the emperor went on:

"Thou art not wanted here, miserable remnant, snatched from under
Death's teeth, thou inspirest weariness and disgust with life; like a
caterpillar in the fields, thou gloatest on the rich ear of joy and
belchest out the drivel of despair and sorrow. Thy truth is like a rusty
sword in the hands of a nightly murderer,--and as a murderer thou shalt
be executed. But before that, let me look into thine eyes. Perchance,
only cowards are afraid of them, but in the brave they awake the thirst
for strife and victory; then thou shalt be rewarded, not executed....
Now, look at me, Lazarus."

At first it appeared to the deified Augustus that a friend was looking
at him,--so soft, so tenderly fascinating was Lazarus' glance. It
promised not horror, but sweet rest and the Infinite seemed to him a
tender mistress, a compassionate sister, a mother. But stronger and
stronger grew its embraces, and already the mouth, greedy of hissing
kisses, interfered with the monarch's breathing, and already to the
surface of the soft tissues of the body came the iron of the bones and
tightened its merciless circle,--and unknown fangs, blunt and cold,
touched his heart and sank into it with slow indolence.

"It pains," said the deified Augustus, growing pale. "But look at me,
Lazarus, look."

It was as though some heavy gates, ever closed, were slowly moving
apart, and through the growing interstice the appalling horror of the
Infinite poured in slowly and steadily. Like two shadows there entered
the shoreless void and the unfathomable darkness; they extinguished the
sun, ravished the earth from under the feet, and the roof from over the
head. No more did the frozen heart ache.

"Look, look, Lazarus," ordered Augustus tottering.

Time stood still, and the beginning of each thing grew frightfully near
to its end. Augustus' throne just erected, crumbled down, and the void
was already in the place of the throne and of Augustus. Noiselessly did
Rome crumble down, and a new city stood on its site and it too was
swallowed by the void. Like fantastic giants, cities, states, and
countries fell down and vanished in the void darkness--and with
uttermost indifference did the insatiable black womb of the Infinite
swallow them.

"Halt!"--ordered the emperor.

In his voice sounded already a note of indifference, his hands dropped
in languor, and in the vain struggle with the onrushing darkness his
fiery eyes now blazed up, and now w