not Hellenic, or Egyptian, or Assyrian, or Roman. This much the
Hili-lites knew and said. Then, further, there were inscriptions in
characters unknown to the world at the time of the barbarian overflow
into the Roman Empire, and also unknown to Pym. In one of the ruins was
a large window made of blue and yellow transparent corundum, in which
appeared an inscription made by a setting of rubies.

"What a strange world, in which entire races come and go, some of them
leaving a ruin or two, and perhaps an odd indecipherable inscription
here and there! The world was fortunate indeed to grasp, from the
obliterated and forgotten past, Hebraism and Hellenism--the moral and
the beautiful; from which man's craving for goodness has resulted in
Christianity; and from which his impulses of sweetness and brightness
and loveliness have developed the Renascence! Between goodness and
beauty, why should there ever be conflict? Pure goodness is pure love,
and love is almost synonymous with beauty.--But, pardon the digression.

"The tour of the islands comprising Hili-liland continued through
December and January. I could tell you much of the social gayeties in
many a bright country-home during these two months; but in these Peters
was not much interested, and I could not get from him many of the
particulars. Thus far I have striven to keep all facts unpolluted by any
possible alloy of my own imagination--let me continue to be, in word and
in spirit, true to the facts. Were I to attempt a description of these
island festivities in faraway Hili-liland, perhaps, inadvertently--the
facts being meagre--I might say something bordering on untruth; and,
rather than untruth--a thousand times rather--silence.

"I will close for this evening by saying that the wedding-party arrived
at the island of Hili-li about February 1st--the year being 1829. Some