d, which
forced them to the opening leading to the outer chamber. For a moment
they tried to struggle against it, and not to be driven from the
alabaster room in which they had lived so happily; but the blast grew
stronger, and the sword came nearer; and at last Callia cried out:

'Let us go, Calladon, or our light will be lost!'

'Come, then!' said he; and hand in hand they staggered through the
opening, which closed behind them with a hollow sound. Then there was
silence. Save for the wavering flame of their little lamp they were in
darkness.

'What have you done, Callia?' said Calladon.

'It is your doing as much as mine,' she answered. 'Well, I suppose we
must make the best of it. At any rate, it is not so cold here as it
was in the other room.'

'No, and there is not that terrible light to dazzle our eyes. And that
sword--we are safe from that!'

'I think, upon the whole, we are better off where we are; and I am
glad we came,' said Callia. 'It is more mysterious here, and I like
mystery. If you can see everything around you merely by opening your
eyes, it is stupid. Here we have the excitement of going about and
not knowing what we may find.'

'It is strange it should be so dark!' remarked Calladon. 'On which
side of us is the alabaster wall? No light comes through either side;
and yet, when we were in Abra, it seemed to shine through and
illuminate both the outer rooms.'

'The great lamp must have gone out; all lamps go out after a while, I
suppose,' replied Callia. 'But that is no harm; when we go back we can
light it again from our own. It does not seem so dark here as it was
at first.'

'I can see better, too!' exclaimed Calladon. 'Our lamp seems to be
getting brighter. By and by, perhaps, it will be as bright as the
great lamp was.'

'Meanwhile,' said Callia, 'let us begin our explorations.'

Holding the lamp before them, they advanced together curiously through
the gloom; but, as Calladon had said, their lamp seemed continually to
grow brighter, or else their eyes became more accustomed to the
darkness, so that presently they were able to see their way with
little difficulty. The walls of the room they were in were sombre and
rich; there were carved panels and cornices of metal or stone,
encrusted here and there with what appeared to be precious stones,
gleaming with a dusky red lustre. There was gold, too, here and there;
but not bright and resplendent, like the gold of Abra, but dull and
tar