158 Two Lirrite Piuerims’ PRocRess

ways rose from the lagoon, leading to fair open portals
the wondering world passed through to splendours
held within. <A great statue of gold towered noble
and marvellous with uplifted arms, holding high the
emblems of its spirit and power, and at the end of
this vista, through the archway, and between the line
of columns bearing statues poised against the back-
ground of sky, he caught glimpses of the lake’s
scintillating blue.

He uttered a weird little sound. It was part
exclamation and a bit of a laugh, cut short by some-
thing like a nervous sob which did not know what to
do with itself.

“Oh!” he said. And then—‘Oh!” again. And
then “I—I don’t know—what it’s—like!” And he
cleared his throat and stared, and Meg saw his narrow
chest heave up and down.

“Té isn’t like anything, but—something we've
dreamed of perhaps,” said Meg, gazing in ecstasy with
him.

“No—no!” answered Ben. “But I’ve never
dreamed like it.”

Meg put her hand on his shoulder.

“But you will now,” she said. “You will now.”

And their Man had been near enough to hear, and
he came to them. :