"What mean these lurid openings?" nervously asked Miss Church-Member,
for their flames excited her terror. Mr. World replied, with a look
of surprise: "Have you never heard that these are to give light to
pilgrims, such as we? Without them the way would prove very dark and
dreary."

"What a contrast," she exclaimed, "between these lights and those that
illumine the King's Highway! They shine from above, with increasing
splendor, while these cast forth, from below, their uncertain lights.
It seems to me that the farther we go the darker becomes the way, and
its lights the more inconstant,--so fitful is their gruesome glare."

"Ah! I see what ails you," responded Mr. World. "Your eyes are at
fault. We will presently meet the expert who will correct your vision
ere your eyes are totally ruined."

The attention of Miss Church-Member was suddenly attracted by seeing
a man who was just sinking out of sight into the fire of destruction.
As soon as he disappeared the flames burst forth in fury through the
newly-made opening. Instantly a servant of Satan covered the breach
so that observers could no longer hear the wails of the poor man, nor
smell the fumes from the burning strata.

Then did I look and, behold, I saw such places in countless variety,
each attended by a servant of the Black Prince. Each opening made by
an unfortunate victim was promptly sealed so that others, in passing
along, would the more readily be ensnared in one of these fatal
fissures.