sion and are able to walk in the pure path.

"Do you not think," I replied, "that the temptation being ever
present, the struggle in the soul must in time exhaust and enfeeble
the moral powers, producing disastrous consequences?"

Before the goddess could reply, a terrible commotion was heard in the
palace garden. The shrieks of a woman mingled with the loud voices of
men were heard in furious clamor, and one of the royal guards entered
the palace chamber in breathless haste.

CHAPTER XXXII.

THE SIN OF A TWIN-SOUL.

"Your holiness," said the captain of the sacred guard, as he entered
the apartment, "the twin-soul Ardsolus and Merga has sinned against
the laws and religion of Egyplosis. I crave permission to bring the
guilty pair before the goddess with the evidence of their guilt."

The goddess, answering quickly, ordered the priest and priestess to be
produced.

The captain thereupon commanded his wayleals to bring the prisoners
into the audience chamber.

Shrinking between her guards, the priestess Merga appeared bearing in
her arms a lovely babe, a rosy duplicate of herself. Following her
came the priest Ardsolus, also a prisoner.

The priestess was the picture of petite girlish beauty. Her delicate
rose complexion was flushed with a feeling of shame, and her handsome
hazel eyes, dilated with vexation and sorrow, were filled with tears.

Her lover was tall, straight and athletic, with a proud, fine-cut
face. The down of manhood was just showing itself on his upper lip.

"I feel sorry for you both," said the goddess; "did you weary of the
joys of Egyplosis?"

Ardsolus threw back over his shoulder a falling fold of his white
bournous and, drawing himself proudly up, replied: "Yes, your
holiness, our life here is imprisonment. We have grown weary of its
restraint and are eager to return to the outer world with all its
cares and freedom."

The chamberlain at this moment announced the arrival of the high
priest Hushnoly, the secular, as well as the sacred governor of
Egyplosis, and the high priestess Zooly-Soase, who both entered the
presence chamber. Hushnoly, saluting the goddess, announced that he
had come in search of the erring twin-soul. The high priest was
astonished beyond expression at finding sin and shame in so glorious a
retreat.

Addressing the weeping girl, he said: "Do you know, my child, how
unfortunate you have been? You have committed the unpardonable sin in
the temple of hope