wers, even aided by Arnold and his
aerial fleet, could accomplish such a stupendous task as that. It is
too great. It is superhuman! And yet it would be glorious even to
fail worthily in such a task, even to fall fighting in such a Titanic
conflict!"

He paused, and stood silent and irresolute, as though appalled by the
prospect with which he was confronted here at the parting of the
ways. He glanced at the extraordinary being sitting near him, and saw
his deep, dark eyes fixed upon him, as though they were reading his
very soul within him. Then he took a step towards the cripple's
chair, took his right hand in his, and said slowly and steadily and
solemnly--

"It is a worthy destiny! I will essay it for good or evil, for life
or death. I am with you to the end!"

As Tremayne spoke the fatal words which once more bound him, and this
time for life and of his own free will, to Natas the Jew, this
cripple who, chained to his chair, yet aspired to the throne of a
world, he fancied he saw his shapeless lips move in a smile, and into
his eyes there came a proud look of mingled joy and triumph as he
returned the handclasp, and said in a softer, kinder voice than
Tremayne had ever heard him use before--

"Well spoken! Those words were worthy of you and of your race! As
your faith is, so shall your reward be. Now wheel my chair to yonder
window that looks out towards the east, and you shall look past the
shadows into the day which is beyond. So! that will do. Now get
another chair and sit beside me. Fix your eyes on that bright star
that shows above the trees, and do not speak, but think only of that
star and its brightness."

Tremayne did as he was bidden in silence, and when he was seated
Natas swept his hands gently downwards over his open eyes again and
again, till the lids grew heavy and fell, shutting out the brightness
of the star, and the dim beauty of the landscape which lay sleeping
in the twilight and the June night.

Then suddenly it seemed as though they opened again of their own
accord, and were endowed with an infinite power of vision. The trees
and lawns of the home park of Alanmere and the dark rolling hills of
heather beyond were gone, and in their place lay stretched out a
continent which he saw as though from some enormous height, with its
plains and lowlands and rivers, vast steppes and snowclad hills,
forests and tablelands, huge mountain masses rearing lonely peaks of
everlasting ice to a sunlight