to any passing breeze, a
flake of snow larger than a dove's wing; but it was blood-red, and in
its centre shone a wonderful light that made its passage through the
darkness a track of glory. As it passed gently downwards without
sound, she thought that it threw the shadow of a human face. It lit
upon the marble floor, and the red snow melted there and turned to
blood, but the light that had been its heart shone on pure and steady.

Looking up again, she saw that the vault above her was thick with
thousands upon thousands of these flakes, each glowing like a crimson
lamp, and each throwing its own shadow. One of the shadows was like
George, and she shuddered as it passed. And ever as they touched the
marble pavement, the flakes melted and became blood, and some of the
lights went out, but the most part burnt on, till at length there was
no longer any floor, but a dead-sea of blood on which floated a myriad
points of fire.

And then it all grew clear to her, for a voice in her mind spoke and
said that this was one of God's storehouses for human souls; that the
light was the soul, and the red in the snow which turned to blood was
the sin which had, during its earthly passage, stained its first
purity. The sea of blood before her was the sum of the scarlet
wickedness of her age; from every soul there came some to swell its
awful waters.

At length the red snow ceased to fall, and a sound that was not a
voice, but yet spoke, pealed through the silence, asking if all were
ready. The voice that had spoken in her mind answered, "No, he has not
come who is to see." Then, looking upwards, she saw, miles on miles
away, a bright being with half-shut wings flashing fast towards her,
and she knew that it was Arthur, and the loneliness left her. He lit a
breathing radiance by her side, and again the great sound pealed, "Let
in the living waters, and cleanse away the sins of this generation."

It echoed and died away, and there followed a tumult like the flow of
an angry sea. A mighty wind swept past her, and after it an ocean of
molten crystal came rushing through the illimitable hall. The sea and
the wind purged away the blood and put out the lamps, leaving behind
them a glow of light like that upon her brow, and where the lamps had
been stood myriads of seraphic beings, whilst from ten thousand
tongues ran forth a paean of celestial song.

Then everything vanished, and deep gloom, that was not, however, dark
to her, settle