under her own high heaven. The hills on yonder
coast, huge as they are, have a way of hiding themselves in the very
air--vanishing in the very light. And, look, yonder, in the extreme
distance, the light seems to have _cut away_ the solid basis of the
hills, and left nothing but the ridge, the wavy outline, which one might
expect to rise into the air, it is so cloud-like."

"The earth and heaven do so mingle here, there is no separating them,"
said Mildred. "I wonder not that the inhabitants of such a region as
this threw a certain dimness, as of twilight, over their future Elysium.
Some difference it was necessary to imagine between it and their
familiar earth, and could they fancy any thing more bright and beautiful
than this?"

"Look behind you," said Winston. She turned, and started at the sudden
and complete contrast which the utter desolation of the scathed mountain
presented to her.

They then addressed themselves to their somewhat arduous undertaking.
Mildred had refused to be carried up in a chair--had determined to walk.
She had received a very accurate description of this part of her task,
and found things exactly as she expected. The side of the mountain
seems, at first, composed of large loose stones, of a brown colour; but
the lava, which assumes this shape, is not loose, and you step from
projection to projection with perfect safety,--with the same
fatigue,--neither more nor less, as one walks up a flight of stairs. It
is rather a long flight, however, and there is no bannister. This last
deficiency the guide is in the habit of supplying--to such as condescend
to accept his assistance--by fastening a leathern strap round his waist,
and giving the end of it into the hand of the traveller. Winston
insisted upon putting this strap round his own waist, and that Mildred
should allow him to take what seemed to him the most enviable position,
of the guide. It was a dangerous experiment. Not the weight of
Mildred--for she leant very lightly--it was not the weight of Mildred
which he felt at every step was exhausting his strength, till his heart
beat and his knees trembled. After a little time he was compelled to sit
down, faint as a child. Mildred was far from guessing the cause of this
sudden weakness, but requested that the belt might be again transferred
to the guide. Nor did he hesitate a moment. Had he attempted to proceed
much farther they might both have been precipitated to the bottom.

Their march wa