naked forms of both sexes bathing in the stream and
splashing each other with the liquid metal.

"Who are these?" I asked.

"These," said my guide, "are those who in the world found gold without
seeking it, and possessing it in abundance, knew not how to make use of
it. Their sole delight was in wasting it. The same passion remains with
them after death."

I fell into a reverie.

"Is it possible," thought I, "that these people have nothing at all to
do with their money? Could they be in ignorance of the poverty that
surrounded them whilst in the world? Even if they were selfish and did
no good to the rest of their kind, is it possible that they had no
private way of enjoying their worldly goods?"

"The spirits here in the world wasted their fortunes, but the ruin of
one fortune is the foundation of others, as you will see anon," said the
sage.

He then pointed out to me some men, miserable looking and wretchedly
clad, who were crawling on their hands and knees in search of nuggets of
gold that the wanton bathers had thrown in a liquid state on to the
shore, where it had cooled. Each of these wretched men had a bag which
he filled with lumps of the yellow metal, and when it was full, carried
it on his shoulders, tottering under its weight, till he reached his
home.

"Neither do these men know the use of gold," said my guide, "for they
are misers, and their sole delight is to collect gold and to worship it,
without doing good to themselves or others."

My curiosity was roused at this strange sight, and I followed these men
with my eyes, as a wide plain stretched itself out, and I being on
elevated ground, could see to a great distance, for I wished to see how
far they could stagger under their enormous weight. No dwellings
appeared near at hand, and yet I was surprised to notice that one after
the other these men suddenly disappeared. Many of them had started about
the same time laden with their sacks of gold, and not one of the many
was visible to me now on that broad open plain. Where could they have
all gone?

"I will tell you," said my companion, answering as usual to my
thoughts. "These spirits, fearing lest their houses should be broken
into and pillaged, burrow under the ground, where they can keep their
riches in security. They seldom show themselves in the daytime, but come
out of their holes at night like the owl in search of plunder. In the
world they lived by stealing, cheating, and getting money