rstood, for turning their boat around, they motioned me to follow
them. This I did with difficulty, for I was weak, and their boat moved
with a swiftness and ease that astonished me. What surprised me most was
its lack of noise.

As I watched its beautiful occupants dressed in rich garments, adorned
with rare and costly gems, and noted the noiseless, gliding swiftness of
their boat, an uncomfortable feeling of mystery began to invade my mind,
as though I really had chanced upon enchanted territory.

As we glided along, I began to be impressed by the weird stillness. No
sound greeted me from the ripening orchards, save the carol of birds;
from the fields came no note of harvest labor. No animals were visible,
nor sound of any. No hum of life. All nature lay asleep in voluptuous
beauty, veiled in a glorious atmosphere. Everything wore a dreamy look.
The breeze had a loving, lingering touch, not unlike to the Indian
Summer of North America. But no Indian Summer ever knew that dark green
verdure, like the first robe of spring. Wherever the eye turned it met
something charming in cloud, or sky, or water, or vegetation. Everything
had felt the magical touch of beauty.

On the right, the horizon was bounded by a chain of mountains, that
plainly showed their bases above the glowing orchards and verdant
landscapes. It impressed me as peculiar, that everything appeared to
rise as it gained in distance. At last the pleasure boat halted at a
flight of marble steps that touched the water. Ascending these, I gained
an eminence where a scene of surpassing beauty and grandeur lay spread
before me. Far, far as the eye could follow it, stretched the stately
splendor of a mighty city. But all the buildings were detached and
surrounded by lawns and shade trees, their white marble and gray granite
walls gleaming through the green foliage.

Upon the lawn, directly before us, a number of most beautiful girls had
disposed themselves at various occupations. Some were reading, some
sketching, and some at various kinds of needlework. I noticed that they
were all blondes. I could not determine whether their language possessed
a peculiarly soft accent, or whether it was an unusual melody of voice
that made their conversation as musical to the ear as the love notes of
some amorous wood bird to its mate.

A large building of white marble crowned a slight eminence behind them.
Its porticos were supported upon the hands of colossal statues of women