of life?"

"Because you are not happy in it. Your manner of life is ours. It has
nothing to do with nations or peoples. You are Morgana."

"And you?" she cried with sudden eagerness--"Oh, who are you that speak
to me?--man, woman, or angel? What are the dwellers in your city, if it
is in truth a city, and not a dream!"

"Look again and see!" answered the Voice--"Convince yourself!--do not
be deceived! You are not dreaming--Look and make yourself sure!"

Impelled to movement, she went to the window which she had left to take
up the steering-gear,--and from there saw again the wonderful scene
spread out below, the towers, spires, cupolas and bridges, all lit with
that mysterious golden luminance like smouldering sunset fire.

"It is beautiful!" she said--"It seems true--it seems real--"

"It IS true-it IS real!"--the Voice replied--"It has been seen by many
travellers,--but because they can never approach it they call it a
desert 'mirage.' It is more real and more lasting than any other city
in the world."

"Can I never enter it?" she asked, appealingly--"Will you never let me
in?"

There was a silence, which seemed to her very long. Still standing at
the window of her cabin she looked down on the shining city, a broad
stretch of splendid gold luminance under the canopy of the dark sky
with its millions of stars. Then the Voice answered her--

"Yes--if you come alone!"

These words sounded so close to her ear that she felt sure the speaker
must be standing beside her.

"I will come!" she said, impulsively--"Somehow--some way!--no matter
how difficult or dangerous! I will come!"

As she spoke she was conscious of a curious vibration round her, as
though some other thing than the ceaseless, silent throbbing of the
air-ship's mechanism had disturbed the atmosphere.

"Wait!" said the Voice--"You say this without thought. You do not
realise the meaning of your words. For--if you come, you must stay!"

A thrill ran through her blood.

"I must stay!" she echoed--"Why?"

"Because you have learned the Life-Secret,"--answered the Voice--"And,
as you have learned it, so must you live. I will tell you more if you
care to hear--"

An inrush of energy came to her as she listened--she felt that the
unseen speaker acknowledged the power which she herself knew she
possessed.

"With all my soul I care to hear!" she said--"But where do you speak
from? And who are you that speak?"

"I speak from the central Watch-Tow