ed me with an
extremity of terror. Was it that he thought me unequal to the
experience? I could not tell. But we walked as men dragging themselves
into some fiery and dreadful martyrdom.

Again I could not bear it, and I cried out suddenly:

"But, Amroth, He is Love; and we can enter without fear into the
presence of Love!"

"Have you not yet guessed," said Amroth sternly, "how terrible Love can
be? It is the most terrible thing in the world, because it is the
strongest. If Death is dreadful, what must that be which is stronger
than Death? Come, let us be silent, for we are near the place, and this
is no time for words;" and then he added with a look of the deepest
compassion and tenderness, "I wish I could speak differently, brother,
at this hour; but I am myself afraid."

And at that we gave up all speech, and only our thoughts sprang together
and intertwined, like two children that clasp each other close in a
burning house, when the smoke comes volleying from the door.

We were coming now to what looked like a ridge of rocks ahead of us; and
I saw here a wonderful thing, a great light of incredible pureness and
whiteness, which struck upwards from the farther side. This began to
light up our own pale faces, and to throw our backs into a dark shadow,
even though the radiance of the heavenly day was all about us. And at
last we came to the place.

It was the edge of a precipice so vast, so stupendous, that no word can
even dimly describe its depth; it was all illuminated with incredible
clearness by the light which struck upwards from below. It was
absolutely sheer, great pale cliffs of white stone running downwards
into the depth. To left and right the precipice ran, with an irregular
outline, so that one could see the cliff-fronts gleam how many millions
of leagues below! There seemed no end to it. But at a certain point far
down in the abyss the light seemed stronger and purer. I was at first so
amazed by the sight that I gazed in silence. Then a dreadful dizziness
came over me, and I felt Amroth's hand put round me to sustain me. Then
in a faint whisper, that was almost inaudible, Amroth, pointing with his
finger downwards, said:

"Watch that place where the light seems clearest."

I did so. Suddenly there came, as from the face of the cliff, a thing
like a cloudy jet of golden steam. It passed out into the clear air,
shaping itself in strange and intricate curves; then it grew darker in
colour, hung for