“It is our home, Regan!” said Rondah. “It is a world, a little kingdom!” answered Regan. “Our home! The long, long years! I thought they would never end! This time I thought it would never come!” “How came you to be so gloriously beautiful, Rondah?” “I do not know! It was hope in your coming, I think!” “It was the blessing of a hermit, who has become an angel!” said the angel-man. “Rondah on Earth was robbed of many blessings. I could bless her life with one chief happiness. I chose beauty. Regan, did I choose rightly?” “Oh! marvelously right! The angels will stop to look upon her face when comes the next translation!” “Are there people in the star?” “Father Renaudin is there! He waits for us!” “There are no other humankind?” “Only bird people with wings.” “I shall be as wise in my dullness as any in the star!” said Rondah, joyfully. “Yes!” Regan knew the clog of her dullness had been a life-long torture to her. She would be no more humiliated and pained with her dullness there. Where the brilliant Isabella had been so utterly miserable, this woman in content would be a happy, happy wife! “There is our star! Do you see the multitudes, hear their song of welcome? Do you see them rise in flocks?” “A grand world! Our world, Regan!” “What will you name it, Rondah? I have never named it! I waited for you to come!” Wreathed in flowers, singing like silver bells, the crowds rose toward them. White the walls and domes glistened on the green plain by the seaside below. “Our world forever! I will call it,” said Rondah, “Parzelia!” END OF THE FURTHER HISTORY. PART IV. RONDAH’S STAR, “PARZELIA.” CHAPTER XV. GOLD AND GLITTER. The meteorite was stopped in the clouds of the sky. The angel-man, bronze, strong and glorious once more, flew down with Rondah and Regan, and they stood upon the raised steps of the great Cathedral, where all the assembled multitudes could see them. For months previous to the departure Father Renaudin had been calculating and preparing for this return, for the ceremonial of the marriage and coronation of Rondah. Sheets of yellow gold, spun fine and hanging heavy, glistened on the columns and were spread upon the floors, falling in rich masses to the foot of the long flight of steps. As Rondah stood looking, a flock of bird women flew from one of the spires above and draped her in a veil and trailing robe of gold. With much state, Father Renaudin, accompanied by a troop of elf men, alike in copying the red of his attire, and decked with glass and gold until they could scarcely trudge for their burden, came to meet her. Father Renaudin, no older than when he left Earth, with all the mark of earth care gone, years gone from his face, came to speak blessing, in which he even faltered. He feared for an instant that Regan had again brought to the star the wrong woman.