"_We believe_," the priest went on in his chant--"_that the living God, is the marriage of Force and matter, of Head and Hand. And we believe that the product of this co-ordination is in our Great Superman, the God of the Universe, Apleon, our Superior-God, and Him we worship and adore--_" The priest made a well-understood sign, and the whole mass of the people _knelt_--they were too crowded to prostrate themselves. The great organ pealed forth in some wondrous chordings, that were dying down into zephyr-like breaths, when the voice of the priest broke the comparative silence. In harsh, commanding tones, he cried: "You three rebels, kneel at once!" The whole congregation lifted their eyes to see two men, and a beautiful woman between them, standing proudly, fearlessly, amid the great kneeling throng. "Kneel, you apostate rebels!" thundered the priest. For answer, Rose lifted her strong, powerful, beautiful voice, in a God-inspired spontaneous burst of _true_ worship, singing: "All Hail the power of Jesus' Name, Let angels prostrate fall." Ralph and her husband caught the inspiration and the musical key, and the trio had reached the "Bring forth the Royal Diadem," before the great congregation of blasphemers awoke to the full meaning of what the song of the trio meant. Then, with a roar like ten thousand lions, they shouted: "Kill them! Murder them!" The priest raised his hand, the bugler sounded "Silence." The old hush fell upon the people, instantly, and the priest, with a triumphant note ringing in his voice, and with an equally triumphant smile on his face, cried: "We have anticipated the action of such rebels as these, and have prepared for them. Outside there has been already set up an automatically-locked scaffold--" With a wave of his hand towards our trio, he cried; "To the block with them, unless they instantly worship." Pointing with his long index finger to the three Protesters, he shouted: "Kneel!" For answer they drew themselves upright, and with a ringing gladness began to sing: "Crown Jesus Lord of all!" Instantly they were seized, and hurried out of one of the side entrances. With the utmost difficulty a way was cleared for the passage of the priests and the three victims--the bugler going ahead sounding sharp notes of warning on his instrument. They reached the front of the cathedral, at last. The whole of the space in the front, at the sides, and far away into "The Fan" was packed with a seething, excited mass of human life. Twenty feet high, a light but strong scaffold had been rapidly, and practically silently, erected--the whole structure having all its separate parts fitted with automatic lockings. The scaffold stood just _out_side the railings that fenced the cathedral from the "Fan." On the platform of the scaffold was a conical-shaped block, enamelled in a brilliant red. A huge fellow, leaning on the handle of a wide-bladed gleaming axe, stood by the side of the block.