id a long, cylinder-shaped japanned roll
upon the table. This he now took up, took off the lid, and drew out a
roll of vellum. Unrolling the vellum, he held the wide sheet out
between his two outstretched hands, saying:

"I brought this on purpose for you to see, friend Bastin."

He smiled pleasantly as he added: "I expect you are the only Gentile
who has seen this finished drawing."

For a few moments both men were silent. Ralph was speechless from
amazement, the Rabbi from eager interest in watching his friend's amaze.

The "drawing," as the Rabbi had called it, was in reality a superb
painting of the most marvelous structure possible to conceive. The
bulk of the vellum surface was occupied with an enormous oblong
enclosure. The outer sides of the enclosure showing a most exquisite
marble terracing, the capping of the marble wall was of a wondrous
red-and-orange-veined dark green stone. The bronze gates were capped
and adorned with massive inlayings of gold and silver, while the floral
parts showed the colours of the precious stones used to produce each
separate coloured flower.

A huge altar, the ascent to which, on three of the sides was by flights
of wide steps, occupied the fore-part of the courtyard inside the gates
of the main entrance--there were five entrances, each with its own
gates. Two entrances on each side of the oblong enclosure, and one at
the courtyard end.

Beyond the altar was a huge brazen sea, resting upon the hind-quarters
of twelve bronze oxen. Beyond the brazen sea was the temple itself,
entered by a wide porch of wondrous marble, the pillars of which were
crowned with golden capitals of marvellous workmanship. The porch was
surmounted by a dome. Then came the temple proper, its form a square
above a square, the upper square surmounted by a huge dome, supported
upon columns similar to those found in the porch, and in the
base-square.

What the actual building must be like Ralph could not conceive! The
picture of it was a bewildering vision of almost inconceivable
loveliness.

Now and again he asked a question, the Rabbi, at his side, delighted
with his admiration, answering everything fully.

"What has your wonderful temple cost?" Ralph presently asked, as the
picture was being rolled up, and replaced in the japanned cylinder.

"Twenty million pounds, a full third of which has been spent upon
precious stones for studding the walls, and gates, and pillars!"

Ralph gasped