“I see a wondrous land o’er-canopied with skies of gold and azure:  . . white flowers grow in the fragrant fields, . . there are many trees, . .  I hear the warbling of many birds; . .  I see fair faces that smile upon me and gentle hands that beckon! ...  Figures that wear glistening robes, and carry garlands of roses and myrtle, pass slowly, singing as they go! ...  How beautiful they are!  How strange! ... how sweet!”

And as she uttered these words, in accents of dreamy delight, she ascended the first step of the Shrine.  Theos, looking, held his breath in wonder and fear, while Sah-luma with a groan turned himself resolutely away, and, pressing his forehead against the great column where he stood, hid his eyes in his clasped hands.

The High Priestess continued: 

    “Come hither, O Maiden of chaste and patient life! 
     Rejoice greatly, for thy virtue hath pleased the gods: 
     The undiscovered marvels of the Stars are thine,
     Earth has no more control over thee: 
     Heaven is thine absolute Heritage! ... 
     Behold! the Ship of the Sun awaits thee! 
     Speak! ...  What seest thou?”

A soft cry of rapture came from the girl’s lips.

“Oh, I see glory everywhere!".. she exclaimed..  “Light everywhere! ...  Peace everywhere! ...  O joy, joy! ...  The face of my beloved shines upon me,—­he calls, . . he bids me come to him! ...  Ah! we shall be together at last, . . we twain shall be as one never to part, never to doubt, never to suffer more!  O let me hasten to him! ...  Why should I linger thus, when I would fain, be gone!”

And she sprang eagerly up the second and third steps of the Sanctuary, and faced Lysia,—­her head thrown back, her blue eyes ablaze with excitement, her bosom heaving, and her delicate features transfigured and illumined by unspeakable inward delirious bliss.  Just then the Priest Zel lifted the long, jewel-hilted knife from the black cushion where it had lain till now, and, crouching stealthily in the shadow behind Lysia, held it in both bands, pointed straight forward in a level line with Niphrata’s breast.  Thus armed, he waited, silent and immovable.

A slight shudder of morbid expectancy seemed to quiver through the vast congregation, . . but Theos’s nerves were strung up to such a high pitch of frenzied horror that he could neither speak nor sigh,—­motionless as a statue, he could only watch, with freezing blood, each detail of the extraordinary scene.  Once more the High Priestess spoke: 

 “Come hither, O happy Maiden whose griefs are ended: 
  The day of thy triumph and reward has dawned! 
  For thee the Immortals unveiled the mysteries of being,—­
  To thee, they openly declare all secrets ... 
  To thee the hidden things of Wisdom are made manifest: 
  For the last time ere thou leavest us, hear, and answer, . . 
  Speak!—­What seest thou?”

“Love!” replied Niphrata in a tone of thrilling and solemn tenderness..  “Love, the Eternal All, in which dark things are made light!—­Love, that is never served in vain! ...  Love wherein lost happiness is rediscovered and perfected! ...  O divine love, by whom the passion of my heart is sanctified!  Absorb me in the quenchless glory of thine Immortality! ...  Draw me to Thyself, and let me find in Thee my Soul’s completion!”