he ship to be put
in fighting trim without delay. The officers and men were tendered the
dignity of riding to Kioram in the sacred locomotive, and their
departure was made amid the enthusiasm of the populace.

As for myself, I remained at the palace of Tanje, the residence of the
goddess, to assist Lyone in preparing her manifesto to the people.

It was a painful crisis for her, who was the symbol of ideal love, to
be the first to renounce its delights for the sake of an every-day
union with a beloved soul.

For days her decision trembled in the balance. Her avowal of being led
captive by human love would be a national catastrophe. She trembled
for her ten thousand devotees in Egyplosis. It seemed a cruel and
heartless trampling under foot of throbbing hearts that were thrilling
with faith in their goddess. When I saw Lyone prepared to abandon
Egyplosis for my sake, when I knew she would forever resign that
splendid throne swept by whirlwinds of adoration, for the sake of
being clasped to my heart, when I saw her risk even life itself for
the simple love of one adoring heart, I then knew what love really
was. It was, as Dante says,

"Joy past compare, gladness unutterable,
Exhaustless riches and unmeasured bliss."

At last the decision was made. Lyone had decided that the ideal love
of Egyplosis was only suited to disembodied spirits, and not for those
breathing elements of matter that are unable to exist in the spiritual
state.

The following was the text of her manifesto to the king, Borodemy and
people:

"_The Avowal of_ LYONE, _Supreme Goddess of Atvatabar, Holy
Ruler of the palaces, Supernal and Infernal, of Egyplosis,
Queen of Magicians, Mother of Sorcerers, Princess of
Arjeels, etc., etc., to His Most Excellent Majesty_ KING
ALDEMEGRY BHOOLMAKAR _and the People of Atvatabar_.

"The supreme goddess presents her respectful salutations,
and desires to inform his majesty the king and the people
that her ardent soul, sensitive to the tender feelings of
human affection, desires to live no longer without a
counterpart soul. The love of ten thousand souls does not
satisfy the craving for the love of but one soul. She has
been told to love Harikar the unseen. She reaches out her
lips, but they do not meet with love's delirious kisses. Her
heart, withering within her because of soul loneliness, has
taught