arkness. But the star remained, the silvery star, and threw a long line
of tremulous light upon the vast and raging rapid, which now, fleet and
foaming, revealed itself on all sides to the eye of Alroy.

The beautiful interposition in his favour re-animated the adventurous
pilgrim. A dark shadow in the foreground, breaking the line of light
shed by the star upon the waters, attracted his attention. He advanced,
regained his former footing, and more nearly examined it. It was a boat,
and in the boat, mute and immovable, sat one of those vast, singular,
and hidden forms which eh had observed sculptured on the walls of the
gallery.

David Alry, committing his fortunes to the God of Israel, leapt into the
boat.

And at the same moment the Afrite, for it was one of those dread
beings,[50] raised the oars, and the barque moved. The falling waters
suddenly parted in the long line of the star's reflection, and the
barque glided through their high and severed masses.

In this wise they proceeded for a few minutes, until they entered a
beautiful and moonlit lake. In the distance was mountainous country.
Alroy examined his companion with a feeling of curiosity not unmixed
with terror. It was remarkable that Alroy could never succeed in any way
in attracting his notice. The Afrite seemed totally unconscious of the
presence of his passenger. At length the boat reached the opposite shore
of the lake, and the Prince of the Captivity debarked.

He debarked at the head of an avenue of colossal lions of red
granite,[51] extending far as the eye could reach, and ascending the
side of the mountain, which was cut into a flight of magnificent
steps. The easy ascent was in consequence soon accomplished, and Alroy,
proceeding along the avenue of lions, soon gained the summit of the
mountain.

To his infinite astonishment he beheld Jerusalem. That strongly-marked
locality could not be mistaken: at his feet were Jehoshaphat, Kedron,
Siloah; he stood upon Olivet; before him was Zion. But in all other
respects, how different was the landscape from the one that he had gazed
upon a few days back, for the first time! The surrounding hills
sparkled with vineyards, and glowed with summer palaces, and voluptuous
pavilions, and glorious gardens of pleasure. The city, extending all
over Mount Sion, was encompassed with a wall of white marble, with
battlements of gold; a gorgeous mass of gates and pillars, and gardened
terraces; lofty piles of ra