d with the power that produced them.

"As to your magical island," said I, addressing Lyone, one of whose
titles was Princess of Arjeels, "where is your principality situated?"

"It is located anywhere in the wide sea," said Lyone.

"Do you mean to say," said I, "that Arjeels is not a real, veritable
island of the ocean, but only a ghostly island, a mirage that retreats
as we approach it, a phantasy of the imagination?"

"Arjeels is a real island, with real rocks and waterfalls, lakes and
forests, birds and flowers. There is a real palace, and all the
appurtenances of an ideal life. All this is a materialization of the
ideal desires."

I was astonished at her reply. "Once called into being," I inquired,
"how long can the island exist?"

"So long as the twin-souls support it by never-ceasing ecstasy, so
long as they perform their magical dances on the aquelium floor of the
temple of the dragon, holding in their hands the terrelium wands. Once
the island becomes materialized it requires thousands of twin-souls to
sustain and preserve its reality, and it only vanishes when the
twin-souls are utterly weary of their ecstasy."

"And when the twin-souls grow weary of their joys, what becomes of the
island and its glories?" I inquired.

"We can preserve the island for a long time," said the sorcerer, "by
having fresh dancers take the place of those that are exhausted, but
after the lapse of a month, or longer, when all are utterly vanquished
with fatigue, the spirit power becomes exhausted and the island
disappears upon the sea."

I rose and enthusiastically grasped the sorcerer by the hand. "Ah,
dear sorcerer," said I, "will you show me this magical island?"

"The command of the Princess of Arjeels," he replied, "will be
obeyed."

CHAPTER XXXVI.

ARJEELS.

I was full of impatience to witness the creation of the magical
island, where with Lyone I might find ideal delight. It was necessary,
however, for the grand sorcerer to make ample arrangements, not only
for the generation of sufficient spirit force to create the island,
but also a force sufficient for its continuance for an indefinite
length of time. It was absolutely necessary that there should be a
reserve force of ten thousand twin-souls to take the places of the
original legion of souls, when they would become weary of their
ecstatic labors. Only once before had Arjeels been created, and it was
thought a most wonderful thing that the sorcerer co