urtain,
and followed her within. To my great surprise the interior was neither
dark nor dusky, but filled with a soft and luscious light from myriads
of glow-worms and fire-flies of various colours, which glimmered on the
walls like tiny electric lamps, or sparkled in the facets of the gems
and spars depending from the roof. Judging by their shape and tint I
imagine that some of these incrustations are native crystals of the
diamond and ruby, the sapphire, topaz, and emerald. In a deep recess or
alcove on one side a spring of clear water gushed from the rock into a
natural basin of sinter, enamelled inside and out with the precious
opal. Owing perhaps to the minerals through which it had passed the
liquid shed a delicious perfume in the air, and made a bath fit for the
goddess of beauty.

I had scarcely time to look about me when a strange and wonderful melody
of most entrancing sweetness echoed through the cavern.

"Siloo, Siloo!" cried Alumion softly, and the music, which I cannot
compare to any earthly strain, ceased in a moment. Presently I was more
than startled to see in the gloomier background of the cavern a great
white serpent glide like a ghost along the floor and come straight
towards us. His milk-white body was speckled all over with jewelled
scales, and shone with a pale blue phosphorescence; his eyes blazed in
his head like twin carbuncles, and in spite of my instinctive dread of
snakes, I could not help admiring his repulsive beauty. Presently he
reared his long neck, and faced us with his forked tongue playing out
and in. I shrank back, for I thought he was about to spring upon me; but
Alumion, laughing gaily at my fears, stepped quickly up to him, and
stroked him with her hand. The serpent laid his head caressingly upon
her shoulder and emitted a low faint note of pleasure.

Alumion then took a shallow dish or patera, and, filling it from a vase
which she carried with her set it upon the floor for the snake to feed.

"You don't seem to be afraid of that gruesome reptile," said I
pleasantly.

"Oh, no," she replied smiling. "Siloo knows me very well."

"Tell me, was it he who made the music a little while ago?"

"Yes, and also the noise which alarmed you the first night you wandered
here. The music comes from his head, and the noise is from his tail.
That is why we call him Siloo."

The word, as nearly as I can translate it, means harmony, order,
measure, proportion, in the Womla tongue.

"Does