"’The dream of my life is fulfilled,’ my companion whispered as we looked out on the lovely scene. ’This is without doubt the temple of the moon, of which I once read an account in an old manuscript. It is reported to have been built by Zoroaster, and to have been kept in perfect repair up to the date when the manuscript was written. But I had supposed it to have been destroyed centuries ago, and there we see it to-day perfect in all its original loveliness. No doubt its preservation is due to its inaccessible position, and the care with which it has been watched over by the priests. Truly if the Oriental people know nothing else, they know how to preserve a secret. I am, however, inclined to think, from the dress of the priests we saw this morning, that the followers of Buddha must have now taken possession of it; but in this borderland of many religions, all founded more or less on Brahminism, we often find a combination of religious thoughts which more resembles the earlier faith, and this may prove to be the centre of some such creed; we shall doubtless soon have an opportunity of finding out.’ "Hardly had he finished speaking, when down the steps which led from the temple to the lake, a procession of white-robed priests could be seen moving slowly, and a long, curiously-shaped boat glided out from where it had been concealed by the trees. In a few moments it had reached the steps and the priests entered it. Then through the night air rose the sound of singing which harmonized with the music as the boat slowly glided out of our sight behind the massive columns on which the temple was built. Seven times the boat made a circle round the building, and then, with the priests still on board, turned towards the trees beneath us and was once more hidden from sight; the music and singing stopped, and all was again in silence. "’They are coming this way,’ I said. ’What had we better do?’ "’Move further from the entrance,’ Kanwick answered, ’and keep as quiet as possible.’ "We crept with little noise to a thicket about fifty paces from the tunnel, but as though guided by some superior power set on our discovery, the procession came straight on to where we lay concealed. When they had reached our hiding-place the priests spread out, forming a circle round us, so that escape was impossible, and a voice spoke as follows, in Persian-- ("I am quick at learning languages, and as Persian is by far the most useful in this part of the East, I had taken some trouble to learn it in our travels, so I was able to understand what was said to us.)