The Nemesis: A Tale Of The Days Of Trajan.

you once pass the threshold of this door , you must not dare to pause , or attempt to retrace your steps , for , if you do , you will find us prepared to oppose your retreat here , and to prevent your return to the world alive . "

Adrian passed boldly through the door , and found himself in a similar passage to that through which he had already passed , only the statues held lamps in their hands , in Avhich burned some scarlet coloured fire , Avhile the ground beneath his

feet was of a deep red colour , and free from the reptiles and remains of humanity , Avhich rendered the other so disgusting . As he advanced a light at the extremity gradually appeared , Avhile rich perfumes floated around him . The gallery opened

upon a chamber full of lovely women , who danced to the merry lyre , occasionally singing a love song . FloAvers of the rarest bloom , Avere placed around the Avails , and tables groaned with the costliest fruits and Avines . At the appearance of Adrian ,

the women flocked around him , offered him fruit and flagons of Avine , Avhile one , the fairest , pi * e sented to him a floAver . But he gazed not upon them , and as he passed through their ranks , their blandishments gave way to taunts . Heedless he marched on to the opposite side of the room where

he saAV a door , and opening this he passed through . Before him there lay a flight of steps doivn Avhich be went , and entered upon a gallery . There were neither niches nor statues here , but the way Avas so winding that but for his lamp , he would have

run constantly against the Avails . Deep and dangerous-looking holes also Avere in tho AA'ay , which ifc required his utmost care to escape , and his greatest strength and agility at times to leap over . To add to his difficulties , thick clouds of

smoke began to fill the gallery , Avhile the sound of some mighty conflagration crackled upon the air , and made the atmosphere hot and sickly . On reaching the end of the gallery , a terribly sublime spectacle met Jiis view . Before him Avas a noble

hall , seemingly constructed of fire . Huge pillars of crimson flame supported a dome of lurid light . The floor appeared to be formed of tesselated work , half fire and half marble . Tongues of fire leapt out on every side , Avhile thick sulphureous

smoke hung over the hall . For -an instant , but only for an instant , did the youth pause . Carefully treading upon the marble , he stept across the flames , Avhich he now observed Avere produced by iron bars heated , and covered Avith some inflammable preparation . He , after great caution ,

reached the opposite side of the hall ; he wished to look back but though tempted to do so by the sublime character of the chamber , rememberingthe injunctions of the fiery scroll , he refrained from doing so . Had he looked back , a band of

boivmen , who were concealed on the opposite side of the hall Avould have sent a cloud of arrows at him , and so have made an end of him , and of all his desires .

But UOAV a more serious and dangerous obstacle confronted him , and threatened to bar his onAvard progress . A Avide and rapid canal , fed by the Avaters of the Nile , rushed past the hall of fire , and over this he had to SAvim , for on the opposite side

he could see a small Iedging before an ivory door . Short pause he made , sufficient to enable him to strip off his Avhite robe , Avhich he carefully wrapped up in his under garments . Tying these upon his head , and holding his still lighted lamp in the one

hand to guide him , for the sheen of the hall of fire had disappeared , he gently dropped into the water , and swam boldly and strongly across the canal towards the nari-OAV landing place . With some difficulty he effected a landing , and ,,

after putting on his dress , he looked about for a ' passage , by which he might continue his progress . Before him gleamed white underneath the rays of his lamp , the ivory door , but it was bound by two high walls of brass , into each of them being inserted a ponderous Avheel of the same metal .

Adrian approached the door and tried by pressure to force ifc open , but it stood the attack , as if it had been of the solid rock . He passed the light of the lamp across it , in a vain attempt to discover knob or handle . These Avere not there . Carefully

examining the sides , he discovered a couple of rings , concealed by the rise of the Iedging . These he seized , aud drew towards him , still holding his lamp securely in his right hand . After he had pulled the cords out and hung upon them Avith his

full Aveight , instead of finding the door open to admit him , the brazen wheels began rapidly to revolve upon their axes , and amidst the most horrible noises , the platform on which he had secured such a precarious footing sank beneath

him , and he hung , suspended by the rings , over a fathomless abyss , into which the canal , swollen by the raising of a sluice dashed its waters with a terrible din . From the abyss issued a keen cold piercing wind , Avhich extinguished the flame in his lamp , and left him in utter darkness . Yet no fear struck the heart of the courageous youth