cing howl. But we did not think of Tommy and his woes; we did not
think of our own escape or of anything else because of the marvel that
appeared to us. Seated there upon the ground, after our backward tumble,
we could see into the space which lay behind the fallen step, for there
the light of the sun penetrated.

The first idea it gave me was that of the jewelled shrine of some
mediaeval saint which, by good fortune, had escaped the plunderers;
there are still such existing in the world. It shone and glittered,
apparently with gold and diamonds, although, as a matter of fact, there
were no diamonds, nor was it gold which gleamed, but some ancient metal,
or rather amalgam, which is now lost to the world, the same that was
used in the tubes of the air-machines. I think that it contained gold,
but I do not know. At any rate, it was equally lasting and even more
beautiful, though lighter in colour.

For the rest this adorned recess which resembled that of a large funeral
vault, occupying the whole space beneath the base of the statue that was
supported on its arch, was empty save for two flashing objects that lay
side by side but with nearly the whole width of the vault between them.

I pointed at them to Bickley with my finger, for really I could not
speak.

"Coffins, by Jove!" he whispered. "Glass or crystal coffins and people
in them. Come on!"

A few seconds later we were crawling into that vault while Bastin, still
nursing the head of Oro as though it were a baby, stood confused outside
muttering something about desecrating hallowed graves.

Just as we reached the interior, owing to the heightening of the
sun, the light passed away, leaving us in a kind of twilight. Bickley
produced carriage candles from his pocket and fumbled for matches. While
he was doing so I noticed two things--firstly, that the place really did
smell like a scent-shop, and, secondly, that the coffins seemed to glow
with a kind of phosphorescent light of their own, not very strong, but
sufficient to reveal their outlines in the gloom. Then the candles burnt
up and we saw.

Within the coffin that stood on our left hand as we entered, for this
crystal was as transparent as plate glass, lay a most wonderful old man,
clad in a gleaming, embroidered robe. His long hair, which was parted
in the middle, as we could see beneath the edge of the pearl-sewn and
broidered cap he wore, also his beard were snowy white. The man was
tall, at least six fe