gain through many long and dreary passages, which seemed to me
interminable, she walking rapidly in front, whilst I dragged my jaded
limbs considerably in the rear, led on by no other light than the
luminous halo that enveloped her form, and which barely lit up the spot
on which she stood, all else being in pitchy darkness. At length I
thought I felt the ground ascending somewhat, and as I proceeded ever
slowly upwards, I fancied that I saw a ray of sunlight struggling
through a fissure in the rocky roof of the vault. I was not mistaken.
The nearer I came, the larger grew the spot of light, and I now saw
clearly that there was a very considerable opening, amply sufficient to
admit of the body of a very large man passing through it, but quite
overgrown by brambles and rank vegetation, so as effectively to veil the
blue sky from my view. Even through this screen of rank herbage the
light dazzled my eyes intensely, and it was some minutes before I got
sufficiently accustomed to it. The ground now grew suddenly steeper,
till I at length found myself within a few steps of the fissure. My
guide now halted, and pointing to the opening with her hand, made way
for me to pass on in front.

It would seem that the bright sunbeam as it fell upon her affected her
somewhat, for I noticed that her form grew less distinct, until the
vaporous essence that assumed her shape disintegrated piecemeal,
beginning at the head, gradually downwards, till she completely vanished
from my presence. Not, however, before I had time to thank her in her
own classical language.

"_Pro tuis beneficiis gratias ago._"

To which she barely had time to reply "_Vale!_" when she became extinct,
and I was left once more alone.

But now I had hope--I was free. Another step, and I should be launched
into the outer world again. Hungry, thirsty, fatigued as I was, I should
soon be able to satisfy my present wants and then--and then--with all my
young life before me, what might I not achieve? My first feeling was one
of intense gratitude towards my Creator, who had saved me from a
terrible and lingering death. It was like being born again. I advanced
towards the opening, and was just about to move aside the luxuriant
growth that alone separated me from the world without, when methought I
heard human voices outside proceeding from no very long distance from
the aperture. Even a human shadow flitted for a moment across the
opening, obscuring for a second some of th