of emotion. I felt as though fanned
with warm winds blowing over wildernesses of flowers. I heard the
multiplied splendor of bells, roaring like the soft vociferations of
far-off tropic seas. I heard music ineffably tender and sublime,
wailing its intoxicating melodies. I saw strange illuminations
dissolve in never-ceasing explosions of color on the glorified
windows. I saw upon the floor endless arabesques of twin-souls,
fantastically entangled and unrolled.

Suddenly the temple shook with an explosion of sound that seemed the
concentrated madness of drums and organs and bells; the roaring of the
rheotome grew deafeningly louder, mingling with a strange shivering
sound, such as is produced by the suddenly transfixed wheels of a
flying locomotive, tearing the metals into a hissing blaze. From the
mouth of the hehorrent streamed a blaze of fire. I looked where the
sorcerer stood----

Heavens and earth! He was holding Lyone in his arms, alive from the
living battery! Lyone, the peerless soul of souls, alive once more and
triumphant over death!

The temple whirled around me rapid as fire, and I fell to the ground
insensible with joy!

CHAPTER LV.

LEXINGTON AND LYONE HAILED KING AND QUEEN OF ATVATABAR.

The extraordinary scenes attending the reincarnation of Lyone had left
me, when I returned to my senses, exhausted with emotion. It was
gloriously true that she who was the Supreme Goddess, she who had
suffered death in the fortress of Calnogor, had been restored to life
by the powerful necromancy of the sorcerer and his college of
twin-souls.

I rushed forward in presence of the entire congregation and embraced
in turn the radiant Lyone and the beloved Charka.

I took her living figure in my arms. She was in a limp, tranquil
condition, yet happily alive. The happy priests and priestesses
shouted with enthusiasm: "Long live Lexington and Lyone, King and
Queen of Atvatabar!"

It was a blissful moment to us both. The future, that had lain under
the terrors of death, now smiled again. I gazed upon my beloved's face
with unspeakable tenderness. I saw that she smiled at me sweetly.

Her apostasy was victorious, but who could have supposed that
martyrdom and reincarnation were the path to glory? She had exchanged
the crown of the goddess for that of a queen.

[Illustration: HEAVENS AND EARTH! HE WAS HOLDING LYONE IN HIS ARMS,
ALIVE FROM THE LIVING BATTERY! LYONE, THE PEERLESS SOUL OF SOULS,
ALIVE ONCE MORE