coil on coil of the path;—­for at the end of it they see the king of the valley, sitting on his throne:  and beside him (but it is only a false vision), spectra of creatures like themselves, sit on thrones, from which they seem to look down on all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them.  And on the canopy of his throne there is an inscription in fiery letters, which they strive to read, but cannot; for it is written in words which are like the words of all languages, and yet are of none.  Men say it is more like their own tongue to the English than it is to any other nation; but the only record of it is by an Italian, who heard the king himself cry it as a war cry, “Pape Satan, Pape Satan Aleppe.” [Footnote:  Dante, Inf. 7, I.]

Sibyl.  But do they all perish there?  You said there was a way through the valley, and out of it.

L. Yes; but few find it.  If any of them keep to the grass paths, where the diamonds are swept aside; and hold their hands over their eyes so as not to be dazzled, the grass paths lead forward gradually to a place where one sees a little opening in the golden rocks.  You were at Chamouni last year, Sibyl; did your guide chance to show you the pierced rock of the Aiguille du Midi?

Sibyl.  No, indeed, we only got up from Geneva on Monday night; and it rained all Tuesday; and we had to be back at Geneva again, early on Wednesday morning.

L. Of course.  That is the way to see a country in a Sibylline manner, by inner consciousness:  but you might have seen the pierced rock in your drive up, or down, if the clouds broke:  not that there is much to see in it; one of the crags of the aiguille-edge, on the southern slope of it, is struck sharply through, as by an awl, into a little eyelet hole; which you may see, seven thousand feet above the valley (as the clouds flit past behind it, or leave the sky), first white, and then dark blue.  Well, there’s just such an eyelet hole in one of the upper crags of the Diamond Valley; and, from a distance, you think that it is no bigger than the eye of a needle.  But if you get up to it, they say you may drive a loaded camel through it, and that there are fine things on the other side, but I have never spoken with anybody who had been through.

Sibyl.  I think we understand it now.  We will try to write it down, and think of it.

L. Meantime, Florrie, though all that I have been telling you is very true, yet you must not think the sort of diamonds that people wear in rings and necklaces are found lying about on the grass.  Would you like to see how they really are found?

Florrie.  Oh, yes—­yes.

L. Isabel—­or Lily—­run up to my room and fetch me the little box with a glass lid, out of the top drawer of the chest of drawers.  (Race between lily and Isabel.)

(Re-enter Isabel with the box, very much out of breath.  Lily behind.)