while I looked on in awed worship, and that either she was blind to my reverence for her or else chose to ignore it. It was not until I rose to leave that my thoughts reverted to the subject which had brought me to see Aelios. And then, since the hour was late and my mood was no longer prosaic, I did not choose to discuss that topic long. I merely showed Aelios the letter, which she glanced at briefly and with a broad smile; then she surprised me by congratulating me just as the gray-haired bearer of the message had done. But she was exceedingly chary of information. “If you will go to the Committee offices,” she suggested, “the whole matter will be made much clearer to you than I could make it.” And, after directing me where to find the offices, she added, “I’d advise you to waste no time, or else you may lose your turn and have to wait another half year. You know, that’s what happened once to my cousin Argol, who met you at the door just before.” Genuinely gratified that my doubts about Cousin Argol had been dispersed, I thanked Aelios and turned to leave. My heart pattered happily when I found her accompanying me to the outer door; and I felt an actual thrill of joy when she pressed her little hand firmly in my great one, and murmured, in tones that could leave no doubt of her sincerity, “Come again, my friend. Come whenever you wish some one to talk with. I shall always be glad to see you.” And it was with a glow of triumph that I found myself walking down the flower-bordered walk toward the main avenue. Aelios was more friendly than I had had any reason to expect!--her company was even more charming than I had imagined! Considering all things, I had every cause to be thankful, and who knew but that some day-- But here my thoughts reached a dazzling veil beyond which I would not allow them to penetrate, for there were still heights that I could not mount even in my most daring fancies. * * * * * [Illustration: Some of the trees had branches symmetrically woven into the likenesses of great cobwebs, and from those cobwebs at regular intervals dangled clusters of grape-like fruits; other trees were cactus-like and leafless; and some of the shrubs and creepers bore pods resembling those of beans and peas, except that they were over a foot in length. The vast majority of this strange assemblage of plants seemed to be fruit-bearing ...] * * * * * CHAPTER XVII The High Initiation