ineapples, aloes, nutmeg, cloves and spices of Atvatabar,
were on every hand.

One day, when floating on the lake, we heard with surprise and
infinite sadness the discharge of a gun, the signal that the island
was at an end. Spreading our wings, we awaited the catastrophe.

Suddenly a roar of thunder startled us, and Arjeels, with its majestic
cliffs, its green forests and rivers of flowers, fell in one
dissolving crash, and faded from sight. The lake and boat fell from
beneath us so rapidly, that we would have fallen headlong into the sea
had not our wings saved us. There flowed where the island had stood a
circular wave rushing to a focus. There was an upward spouting pillar
of foam, and all again was placid sea!

We flew downward to where the yacht awaited us, and alighting on
board, soon reached Mylosis.

CHAPTER XXXVII.

A REVELATION.

Alas for the brevity of earthly joys! The noble priests and
priestesses had made a heroic effort to sustain Arjeels, but a month's
incessant labors had quite exhausted their powers, and the glorious
island vanished, with all its ideal sweetness. As if to intensify our
sadness, when we reached Egyplosis again, we found the high priest
Hushnoly, impatiently awaiting our return to secretly report the
proceedings of a late council of the king and government, held in the
council chamber of Egyplosis.

I knew by the appearance of Hushnoly that something unusual had
happened. He hesitated to unfold his secret until requested to do so
by the goddess.

"It is a serious business," said Hushnoly, "and I have been
commissioned by his majesty to know the full meaning of the step both
your holiness and his excellency are about to take, and see if there
is no possibility of averting the terrible calamity, that overhangs
Egyplosis."

"Tell me," said Lyone to the high priest, "what the council has been
discussing, and what it has determined upon."

"Your holiness," said he, "I should inform you that Koshnili, as chief
minister of Atvatabar, has received a report from his winged spies,
charged with the duty of watching the movements of his excellency and
retinue ever since their arrival in Atvatabar. His duty made it
necessary to discover the real object of the illustrious strangers in
visiting our country, and consequently their actions have been
carefully watched and reported."

"And of course," said I, "my constant association with the supreme
goddess, has led Koshnili to su