“After passing the balustrade one has the choice of four gates, each ascended by a stately flight of stairs fifteen in number. Of these gates, three, situated near the western end, are near each other; the fourth stands far remote towards the eastern end. Each gate consists of two folding doors, crusted with gold and silver, and is flanked by massive towers.” He paused for a moment, and resumed: “I related this vision to my father, who was as much startled, princess, as you appear to be. ‘What you have seen,’ said he, ‘is the temple at Jerusalem.’ Can you wonder, then, that I desire to take a view of it?” “And did you know nothing of the interior of our temple till the time of this dream?” asked Berenice. “Absolutely nothing, I pledge you my solemn word. I was, of course, aware that Jerusalem contained a notable temple resorted to by devout Jews out of every nation under heaven, but that was the total extent of my knowledge. Not a single detail of its architecture was known to me.” Berenice seemed perplexed, even troubled. “Strange! whence comes this dream of yours?” she murmured. “You do not doubt the vision?” “How can I, since you affirm it to be true?” “You admit that my description is correct?” “It cannot be gainsaid.” “Well, then, since it is beyond the power of the human mind, whether sleeping or awake, to gain such knowledge as I gained at that time, shall I offend you by saying that the vision was directly vouchsafed to me by the immortal gods?” “The gods?” returned the princess with a touch of disdain in her voice. “The gods? The gods of you Gentiles have no existence. There is but one true and living God.” “Have it so,” replied Crispus, who seemingly could tolerate reflections upon his religion much more easily than Berenice could upon hers. “Shall we say, then, that the vision was sent by your own deity?” “Impossible! Would He Who has enjoined upon us the perpetual worship of Himself give command to destroy the one and only temple in which that worship is carried on?” “He might,” observed Vashti, “if He purposed to make His religion more spiritual. Pure religion requires neither temple nor altar.” “There speaks one who is no true daughter of Abraham,” retorted Berenice. “Nay, princess, it is because I _am_ a daughter of Abraham that I say it, for what temple did Abraham have?” Berenice, about to make an angry retort, was checked by Crispus. “We are drifting from the primary question,” said he, “which is, whence came my dream? That dream was plainly a supernatural one.” “Whence?” returned Berenice. “Whence but from the kingdom of evil? There are wicked spirits as well as good, and the prince of them is named Satan, who would rejoice if he could but persuade a Roman to destroy the temple. I pray you, noble Crispus,” she continued, with considerable emotion, “dismiss this dream from your mind, lest by dwelling overmuch upon it you should come to believe that you have a Divine mission to destroy the temple.”