en flying over the 'Eternal City' here, in the centre
of that great white flag that floats over the Apleon Palace? I think
you must mean that, and if so it is the two Greek characters for the
name of Christ, with a crooked serpent put between them!"

"Yes!" the one word came in merest whisper from her, then leaning
closer to him, she went on:

"But do you know, George, the _import_ of the foul Mark?"

"I believe I do!" he whispered back. "I believe it is what our
Scriptures call the 'Mark of the Beast.' If that be so, as I am
convinced it is, it is the brand of the Anti-christ--and----"

He, too, seemed to feel the need of increased caution, for he glanced
fearsomely round, as he added:

"And I believe I know who the Anti-christ will prove to be."

She shot a swift glance upwards to the casement window, and with
upraised finger, leant towards him until her warm lips touched his ear,
as she repeated what she had said once before:

"The very air here, seems full of spies. It was so at Babylon!
_Lucien Apleon_ is THE ANTI-CHRIST."

Again her frightened glance travelled to the casement Then she went on:

"My brother always confided everything to me. And in telling me the
secret of the Emperor Apleon--though exactly how he learned it, I
cannot say--he never dreamed that I should have any scruples about
serving the Anti-christ. But I love God! I missed the great
'Rapture,' when God's true children were taken 'into the air' with
their Lord, but, though it cost me torture, or my very life, during
these coming days of awful persecution, I can do no other than cleave
to our Lord."

In an unconscious gesture of loyalty to her God, she had drawn herself
up to her full height, while her vow of fidelity had been uttered aloud.

For awhile longer they talked on together of Babylon, of "The Mark," of
Anti-christ, of the probable coming days of horror and persecution,
then a chance question of his as to how she came to learn to speak
English so well, led her to say:

"Shall I tell you my story? The sun is too hot for you to go out for
another two hours, and----"

"Yes, tell me, Rose," he cried, not giving her time to finish her
sentence.

He glanced towards a low Eastern couch on the other side of the room,
as he added: "But before you begin, I want to see you lying upon that
couch; after all you have passed through, and in view of unexpected
contingencies that may arise, any hour, you must rest all that you can