ual atmosphere
quickening them into conscious life and song. I was fairly dazzled
with such a tribute of love to my gracious companion, and were the
fairy flowers not sacred things I would have borne them away to
exhibit such a trophy to the outer world.

[Illustration: The Gasternowl.]

This wonderful plant seemed more like the production of spirit power
indulging in a weird fantasy of imagination, rather than an evolution
of nature. It was a new experience to me to hear the little creatures
sing in a tender chorus of adoration to the goddess and dance
gleefully upon their stems. My guide fondled the strange creatures
with her own fair fingers, and they seemed to me the greatest wonder I
had yet beheld in Atvatabar.

"These," said the goddess, "are gleroserals, and I would gladly give
you a spray were it not that removal from their tender habitat would
kill them. But here is a flower, half-bird, half-plant, that I will
send you in a proper cage if you care for it." The zoophyte referred
to was another bird plant that flew around the conservatory possessing
the head and body of an eagle, the wings of a butterfly and the tail
of a plant. The plant-like appendage was composed of long beautiful
sprays of graceful foliage, not unlike pine branches, that were curved
into sinuous forms as the animal flew. It was known as the eaglon, and
was without legs. I thanked the goddess for her precious gift,
whereupon we left the conservatory.

[Illustration: The Crocosus.]

Wandering through thickets of roses whose burning blossoms swooned
upon their stems, we came upon a thick carpet of verdure that
surrounded a hidden lake of clear, cool water. The rocky basin of the
lake had been sculptured by human hands. Its margin was in outline a
bold pear-shaped curve, that also curved upon itself, formed by an
immense chiselling of the fundamental rock. In a little harbor of cut
rock lay a pleasure boat, a curiously-wrought shell of silver that was
propelled by magnicity. The goddess entered the boat, bidding me
follow her. We sat together on an ample couch in the stern of the boat
underneath a silver canopy. Touching a button, the boat moved swiftly
over the water. It was a scene of rapture! Gazing into the depths of
the water I saw the bottom of the lake sculptured in immense masses of
flowers of stone, like the roof of a Gothic cathedral, but a hundred
times more luxuriant. Around and above us rose heights of blessedness
filled with