some of our charmingly picturesque country cottages in England, but in a
slovenly, happy-go-lucky style, that seemed to convey the idea that, so
long as a roof was weather-proof, it did not in the least matter what it
looked like. The windows were simply rectangular holes in the thick
stone walls, unglazed, and without even a frame; but now that Escombe
was outside he was able to see that each window was provided with a
shutter, something like the jalousies fitted to the houses in most
tropical and sub-tropical countries, to keep out the rain. The only
thing remarkable about the house, apart from its extreme plainness, was
the fact that it appeared to be cut out of a single enormous block of
stone; and it was not until he went close up to it, and examined it
minutely, that he discovered it to be built of blocks of stone dressed
to fit each other with such marvellous precision that the joints were
practically invisible.

Having satisfied his curiosity thus far, Escombe looked about him at his
surroundings generally. He found that the house to which he had been
brought stood at the extreme end of the extraordinary basin-like valley,
immediately opposite to the City of the Sun, which occupied the other
end, and he naturally concluded that the entrance to the valley must be
somewhere not very far distant from the spot on which he stood. But,
look as he would, he could see nothing in the remotest degree resembling
a pass through those encircling sierras, the upper portion of the sides
of which appeared to be everywhere practically vertical, without even as
much projection or ledge anywhere as would afford foothold to a goat.
Nor was there the least semblance of a road or path of any description
leading to the house, save a narrow and scarcely perceptible footpath
leading down to the great road which encompassed the lake. Harry turned
to the Indian.

"Those hills appear to be everywhere quite impassable, Arima," he said.
"Where is the road by which we came over them?"

"It is not permitted to me to say, Lord," answered Arima with a
deprecatory bow. "There is but one known way of passing to and from the
outside world, and that way is a jealously guarded secret, communicated
to but few, who are solemnly sworn to secrecy. It is regarded by the
Council as of the first importance that the secret should be preserved
intact, as it is known that rumours of the existence of the City of the
Sun have reached the outer world,