nvariably act, and that
is, where one is confronted by a choice between two evils, always to
choose the lesser of the two. In this case I think there can be no
question as to which is the lesser of the two evils between which we
have to choose; because if we were foolish enough to choose death it
would mean the end of all things sublunary for us; whereas if we choose
life, even with the condition attached, there is always a sporting
chance of something happening to make matters better for us. For
myself, I would rather live, even here, than die the death, whether slow
or quick. My advice, therefore, is to take the life which is offered
us, and make the best of it."

"Very well, then; that's agreed," returned Grosvenor, who proceeded
forthwith to explain laboriously to the unseen judges that they accepted
the alternative of life offered them.

The decision was received with low murmurs of what sounded like
satisfaction on the part of those behind the grille. A short silence
next ensued, which was followed by further mutterings among the unseen
judges, who seemed to be debating some important point. Finally an
intimation came from those mysterious individuals that the strangers
were to be marched to the Great Hall, there to take the oath which
formed the condition upon which they accepted their lives; whereupon the
officer, Benoni, gave an order, and the prisoners were marched out of
the Judgment Hall through the door by which they had entered.

Making their way back along the passage which they had previously
traversed, the party presently found themselves in the central hall out
of which all the passages in the building seemed to radiate. Traversing
this, they now entered another and much wider passage, which conducted
them into what was presumably the Great Hall; for it was a square
apartment measuring fully a hundred feet each way, lighted on two
adjacent sides by lofty windows glazed with the talc-like substance
which the two friends had before observed, only in the present case the
glazing glowed with rich colour, having been painted or dyed with
marvellous skill into representations of various apparently symbolical
subjects, as were also the lights in a great central dome which,
supported by massive columns, occupied about three-fourths of the roof
space of the apartment. These columns as well as the walls and flat
portion of the roof of the hall, were also very elaborately decorated in
colour, while the