ough the hole in the
wall, stretches out indefinitely, even to the depths of the sea. His
rings unfold themselves, and fill the apartment. They wind themselves
round Antony.

The Faithful, pressing their mouths against his skin, snatch the bread
which he has nibbled.

"It is thou! it is thou!

"Raised at first by Moses, crushed by Ezechias, re-established by the
Messiah. He drank thee in the waters of baptism; but thou didst quit him
in the Garden of Olives, and then he felt all his weakness.

"Writhing on the bar of the Cross, and higher than his head, slavering
above the crown of thorns, thou didst behold him dying; for thou art
Jesus! yes, thou art the Word! thou art the Christ!"

Antony swoons in horror, and falls in his cell, upon the splinters of
wood, where the torch, which had slipped from his hand, is burning
mildly. This commotion causes him to half-open his eyes; and he
perceives the Nile, undulating and clear, under the light of the moon,
like a great serpent in the midst of the sands--so much so that the
hallucination again takes possession of him. He has not quitted the
Ophites; they surround him, address him by name, carry off baggages, and
descend towards the port. He embarks along with them.

A brief period of time flows by. Then the vault of a prison encircles
him. In front of him, iron bars make black lines upon a background of
blue; and at its sides, in the shade, are people weeping and praying,
surrounded by others who are exhorting and consoling them.

Without, one is attracted by the murmuring of a crowd, as well as by the
splendour of a summer's day. Shrill voices are crying out watermelons,
water, iced drinks, and cushions of grass to sit down on. From time to
time, shouts of applause burst forth. He observes people walking on
their heads.

Suddenly, comes a continuous roaring, strong and cavernous, like the
noise of water in an aqueduct: and, opposite him, he perceives, behind
the bars of another cage, a lion, who is walking up and down; then a row
of sandals, of naked legs, and of purple fringes.

Overhead, groups of people, ranged symmetrically, widen out from the
lowest circle, which encloses the arena, to the highest, where masts
have been raised to support a veil of hyacinth hung in the air on ropes.
Staircases, which radiate towards the centre, intersect, at equal
distances, those great circles of stone. Their steps disappear from
view, owing to the vast audience seated there--