ul and most dreary hall.

"I hope you will spend a pleasant time here, Bastin," I said, looking
back from the doorway at its cold, illuminated vastness.

"I don't expect to," he answered, "but duty is duty, and if I can drag
that old sinner back from the pit that awaits him, it will be worth
doing. Only I have my doubts about him. To me he seems to bear a strong
family resemblance to Beelzebub, and he's a bad companion week in and
week out."

We went through the portico, Yva leading us, and passed the fountain of
Life-water, of which she cautioned us to drink no more at present,
and to prevent him from doing so, dragged Tommy past it by his collar.
Bickley, however, lingered under the pretence of making a further
examination of the statue. As I had seen him emptying into his pocket
the contents of a corked bottle of quinine tabloids which he always
carried with him, I guessed very well that his object was to procure a
sample of this water for future analysis. Of course I said nothing, and
Yva and Bastin took no note of what he was doing.

When we were clear of the palace, of which we had only seen one hall,
we walked across an open space made unutterably dreary by the absence
of any vegetation or other sign of life, towards a huge building of
glorious proportions that was constructed of black stone or marble. It
is impossible for me to give any idea of the frightful solemnity of
this doomed edifice, for as I think I have said, it alone had a roof,
standing there in the midst of that brilliant, unvarying and most
unnatural illumination which came from nowhere and yet was everywhere.
Thus, when one lifted a foot, there it was between the sole of the boot
and the floor, or to express it better, the boot threw no shadow.
I think this absence of shadows was perhaps the most terrifying
circumstance connected with that universal and pervading light. Through
it we walked on to the temple. We passed three courts, pillared all
of them, and came to the building which was larger than St. Paul's
in London. We entered through huge doors which still stood open, and
presently found ourselves beneath the towering dome. There were no
windows, why should there be in a place that was full of light? There
was no ornamentation, there was nothing except black walls. And yet the
general effect was magnificent in its majestic grace.

"In this place," said Yva, and her sweet voice went whispering round
the walls and the arching dome, "were