nished, so that it might almost have been mistaken for rusty brass.
As they went along, the black smoke from their candle rose in the air,
and collected in clouds beneath the heavy groined roof, until it hung
above them like a murky canopy. From this canopy a stifling odour
descended, and was diffused about the room; but, strange to say, the
children seemed to breathe it with pleasure, and to grow stronger and
livelier under its influence. At length they came to a great heap of
some dark substance, piled up in an obscure corner.

'What is this?' said Calladon, stirring it with his foot.

Callia stooped down and took up a piece of it in her hand. 'It
shines,' she said. 'It must be something valuable. Hold the lamp
nearer.'

'It is certainly some kind of jewel,' said Calladon, after they had
examined it. 'Perhaps it is a ruby, or a black diamond. Such things
are very precious.'

'We had better take what we can get, then,' said Callia; 'we shall not
find anything like this in Abra--of that I am sure. How foolish you
were, Calladon, never to have thought of coming in here before. It is
ten times better than the other place!'

'I will fill my pockets now, at all events,' replied Calladon, 'and
make up for lost time. What a heap of them! and how heavy they are!
I'm afraid we shan't be able to carry them all.'

'I can hold a great many in my apron,' said Callia; 'and we can take
them to some safe place, and then come back for more. I wonder whom
they belong to?'

'They belong to us, since we have found them,' returned Calladon; 'and
if anyone says they are his, we can say it is not true. Who has more
right here than we?'

'I don't see why we should go back at all,' observed Callia. 'I feel
much more comfortable and happy in this pleasant light and smoke than
I did in that glaring white Abra, with its cold air and its tiresome
music. Suppose we make our home here?'

'I was going to propose the same thing,' answered Calladon. 'And I
have been thinking, Callia, that perhaps this is the real Abra that we
are in now. For what can be better than what we like best?'

As Callia was about to reply, they heard a flapping sound in the air
above their heads; and looking up, they saw a hideous great bird--or
perhaps it was a bat--with black wings outstretched, fiery eyes, and a
long hooked beak, that it kept opening and shutting with a snap. At
this sight the children were much terrified, and started to run away;
but the horri