might emerge into the glories of a nobler
life.

She, by virtue of her occupation, believed in the great underworld of
Hades--in Tartarus, in the Elysian--and knew that Hecate, her mistress,
her goddess, presided over the depths where the unclothed spirits wailed
and wandered, and over the starving ones who waited at the sacrifice to
drink in the rich aroma arising from the altar fire. She knew of the
pleadings of the lost for mercy from those they wronged on earth, and
the pitiless refusals they met with from the unforgiving shades. In the
dark, mysterious nature of Saronia were deep yearnings to set the
unforgiven entombed ones free, that they might move upward on the arc of
their ascending life, and go forward until they glistened with a glory
of purity.

Frequently there arose within her mind the question, 'Is there a God of
perfect goodness? Do I know all? Is there in the great and mighty
universe a Central Throne, on which the All Perfect rules? Is there far
away in the depths of yon gray-blue a King above all other gods and
goddesses? And will He ever reveal Himself to man and teach a rule of
life by which we may ascend to hold communion with Him?'

And as she meditated a joy unspeakable overwhelmed her soul, and tears,
joyful tears, trickled down her beautiful face. But no voice or light
came to say if other than Diana heard, and the great Temple shone before
her in the sunlight. She said:

'This joy is from my goddess, Queen of Heaven; there is no goddess or
god greater than she who speaks to me, and Hecate will control the evil
which exists. I must bow before her and worship at her shrine, be
co-worker with her, and afterwards she may explain to me those deep
mysteries, things which sadden my soul. I shall know later that which to
me is now impenetrable, dark, and lonely. O sweet goddess, hear me! O
saviour, Queen, Protectress, hear me! O mighty Luminant, I adore thee!
Queen of the Lower World, Queen of the Earth, Queen of the Skies, I
adore, I worship thee! My being comes from thee, my life is held and led
by thee, my future spreads out before thee. The great unfathomable
eternity of the hereafter is known to thee. O mighty Lover, guard me!
Generous Dispenser, protect me! Great, far-reaching goddess, lead me
through the aeons, purify my mind from those thoughts which would reach
out after some other love! Wrest from my spirit those dark forebodings,
those wild clamourings for light, when thou art the lig