"I suppose there is," he returned nonchalantly. "And certainly--to
be correct--I should have said I HOPE, for I never pray. What have
you there?"--this as Heliobas set the casket he carried down on
the table before him. "A reliquary? And is it supposed to contain
a fragment of the true cross? Alas! I cannot believe in these
fragments,--there are too many of them!"

Heliobas laughed gently.

"You are right! Moreover, not a single splinter of the true cross
is in existence. It was, like other crosses then in general use,
thrown aside as lumber,--and had rotted away into the earth long
before the Empress Helena started on her piously crazed
wanderings. No, I have nothing of that sort in here,"--and taking
a key from a small chain that hung at his girdle he unlocked the
casket. "This has been in the possession of the various members of
our Order for ages,--it is our chief treasure, and is seldom, I
may say never, shown to strangers,--but the mystic mandate you
have received concerning the 'field of Ardath' entitles you to see
what I think must needs prove interesting to you under the
circumstances." And opening the box he lifted out a small square
volume bound in massive silver and double-clasped. "This," he went
on, "is the original text of a portion of the 'Visions of Esdras,'
and dates from the thirteenth year after the downfall of Babylon's
commercial prosperity."

Alwyn uttered an exclamation of incredulous amazement. "Not
possible!" he cried. ... then he added eagerly, "May I look at
it?"