Ilearnedafterwaysthatsopressingwastherebels’attack，andsodestructivethebatteringoftheirnewwarengines，thatPhorenicehadgoneofftothewallsfirsttolendawhileherbrilliantskillforitsrepulse，andtoputheartintothedefenders。Butasitwas，thedayhadburnedouttoitsmiddleandscorchedusintolerably，beforethenoiseofthedrumsandhornsgaveadvertisementthatthepageanthadformedinprocession;andofthosewhowaitedinthecrowd，manyhadfaintedwithexhaustionandtheheat，andnotafewhaddied。ButlifewascheapinthecityofAtlantisnow，andnooneheededthefallen。
Nearerandnearerdrewthedrumsandthebrayingoftheothermusic，andpresentlytheheadofaglitteringprocessionbegantoarriveanddisposeitselfinthespacewhichhadbeensetapart。
Manyathousandpoorstarvingwretchessighedwhentheysawthewantonsplendourofit。ButtheselordsandthesecourtiersofthisnewAtlantishadnoconcernbeyondtheirownbelliesandtheirownbacks，exceptfortheironealienregard——theirsimperingaffectionforPhorenice。
Ithink，though，theirloyaltyfortheEmpresswasrealenough，anditwasnottobewonderedat，sinceeverythingtheyhadcamefromherlavishhands。Indeed，thewomanhadacharmthatcannotbedenied，forwhensheappeared，ridinginthegoldencastle（whereIalsohadridden）onthebackofhermonstrousshaggymammoth，thestarvedsullenfacesofthecrowdbrightenedasthoughamealandsuddenprosperityhadbeenbestoweduponthem;
andwithoutawordofcommand，withoutatraceofcompulsion，theyburstintospontaneousshoutsofwelcome。