of the sun � the sun rising the sun setting the sun in full glory with all his rays embroidered round him in tiny shells some of them no bigger than a pin s head what a waste of time and labour he mused who would undertake such a thing nowadays fancy the patience and delicacy of finger required to fit all these shells in their places i and they are in strong mortar too as if the work were meant to be full of pleased interest he pursued his way winding in and out through different arches all more or less richly ornamented till he came to a tall round column which seemingly supported the whole gallery for all the arches towards it it was from top to bottom with roses and their leaves all worked in pink and shells with small pieces of shining and polished the of the lamp he carried made it like a mass of jewel work and absorbed in his close examination of this unique specimen of ancient art sir philip did not at once perceive that another light beside his own from out the a little beyond him � an opening that led into some recess he had not as yet a peculiar lustre sparkling on one side of the however at last attracted his attention and glancing up quickly he saw to his surprise the reflection of a strange radiance tinted and brilliant turning in its direction he paused could there be some one living in that chamber to which the long passage he had followed evidently led some one who would perhaps resent his intrusion as an impertinence some eccentric artist or who had made the cave his home or was it perhaps a refuge for he listened anxiously there was no sound he waited a minute or two then boldly advanced determined to solve the mystery i this last was lower than any of those he had passed through and he was forced to take off his hat and stoop as he went under it when he raised his head he remained uncovered for he saw at a glance that the place was sacred he was in the presence not of life but death the chamber in which he stood was square in form and more richly ornamented with than any other portion ot the he had seen and facing the east was an altar out of the solid rock and studded thickly with and mother o pearl it was covered with the incomprehensible of a creed worked in most exquisite shell patterns but on it � as though in solemn protest against the past � stood a of and carved ivory before which burned steadily a red lamp the meaning of the mysterious light was thus explained but what chiefly interested was the central object of the place � a � or rather a plain granite which was placed on the floor lying from north to south upon it � in strange contrast to the sombre coldness of the stone � a large wreath of gathered the vivid scarlet of the flowers the gleam of the shining shells on the walls the mournful figure of the ivory christ stretched on the cross among all those pagan � the intense silence broken only by the slow of water somewhere behind the � and more than these outward things � his own impressive conviction that he was with the imperial dead � imperial because past the sway of empire � all made a powerful impression on his mind by degrees his first sensations of awe he approached the and examined it it was closed and all round so that it might have been one compact block of stone so far as its outward appearance stooping more closely however to look at the brilliant he started back with a slight exclamation cut deeply in the hard granite he read for the second time that odd name � it belonged to some one dead then � not to the lovely living woman who had so lately confronted him in the burning glow of the midnight sun he felt dismayed at his the land of the midnight sun ly tion � he had in his fancy actually associated her so full of radiant health and beauty with what was probably a corpse in that sealed of stone this idea was unpleasant and upon his feelings surely she that golden haired of the had nothing to do with he had evidently found his way into some ancient tomb might be the name or title of some long departed queen or princess of yet if so how came the there � the red lamp the flowers he lingered looking curiously about him as if he fancied the shell embroidered walls might whisper some answer to his thoughts the silence offered no suggestions the plaintive figure of the tortured christ suspended on the cross maintained an immovable watch over all things and there was a subtle faint floating about as of crushed or while he still stood there absorbed in perplexed conjectures he became oppressed by want of air the red hue of the wreath mingled with the softer glow of the lamp on the altar � the moist glitter of the shells and polished pebbles � seemed to and his eyes he felt dizzy and faint � and hastily made his way out of that close death chamber into the passage where he leaned for a few minutes against the great central column to recover himself a brisk breath of wind from the came through the gallery and blew coldly upon his forehead refreshed by it he rapidly overcame the sensation of and began to his steps through the winding arches thinking with some satisfaction as he went what a romantic incident he would have to relate to and his other friends when a sudden glare of light the passage and he was brought to an 