures.

The Prince's expression was stern and terrible, and his great red-brown beard fell over his breastplate in waves, nearly hiding it.

At sight of this popular chief the enthusiasm of the people manifested itself in shouts of applause and wavings of spears, mantles and bare hands.

"Huitza! Huitza!" they roared; "it is the god! Victory! Huitza! Zull Zul!"

Azta's cortege gave way with the rest, her guards sullenly making way for the advance of the on-coming legions and roughly pushing back the citizens. The Chief came, followed closely by his warriors: the sandals thudded in the dust and nearly obstructed all sight of the marching thousands, among which I perceived the vermilion plumes that topped the helmets of some officers of the Imperial Body-guard.

The legion marched with a long, swinging trot; arms clashed and clanged and spear-points flashed above the thick dust, as first the troops of spearmen, then of slingers, passed rapidly. The archers, a formidable body of men, belonged all to Huitza's troops, and they passed by, led by Mico, last of all; and the clouds of dust, rolling behind them, began to settle down.

People stared and shouted, believing there was going to be a grand attack made on the savages and a consequent supply of victims; but I wondered for the reason of that march.

Back we went, through the Bazaar with its thronging crowds. now eagerly discussing the passage of the troops and the prospects of captives and women But I pondered how that, if Azta became ruler of the land, I might fulfil my mission through her; and was pleased by the thought that excused the love of this woman to my soul.

The Tzan was disturbed in mind and bade Shar-Jatal attend him by his favourite seat on the colonnade, to play chess with him. Azta had left me, and on the two men I centered my attention to learn what I might.

Tekthah's ferocious eyes, shaded by the fans of the attendants, gazed steadily over the landscape, resting long on the great temple, while beneath his idle fingers the pieces lay untouched. The courtier-like myrmidon sat silent, watching like a cat; and I knew that his great hooked nose bespoke a strong will to back his wickedness. Swinging from a massive armlet was the emblem of a certain beetle, that was Pocatepa's divinity, and I bethought me of the evil ways of that twain, and wondered why every man and woman appeared to choose another's mate; for Pocatepa was wife to the Tzantan Ju, notwithstanding that, being a priestess of Neptsis, it was wrongful that she should be aught but a virgin, yet being upheld by Mah.

The Tzan began to discuss the exodus of Huitza, already known, and which he was powerless to prevent, for with him had gone most of the army.

At which Shar-Jatal considered deeply, and afar off I perceived Nezca; nor could I ever behold him unmoved, for I knew him to be one of Us.

The Representative of the People perceived a crisis. He himself might not seize the throne at once, being restrained by the priest Mah; but if Azta became ruler the voice of the nation would aid him to supplant her.

" Rhadaman is with us," he said, but Tekthah's furious gesture stopped him.

" Rhadaman is among his women," he said, with a sneer, and conveying also one to Shar-Jatal, whom he despised because of his effeminacy, beginning to fear treachery which could scarce be defined; "he has given up the slaying for the production of warriors."

Shar-Jatal bowed. He advised the chief power of all being given to himself, as being the most competent person to oversee everything, and hinted in no hidden phrase his popularity. His friends were strong in the land; one of them, Azco, being Governor of his province of Trocoatla, whence came much silver, and whose populous cities of Lote, Karbandu, Katalaria, Bar-Asan, Muzran, and Azod contained many mighty men, great warriors and skilled in war. Also that Azco, notwithstanding that he was a son of Sumar, was more friendly to himself.

In silence I watched the game of those two mortals. Tekthah's face betrayed nought, but in his eyes I read as in a book, hatred, outraged pride, sudden perception of friendlessness and deadly peril, and fear. Ay, fear. That great, strong heart that had marched to the throne of Atlantis through tears and blood saw itself alone and deserted. Jehovah forgotten, the lazily accepted dreams of Zul too vague and unsatisfactory now that they had to be faced, and all around the hungry eyes of men and women who coveted his place. He beckoned to his pipe-bearer to approach.

"It is a weighty matter of which thou speakest," he said slowly, gazing on his courtier as though he would crush him by the vigour of his glance. "Go now. I will tell thee soon."

CHAPTER IX. AZTA.

THERE was no news heard concerning Huitza. The Chief of the Navy which was that Tzantan Ju, the husband of Pocatepa cruising in the Tacoatlanta, had seen the lights of many fires among the hills, and Tekthah had secretly sent messengers to treat with the recalcitrant. These had not returned, and none knew for certain if it were Huitza's forces.

A careful watch was kept over Ham, the son of Noah, to hold in check Tek-Ra, but Huitza went not thither, and this was a certain relief to Tekthah, for there still stood at Chuza, which was the chiefest of the cities there, the great pallo that was built there first, which of itself was impregnable even should the stout walls of the city fall; and the sallies of such troops as Huitza's from such a position would render an entrenchment around impossible. All the cities of Tek-Ra were threatened with annihilation if they received the rebel.

From there and the distant city of Talascan came rumours that large nomadic tribes of their own race which bore for insignia the symbols of the Owl, Unicorn, and Dragon, the fish-gods of Astra, and the herdsmen of Alorus, Emok, Het and Assa, who were very truculent men and ever ready for war, sprung from Avan, daughter of Adam, had gone to join him, and people wondered what might come of it all. And continually SharJatal pressed the Tzan for his consent to his scheme, but Tekthah was apathetic.

Azta, likewise remained passive. Yet she was restless and imperious, and forbore to converse with me, nor visited the temple of the Moon. And in piteous mood I found her in her garden, conversing with herself aloud, and sighing often with the name of Huitza upon her lips.

A strong feeling entered into me, a protest against her love for this man that I had never felt before; and strong impulses were upon me as I watched her. Ah, how lovely she was as she looked about with her large yellow eyes in a deep thought, and the molten gold ran in streams in her hair as her white fingers ran through it. Ah, God, pardon for the earthly love that fired my melting soul as I gazed upon her! There I saw a Spirit clad in flesh of far more subtle mould than that of man, and more lovely than any other woman; for at times one stands preeminently above the rest. Yet still in my love was a great fear and a knowledge that it was not right.

With heart on fire I watched her, yet sternly, for I liked not the mention of Huitza's name. And suddenly looking up, she beheld me, and dropped her eyes before my glance.

"And has my Love forgotten?" I asked.

" I have not forgotten," she said softly, in a very sad mood for her, the red blood rushing to her face; "how may one forget these things? But perchance they of Earth love better their own kind."

"What can woman ask more than love?" I demanded, half-amazed. "On woman did Heaven pour its choicest gifts of love, and for love would she do anything, even sin to the peril of her soul, to share a loved one's fate. And for no reward, perchance: whilst I offer nay, give thee, whether thou acceptest it or leavest it to die a love greater than thou couldst dream of? Dost hear me, Azta?"

"I hear, my lord: yet can love be forced?"

"Forced! " I cried, in tortured amaze, for verily here was a barrier I could not understand. " Does not thy soul leap forth to mine which loves it? Did not that bright flame spring in full quivering beauty when first we met, when thou didst lie in my arms and vow thou hadst never loved as then? Dost thou forget, O Azta? Dost thou forget?"

She moved up her round, fair shoulders, while beneath her fingers the vine-tendrils fell in broken fragments.

A sudden fear overcame me, a feeling of horror and despair.

"O Azta!" I cried, "thou dost not know what love is!"

She looked up fearfully, her lips parted, and I saw her shrink before my gaze. The light went from her eyes, and left them dark and sombre.

" Oh, speak not in such a voice," she faltered. "How can I stand before the majesty of Heaven? Wilt thou blast me in thy wrath? Who am I that thou shouldst love me, who loves another? Asia, thou art not of the fallen ones, thy mission on Earth is not the comfort of women. Leave me, oh leave me for behold, I die, and thou wilt live forever."

For a while I stood regarding her. Why did I not go?

In a passion I cast myself before her. " Love me, oh love me! "I cried in agony.

From the blue sky rolled a burst of thunder, and from me fell a shadow upon the earth; yet never before had I cast a shade. And gazing thereon I received a shock whereby it appeared as if a voice from God had spoken to an inharmonious sensation within me.

And then a wild rebellion entered my soul, and throwing my arms over the couch, I bowed my head upon them and wept.

Azta uttered a cry of distress and astonishment and laid her' hand on my head.

"Poor Angel!" she said: "can such suffer?"

I caught her in my arms. "Yea!" I cried passionately, "and suffer more than mortals. The finer the soul, the more capable of feeling, deep and terrible. Not mere emotion, for that is but the spasmodic index to what may be hidden far beneath, and the coarsest souls may be stirred by fleeting ecstacies. The gay insect that rejoices in the beauty of one flower and is equally satisfied with another can never know the aching remembrance of a joy that is gone, the wild, agonized yearning for what will never be again."

Azta's bosom heaved.

"O love me, I implore thee!" I cried in my evil passion. What could I do! Heaven suddenly seemed too pure, Earth immeasurably too gross and vile for me; yet why I loved this woman I could not tell. I had known others who passed from my fleeting remembrance like the fading of the sun; yet to her my whole soul went out.

" Poor Asia," murmured she, with a sob, caressing me; whereat I took a little hope.

"O Azta," I implored, "if thou canst not love me, at least let me come and gaze in thine eyes and see thee smile on me. Thou dost not know the torment of the love of Heaven unsatisfied! It is as a fire that scorches and sears the source which no magic word comes to unseal."

I groaned in my agony, and like burning lava the tears fell from my eyes.

Azta wept also. "What wouldst thou have?" she sobbed "I do love thee, also." And nestling close to me, she kissed my lips, twining her fair arms around me.

I held her closely to me, and marked how she trembled.

"Thou art not the only one who has ever loved me," she whispered; "but methinks thou givest more than is thine to give."

I had: and I trembled also at her words. Yet there was joy in her possession and I did but hold her closer to me.

I slowly pressed back her hair, exposing the broad, white forehead, and fixed my eyes on hers so that my soul entered into her.

"Did I not love thee so well, thou couldst not choose but follow me," I said.

She did not shrink, but regarded me fixedly with fascinated eyes, smiling and without fear.

"Wouldst thou force me?" she whispered; "wouldst thou take me in a whirlwind into unknown regions and leave me to perish in mid-air and return to Earth but in such fearful form as I have heard of, but never seen?"

"Nay, my love!" I vowed, with passion; "never! Trust in my love and thou shalt do well."

How beautiful she was, as, sitting straight up in front of me, she looked into my eyes. A brilliant butterfly lighted on her hair, waving his painted wings to and fro on the topmost curl that circled her brow.

"I do love thee!" she cried rapturously; "yet have I told thee, I also love another. Canst thou not of thy mighty power know what shall be done?" she asked, throwing herself into my arms, and sighing. Then suddenly she rose up, and placing her hands upon my breast and forehead, said: " Hast thou ever yearned, as though thy soul wandered alone searching its breath of life for that which shall satisfy it? For the Ideal that at times thou thinkest to have found, yet doubting oft? And having believed to have found it, perceiving to thy torment yet others, but unwilling to release thy soul's first love? Wouldst thou cast me from thee and ah, at times I dare not think of what might befall if thou didst!" She shuddered and stopped. "O Asia, what is love?" she cried, piteously.

" My Azta, my Love, I know not. Love is the Life of God, and none can fathom it."

She threw her arms impetuously round my neck and kissed me again.

How I loved her! and yet was I unhappy.

"Fill thy soul with my love," I implored; "fill thy heart and brain, that thou mayest be faithful and remember."

" I have prayed," she whispered, " yet nought but vague ideas come to me; bold and unscrupulous, but useless. I see a plan, a beginning, but what will the end be?"

"Cast ambition from thee, my Love,'' I said; "ambition is a cruel mistress, a Syren that oft lures to destruction. Remember this, my Azta, for a woman's spirit can sink as low as an Angel's, and a love that is unworthy of her may drag her down to Hell, its own coarser materials floating in the worldly matter."

"And what wouldst thou have?" she asked.

"Thy love!" I cried, passionately.

She disengaged herself from my arms and gazed into my eyes, and through the amber flames her soul looked upon me. There was no need for words in that drama, where Earth challenged Heaven. Weakened by my evil desires, my gaze was mastered by hers, and her dumb voice seemed to cry to me Wouldst thou, Asia, give up the pure joys of Heaven for an earthly woman's arms, a being whom thou believest to be fickle, and which belief may be proven in Hell's fires? Even now who is the dominant Spirit the Archangel or the Woman and what if she prove false? Consider and pause, thou who hast looked upon the face of God; and think now that thou art subservient to a created being of Clay."

I looked upon her, half-hesitant, yet before my eyes her beauty appeared to increase. Her face became glorious, her skin as soft petals of lilies as it lay over the curves of her body, her living, breathing, warm body that was so lissom and soft. And around her face the waves of molten gold fell and lay so wondrously on her fair shoulders and the swelling beauty of her bosom.

I held forth my arms, and slowly she moved into their embrace, yet with her wonderful eyes full on mine. Her soft arms encircled my neck and she pressed her lips to mine, while there came, borne upon the breeze, a laugh, sarcastic, icy, bitter and low, yet with a note of triumph in it. As the winds that sweep over the ALolia.n harps of Angels came that sound between Earth and Sky, and died away into a sigh over all around. And the Sun set and there was nought for us two but our love, that must die, being of Earth.

CHAPTER X. THE THRONE.

THE Throne of Atlantis, the Seat of the King of the Earth, was in a hall in the centre of the palace, from which could be seen a portion of the red terraces of steps, showing through the entrance, and the openings in the long shadowy courts and colonnades that spread in mazy vistas all around. The temple of Zul, above and to the left, was invisible from the hall, but the same entrance that exposed the stairway showed the sea in the distance and the nearer tops of buildings and trees.

And before the throne lay the sceptre, symbol of Royalty and conquest, shaped like the National Standard, four-armed and cruciform, but surmounted by an orb of solid gold signifying, the Sun.

The floor of the hall, of blocks of green marble with yellow markings, lay smooth and reflecting as a lake, from whose depths, in a square formation of great area, rose black marble columns rooted in pediments overlaid with gold, supporting a ceiling painted, blue, in the midst of which was a rayed sun of gold, overspreading the throne.

The great seat itself was a solid block of dark green marble, and two immense curved tusks of the mastodon, bedded in it, formed the arms. The platform on which it rested, of black marble like the columns, was surrounded on each of its four sides by four flights of steps with broad landings of the same sable hue and material, signifying the quarterly periods of life to be attained before the glory of the summit was reached, the first step from the floor overlaid with gold, a tall column rising from each corner for a support to the central ceiling and the golden symbol which hung upon it. A cushion, covered with leopard-skin, lay on the seat, and the whole aspect of the hall was gloomy and magnificent, beyond all that had been before or will be again.

Between the columns stood massive iron braziers, to hold the kindled fires; on each side of the entrance lay a lion of large size and most formidable aspect, chained and odorous. At times the palace resounded with the roar of the majestic brutes, and their deep, muttering grumble made the ladies tremble on their couches of a night.

Where are now the splendid beings who gathered in those past days in such bravery of majestic persons and glittering gems? Never before or since have such been known as those when Angels mingled their spirits with men; a mystic wonder of sin without equal: and never again will such sight be seen as that great annual obeisance of the Lords of the Provinces before the might of Tekthah upon his throne of marble and ivory.

I looked upon the hall, and on a large company gathered therein. The two grim watchers at the entrance lay prone on their lean flanks with heads erect; the Sun, setting over the western mountains, showing up in dark relief the two great shadowy forms, terrific in their vague suggestiveness.

I saw Shar-Jatal and Izta, Nezca and Acoa the priest of Zul, and many more, conspicuous among them being the giant Amal, who had seven toes on each foot. I looked towards the tall figure that sat upon the throne, holding the sceptre, and perceived it to be Rhadaman; yet uneasy he was, doing a daring thing in thus raising himself to that seat on the square plinth, one step high, that had never been mounted before save by the Tzan and the Keeper of the Throne. But too often had he rehearsed this scene in his mind to hesitate now; and now must he strike a blow, or wait and be perchance supplanted.

With a flushed face he rose to his towering height, and of a truth he was very pleasant to look upon. Yet his heart was evil and his ambition overcame all else, for now that man had gone astray from God it was each one's aim to be lord of all the rest. A little energy, he cried aloud, a little bloodshed, and the throne would be his by right of descent, and his friends should not be forgotten. This he said very graciously and with much meaning in his voice, and reminded all there that, should

Huitza return and the throne go to him, there would be the punishment of the stake and of the burning crucifix for many of Zul. To bestir themselves, to do a few desperate deeds and then!

A murmur of applause greeted his words, and the clangour of metal as the chiefs beat their shields with the pummels of their swords; but a panic overcame my mind.

The prince smiled grimly. He reminded them of promised favours, and, turning to Acoa, bade him stir up the land against Huitza, who had vowed to hurl the gods of the Lower Fires into their crater for the destruction of his mistress, and recalled to certain individuals the chieftain's animosity. Having by cunning eloquence gained the ears and hearts of all, he showed a scheme whereby the end they were convened to discuss should be consummated. On the first day of the annual Circus games there would be a great feasting in the palace, and Gadema, Tekthah 's cup-bearer, should hand his sovereign a bowl of poison, while Targul, his pipe-bearer, should prepare a fatal herb for the pipe; and after, the Tzan being dead, the gates of the city should be closed on all the gathered crowds, and himself be proclaimed Tzan, concessions being granted to all assembled, and great rejoicings instituted. To Shar-Jatal should be given the territory of Tek-Ra, Huitza's dependency, and a great part of the success of the undertaking could depend upon him and his popularity. Let Gadema and Targul also see that they failed not in their work, and great reward should be theirs.

The youths arose from where they sat, whom I had not at once perceived, and swore by Zul not to fail; and then Acoa arose, with a deep plan in his face.

Now I mistrusted the dark priest greatly, and was vexed in my mind to hear this consultation; I believed my love for Azta and the fulfilment of my mission would have wished otherwise; for I clave unto the latter by the pretended help of the former: yet forgot that which was being discussed was that planned by Mali. Therefore I caused to sound the tramp of many armed feet and the rattle of war-trappings, and a silence fell on all. Louder it came, and the chiefs, great men and valiant, fled by a little exit, all save Rhadaman. Alone he stood, yet trembling, and laid down the sceptre in its place.

A growl from one of the lions startled him, and he gazed at the huge brute as it stood, a vague form against the brightness of the sky showing between the outer columns of the palace, with mane bristling and tail slowly waving from side to side. The other one growled too, and suddenly, as the knowledge of his sacrilege overcame the Tzantan, he hastened to the rear of the throne and crouched down, as the pat-pat of sandalled feet was heard on the very threshold.

One glance he gave over his shoulder to perceive if there was yet time to fly, but there was none. A figure entered with a little, gliding step, casting a piece of raw flesh to each guardian of the entrance, who made no great demonstrations, and Azta, summoned by my power, mounted straightly to the throne, and stepping up to it, cast herself negligently onto the seat with a sigh. How lissom were her movements and how splendid her form!

Amazement held the chieftain still, but he glared at the back of the throne as though by his eyes he would pierce it, and I knew he was hurriedly weighing in his mind the policy of making his presence known, but ere a resolve could shape itself the Tizin arose, and, stretching out both hands and advancing to the edge of the plinth, cried in a clear, ringing voice, "Welcome, my lord! "

The prince started as he believed the Tzan to be approaching, and he knew that the only thing to do was to keep still and hope for the best that might come.

With a musical laugh Azta clasped both hands to her breast and appeared to be in a species of ecstacy, while my heart. yearned to her so greatly that I longed to embrace her, be. lieving her to be addressing myself in thought; while in the silence of the vast apartment, unbroken by aught for a while, Rhadaman waited for the recurrence of that sound of marching hundreds, with a mind too full of fears to marvel at such an unusual session and the novel manner of its initial procedure. He believed the throne would be surrounded by the Guards, and he would have to rise and take his place among them trusting to their silence.

Yet no sound came, and then the Tizin spoke again.

" And so, farewell for a space," she said, bowing to the marble seat and patting the leopard-skin smooth where she had pressed it; then, turning, she descended to the pavement and glided out through the entrance, undisturbed by the lion guards or the relieved chieftain.

He uttered a blasphemous oath as she disappeared. Then, after waiting until she should be out of hearing, he, too, passed the lions, who growled ominously, and with a sigh of relief hastened after her.

A feeling of annoyance towards the prince had entered my heart. From his exclamations I perceived him to believe that Azta intended her salutation to apply to himself, and I remembered that he also had a passion for her.

The Tizin had retired to her apartments, and to his chagrin, she refused to receive him on his prayer for an audience being presented. Nevertheless I wished to see in how much his passion for her ran, and how she received him; and she was minded to relent, so that he entered and made a deep obeisance to her, kneeling and pressing her hand to his lips, the golden vulture-wings bending low before the Glory of Atlantis. I perceived that he hastily noted the surroundings and looked very curiously on the lady. And, by my faith, she was a queenly beauty as she lay on a gorgeous green couch, the upholstery of which blazed with golden butterflies and precious gems, half hidden by her imperial robes of purple and yellow covering a white gauze vestment that allowed her creamy body to be seen beneath it; and surrounding her were slaves with the golden skewers through their nostrils, the fan-bearers and those who always kept the apartment furnished with flowers, so that it was a wonder of scented colour and enravishing beauty. Old Na sat at the foot of the couch, and lying at her immense flat feet was a panther, held by a thin golden chain.

At Azta's command all these retired and she was left alone with the prince, who still knelt, and leaned his great sword against a settee, looking the while amazed as though he sought to fathom the mystery of the armed tramp that had dispersed the assembly. On the ground he placed his helmet, casting his mantle beside it, and then awkwardly surveyed the beauty before him, who permitted him to gaze, enjoying his embarrassment.

" And so," she said at length, eyeing him through half-closed eyes with an intensity that appeared to fascinate him, "my lord is happy; his rival has gone."

He regarded her fixedly, suspicion and love struggling in his gazes.

"And what of it?" he asked scornfully.

"He was your enemy, and consequently" she paused, "Yours!"

She bowed with a flattering smile, and her mood aroused him.

He surveyed her from head to foot with blazing eyes. His manners were rough and impatient, and he suddenly caught her in his arms, his feelings not allowing time for tardy speeches to lead up diplomatically to such an act.

"Dost know I love thee?" he said, kissing her lips with burning fervour in spite of her remonstrances; and scarce could I restrain my wrath at witnessing this.

"Thou art in truth a rude suitor, by Zul!" she cried angrily. "Of old I knew it; thinkest I am such a fool as thou? "

The look of her yellow eyes made him uneasy, and the pointed speech cooled his sudden ardour.

"Fool?" he said, with an awkward smile, relaxing his embrace.

"Nay, take me not so seriously, it is not thy wont," she said, still with that ring of sarcasm in her voice.

" I would wish to take thee seriously," he said hotly. "Pshaw! a serious woman is but a sorry thing," she laughed, with ringing musical scorn.

"Azta, thou tormentest me!" he cried, as, half-encouraged by her manner, he again caught her in an enraptured embrace. She looked on him and laughed, a silvery, rippling, mocking laugh, that stung his ardour, but checked his purpose.

"I torment thee!" she cried. "It is thy country that should torment. Thou, a Chief of armies; , a mere helpless-

"Say it not!" he cried passionately, kissing her with rude rapture: "one moment of thee were worth all Atlantis!"

"Shame, shame! What when the lord Huitza shall come and lay siege to Zul, which has no defender? Tekthah is old and his house is divided."

The prince stared at her, lost in a sudden thought. The lady knew not what had prompted her to say what she had, and half-fearfully she gazed on him; and so they stared the one at the other, each startled by their thoughts.

"Dost thou know aught of this?" asked the chief, suspiciously.

"Nay, by my faith," she said, laughing merrily and shaking her head.

"The Tzan is old, as thou sayest," he said, drawing her towards him.

"But until he dies, he is my lord," she responded, believing him to wish to press his suit, whereas he wished to fathom her feelings with the end of supplanting Tekthah. And again he lost all interest in such and only wished to possess this splendid being.

He gazed at her in rapture, excited by the wish and her apparent hesitancy.

"Thou knowest how I love thee," he said earnestly, drawing her close to him; "thou knowest that thy title is an empty glory: wouldst thou not wish to have the name of Azta revered from one end of Atlantis to the other?"

I trembled! The wife of this man! The knowledge rushed upon me overpoweringly and held me in such mute horror that I waited powerless, watching the struggle going on in Azta's mind and wishing I had revealed my presence at first.

Now I became as a human man, with such an one's heart, and tasted to the full the torments of jealousy, which I had never perceived before. Oh, horror of that fall to Earth and Earth's woel Never can I forget all I felt as I gazed on the features of my Love and read there the temptation of glory and power with the chance of an almost immediate fulfilment. And yet I did not know all.

Suddenly I perceived Acoa, and then he was gone. On Azta's face all traces of mental struggle had vanished and an inspired look came into her eyes. She looked beyond the chief, and in a dreamy voice, as though she watched a scene, spoke.

"Listen," she said; "before me is the Circus, and the crowds watch the arena. The trumpet sounds for the single combat on the third day, when the Champion of Atlantis steps forth and dares one to face him This time one appears. The Champion, Sir Chief," she said, suddenly gazing straight at him and changing her voice until it rang, " is thyself. If thou conquerest I will be the Queen of Atlantis."

"And the other, O Love, the other?" he whispered hoarsely.

"Nay, I know not," she said, trembling; "I could not see."

"I will conquer!" he cried, with a great oath, raising his arm and clenching his fist till the great muscles cracked, while his eyes flamed with the deadly purpose of his mind; "Thou shall't be my Queen! Let me embrace thee, my Love!"

"After after!" she said, throwing out her hands.

"Nay, but thou triflest with me!" he cried, enfrenzied, seizing her with rapture, and smothering her efforts to escape with a power far superior to her own.

I cried his name in a voice of thumder, standing forth in the person of the Magician. He leaped to his feet, with his hand towards his sword that leaned against the settee. My stature o'ertopped his own, and my eyes blazed, yet so furious was he that he raised his sword to smite me to the earth, his teeth showing in a savage grin in his great black beard.

As he leaped forward a wavering flash of fire laved the weapon and paralysed his arm. The sword fell ringing to the floor, and the would-be ravisher, with a shout of terror, fled, dazzled and half-stunned.

CHAPTER XI NOAH.

SEEING me, Azta uttered a glad cry and threw herself into my arms, so that my heart was glad, and I kissed her again and again, perceiving her to be still under the influence of the vision, and not accountable for her former words.

"Yet thou hast not done well," I cried. "Bad estate will it be to thee, the toy of such an one as yon debauched chieftain, and soon will he cast thee by as a flower that has ceased to bloom. Hast thou not learned that the love of Heaven is better than aught the Earth can offer?"

She answered not, but hiding her face in my bosom, burst into a flood of tears and sobbed violently. I was distressed and amazed, not yet comprehending her nature, and believing that I was the lord of her heart, and none besides. I comforted her, and my mind being in sore bewilderment and dwelling chiefly on what she had said concerning the vision, I required of her to tell me why she had promised to be the wife of such as Rhadaman when that he had overcome his opponent.

" He will not overcome him," she answered, trembling; " neither did I promise to be his Queen. And in truth it would have mattered nought had I so done."

"Thou didst vow to be Queen of Atlantis?" I said, still feeling sore.

"And so will I; and of thy might could'st thou not make thyself Tzan of all the land? " she demanded desperately and imploringly; "thou, powerful, invincible? What could stand before thee?"

I raised her up and looked into her eyes, that were as two lakes overbrimming with fire.

" Not but in love may Heaven and Earth mingle, the adaptable life of all Spirits," I said, "else, if this might be so, there would be no mortal man."

"How so?" she asked, wishing that I should expound the mysteries of Spirits unto her. Yet would I not do this thing.

"Azta," I said, "the failing of thy beauteous sex is the failing of the angels and of every pure, fearless Spirit, longing to see hidden things, and things more gross than itself, and that only the Master-mind of great Jehovah can bear without defilement. The only thing that lasts, my Azta, is love, which, missed, we ever vainly grieve for. Man has less curiosity than woman, for that his more material mind, imagining more of Earth than there is to be ever seen, is satiated with its own excesses. Dear one, the angels themselves, methinks, know not for why he was created, save that the likes of thine own fair self might be born to him."

Her flaming hair lay over my arm, and streamed through my fingers as I caressed it. With an impetuous gesture she sat up and looked me full in the eyes.

"Yet thyself, thou art a man." Her eyes, deprecatory and half-indignant, spoke the words; her full lips moved not.

" Dear Love, thou could'st not understand what I could tell thee now. I' faith of Heaven, I do not understand it quite myself. But Adam was formed of the atoms of Earth, and sex as thou knowest it is not of Spirits."

We sat in silence, and I tried to fathom the varying emotions that swept across her face. How subtle were these Earthly beings, and what great emotions they possessed! and how cunning in contrivances they were! For it was also known in Heaven that those of Earth were wiser in their generation than the Sons of Light, and I pondered deeply on this thing. Already I perceived in this fair being a nature of intense emotional characteristics; to friends steadfast and true, to enemies dangerous, waiting in apparent friendship until a proper time should come to strike a deadly blow. Brave to recklessness, yet cautious; and as the supple reed, bowing to storms that could not be withstood, and, rising behind them, gaining the ends of an invincible determination by circumventing barriers that could not be broken down. Yet how far I knew not, nor was I to know at present; and although I saw many things clearly, yet others I perceived not, so that I should work my own punishment.

For a while after that I was happy; and ever mindful of my mission, that I would not believe I was endeavouring to consummate in sin by attempting to clean a polluted temple with the impure mediums of Earth, set my mind on Azta becoming the ruler of the land.

Rhadaman, waiting for the Circus games, sank himself deeper in the pursuits of pleasure; mistrusting Azta because of her words regarding Huitza, and dismayed by her power that he believed had caused me to appear. He said nought concerning it, ashamed of his flight, but was busied in ingratiating himself with the Tzantans.

Neither did Tekthah bestir himself, being overcome by an unaccountable lethargy which was shared by the rest of his household. The temple services, carried on with bloody precision, and the near approach of the annual games, kept the minds of the pleasure-loving populace from all considerations of country or state. As long as they had plenty of amusements it mattered little if Tekthah were ruler or anyone else, and perchance they would prefer a little excitement to culminate in extraordinary rejoicings. Their lives were immoral to a degree, and passions growing with the ease of their satisfactions took the most extravagant lusts and cried for new pleasures. Also those who were more sober would wish for Huitza to rule them and raise the glory of Atlantis still higher, and thus the capital wavered in imbecile helplessness.

But all were debased and evil. Obscene gods were worshipped, libations being poured over their hideous and grotesque forms, and tortured victims offered to them. In the market slaves were sold, and crowds gathered round and gazed lewdly on the blushing charms of kidnapped girls taken from among their own people, and prostitutes who voluntarily sold themselves to rich masters. Izta, the Lord of Astra, sold many young girls there, torn from the coast villages and valued for their flaxen hair and their large bodies. Everything was violent and unnatural, and I, instead of elevating those who might purge the land of its folly and reinstate the nation in integrity, sought to raise an Earthly Love to the throne and through her to do this. I say, I knew not Woman then, but dare I say what I should have done if I had!

Now in all the land there was but one man whose name was well spoken of in Heaven, with the names of his family. It was that Noah, the governor of Tek-Ra under Huitza, who with his wife Talasse, and his sons, great men and godly, and their wives and families, lived in holiness and rectitude, each man cherishing but one wife, and each woman owning but one lord. Neither did they at all yearn after the unnatural vanities of the land, in the inserting of gems in teeth or the abuse of strong wine or smoking-herbs or the eating of flesh; keeping holy every seventh day, as was of very old legend. And Noah, who was a judge over the people, was just and upright in his judgments, not striving by the quarrels of others to seize things for himself, nor treating his servants harshly or improperly, striving to live in honourable relations and preventing his sons from inquiring into the hidden things which Kasyade the Angel,, taught concerning demons. But Ham was kept at Zul as a secret hostage for the behaviour of his father.

To Tek-Ra I conveyed myself, wishing to see this man, and thinking to behold a very godlike being. I chanced upon him as he sat in the shade under a portico of his palace, and, perceiving him to be small of stature, began to consider him of less account than I had heretofore. Yet I saw that no weight of years had quenched the fire of his bold, bright eye, and after, when I knew him better, I perceived that he had a sensitive spirit which by reason of its bent had been through the furnace of criticism harsh and galling to it, and through ridicule that toughened in bitterness what it failed in checking; that by the failure of heart-wrought effort and bright and sanguine hopes his nature was crushed, but not annihilated, rising, Phoenix-like, to fight again, fiercely and bravely, and win at last.

Methinks now that ofttimes smallness of bodily stature conduces to largeness of spiritual, for, perhaps, that when these smaller beings have overcome difficulties made doubly arduous by this defect, they are able, when powerful and free, to work with the hard energy of veterans who have striven desperately against circumstances that would have overpowered characters less tough, and with such tempered weapons to win a way to fame.

Thus it was with the Patriarch. Now no sarcasm could instil its blasting poison into his soul, no wrath make tremble. In his communion with Heaven he was comforted, and for the lost sweets of Earthly life possessed the joy of impregnability from sorrow. So ever at last the waves of Time's ocean beat harmless on the iron-bound shores of Life, from which all the sand and that which was soft is washed away.

"Ever thinking!" said a voice of the sweetest beauty, and a lady appeared, stepping out on to the portico. Save Azta's self, never had I beheld so fair a being, so like unto the holy Spirits of God! Simple in mien and attire she was, with an etherial beauty that lighted her sweet face and gave to her carriage an unearthly majesty of which her innocent smile gave proof of no knowledge. This was Susi, the wife of Shem, firstborn of the Patriarch, she being of Edna, the master of Methusaleh through Lamech and Danaos the son of Lamech.

Stepping up to her father-in-law, she laid her hand caressingly on his shoulder, looking into his face with a beaming smile of love.

'Thinking why there is no reward for sorrow, dear father, when thou sayest aloud, 'Trust in Jehovah and He will recompense thee an hundred-fold'? "

She stood before him with her hands clasped on her bosom, white as most pure marble, and gazed on him with her lustrous eyes. She seemed an Angel, and the old man looked on her for a while without movement or speech, and with an adoration that was almost worship.

"Ay,': he said slowly; "yet at times the soul is vexed. The countenance of Jehovah is turned from His servants and darkness falls upon their hearts."

"O father, it is for a proof of thee," she said softly; "the servant who is faithful when his master's face is turned is most dearly loved of his lord."

The Patriarch looked on her in astonishment, and then he sunk his head. " I am a sinful man," he muttered, in a vexed voice.

She seated herself at his feet and looked up into his stern face.

"Nay, father," she said, " methinks thou art the best man that I have ever known."

He placed his hand on her curls, brown and lustrous in their thick glory, and said sadly:

"There are times when the soul is vexed sore and the things of this world seem to work together for evil. Then begins faith to wax unfaithful and our hearts put questions hard to answer. Behold the sin of the Earth and the wickedness of those in high places! And now Huitza is fled from Zul with his army, and it fears me for my son Ham, who is in the midst of danger and temptations in the very palace of Tekthah and his wicked women. Why should it be made that sin is so pleasant and duty so hard, and that the sinner shall answer for what he is caused to do, and the good man reaps nought* but vexation and misery?"

He spoke as to a superior, or as though he communed in truth with an Angel.

"Father, this mood becomes thee not," cried the fair lady, distressed; "was it not thyself who taught me that all shall be well in the next life?"

"Ay," answered the sire, gazing into the blue sky; "and yet it seemed as though I led an Angel's footsteps."

"Oh, father!" she cried, hiding her face, more distressed by the praise.

"Hide not thy face, daughter," said the old man, very tenderly; "'tis the candour of a graybeard and not the gallant speech of a youth. Look yonder to where the towers of Zul rise in daring wantonness to Heaven, look around at our own tall battlements, and tell me, is not Sin hid under a fair disguise. Yet it is there!"

He spoke very bitterly and his words sank into my soul.

"It is beautiful," said Susi, her blue eyes filling with tears; "but it is like the wasp's nest and those bright beings like the wasps."

Each was in perfect sympathy with the other; the fair lady's soft, white hand resting on the old man's hard, knotted one.

He sighed. "I make thee sad," he said more cheerfully.

"Nay, but to see thee doubt, father," she said, "thou, my teacher! How oft hast thou chided my doubts, telling me they were but trials of faith, and truly it makes me sad to see thee doubt. I, what can / do, then? Yet now can I think alone, and oft have fair visions dispelled my sorrow."

A holy rapture shone in her face, and the old man caught the enthusiasm. With a movement of joyfulness he drew her towards him and kissed her forehead.

" Out of thy sweet lips speaks the Lord Jehovah to his old servant," he said, bowing his head.

She blushed with a daring joy, that, however, was instantly suppressed by a meeker feeling, and then sprang to her feet as Shem approached from within, and ran to him.

The firstborn of Noah was a great man, as tall as Ham, which was among the goodliest men of Zul, and his hair was long and black. He kissed Susi and bade her retire; and made complaint to his sire concerning how the Tzan's tax-collectors had descended on the flocks and herds. There followed him Gomer, the son of Japheth, which was the third son of Noah, bearing a tool for hewing wood; for he and Misraim, the son of Ham, with their workmen were building an engine of wood on the bank of a river that ran before the walls. He shook back his long hair to hear what his elders might say, and little methought then that he should be one of the first progenitors of a new race of man when that all save he and his families were dead eheu, eheul my Love among them 1

The economy of the State was thus: Each of the greater nobles had a portion of land with a great city on it assigned to him, and from all on the land and in the cities at the time of tax-collecting toll was exacted. The Tzan drew from every territory and every city, less in proportion from each. Thus the Lord of each territory drew a yearly tithe, and all over the land the Tzan drew one-twentieth.

The season had been bad and the tax-collectors were overbearing and insolent. Bad feeling was aroused and in places resistance was offered, but Noah advised submission when his son angrily stated the grievance. Their family was not popular by reason of their religious opinions and intolerance of bloodshed, and the people would not aid any measures fully. He reminded him of Mehir's raid on Aten, and Rhadaman's on Talascan, which was the chief city of Atala, of which he was lord, to avenge a furious resistance to their collectors; how the latter had hanged the Governor and sacked the city, thereby impoverishing himself and having to make certain grants to induce people to go and live there again; which, however, would not keep Tekthah from taking an excuse to destroy all Tek-Ra to avenge himself on her rebellious lord, his son; which would also cause great danger to Ham.

'It shall not be for long!" cried the old man; "the sins of this godless people cry to Heaven for vengeance on them." The ways of God are perverted, and the Sons of God aid the ruin of the Sons of Earth. A day shall come when the sins of this people shall recoil in horror and destruction on their heads, and they shall be destroyed to make way for a race who shall carry out the end for which we are appointed!"

His words stung me keenly, yet without amaze I felt the sting. The vision of Sust was fresh before me, and her sweet, innocent beauty; and in a turmoil of emotions I groaned in horror and in terror. Even now, even now could I have saved my soul!

And turning away in sorrow, I wandered by a lake full of lotus flowers and feathery rushes, shaded by willows and elegant palms; and thereby sat two lovers. The man was Alam, and he was of the family of Pharno the son of Lamech, and his beloved's name was Myra. And long he strove with her, all unavailingly, for she was very young and foolish, perceiving not how great his love for her was in so ungodly a land that he did entreat her so gently. And from them I took more comfort to myself, seeing that all the love of Earth was not withholden only from me; yet the thought of my selfishness tormented me in other days, for the youth grew from a gay, ardent boy to a man whose sternness was very great and cruel. And it was not until long after that I saw how things went with them, and marvelled at the going.

Concerning the meaning of the names of the sons of Noah there is much controversy. One division, (the Elohistic, or priestly,) appears to assign to them a significance relating to the geographical distribution of nations, and another ethnographical. We see in Gen. X. 7 Sheba and Havilah as grandsons of Ham, and in ver. 28, 29 as descendants of Shem. But in these old histories there are many circumstances which alter apparent meanings; similarity of names, polyandrous descent, supplanting of one by another, and other things that we do not know of nor find mentioned.

Of Shem, Wellhausen thinks, taking the Hebrew meaning of the word "Name" that "sons of name" as opposed to ''sons of no name," (Job XXX. 8, A. V. "sons of base men") would denote the pure-blooded Hebrews in antithesis to the subject Canaanites.

Of Ham, the Encyclopaedia Britannica tells us that, "on the assumption that these early genealogies are geographical rather than personal or even ethnological, the name, which in Hebrew radically signifies "hot," would seem to indicate the torrid zone; and this inference, though not supported, so far as has hitherto been discovered, by any corresponding explanation of the names of Shem and Japheth, at least harmonizes well with the fact that on the whole Shem seems intended to denote the intermediate and Japheth the northern regions of the world as known to the compiler of the book of Genesis."

With regard to the statement concerning the corresponding significance of the names of Shem and Japheth to Ham, this appears to be modified by what Mr. Gladstone tells us of the latter. He says the Japhetites are those, (Japhah = fair,) of fair complexion which I take to possess an ethnological and geographical significance equal to that of Ham, " hot," and would probably indicate the Aryan races, which in perfect keeping with the words of Gen. IX. 27, "God shall enlarge Japheth", are to-day the dominant power of the world.

Yet, taking this supposition as correct, we find Japhetites subject to Gog, a Scythian prince, in Ezek. XXXVIII., where Meshech, Tubal and Corner are cited as belonging to his great army which issues from the north. (V. v. 2. 6.) Now Magog signifies the Scythians, who were a Mongoloid race. But there need be no hesitation in saying that they were of a different race, for in V. 5 we find Aryan Persians and the Hamitic Ethiopians and Libyans in the same army.

CHAPTER XII. A MAN AND A NATION.

THAT scene in Tek-Ra haunted me for ever by its silent index to what I should do, that nevertheless I impatiently dismissed, being foolishly and wickedly in love with Azta. For here Huitza could rule and make it the chief city of the land, counselled by Noah, whom he loved, and convertible to the old faith. And ever before me arises the form of Susi, beautiful and holy as an Angel and pure as a flower of Heaven.

Yet back in haste I went to Zul, and to quiet my soul entered the great temple, for long sitting with those three awful images that ever looked upon the burning fires below, gazing into the lurid spaces where forms of evil sat.

But a great shuddering seized me and a wish for human companionship, so. that I went up through the square aperture above to the vast chambers, and the weird sound that dwelt there swept round like a moaning sigh. The eyes of the colossi moved upon me and the bright pictures on the walls flared and smoked, the enormous representations of Neptsis with her lunar crown and the vast embryo of Zul flashed into vivid brilliance in all their mistic imagining, wondrous in the amorphous darkness that rolled so gradually from the lurid glow of the pit, and lost itself in the darkness.

And above, sat Acoa before the brazier, on which slowly revolved a globe of lambent fire, clear as crystal, with a self-contained light that cast no shadow on the dark priest gazing upon it so earnestly. Above in the air tremulated Something, that lived and moved and breathed, but what it was I knew not.

In the bright globe events were taking place and figures moved. Forms and faces appeared and vanished and certain things happened with a suggestion of weird horror in them. I thought I perceived a great, throbbing current boiling and flowing, now flashing bright and falling in tumultuous descent, and anon a great purple flow with dark red spots in it that progressed slowly and choked the whirl of wonder. Great waves of gold, mighty billows of blood and horror, with waving, spectral hands that rose therefrom and clutched and quivered; and awful, ghastly faces that seemed of terrestrial mould, but of so dreadful appearance as might not be seen but on the front of a Gorgon. These sank back and appeared to be stifled in the whirlpool, where there were dreadful despairing fiends that devoured their own flesh, and awful shapes not of Earth gnashing their serrated teeth in bloody foam and burning with fire, wriggling and writhing, disappearing under the boiling flood.

I gazed in horror on the dark man, who watched with eyes dilated hideously. He appeared not to breathe, and his countenance was as that of one long dead.

A flash of light fell from the Shape that hovered above, and in place of the globe of fire came a bright scene that compelled the attention to its little space until it appeared to occupy all the Earth. From the Sun came a figure of flame, and the god Zul m stood upon the Earth; and before him bowed a figure that was Acoa's. And to him was given a sword of lightning; but a dark, indistinguishable Thing flew across the scene and blotted it out, as the obsidian mirror flashed the rays of the Sun, with swift graduation to a blaze of light, over the great hall.

"What is It?" whispered the High Priest, in a fierce, desperate whisper, gazing fearfully on the brazier, with the dilated pupils of his eyes shrivelling under the bright sunlight, his hands trembling with an ague and his chest heaving as though he laboured terribly for the panting breath that moved the froth on his lips. His long yellow robe shook from his shoulders to the folds about his feet, and I perceived that here the Spirit laboured greatly with a weak Clay.

"Might I but seek Thee!" he groaned, clasping his temples with his hands; "could I but arrest this drain of Earth"

With a wonder and a purpose in his eyes he walked slowly to his couch and cried aloud a thing I understood not as he laid himself down and composed his limbs, invoking the demon known to man as Asmodeus by powerful enchantment. Gradually the light faded and a vacuum formed, and then an icy atmosphere filled the chamber as with a wind from the intense cold of those spaces of uttermost depths where the starry worlds revolve, and a featureless shadow flitted before my eyes, from which two orbs of great penetration fixed themselves with a fatal intensity upon Acoa. He appeared to fall into a deep slumber, and I watched curiously as the flesh of his hands and face seemed to wither and fall in onto the bones. His jaw dropped and his large eyes, opening, rolled upwards in a horrid stare. From his body, as a mist rising, issued a Shape, and I knew that no mortal eye could perceive it, forming slowly and with labour into an outlined figure, tall and comely, in the form of a youth like unto one of Us, and the face was as Acoa's would have been in lesser years. Yet, gazing around,, he looked as one astonished and bewildered and as seeking to hear a voice or recover some great thought that had escaped the memory, nor looked nor stirred when the dreadful Shadow with the fatal orbs took his hand. Then suddenly with a joyous look he vanished, instantly with the shadow.

I stood astounded that such could be done by one of Earth! what master-power limited the resources of such as himself and myself? Perchance but the lack of the knowledge of a tiny germ stood between us and a power as mighty and comprehensive as great Jehovah's; perchance unknown oceans of differences separated us from it. Who could fathom these Earthly Things that looked as intelligently forth from an unfathomable mask! Godlike creatures that crawled from the teeming womb of Earth and overcame their Spirits by the overpowering might of tremendous evil, to die and with their foul corruption to breed more Life. Horrible! Horrible and awful!

I considered the wonder of the individual man, and how that each one acted apart from the body of which each one was a part, and plotted for this end or that, striving in the dark to check another's plot, yet not understanding it at all, and causing endless confusion; and with a sudden thrill of fear knew that I was in such case by my own volition.

With a pang I looked on the children of Light, yet with a knowledge that I looked as Man might look, not caring to. leave his Clay, yet wistful of good at intervals. Over my heart swept the sound of the harps of countless spheres, whose strings are swept by the fingers of Time in such grand, celestial harmony, and I wept. In deepest adoration my soul knelt before Heaven, yet it was not all holy, for I shut out from my conscience all regarding Azta, determining to myself to do that which was right.

And thus thinking I sped forth, careless of the daring mystery before me, and wishful of seeing my Love; as a rudderless ship running with the current upon the rocks.

Her I found by the fountains, perturbed in spirit because of the vision of the near-approaching Tournament, and uneasy, with all the people, at certain sights in the mountains, where the gods of fire dwelt. These with violence convulsed the earth, in thunder and smoke they leaped from the -high points, and molten streams of lava, flowing over the valleys, drove the people away. From the mountain Axatlan a tall column of flame waved, like a larger sister to that on Zul, but wreathed in sulphureous smoke, from which were cast ashes over the land when the wind blew from the north-west.

Perplexed and terrified, the populace immolated victims and offered up sacrifices to their abominable idols, deluging them with blood and wine. A hundred slaves fed the flames of Zul, and Tekthah with his whole household attended the sacrifices. The Magicians, free from vulgar superstitions, terrified the people by drawing lightning from the clouds and playing with huge serpents, some women being especially celebrated for their diabolical witch-craft and sorceries. These in gloomy clouds caused spirits to appear, and monstrous shapes, larva* of fearful aspect, that made audiences cry out with terror.

The populace believed the gods were angry on account of the disappearance of Huitza, (which thing Acoa preached in secret,) and clamoured for his return, meeting in threatening mobs and howling furiously. All in the palace were alarmed, even Azta was terrified, yet still Rhadaman waited in lethargic ndolence for the Circus, when he believed all would come well. And this was eagerly wished for by all in authority to distract the attention of the populace, and give them competitions to fill their hands and thoughts with.

The wrath of the gods was intermittent, the victims from the Circus might calm it altogether. So preached the various priests, wishful of their prizes, and the people hoped they were correct in their views, for they were fearful of the fire-demons.

As the day for the Tournament approached, runners were sent all over the land to proclaim the great event and to pray rich offerings. The gates of Zul were thrown open, the retractile bridges propelled across the sea-moat, and from near and far the people crowded in over them to participate in the games and the dreadful temple rites. From all the villages of the Ilavan coast they came, from the Astran cities, Surapa, Hanat, Sagara, Mutasara, Sham and En-Ra, from far Bitaranu and Hitsar, from Bar-Asan, Katalaria, Muzran and all the cities of Trocoatla, and all the cities of Tek-Ra and Chalac, from Reb, Ilir, Anduku, and Talascan in Atala. Yet by reason of the fear of Huitza the governors of the larger cities were commanded to stay within their walls, and but half the citizens of each were permitted to come to the capital, toll being taken of each by special officers appointed; for that it was feared that the Chief might seize such cities, if undefended, and fortify himself therein. And it was also argued that if, despite, he seized upon such, they would have but half the number of inhabitants therein, and he might be besieged and crushed; for great concessions were about to be made to the people assembled in Zul to cause them to forsake their love of the rebellious prince. Also Ham and his family were securely guarded, lest in the great crowds they might seek to escape to Tek-Ra and carry information of value thereto.

I perceived the fear of Huitza to be very great, he being esteemed the ablest general of the land; and most would have wished to see him Tzan notwithstanding they yet revered Tekthah.

From such tribesmen as were from the frontiers came alarming reports of the prowess of the savage tribes, which were becoming a great menace, driving back the hunters from the farther hunting-grounds and even approaching outlying cities and pallos, of which there were very many. The warriors who should keep them in check caroused within walls, and all complained bitterly of the apathy of their Patriarchs. Many of these border tribesmen spoke with vile and barbarous tongues, half of their own people and half of the savages, with whom they to an extent intermingled so that their offspring were degraded and often unowned.

Crowds listened to their stories, but their grievances were forgotten for the moment in wonderment at all they saw; for the grandeur and immensity of Zul greatly surpassed all other cities, even the larger ones; and the wonder of the sea and the shipping within the harbour held them speechless. They gazed on the great warships Tacoatlanta, Mexteo and others, and the crowd of smaller boats in wonderment, and frowned with awe on the enormous pile of Zul and the battlements and terraces of the grand palace of Tekthah.

Sauntering through the streets, tall hunters and herdsmen, clad in skins, looked curiously on the yellow-robed citizens of Zul and other cities, and gaped at the legionaries, shaking the large pendants of gold, metal or pebbles in their ears and nostrils with wonder at all they saw. The steps, pillars, columns, arches, paintings and sculpture, the vast temples and palaces of the great, were marvels to them. Sowers of grain, fishermen, miners and collectors of dyes, stones and feathers, walked shoulder to shoulder with hoary astronomers and astrologers and overbearing troop-leaders; gaunt, unkempt savages exchanged stares with exquisite, effeminate myrmidons of the palace, and haughty queens looked with invincible curiosity on wild-eyed daughters of the frontiers. Here and there the crowds scattered before the palanquin of some great lady, or gathered round an agile and marvellous juggler or an aweinspiring Magician, terrified by his arts, breathless at his daring and blasphemous audacity. Long-haired barbarians traded valuable furs and shells for trifles of civilization with which to adorn their persons, or for foods and drinks which they never tasted the like of elsewhere.

There was a vast encampment outside the walls, a city of tents and simple wind-breaks, full at night, but deserted in the day by reason of all the occupiers having gone into the wonderful city. After each of these annual festivals many women, attracted by the splendour, stayed behind and swelled the ranks of the wretched beings who plied their evil trade round the walls and barracks of the troops; and many were kept back by force.

Most of these simple people had brought offerings for the various gods, and had with them numbers of captives, taken in raids, which were handed over to barbarous deaths. Also they brought numbers of captured women and young girls to be sold into the harems, some worthy of the Imperial protection, but most sold or bartered to the first bidder; and one of the first tilings among the nobles of Zul on any visit of the tribes or other townspeople was to either go themselves to obtain the captives they were sure to bring, or obtain them through well-known agents.

All the land appeared to have surrendered itself to the pleasures of the body, and merely lived to appease bestial lusts and indulge in obscene excitement; the common peoples openly, the higher classes in stealth, and with a deadly insidiousness that sapped the virtues of husbands, wives and families, impregnated with the poison of every sin of Earth. Lust, Suspicion, Intrigue, Violence and Corruption sat in the high places and dared the wrath of the Almighty, and I trembled as I thought upon it, which, alas, I seldom did, and then but in rebellion that only certain courses could alter it.

CHAPTER XIII. THE CIRCUS.

THERE were fearful scenes in the city, and of a night torches were used broadcast to illuminate the places; the Market Square was ablaze with the lurid glare of bonfires, by the light of which, and the torches, drunken revelries were carried far into the night, the day being devoted to sight-seeing. The strains of music from the palace and the roar of the lions that guarded the Hall of the Throne of Atlantis excited those who were within reach of the sounds, and they howled and roared as though wild beasts themselves, drunk with wine and full of mischief, revelling in the unwonted luxuries of the city, and particularly the herbs burnt in pipes and inhaled.

A legion from Trocoatla under the Governor Azco, passing through them, dealt blows right and left, cleaving its way by force of arms and moving onwards leaving a wake of stunned and wounded wretches in its rear, whose shrieks and moans, added to the pandemonium of wild minstrelsy, clang of armour, and heavy, measured tramp of feet, stilled for a brief while the noises of the revellers. Lewd songs were shouted and wanton scenes enacted, and here a furious brawl progressed where two men fought for the possession of some woman, who was usually abducted by a third. Nude wretches danced in bacchanalian wantonness in circles with joined hands, the women more fiendlike and abandoned than the men, and overpowered debauchees lay like corpses at the mercy of a myriad trampling feet. Wild shrieks rose above the uproar, Licence fed on fruits that dropped into its open mouth, agape with drunkenness; the populace was madder and more abandoned than ever before.

Above the glare of the fires, high above in the darkness, the cold, bright stars shone, but those in the palaces, and even the priestesses in the temples, trembled at the roaring saturnalia, and forgot all but the danger of some mad outburst, indulging in resolves of clearing the streets at sunset when the next annual celebrations arrived.

So two or three nights passed, each more boisterous than the last, by reason of increasing multitudes, and then the first day of the Tournament arrived.

The Circus was thrown open a few hours after sunrise. The rows of seats, tier above tier, were crowded to overflowing, and when every one was seated a blaze of trumpets proclaimed the arrival of the Tzan and his household, and the High Priest of the temple of the Sun.

Conspicuous among all his towering guards and giant sons stood the old warrior, the founder of the Empire, who had consolidated the tribes and extended the sway of their conquering race afar. Before him was carried the National Standard and the Imperial Sceptre; behind him strode his private magicians and astrologers, those tall dark men clad in flowing robes who advised him confidentially; and behind them were led in chains four large lions, two slaves leading each. These men were immense, as tall as the Tzan and of enormous development, and from ear to ear their white teeth showed in dazzling contrast to their heavy, black features.

Then came the princes of Atlantis: Rhadaman with his great winged helmet, Mehir, Nezca, Amal, Colosse and a hundred other well-known figures; conspicuously Shar-Jatal, the People's Representative, smiling in order that the jewels in his teeth might gleam; the Chief Adar, covered from head to foot in glittering scales of bronze, beautiful and dreadful to look upon; all walking slowly and haughtily, their armour flashing as they moved, their cothurns clanking to their heavy tread. There strode Patriarchs and Tzantans in glittering armour, crested with plumes of ostrich, eagle and scarlet flamingo, horns of various animals and metal symbols, the sons of Tekthah with the vulture-wings, in all the glory of warlike panoply and magnificence, with flashing arms and ornaments and splendid mantles bright in the dazzling sunlight. All were there save Huitza, concerning whom a great murmur arose as those which knew of his setting forth told those nearest, and those who were ignorant of it loudly demanded to be enlightened.

In the rear of this procession of the warriors came the palanquins of the ladies, rich with yellow metal and gems, and green, purple and yellow housings. On these the eyes of the populace blazed with a daring wish to possess their lovely occupants radiant with powder and jewels.

There rode my Love, the haughty Azta, her hair falling in two great waves either side of her face, the returning ends brought up under the jewelled strap above which reposed in queenly majesty the Lunar crown of State, the headdress of the Tizin of Atlantis. From the crown, representing an egg, emerged on high the similitude of a serpent, which a great plaited coil of hair appeared to continue at the back, and either side of the shining crystal moon a great serpent upheld the structure, whose scaly body, resting upon the shoulders, supported the weight. Tekthah's crown was the same, save that in place of the crystal moon was the Solar disc of gold, and the topmost serpent carried outspread wings. Self-possessed and with a slight sneer on her pale face, Azta's disdainful eyes languidly hovered in their yellow fires over the waving myriads in the vast amphitheatre, whose various dresses formed a kaleidoscopic and wondrous effect.

There, also, rode Sada, whose great dark eyes and voluptuous charms won that admiration of the people that for the Tizin was lost in wonder and astonishment at her strange, unearthly beauty; Tua, with the softest of blue eyes, a daughter of Tekthah; Teta, with the magnificence of brown hair and the prettiest of lips, and Semaia, a rival to Azta in form. Pocatepa, in the full insignia of Neptsis came at the head of all the priestesses, who were there to claim the victims for the altars of the goddess; and all these, and many more, came in for open-mouthed regards. One popular favourite was missing it was Fae.

Attendant upon each person was the peculiar suite; the shield-bearer, pipe-bearer, fan-bearer, and, of the ladies, scent-bearers, and large retinues besides, so that there was a very great multitude altogether, very splendid and magnificent, moving onward in an endless stream of coloured magnificence.

The roar of triumph that had greeted the mighty Tzan continued unbrokenly as each popular personage came in sight; and, by the truth of God, it was a stirring sound and thrilling. What triumph for man, this applause of a nation!

And how brightly spread that myriad-eyed array! The gleam of gold and silver among the soft tints of mantles and feathers, the waving of coloured fans as a meadow of flowers swayed by the breeze, the sparkle of gems as some languid beauty moved a rounded arm on which golden ceintures held the wealth of empires, the glittering armlets of warriors, some formed as serpents, and plates fastened to bands confining the hirsute glories of some princess. Above some chevelures flashed gemmed tiaras of fabulous worth, and necklaces of priceless pearls from Astra enhanced the soft beauty of many a round, white throat. It was a gorgeous array of splendour and magnificence!

When these were seated, a trumpet-sound broke the expectant stillness. This was the first day of the Circus, when Rhadaman had said that in the night Tekthah should die, and I looked to where the Tzantan sat, and wondered would he wait until the prophetic third day before he took any steps.

A trap was opened beneath the seats and from it a horse bounded into the vast arena, surveying the scene with startled eyes and pricked ears, suddenly transferring his attention to a great, lithe, catlike creature that leaped from another trap, and, belly to the earth, crept swiftly towards him. As, with a snort, he turned, the spotted leopard leaped towards him with three lightning bounds, but the shying little savage of the plains avoided the fate, and with a swing of his heels rolling the leopard over, fled like the wind. He eluded another in like manner that was sent in to aid the first, and when the two were aided also by a third and caught him, he killed one and fought the remaining two with teeth and hoofs, but succumbed at length.

Then the victors had to fight a lion, who vanquished them and then killed a horse and a buffalo and was finally impaled on the spear-like horns of a large antelope.

There were many more such combats, and some where numbers of animals took part, all of which the crowds applauded or disapproved, exchanging bets on the results, a They licked their lips at the sight of blood, showing their large white teeth and red gums, at times uttering their formidable cries of approval or disapproval and calling on their gods to aid the combatant of their choice.

Among them promenaded vendors of water, wine and solid food-stuffs, long-handled fans to ward off the hot sun-rays, and small images of all the various gods. Musicians added discord to uproar, and from the Imperial quarter the odours of perfumes floated, sprinkled by slaves upon the air to ward off the odour of the multitude.

The combatants fought on down there, watched by the myriads of pitiless eyes, which began to perceive in them a sameness, so that there were roars of joy when human beings appeared to compete with the brutes.

The first was him I recognised as Gadema; and, startled, I looked to where Azta sat. Unflinchingly she gazed at him, and afterwards she told me that she had prevailed upon Tekthah to consign him thither for an act of insolence to herself; and now, as his pallid face sought her out, she drew a slave before her that he might not see where she sat. And his competition was this; that he should race the length of the arena against an auroch, and if he reached a little trap at the other side he could escape, but if not he must do what he might with a knife which he wore in a belt, which was also his only clothing.

Poor boy! There he stood, a figure of faultless symmetry, trembling with fear as the roar of his handicapped pursuer fell on his ear. for he had a start of one-tenth of the arena. Yet not alone he trembled, for Rhadaman and Shar-Jatal and others of the conspirators, perceiving him, and totally unaware of such an entry, were filled with the direst forebodings, believing all to be known and this the first victim of a wrath they feared. In mute dismay they sat, therefore, revolving in their minds this thing, and I perceived how their eyes looked more inwardly than on the arena.

It is not stated how many animals were in the arena at one time. But in the Roman amphitheatre, Scylla exhibited a combat in which 100 lions took part, Cnesar 400, and Pompey 600. This is on the authority of Pliny, who informs us that Quintus Curtius started the savage pastime.

The great bull leaped from the trap and Gadema sped off like the wind to race for his life; and so still was the multitude that the flying patter of feet could be heard. With death in his eye the bold auroch bounded after the white racer in front, whose only hope was in his speed, for he could not fight such an opponent with his hands, like it was remembered of the prince Azco, who, unaided and alone, had fought with and slain such another opponent.

Shar-Jatal, who ever kept a calm head, made an imperious signal to some one at the goal-end of the arena; and Gadema, perceiving the door of safety close, faltered in his stride and shouted aloud with a great despairing cry. For the merciless Tzantan was minded that he should not escape, being within the clutch of Tekthah, to whom, if he had not already confided ought, he never should.

It was no good racing. The youth desperately faced the beast; yet accustomed to be petted and pampered he was no fit combatant in such a contest, and his failing heart would not support the half-formed resolve. To the disappointment of the audience he again turned, in the very moment of time, and as the thundering auroch halted with a bound and raised his head, astonished at meeting no opposition, he beheld his victim skimming over the arena like a bird at right angles to his former course.

Most of the people, not understanding the reason for this, were astonished; for although they had heard the victim's cry and seen him falter, the glare of the sun prevented them from seeing the reason; for the door by which he might have escaped, sunk deeply, presented the same gray square whether open or shut.

How brutal was the mind of the crowd! For, with a futile hope in their pity, the youth, reaching the wall, endeavoured to climb up into safety. But handfuls of dust were cast on him and vengeful epithets shouted on his luckless head; clubs beat his poor fingers to pulp, and falling back on the horns of his pursuer he was cast into the arena.

Dazed and trembling with terror and pain the youth again fled, and the people roared to encourage him, various war-cries and the shrill whistles of certain warriors of Atala rising high above the din. Blinded and bruised he staggered on, and only by falling escaped the auroch's charge. He clutched for his knife, but it was gone; but as in that was his only hope he rose up and, running with incredible swiftness, found it.

The baffled and enraged bull was on him again, arid with a shuddering cry the boy plunged the blade into his own heart, preferring to die thus; and the body that, hurled by those cruel horns, went with the rush of a missile into the crowd, was a lifeless one.

Ill would it have been for Shar-Jatal had Azta known of his treachery to the hapless boy, for methought her eyes flashed furiously now that he was dead and that she repented of such scene having transpired. Yet other events followed so rapidly that there was not much time for thought, and I perceived Rhadaman and the other conspirators to be more at ease as the time went on. And that night Targul the pipe-bearer died by violence, being secretly put away by Shar-Jatal's orders lest he might be terrified into confiding any secret to Tekthah.

There followed terrible fights between men and beasts, in which sometimes the men had arms, sometimes not; and occasionally some godlike man would rend the beasts single-handed by a wondrous exhibition of giant strength. A few, like Gadema, ended an unequal combat by an easier death than any they could receive from their brute antagonists; and at such a culmination the multitudes cried out with rage and gnashed their teeth.

Night came, ending the sports for the day and starting its own diabolical saturnalia, and in the sheer movements of crowds many were killed. The next day was the same as the first, on a grander and still larger scale; the third day was for human combats only, to finish with that foretold scene when the Champion of Atlantis should fight with an unknown person, and

And what! What would follow? I knew not.

CHAPTER XIV. THE THIRD DAY.

THE morning of the third day broke, the day of great events and great expectations. For this day was proclamation of concessions to be made to all the people by Tekthah to bind their hearts to him and keep them from following after Huitza; and it was to be of great moment to Rhadaman and a turning-point of many things. For this day had many hearts waited, and it had come and now is it gone, gone by afar and for ever.

Mow eager they were in their strength and wickedness, those lusty ones who watched the arena, where men wrestled in oiled nakedness, armed or weaponless! Huge spears, hurled by Titannic arms with the force of thunderbolts, smote through four-fold shield and softer body, and stood smoking out behind, to the delight of the populace. Troops of warriors joined furious battle, and slings sent stones flying unseen, that sent horrid splashes of blood and brains spattering about. A few noted champions engaged many or fought one another, and the war-cries of various tribes arose shrill and long from the excited audience. Slaves and captives were butchered wholesale; smashed, stabbed, gashed, thrust through, strangled and broken by their savage and horrible opponents, who were of the race of their conquerors.

My heart sickens now to think of that carnival of horror which I perceived for the first time; but what power could have stopped so great a deed? And I also hoped for something, I knew not what, to happen after this dreadful fete.

At length came the concluding ceremony of the games, which sadden me to think of, and I looked to see now what I should see. This was the challenge of the Champion of Atlantis to dispute his right by single combat to the title.

I understood this was, as a rule, an empty ceremony. A captain advanced to the centre of the arena and in a stentorian voice announced that the Lord Rhadaman, first-born of the King of the Earth, and Tzantan of the armies of Atlantis, desired to be known as Champion, and challenged all or anybody to dispute the title by trial of single combat Then, after a silence, the prince took the stand of the retired herald and was blessed by Acoa, and that ended it.

But this time, as Azta had said, a man entered from an opposite direction to that from which the herald had come, dressed in equal style; and, in the dead silence that followed the pompous speech, declared, in a voice that could be heard by all the astonished multitude, that there was one who would do battle in dispute of such title.

Tekthah started, and a great sensation passed through the Imperial throng, while all the conspirators believed themselves to be discovered, and this to be the commencement of their doom. I perceived Azta to pale and catch her breath, and a vast bewilderment seized all, who marvelled what manner of man it might be who dared defy the mighty Chieftain, son of great Tekthah!

I saw a dark frown gather on the Tzantan's brows, and the thought that this was the end before the beginning of an evil and bloody march to the throne, lay heavy on him as he rose up and shook his great body, looking steadily round on the warriors and princes about him. For a moment I perceived it was in their minds to do instantly some desperate deed; yet nought had transpired to show that the conspiracy against the sire was suspected, save the sacrifice of Gadema; and Rhadaman believed that if the plot was known and he had to die, this fashion would be as well as another, and if not, all would come as he believed; and no good could come of a wild uprising. As he passed Azta he said in a voice of menace and angry despair, yet withal breathing a savage pride: "Thou wilt remember! Thou shalt be Tizin of Atlantis"

She nodded. The eyes of all were directed to a spot in the Circus, whence came, through that door that doomed Gadema to death, a tall figure. Completely hidden by his armour from any recognition, he carried spear, sword and shield, and stalked to the centre of the arena, casting a long, slow stare round the sea of faces.

A dense silence reigned, broken only by whispered guesses as to whom this might be. Now, facing him, Rhadaman appeared, and immediate comparisons and notes were made and bets exchanged.

The combatants appeared to be equally matched, and the gaping crowds noted it the while they joyfully prepared to watch the unexpected treat. Both of towering and goodly proportions, splendidly limbed and of tremendous power, they were clad completely in armour, and the helmets had visors that hid the features, Rhadaman's overshadowed by the golden vulture-wings, the stranger's topped by the horns of the buffalo. Over their shoulders hung the enormous round shields, ponderous and weighty, but on the stranger's was no token to disclose who he might be, and none could guess save at hazard. The visor of his helmet was but the leathern shield of the common soldier, but his manner and bearing proclaimed a high birthright.

At a flourish of trumpets the heralds withdrew and left the arena clear for the rival Champions; and looking at Azta, I saw her gaze on the stranger with her yellow eyes afire, her lips drawn tight over her teeth, and her hands clenched to her bosom as though to still the heart whose beatings I could almost perceive.

In a deathlike silence the duellists faced one another. Then, both turning, strode fifty paces apart and struck their spears into the earth; and again facing, drew their swords and advanced with uplifted shields.

At the display of knowledge as to the etiquette of the duel on the part of the stranger a murmur arose. The Imperial party leaned forward on their couches, watching anxiously, Azta with the look on her face that she wore while she read the vision. The combatants slowly circled the one round the other, watching for the slightest opportunity to direct a blow, yet Rhadaman seemed overbearing and confident, knowing the eyes of his fondly-imagined mistress were upon him.

He suddenly leaped towards his opponent, and quick as lightning his great blade circled and cut upward; with equal rapidity it was arrested on the opposing shield, and he sank down to escape a deadly sweep that flashed in an arc of light over his own buckler. With a shout he leaped up and swung his sword, it hovering in its mortal dartings right, left and in lightning circles; and rapid strokes were given and parried, the swords looking like lightning flashes; and the thud and clang rose fast and loud in the intense silence.

I saw wagers being given and taken quickly as the stranger's prowess became greatly apparent to all, but over the crowd a vast silence lay for the most part. So great a display of swordsmanship had never before been witnessed, and all trembled to perceive an unknown champion in their midst who could thus stand up against Rhadaman.

An upward cut from the unknown warrior was followed instantaneously by a manoeuvre so rapid that scarce an eye perceived the masterly stroke that lopped one of the high wings from his opponent's helm and crushed down the other one. At the sight a subdued shout arose and rolled like thunder through Ihe crowds; half of interest, half of involuntary dismay. The populace remembered the legends of gods fighting on Earth, and although they worshipped such with much joyfulness and sacrifice of the blood of men, they did not profess any wish to risk such an experiment as having one as a ruler, now that such contingency appeared possible. But their interest was quickly absorbed in the rapid play of blade and shield as the giants fought with labouring breath.

Presently blood flew into the air in a red flying circle from a whirling blade, and a murmur burst forth like the sound of a stormy wind as every man bared his teeth and drew his breath over them with a hiss. With anxiety they watched, hoping their champion would finally win, for no one knew what the other portended, nor indeed did they care to know. And the greater the prowess of the stranger became apparent, the less the people loved to perceive it, and the wildest guesses were made as to whom it might be who thus dared their best warrior to single combat in their very midst. Would that I fuitza were here to engage the mighty champion!

Untiringly the combatants fought, their dreadful blows falling with a might that caused wonderment at their being withstood. The Tzantan retreated back to where his spear was standing, and suddenly reaching round, plucked the huge staff from the earth, changing his sword to the hand behind the shield. Before his opponent could move to avoid the dreadful weapon it fell on him like a thunderbolt, driving him to the earth under his transfixed shield.

A deafening roar of relief broke from the vast concourse. Tekthah rose to his fqet with a great pride in his first-born, but a cry broke from Azta, a sound of indescribable emotion.

The triumphant chieftain rushed on his fallen foe, and the shouts gave sudden place to hysterical silence. If this were a god, now let him show his p\>\ver! And it was so that before the vengeful sword of Rhadaman could fall, a mighty sword-sweep from the prostrate unknown one shore off a foot at the ankle and bit into his other leg, so that he fell on the other's shield.

Triumph was turned to dismay, victory to direst uncertainty, as the transfixed warrior rose up, and shaking off shield and spear stood erect and apparently unhurt.

Rhadaman swept out at him in like fashion with his blade, but this the stranger avoided by an upward spring; yet not altogether, for a sandal flew off and a red stream of blood gushed from the wounded foot.

The fallen Tzantan crouched behind his shield, and the Imperial party groaned; yet not so did Azta, but gazed in marble silence A hush as of death fell over the vast crowds, as with suspended breath they crouched in nearly uncontrollable excitement, craning their necks and exposing their teeth.

There was a stir in the Imperial party, hasty consultations and violent gestures. Over the crowds swayed a sound like the sound of a storm in the great forests, as they watched and speculated while Tekthah hastily discussed if the usual law of fight to a finish should be permitted. Whereat a smile passed across the Tizin's fateful countenance, serene and deadly.

The stranger allowed no time for such argument. In turn wielding his spear, the dreadful weapon transfixed the Tzantan's shield through the centre of the solar ornament and bored the sevenfold mighty buckler with irresistible force. Pierced through, Rhadaman leaped up and fell back with a groan, and the noise of his fall was as of a tower falling. Yet did he struggle up with the blood bursting from his mouth and deluging him from his beard, but it was his last move.

Quick as the vivid lightning smote the sword, and the head with its battered golden helmet leaped from his shoulders and fell, rolling and jumping, and spouting blood among the masses of released hair that flew with its circling like a veil about it. The giant body fell heavily, and the gushing blood rushed from the arteries in red rivers.

Not a sound was heard. Curiosity, intense and terrific, overcame all other considerations, and now it would be for the mighty conqueror to disclose himself. So intense was the silence that it became oppressive, and several women fainted. Tekthah watched with a terrible light in his eyes, the veins swelling on his temples and his hair seeming to bristle as he looked on that tall warrior who had slain his first-born, the only pillar between himself and Shar-Jatal, whom he began to fear.

With foot on his opponent's chest, the conqueror leaned on his red blade, as though enjoying the tension of the waiting hosts; and, not suffering himself to notice his wounded foot, repeated the long stare with which he had entered into their presence. To some it appeared to be menacing, to others" arrogant, and all nearly cried out with the torment of waiting his disclosure.

Slowly he loosened the visor, and, allowing his weapon to fall on his antagonist's corpse, with both hands he lifted the horned helmet. And now, as, according to the fashion of the Atlantean warriors, he had wrapped his mane and beard about his neck for an additional protection, these masses fell loose; and as he raised his face to the vast assemblages the light glinted redly on his tresses, and a shout that rent the skies and shook the earth arose, a roar of joy and relief and enthusiasm:

"Huitza! Huitza! The god has returned!"

CHAPTER XV. THE CHILD OF DOOM.

COMING in such manner the hero returned, supported by the love and strengthened enthusiasm of the people; and without the walls lay his army, a great part of which, disguised, was among the crowding thousands in the Circus.

Acoa blessed the prince with impassioned fervour, proclaiming him Champion; and now indeed the fires in the mountains ceased, so that every one believed the Tzantan to be a God in truth.

The games and sacrifices were over and the crowds returned to their own lands and cities, confident that now their savage enemies would be swept from their frontiers and the land resume its proud status again under the general command of the popular warrior. There were many who declared that the Tzan should abdicate in his favour, for his supremacy had only been by the voice of the nation, enthusiastic over a warrior who had made the Empire and founded cities. Yet many again loved Tekthah for the sake of the old days; and although the Chieftain had sunk into the luxurious and overbearing Emperor, he was still the grand old warrior who had made Atlantis what it was.

In Tek-Ra Noah and his family rejoiced greatly that things were thus, for Huitza was a friend to Ham, who was held as hostage in Tekthah's palace. Yet would not the governor permit such outrageous doings in celebration as the people wished to indulge in, and they hated him and discussed a way to rid themselves of the entire family who forsook not the worship of Jehovah nor leaned to lewdness and unholy conduct. For as much as possible Noah prevented their evil doings, by which he raised against him a bitter annoyance.

Now Tekthah was greatly disturbed at the success and popularity of Huitx.a, for he believed him to be a plotter at the sovereign power, and disquieting rumours regarding many wishes for his abdication reached his ears. The jealousy of his son and the wrath at his conquest over Rhadaman lingered with a bitter feeling; a vast annoyance that the daring warrior had had the audacity to present himself a renegade before a justly incensed sire, and in that presence to slay the firstborn of the Empire, which he believed to be the only bar to his rebel ambition.

The old warrior began to perceive his position insecure to an excess, and a feeling of furious contempt for the nation and rage against this man seized him, the more so that he believed Azta to greatly favour him, for which also he hated her.

Nor was Shar-Jatal less annoyed, for he believed this man would, with sovereign power, seize the hearts of the people so that any attempt to remove him would be dangerous. Therefore while Tekthah yet held power he pressed him for an answer concerning his post of power next to himself. And it came that Tekthah likewise looked to him as his tool, for he knew him to be unscrupulous, and ready to undertake any underhand work to his own advancement; and notwithstanding that Huitza was his son first-born by the Tizin Atlace (as he believed), he hated and feared him, and preferred that Shar-Jatal should hold power before him.

So to this bad man he confided his fears, reminding him that the Tzantan had many and influential friends; the Tizin, Mehir, Mico, Acoa, some of his brothers, and many others, among whom was Ham; which one, as concerned one of their larger cities, was very powerful in such a case.

And to him Shar-Jatal propounded a plan, speaking in questioning metaphor until he perceived that the Tzan fully understood the grave campaign; when he placed before him a horrid scheme that should strike terror to the hearts of all who dare cross the path of Tekthah, and seat him more firmly on the threatened throne.

Now to my Love had been born a little son, for whom she claimed the Tzan as sire, he being ignorant to a great degree of myself, nor imagining the love I had for Azta, and forgetting in the number of his mistresses that she never suffered him.

Yet was this offspring of our love a wonder to both of us, being hermaphrodite and larger than ordinary babes, growing also prodigiously and of a strange beauty, giving promise of a brilliant career and raising fresh fears also in Tekthah's breast. For knowing (and fearing far more than he knew) of the Tizin's regards for Huitza, he dreaded him the sire, and greatly feared so powerful a combination. And in truth the child certainly bore a great resemblance to the Tzantan, having ruddy hair, which was an unusual thing; but Tekthah dared not openly interfere with the mother, knowing by many rumours of her strange powers. So to Shar-Jatal he intrusted all the carriage of the wishes of his heart; and the evil man, who had long wished in secret to possess so rare a beauty as the Tizin, vowed to also remove her and the child from the Imperial path.

Therefore, in pleasing expectation Tekthah walked in his gardens, and I perceived how bloody a man he was and by what unscrupulous means he would secure his position. Through his expanded nostrils he inhaled the air in large draughts, and felt with pride the still vast muscles of his arms, the while he laughed in his throat and anon cursed Shar-Jatal in no measured terms, vowing to raise his own son Tala to the chief power. Which one hated the People's Representative, who was a rival to the affections of his half-sister Semaia, among many others.

Azta, walking with her little child and old Na, perceived him in such mood and would have turned away, but the old lion motioned her to him.

"Ha!" he said in a great voice, " a brave whelp! a worthy offspring of our union, O Love. After what style is he named?"

"He is called Toltiah," said Azta, her curious and terrible eyes rivetted on her lord's with half a menace in them; so that even in his present mood he felt uneasy.

''Another strengthener to our hands, fair mistress; in these days of many rumours the Throne hath need of support; what thinkest thou?"

He tried to terrify her with his presence and bearing, and the pointedness of his remark; but her expression faltered not.

"Does Tekthah hearken to rumours?" she asked sneeringly.

"Keep thy tongue more governed, woman!" cried the Tzan, with roused ire, "else remember Fae!"

She gave him one long scathing glance of deadly challenge and strode away with the child Toltiah and the old slave. To her arbour she went, where now I lay involved in a purple cluster of fruit, and reclined on her couch, playing with the plump creature as a tigress would play with her kitten, and decorating his hair with sartreel flowers with a vast weird pride.

"How like thou art to him!" she laughed, yet with a tone of savagery; "yet why is he returned, and to conquer thus? O heaven-born whelp, what will come to thee? Is thy path a long march of blood, my baby, to reign after me o'er all the Earth? Little one, little one, would it have been better hadst thou never been born at all?"

Entranced with her beauty I appeared before her, and rising up, she held forth the child towards me, her eyes full of a great pride and joy. I took it in my arms and gazed with delight into its features that were framed with beautiful curls like untcr Azta's, its eyes being also like hers, while the large, full limbs gave promise of a great stature beyond the common.

"Truly has our love been blessed," I said; and putting an arm round Azta, I drew her down beside me into the couch, seating the child on my knee.

" How greatly I love thee, my Love! " I cried with joy, " and for thy love to me shall come power on earth. Before the child lies a great future, when he stands the King of men, leader of warriors and maker of Empires when Tekthah is dead; and thou and I, Love, will ever live together and I will show thee more than ever thou dreamest of or ever could imagine. Yet, Azta, troubles will come, and woe is me that I love thee so well, for I fear greatly. Nay, gaze not so on me with those eyes of fire, for perchance my might can prevail; and much have I been thinking of late, and great distances have I travelled, such as thou wouldst estimate. Leagues to the North, where lands are that thou knowest nought of; lands where the everlasting ice covers vegetation that once bloomed tropical before the hand of Jehovah turned the World of Earth, pivotted on its axis, and covered the poles with Death; where the bones of unknown fearful animals are buried forgotten, the embryo forms of living creatures that lived before Man was."

She lay on my breast and looked up at me in wonder, holding one of Toltiah's little hands in hers; and in the background old Na hovered uneasily, as she ever did when I was near, not comprehending my nature and the manner of my appearances.

And my mind being troubled concerning the council between Tekthah and the People's Representative, I told to Azta all I had heard concerning her and the child; whereat she looked now troubled and now scornful by turns. For concerning herself she feared not, yet knew that Tekthah feared the child because of the mystery of his birth and the reason that she was his mother and bore no regard to himself. She resolved to send away the child Toltiah, but herself refused to shun the impending doom, yet why I did not guess, believing it to be but her recklessness. And distressed by such determination I unfolded to her the manner of arresting an assault by the power of volition applied in opposition, that no mortal might lay a hand on her if she willed it not; for already she possessed great power of her eyes. To this end I bade her look upon me, and gazed into her eyes so that her spirit came forth, and in an intense concentration of feelings showed her wonders that caused a cessation of carnal life with a lightning increase of perception, seeing the new power rushing in her veins, potential and fearful.

She gave a little laugh and stretched herself. "Now am I powerful indeed!" she cried arrogantly.

" Nay, my dear Love, boast not thyself," I implored her: " I have not done well to show thee this thing, yet of my great love for thee I did it. But beware how thou usest thy power, for toleration is the art of God."

And that night was a great feast proclaimed, and all the army within Zul was to be feted. But Azta, with all a mother's love, anxious for her baby, determined to send away Toltiah to Tek-Ra, and place him under the protection of Noah until such time as she should send for him, yet in sorrow, for she loved not such parting. Nevertheless she sent him with Na, and a strong escort under Nahuasco went with them, which one was well entrusted of the Tizin, being chief of her guards. Him she gave many gifts to, and on his sword the warrior vowed to stay by the young prince and devote his life to him; and also to deliver the message to the governor that this charge placed within his walls was born of Heaven and would one day become an avenger on the nation for their sins and again raise the altars of Jehovah.

And such I also fondly dreamed, yet forgot that no good could be begotten of sin. And in after days Na returned to A/.ta with comforting assurances, for she could not live apart from her mistress whom she had nursed from her infancy.

CHAPTER XVI. THE FEAST OF DEATH.

IMMENSELY grand was the scene that night in the Hall of Feasting. How bright the flaring torches supplied the last light of Earth that so many eyes of the assembled nobles would ever see again! For on that night the bloody plan of Tekthah and Shar-Jatal would be consummated, but none save themselves and their ministers knew that it was as yet the appointed occasion; not I myself even. For myself, I was blinded to affairs of Earth that I would not undertake save for my own pleasure, and perceived nought unusual in such a proceeding.

Below Azta reclined the one in whose honour the feast was given the Tzantan Huitza, who, in full panoply of war, compelled the admiration of all eyes by his majestic figure and princely bearing. Yet among his brothers was not wanting jealousy, and I knew that Tekthah and Shar-Jatal hated him. And, although lost in contemplation of the coloured throngs and diverted by the subdued roar of conversation and music and the myriad odours of the flower-decked board, gradually over my mind spread a presentiment of impending doom, so strong and terrible that I nearly cried out for fear, yet could not, for my speech was taken from me. I noticed that many of Tekthah's mistresses and sons were absent, and I knew that I was to watch a fearful deed of sin that need not have been; and to look upon a direful wrong of Earth that my vacillating policies permitted, unchecked by aught of Heaven; and yet, ah God! to write it .... a great thrill of triumph ran through me at the thought of my great rival's death. But for an instant lasted that awful jubilation that branded me a murderer and brought such punishment, and then, with a wondrous horror I looked around over the torch-lighted scene, wild, barbaric, immense, and noted sadly how the Tizin's eyes did feast themselves on the great man below her, yet with a weird unrest, and that Shar-Jatal ate with haste next to him. With a great perception I knew that I looked upon a feast where black Death sat by Tekthah with sword uplifted to fall, and in the dancing shadows I saw forms of horror that brooded over the company; and among them stood the dread Accuser. My soul cried on Acoa, trusting to him with a great longing to appear; and then in mute agony, abashed at my position, to Heaven.

Yet all those mortals appeared happy and at ease, and I knew that in the market-place the troops were carousing. Mehir reclined in happy enjoyment of the plenteous fare, slashing with his sword a huge joint on which to regale himself; Sada, talking earnestly to the abstracted Shar-Jatal, seemed absorbed but in him, on whom Semaia flashed evil glances: Amal, Colosse, Nezca, Mico all looked indifferent. Yet me thought the weird features of the sorceress Pocatepa were alive with interest, and her black eyes looked devilishly to where, through the lurid mist behind the Tzan, gleamed arm and' buckler and flashing helm.

The conversation grew louder, as was its wont, while the slaves distributed the contents of the immense bowls of wine round the board, drunken bursts of laughter and occasional shouts proclaiming the usual results of its progress. The red mist gathered in the roof until to me the hall seemed hung with a horrid cloud of human blood, and beneath swayed the coloured mantles with the gems and armour gleaming among them, like sparkles of light in a sea of autumn leaves through which peered white faces with their strange spiritual eyes.

I felt as though but two people lived in full enjoyment of intellect to watch the throng myself and Tekthah, looking as in a dream on the mass of living colour and I glanced up to where the Tzan sat, grim, terrible and without movement, beneath the Solar crown of State.

Suddenly he clapped his hands, and instantaneously with the sound a huge spear whizzed and buried itself in Huitza's broad back, coming with a rush of blood through his chest.

With an agonized roar he staggered up; and save but for a piercing scream from Azta a horrid silence fell, as with startled eyes all gazed at the stricken hero risen to his godlike height with the murderous weapon balanced through his body, his own spear in his hand.

"Thou old traitor!" he gasped, turning on the sire; and raising his own mighty weapon hurled it towards the Tzan. But the bolt drave through a Captain of the guard who came toward him, and rolled him, spouting blood, on to Tekthah; while the hero sank in death at Azta's feet.

Simultaneously with this attack Shar-Jatal had thought to do similarly with Mehir, but, whether warned by instinct or impelled by fate, the imagined victim rolled over in time to avoid the spear-thrust, that, dashed upon the floor, shattered the weapon at the binding of the metal and sent the shaft whizzing and spinning among the viands.

The murderer uttered a curse and turned to fly, fearful of the wrath of the giant; but Mehir was too quick for him, and bounding to his feet with a shout, as cries and shrieks rent the air from all quarters, he caught the treacherous man by the knees and hurled him at an advancing rush of spearmen, who were swept off their feet by this tremendous missile.

The hall was in instant uproar. The slaves cried out and shrieked with terror, the fan-bearers casting down their heavy fans and running in all directions, and those which bore the shields covering their bodies with them as they ran. At that moment the High Priest of Zul rushed in, dishevelled, with his long white locks streaming and his yellow robe flying around him like a cloud. He appeared to see nothing as he hastened through the shouting crowd, but pressed to where Huitza lay with his head on Azta's lap, and with a terrible cry, sank on his knees beside him.

Screams of wild terror arose, and vengeful shouts, as through the heavy odorous atmosphere flew hurled joints and great amphoras, spears and human bodies, blood, bones, limbs, brains. From peace the scene had changed with terrible suddenness to war and murder; and as warriors, fully armed and harnessed, rushed in from all sides, the torches were swept from their metal buckets either purposely or accidentally, and huge forms plunged and wrestled in semi-gloom in lakes of wine and hot blood and heaps of smashed bowls and mingled viands.

Piercing shrieks of women rose above the din, and the echoing roar of the lions, who were excited by the noise, added its thunder to the storm of sounds. By the light of one or two torches left burning, fearful scenes were enacted; spears transfixed the swaying bodies, and great stone and metal axes crashed through skulls and smashed bones, witnessed in terrific pantomime through the awful twilight. As many as could find the exits, fled; and many, lying down, pulled the dead or dying bodies of others over themselves, hoping so to obtain immunity from the sweeping butchers.

Upon Azta, sitting terrified but calm, a huge slave rushed; but with half the leg of an ox she felled him to the ground at her feet. Acoa, his head buried in his mantle, sat regardless of the terrors around him, as one himself dead, and to my mind came a great consolation at the thought of Toltiah being safe and far from this dreadful seat of sin.

The sounds were atrocious, and a rush of combatants swept Azta and Acoa violently apart from one another and the corpse of Huitza. I took my Love by the hand, more clearly now perceiving what to do, and we went thence into the gardens, among a terrified collection of women and slaves, huddled together, most of them trembling and sobbing, their clothes gone and their bodies wounded.

Some among these latter, however, unmoved by the murderous horrors of the past few moments, were abominable in their conduct; carrying off, as the darkness allowed, some among the women whom they had long in secret regarded, seizing their tender victims with violence and smothering their cries with their hands. And that nought should come of it afterwards, and having sufficiently satisfied their lust, they stabbed them to the heart, and carrying them into the dark hall left them, cast among the dead warriors; first breaking their teeth to obtain their gems.

So, among many others, perished Teta and Semaia: so would have died proud Azta but that I stood by her, and ofttimes warded off a death that hovered nigh. Yet her wild agony of grief smote bitterly on my soul with a message I would not hear, but that nevertheless poured burning adamant slowly into my heart with unowned pain and scathing.

And now bright lights began to flare again, as the scattered torches seized with their flaming fat upon all inflammable things. In the hall men still fought, but the soldiery had silenced most of them overcome by wine, yet nevertheless the armour they wore, protecting them from many a ghastly wound, greatly prolonged the struggle. The thick, yellow smoke from fallen torches yet unextinguished, and the pungent smell of roasting flesh where human beings burned within their fur mantles, rose above the reek of blood. The sputtering crackle and explosive sounds of bursting skulls that the flames cracked, the sharp crick of the heated pots and bowls, the crackling of burning bones and sizzle of flames that came in contact with moisture rose sharp above the soft moans of dying men and women too terribly hurt to cry aloud. Yet now and then some wretch hidden beneath a pile of corpses, licked by fire, would rise from the scattering heap and rush for an exit, leaping and crying out.

In a short time all human sounds ceased in the hall, for everyone there was dead; and in pools of blood, among burning rugs and broken crockery and bones and weapons they lay, the corpses of nearly four hundred human beings; and the lions, scenting the blood, roared all night long. All that could burn flared redly, and now that the need for light had gone the bright flames began to throw their tongues of fire over the scene of that carnival of Death. Running upwards upon a hanging curtain they laid hold upon the rafters of the roof, which fell crashing down and covered all with a dusty coverlet of charred wood, clay, and tiles. But by reason of its sudden fall, and being isolated, it caused no ignition to other roofs of the palace.

It was a fitting floor-piece to the horrible paintings on the walls, now more horrible by reason of gory patches and smudges and the delineations being in places destroyed by lines of smoking soot and the purifying flames; and all night long unclean dogs fought and fed and chased each other through the smoking dust, disturbed by the roar of the lions, and flung red splashes about.

The Tzan and Shar-Jatal and many other influential ones had bribed over a great part of the army to their side; and next morning a herald was sent to the legions in the Market-Place, yet heavy with great debauchery and surrounded by those bribed ones, and demanded of them a fresh oath of allegiance to Tekthah, new officers being appointed to them. For the old ones of any importance had been especially marked for slaughter, and among these was Mico, the chief of the archers. And many also of the old officers who survived were, seen no more, being secretly put away. Vet the Imperial Guards, all young nobles, though serving under a captain, were in their hearts furious at the murder of many friends in that massacre; and many also, perceiving that Shar-Jatal recovered, hated him as representing in upstart guise the mass of the people, and being now appointed next in power to Tekthah. Likewise a vast feeling of insecurity was now engendered, for no one felt safe. Azta being removed to a great tower by the Representative's orders and there hidden, the rumour being spread that she was dead. Alone, with but old Na to comfort her, she remained in wild anguish, nor would permit me to approach her; so that my soul fainted within me at the thought that she believed me to be the murderer of her Love.

There was a time of danger from the enraged population, who, shocked in their luxurious habits by the news of the massacre (that was felt all over the land), gathered in crowds and had to be dispersed by force of arms, and at times even the majestic presence of Tekthah could scarce calm them. By degrees the news spread to the farthest boundaries, and then a strong rumour gained ground that their great chief would appear again, and all Atlantis grew to believe in it and look for it. Which rumour Acoa instituted and spread with furious zeal, yet in secret; and I was bewildered at the mazes of results, of plot and counterplot, vaguely perceived, yet not understood. Also I became possessed of a sad apathy, a dull heavy sorrow that dragged down my spirit, and I could not leaVe Azta, yet longed in vain for herself to invite me to approach her.

Tekthah was startled and appalled at the prophecy of his son's reappearance, which overcame his joy at the news of Azta's death and the death of Toltiah, for those detailed for this bloody deed dared not confess their errand unsuccessful. And to farther increase his uneasiness, the body of Ham, the son of Noah, could not be found, nor was any member of his family to be discovered; for they had fled under cover of the murderous attack and had gone to Chuza with the evil tidings. Which, hearing, and knowing that now Huitza was dead the people, who hated him, would rise against him, Noah fled with speed, taking all his family and the boy Toltiah; and no man knew whither he had gone.

And now Tekthah became furious and apathetic by turns, so that none cared to approach him, and lands of dead nobles and princes were suffered to remain with no master but the tribe-leaders. And in such wise had he believed he could make himself safe and unmenaced, and deal out a dire lesson to all who might cross his will and power; yet in place of living enemies arose armies of larvae and horrid Dreams, and those days of Tekthah were terrible.

CHAPTER XVII. THE PASSING OF TEKTHAH.

THE days passed slowly and in sorrow. Superstitious and impulsive, Tekthah had repented bitterly of his fury, and now like a living presence the shade of Huitza stood above his mind and he appeared to believe more than anyone else in the legend of his reappearance; for he feared the power of Azta even in death.

Hut to me was the greater sadness, for a horror I could scarcely explain lay on my soul, the knowledge that I was voluntarily giving up all for what I nearly perceived to be a shadow, yet dared not dream of such. And in sad perplexity and sorrow I did but hover near my Love, to whom the Tzantan Shar-Jatal, madly desirous of possessing her, went at times and importuned, using all his courtly arts to that end. He prostrated him before her, threatened, prayed, but all in vain. To the same argument as dead Rhadaman's "Thou shalt be Queen of Atlantis when I am Emperor " she had answered, "Thou wilt never be the Tzan." And when, maddened by her taunts, he had rushed on her, she smote him by my arts so that he staggered back and lost all his courage.

And so she lived quietly with old Na to wait upon her, and grieved sadly; yet would make no attempt to escape because she would thereby lose all chance of power that was very dear to her, and the wild hope of vengeance.

And then I looked upon another phase. It was night on Atlantis, a dark, troubled night, where voices seemed to cry in the air and spirits floated like horrid larva? in the atmosphere. Clouds were over the face of all the sky, and the long, flamy streamers waved like fanciful human figures from high temples, flung by the wind. The moan of the sea rose unceasing as long billows dashed in masses of foam up the yellow beach, and the wind howled in the trees and shrieked with fearful sounds through the ghostly sartreels and swinging vines.

In the palace all was still save but for the sound of the wind that fluttered the coloured hangings in the entrances, scaring prowling dogs that had escaped the sentries' notice; which ones walked fearfully, terrified by rumours of horrid appearances within those walls where lay the Hall of Feasting in disorder and darkness, uncovered to Heaven. Therein appeared to brood the spirits of dead warriors and murdered women, and broad splashes of blood on the walls remained to speak of violence and treachery that hurried victims to hasty death, and burial scant of rites or decency. None dared feast there now, nor, unaccompanied, pass through it. Time would never cover those memories.

The palace was full of soldiers, and in the gardens the legions thronged, secretly gathered by command of Shar-Jatal and officers who were his myrmidons, great men and very influential. All were silent and stern, casting glances around as huge moths flew by or the high wind rolled the tapestry in bellying shapes. There was much trouble in those days, with promise of more to come; and as I flew, disguised in the shape of a moth, I wondered where it would all cease. Besides disquieting rumours concerning savage tribes, dangerous by reason of many of their leaders being of the Last-created race by intermarriage or the result of raids, there was the unrest of their own peoples; and such cities as had been relieved of a tyrannical lord slain in Tekthah's horrid massacre seemed to resent the idea of another being appointed, the governors of such cities secretly encouraging the feeling for their own advantage. And especially Talascan grew averse to such, and being a very powerful city, caused much uneasiness to those who considered upon it. Indeed, I perceived that now Tekthah had lost his high authority the whole land was falling to pieces in its evil, and all that was in danger of falling before now broke off and divided up into many factions. The chance I had neglected to take was gone with Huitza, and I looked in fear on a land of unchecked passions guided by a thousand rulers whose authority was measured by their power of evil.

And I perceived that Shar-Jatal was not displeased at Noah's flight, for he had ever been a menace to such as worked evil, and under the power of Huitza would have risen in great might; and so it puzzled me that Huitza had not therefore by the grace of Heaven come to power without my aid. But I knew not the human heart, neither indeed could it well be known, and therefore I misunderstood and worked out vain imaginings. And concerning Shar-Jatal's fear of Noah, it was spread abroad that the patriarch had worshipped demons, for outside the walls of Tek-Ra lay a great machine, complete to what extent they did not know, with vast beams and cross-beams, bound with ropes of twisted gut. On which, when he was gone, the people had cast curious eyes, marvelling at its quaint construction. One man, more venturesome than his fellows, climbed into the end of the greatest beam, while six others, sweating at crossbars secured in a rope twisting beneath their efforts, pulled the beam, with him on that end, downward, until it bent from its opposite fastenings like a great bow. And that end, where they were, giving way, the cross-bars were flung all apart, cracking skulls and backbones and flinging mangled bodies about, while the great beam shot up with a tremendous recoil, and, striking a cross-beam with a concussion that sent it hurtling among the people, hurled the wretched man upon its end with tremendous velocity nearly across the river upon whose banks it stood, killing him thereby. This was the Catapult, but as yet not recognised.

Thinking upon such things, I watched, and in the dark night heard the voices of Shades that cried out. How the Sun-spirits were fighting with the demons! Acoa on Zul's highest tower stood there with his Divinity, his body undulating and quivering like the column of flame before which he stood, his eyes flashing with mad excitement as the bright Thing swayed and leaned far out before impetuous winds, appearing as though about to leap from its pedestal and fly.

The Tzantan Ju, Chief of the Navy, was on shore to-night, against whom Shar-Jatal cherished hate and sought an evil pretext to destroy him, on account of his being the lawful husband of Pocatepa. He held beneath his command the crews of the Tacoatlanta and Mexteo, who were ordered to remain by their ships in the harbour. These men were more superstitious and fearful than all the rest, and wondered if any monsters, born of the storm, would terrify them with their huge bulks when they embarked again. They invoked the Spirits of Waves, whose white figures they saw of a night vanishing in smoke and spray before the wind, and trie goddesses with the fishes' tails.

The archers, now under Arioch, Mico being dead, were in the gardens, and beneath the shade of one of the man-headed lions stood Shar-Jatal and Izta conversing earnestly, with their cloaks wrapped closely around them, Izta's of red, his leader's of the purple of the Imperial household to which he now aspired.

Over beyond the trees waved Zul's columnar flame, and by the fitful light of it they could perceive the High Priest. Then the howling wind ceased for an instant and a weird stillness settled down over all, causing an unknown terror, as above the palace the black sky opened and a Figure fell from it. Wan, nebulous, vast and grizzly, it moved through the air, and as, in the semblance of a human form, it sped across the great red building a sword of lightning flashed from the outstretched hand and the vision passed in the portentious majesty of WAEF, the Accuser.

The chiefs, staring at Zul, started as the blaze of light fell on their dazzled eyes, and I perceived them to be talking earnestly, nor had I unmoved seen that wondrous sight, which was observed in different quarters of the city and over all the land, causing much great terror.

Now these two evil men ceased their .consultation, and orders were passed round to Tzantans and Polemarchs and sub-chiefs. Certain movements were undertaken by the troops, and the slingers and spearmen came up and lay round the palace, alert and ready for aught.

The Imperial Guards were within the buildings, and all of them were newly chosen by Tekthah for fidelity to himself, being sons or favourites, and I perceived it was for their suppression that this great gathering was assembled.

There commenced a silent entry by many, and there was in the dark, disappearing figures a dire suggestion of horrid deeds that made me tremble. How terribly I perceived myself to be involved in all Earth's evil! Powerless to stem, unable to flee from it, I groaned. All sounds of human presences were hushed, and at times when the moon appeared (to be almost instantly hidden again), the vast dark fagade of the palace seemed to give a deserted appearance to all around as it rose majestic and immobile among the swaying trees, with its great stone statues looking like mammoths in the faint light.

As in bewildered unrest I entered the building, suddenly the lions roared. The Hall of the Throne of Atlantis leaped into light as fires flared from torch and brazier all around, swiftly ignited by the twtrling-sticks turned by a bow that all used to produce flames. Then all was silent again, save but the moan of the wind and the murmur of the great cat-like beasts that blinked their gleaming eyes and sighed, nor noted with any demonstrations half a score of warriors who stood on the platform below the throne, under the golden Sun that flashed back the red lights from the braziers in splendour on the marbles. These stood mute in the lurid glow of the torches that sent black shadows and bright wavering lights flitting over the floor as gusts of wind rushed through and swayed their flames. They were waiting for their leader to appear with red hands and reeking weapon, and in the silence they listened and started at every noise caused by the tempest.

A sound another rather felt or imagined than heard a clash of arms a formidable shout, "Ho, Guards!" and the black group by the throne buried their faces in their large mantles and each man raised one hand entreatingly to the golden Sun as the lions at the doors leaped to their feet and thundered in wrath.

There was a rapid rush of feet, heavy breathings and sounds of sickening blows, the more horrid for being unseen, and as the warriors looked up, dismayed, a giant form rushed towards them between the lions, leaping towards the throne with great bounds, closely followed by other forms.

The light flared on the streaming white hairs and the awful front of Tekthah, horribly encrimsoned; who, scattering the terrified warriors, mounted the steps and fell at the foot of the throne, where he perceived me, seated as a great moth, with a grievous look of terror and despair, for I was the Divinity of Azta.

But rising with a curse, he smote at me with his sword and then turned to face his ferocious pursuers like a lion at bay, looking eagerly to where he could hear the clash of arms and the shouts of the Guards without. In a few moments these ceased and men began to pour into the hall, while a bitter groan fell from the Tzan on perceiving such conduct. The lions roared aloud, and as though the sound were a war-cry of encouragement to himself the old warrior raised his towering form proudly and glowered over the crowd, that began to move uneasily; but the blood that fell from gaps in his head and trickled through his teeth to the platform told how sorely he had been wounded. His vast chest heaved convulsively: fury, indignation, reproachful scorn and challenge flashed from his glazing eye. His hand still held his mighty sword, crimson from hilt to point; and a dreadful sight was that godlike man, more grand in his robe of blood than ever in golden armour, a king and a warrior to the last.

Awestruck stood the silent traitrous crowd, appalled by what their word had caused, shrinking before the silent majesty that seemed to breathe a curse from Heaven on them.

Shar-Jatal, white with terror and frantic with his baffled success, yet perceived with quick diplomacy the spreading emotion, and greatly feared lest triumph should be turned into disgust in its infancy. So he raised his sword and leaped up the steps with a shout, whirling the mighty blade in circles round his head. An echoing shout answered, a roar of encouragement from those evil ones who now wished to see such horror ended, and fearing what would befall should Tekthah live.

The old warrior felt the hand of death on his heart, and perceiving he could not cope with this unwounded antagonist, he heaved up his great sword in noble wrath and hurled it towards him, crying out that he loved not to fight with a woman; and Shar-Jatal, raising hand and blade to save himself, so turned the whirling bolt that it smote off his left hand, which fell with a spatter of blood; while the avenging sword transfixed a guard's helmet and fell with it clashing to the floor.

The maimed chief, with a great oath, swept off the head that sank in death before him, which, spinning and bounding, fell down the steps, the horrified warriors scattering before its progress.

Shar-Jatal raised his sword. In the silence that should have been broken by shouts of victory a loud clang was heard, as something that resembled a gleaming meteor fell from the ceiling.

It was the golden Sun, and a long, dismayed, shuddering sound broke from the vast assemblage now gathered, as its clanging circle hid the throne from sight, and the lions continued the reverberations with a prolonged thundrous moan.

There were many who attempted to raise it, but it resisted all their strength, and therefore the murderer, reckless with pain and annoyance, commanded them to set him upon the. sacred symbol; and being raised by them, seated himself upon one of the wavy rays, lifting his blade in signal of triumph.

Yet but an angry silence ensued. Even to me it seemed a pitiful spectacle, more partaking of sacrilegious buffoonery than aught of majesty, and stood in chilling contrast to the sublime scene of the dying old hero facing their thousands so unflinchingly; and when, raised on the point of a satellite's spear to him, he held aloft the grand grim head of the man who had made their nation what it was, no sycophants' shouts could drown the long, menacing hiss that broke forth almost involuntarily, and spread over all the crowd, signifying the wrath of the Divinity of Zul.

And thus died Tekthah, Tzan of Atlantis.

CHAPTER XVIII. THE HALT OF TRIUMPH.

THE land heard the news of Tekthah's death with mingled feelings of dismay, sorrow and hope. Shar-Jatal, as the Representative of the nation, was expected to do many things, but none could define their wishes.

In the Hall of the Throne, beneath the restored Sun and. surrounded by his warriors, the new Tzan had been consecrated by Acoa as King of the Earth, the Solar helmet of State being placed upon his head and the orbed sceptre handed to him by the Keeper of the Throne; while, preparations being made for the same ceremony to be performed on the highest platform of the temple of Zul, the people were summoned from all over the land to attend and swear allegiance, by messengers sent by the High Priest.

Yet these messengers returned not, neither did others who were sent after them, being especially instructed by Acoa. For these preached the return of Huitza and exhorted the nation to stand from Zul, which was accursed of the gods, and warning them against the new Tzan who would vex the land. And thus from all the provinces came the murmur of rebellion, causing no small uneasiness, particularly as concerned the very strong city of Talascan in Atala, which lay upon the river Hilen and could prevent any access if the warriors of Astra on the one hand by the coast, and those of Axatlan, upon the other, were agreed in aiding them, which it seemed they were.

Dismayed and furious, the half-crowned chieftain called a council of war, and from the throne gazed over as goodly an assemblage as ever met a leader's eye, for there were all the Princes and Tzantans of Zul and the great men of the city. And also were most of the Imperial Guards attendant on him, for such as would swear allegiance he very gladly took, yet several were secretly done away with, among whom were Tala, and Dodanim a son of Huitza, and many of the privy officers of Tekthah's household.

Stern and grim they sat, those giant warriors, formidable beings of irresistible prowess, their large, sullen eyes gazing steadily around. On the first platform next to the throne sat Acoa, which was much trusted of Shar-Jatal, and Izta, to whom was given a winged helm and the title of Chief of Armies, being also Lord of Astra aforetimes.

Without being as superstitious as Tekthah (which one was consumed in the crater of Zul by night to cause no commotion, and his ashes swept into the pit), Shar-Jatal nevertheless was afraid of many things. The falling of the golden Sun; the rumours of the passage of the nebulous Form across the palace, and the return of Huitza, beloved of the gods; the disaffection of Azco, Governor of Trocoatla and a son of Sumar, whom he nevertheless counted on, besides the uneasy feeling that he himself was unsafe, all these things made him fear; and the* loss of his hand was very grievous to him. But most he feared that rumour as to Huitza, believing it and thinking that it would corrupt all hearts from himself.

To avert this he promised from the throne great concessions to all of Zul, stirring them up in hatred against the cities, and particularly those of Atala and of Tek-Ra, whose governor, being fled, he declared to be the maker of the mischief, being straightlaced and foolish and no believer in the gods. To Izta was given the rich province of Atala, and other cities to other nobles, and to all was granted some consideration or higher position, military or civil. Yet must the land be brought under subjection, and in this the treacherous chief perceived a favourable opportunity for ridding himself farther of obnoxious ones, particularly Ju, the lord of Pocatepa.

I perceived the chiefs to be well pleased by the generosity of the new Tzan and not unwilling for war. And farther divisions were made of the establishments of many dead nobles, some of great worth; all their lands, women, slaves and riches. All the temples received munificent gifts, their priests being pliable, among them Mah, who held Pocatepa in his power and might now scheme afresh; and to every man in Zul was given this or that.

The rebellion of the cities caused great trouble to many, their resources being in danger by reason of it; yet the people of Zul could not be taxed as yet, which was an additional reason for war, so that the rich cities might by sacked. Yet it was a serious matter that those of Zul, although the greatest of the land, should have to cope with the thousands of Atlantis, and there were held many anxious consultations, and much time passed.

But the new ruler wished also another thing, which was to subjugate proud Azta to his will, and my resentment against him waxed great on account of this. On those days of blank horror I yet look with pain; for, amazed and terrified, I hovered in a darkness between my great passion for one who loved me not, and my rebellious feelings against Heaven. In a maze of Earthly complications I stood, not understanding, and wondering whether to aid the visionary Acoa in obtaining power, or the stern, realistic Mah; and through them right myself on the path from which I had wickedly strayed, still yearning for good.

Shar-Jatal, being so determined as I have said, betook him to the apartments of the Tizin, yet not altogether easy in his mind, remembering her power. Her he perceived, reclining on a settee, with the nurse Na at her feet, wrapped in deep thought. Great passions had made her more pale than usual; the insult of imprisonment, the conflicting wishes to escape and go to Toltiah, or to stay and scheme for power, the sorrow for Huitza's death and her regards for myself. She gazed on the chief with a thought in her strange orbs, and I perceived he liked it not; nevertheless he advanced, hiding his left arm beneath his purple cloak, a demoniacal smile wreathing his lips.

" I kneel to thee, fair Azta," he said, with feigned admiration that indeed he felt in a great measure, bowing with courtly grace as he fell on his knee.

She returned his salutation with icy condescension.

' ' Shall the fairest woman of Earth be content to remain hidden a nd alone when half the throne of Atlantis will be proud to hail her mistress?" asked the chief; and again as in a dream I saw dead Rhadaman with the same question on his lips, and saw the same struggle in Azta's face, but with blunted feelings.

But her furious resentment against this one overcame all other feelings.

"Begone, false flatterer!' she cried in a fine passion; "what are thy promises! Have I not known thee aforetimes and seen thy smooth tongue lure victims to death? Upstart slave in the purple of thy master, liar, murderer go!"

Old Na glanced at her fearfully as she half arose in her wrath; and I, pleased with the boldness of her who was my Love and all my hope alas, to say thus! came as a bright wondrous fly into the room and hovered above her, so that she looked up and smiled, yet sadly.

As one who has been smitten the Tzan stared, with parted lips, kneeling and petrified. His left arm fell involuntarily from beneath his cloak, disclosing the under robe of yellow sown with gems and golden symbols. The lady's eyes perceived the , mutilation and a great sneer curled her lip.

It recovered the astounded man, and with a dreadful oath he leaped up and laid his hand on his sword-hilt.

"Art coward as well as murderer?" asked Azta, scornfully, glancing on the trembling Na, and outstretching her hand towards him so that as in obedience he stood still.

"Thou wouldst deride me, the Tzan?" he growled in fury.

"The Tzan! How did the wolf kill the lion?" she retorted.

" There were two lions, and the stronger triumphed! "

"Never were there two lions after the Lord Huitza died! and now the wolves have pulled down the old lion and the biggest wears the suffocating skin. Fly from my insulted presence, thou upstart slave!"

I wondered at her words, believing she must have some strong scheme by which she could accomplish all she wished without this man's aid. But rendered mad by her biting taunts, he drew his sword and heaved it up to smite her.

She sprang to her feet with a cry, and before her as a tower of flame I stood. The weapon, blasted to the hilt, dropped from his hand, and in a swoon the Tzan fell to the floor with a great crash. Old Na covered her face and also fell down straightway, nor dared look up, so that none perceived by what means I conveyed my Love away.

Yet it was so that when Shar-Jatal rose up he searched every niche and corner for the Tizin and made strict enquiries of the guards concerning her, but to no purpose.

Azta was gone.

Index