At the central point of this cross was placed on a pedestal of emerald a statue in gold, which recalled at once the features of the Founder.

The space might have accommodated two thousand persons, but on the seats--of a material resembling ivory, each of them separately formed and gathered in irregular clusters--there were not, I thought, more than four hundred or five hundred men and women intermingled; the former dressed for the most part in green, the latter in pink or white, and all wearing the silver band and star.

At the opposite end, closing the central aisle, was a low narrow platform raised by two steps carved out of the natural rock, but inlaid with jewellery imitating closely the variegated turf of a real garden.

On this were placed, slanting backward towards the centre, two rows of six golden seats or thrones, whose occupants wore the golden band over silver robes.

That next the interval, but to the left, was filled by Esmo, who to my surprise wore a robe of white completely covering his figure, and contrasting signally the golden sash to which his star was attached.