Faithful  to  its  renown,  the  wonderful
hall  presented,  in  a  dream,  the  darling  object
to  my  view.  I  perceived  her,  in  a  state  of


THE  PALL  OF  UTOPIA.  37

the  most  evident  despair,  seated  upon  a
rocky  ledge  on  a  distant  island.  So  great
was  my  transport  at  beholding  the  long-lost
Saffana  that  I  spared  not  a  moment  from
gazing  upon  her  heavenly  face  and  to  locate
the  surroundings  —  an  error  which  I  soon
deprecated  deeply,  as  I  woke  still  ignorant
of  the  place  of  her  detention  ;  a  second
admission  to  the  Hall  not  being  allowed.
However,  I  had  already  experienced  sor
row,  and  determined  that,  without  pausing  to
indulge  unavailing  regrets,  I  would  set  out
immediately  to  search  all  the  islands  of  the
sea  for  my  abducted  treasure.
The  vessel  in  which  I  sailed,  after  being
out  for  nearly  two  months,  one  day  encoun
tered  a  terrific  storm,  and  was  dashed  to
pieces  by  the  fury  of  the  waters.  A  small
boat,  into  which,  with  a  few  companions,  I
had  thrown  myself  when  compelled  to  aban
don  the  wreck,  floated  at  the  mercy  of  wind
and  wave  for  three  days,  then  a  monster
sword-fish  pierced  and  sank  it,  and  I  alone,
of  all  my  companions,  reached  a  desolate
island  close  at  hand.
Its  form,   somewhat   in  the  shape  of  a


38  THE  FALL  OF  UTOPIA.
