“Think, with his superhuman strength and intelligence, how brilliant shall he stand; as an archangel at that last day, when, his work done, he shall bring in his nations and their glory!” Father Renaudin passed me by, and, in another moment, stood beside Regan. He placed the crown upon his brow. His flag fell like a radiant robe about him. His triumphant eyes were magnificent. Close beside the rock where he stood was Isabella, gazing steadfastly. Her look was almost devotional. My heart beat slower when I beheld her. Everything seemed falling. I realized with all the rest, “Duped, duped, duped!” Regan a king—I standing mute, a subject, listening to the first prayer upon the star for blessings on his head—this man whose friendship I had despised, this vagabond whom I had at times patronized! Dizzily I looked at him. I saw about him, over his lava throne, around his regal cloak, hovering a yellow, mysterious light, a visible, tremulous, bewildering baptism of his awful destiny, surrounding him as does the zodiac the sun! I knew I could not stop his rise! I knew there was a greater power than that of man which cut his pathway! My path was dark. Isabella looked away. I could not see her eyes. “Duped, duped!” I fell senseless to the ground. CHAPTER III. A MONSTER. When next I realized events, the life of the Stone Age had begun. We dwelt in a cave; a fire of drift wood was burning; a bird was frying. My head was pillowed on coarse grass, and one of Isabella’s purple wraps covered me. It was night, and rain was falling. They had hoped for my return to health for many days. They told me that they had learned much concerning the little star. It was about three hundred miles in circumference. The lofty peaks were disproportioned to the size, according to all our standards of measurement; they served as observatories for overlooking the surface of one-half the sphere. The ball seemed belted by a continuous continent, with deeply indented shores; this made a very long coast line. “There are fine harbors and very good locations for great towns,” said Isabella to me. Towns! One person in a town! My brain was still dull from my illness. As a worrying remembrance, I thought of ships, people, tumult of business. Then I looked away at the great star which was our Earth. Home was there. All was there. This was a wilderness of uncooled lava! “He must be told of our discovery,” cheeringly remarked Father Renaudin. Thereupon he brought and arranged upon a large flat stone a little circle of smoke-blackened stones, surrounding some charred sticks, and a couple of bones. I looked at this collection and then wonderingly at their triumphant faces, astonished at their waiting, expectant manner. What did they mean me to see in that little circle? “Father Renaudin found it on the top of the mountain,” explained Isabella, joyfully.