s particular honour.

At length there were none at all, the poor monarchs, who now were
crowded close together, being left to explore the shades alone, adorned
merely with their own jewellery and regalia. Ultimately even these were
replaced by funeral gold-foil ornaments, and the trays of treasure by
earthenware jars which appeared to have contained nothing but food and
wine, and added to these a few spears and other weapons. The last of
the occupied chairs, for there were empty ones beyond, contained bones
which, from their slenderness and the small size of the bracelets among
them, I saw at once had belonged to a woman who had been sent to the
grave without companions or any offerings at all.

"Doubtless," said Maqueda, when I pointed this out to her, "at that time
the ancients had grown weak and poor, since after so many kings they
permitted a woman to rule over them and had no wealth to waste upon her
burial. That may have been after the earthquake, when only a few people
were left in Mur before the Abati took possession of it."

"Where, then, are those of your own house buried?" asked Oliver, staring
at the empty chairs.

"Oh! not in this place," she answered; "I have told you it was
discovered but a few years ago. We rest in tombs outside, and for my
part I will sleep in the simple earth, so that I may live on in grass
and flowers, if in no other way. But enough of death and doom. Soon,
who can tell how soon? we shall be as these are," and she shuddered.
"Meanwhile, we breathe, so let us make the best of breath. You have seen
your fee, say, does it content you?"

"What fee?" he asked. "Death, the reward of Life? How can I tell until I
have passed its gate?"

Here this philosophical discussion was interrupted by the sudden decease
of Quick's lamp.

"Thought there was something wrong with the blooming thing," said the
Sergeant, "but couldn't turn it up, as it hasn't got a screw, without
which these old-fashioned colza oils never were no good. Hullo! Doctor,
there goes yours," and as he spoke, go it did.

"The wicks!" exclaimed Maqueda, "we forgot to bring new wicks, and
without them of what use is oil? Come, be swift; we are still far from
the mouth of this cave, where none except the high priests will dare to
seek us," and, taking Oliver by the hand, she began to run, leaving us
two to follow as best we could.

"Steady, Doctor," said Quick, "steady. In the presence of disaster
comrades should always stic