ed it, she laughed yet more deliciously and permitted him to hold
it.

"Why must you seek another world, Dolores?" Tomlin said hoarsely. "Here
you are queen. Out in the greater world you can be no more. Stay, and
let me stay with you."

"And would my paltry possessions pay thee for renouncing thy people, thy
home?" she asked.

"Home? People? God! I renounce Heaven itself if you say yes!"

"We shall see, my friend," Dolores sighed, and Tomlin felt her tremble
slightly. "My chief desire is to leave behind me this life of herder to
human beasts. To go into the world whence comes such as thee, Tomlin; to
live among the people who can make such as these"--she indicated the
rich furnishing of the saloon, the sideboard silver and plate, the
stained glass of the skylight.

"All these things I have, and more--nay, but thy treasures are nothing
compared with what I shall show thee in the great chamber--yet must I
keep them hidden because of the beasts that call me Sultana! Where they
came from, these treasures, must be men like thee, Tomlin, women like
the painted women of my gallery, people with the art to make these
things instead of the brute power to steal them. And there I will go,
and thou art to be my guide."

"Then, in Heaven's name, let us go now!" cried Tomlin, trying to rise.
She laughed in his ear again, and her soft, warm arms pressed him back
in the chair with a power that amazed him. "We shall go, in good
season," she whispered. "But--" The rest was murmured so faintly, yet so
tremendously audible to his superheated brain, that he drew back and
stared up at her with an awful expression of mingled unbelief and horror
distorting his face.

"Do you know what you say?" he gasped, and shot an apprehensive glance
toward Venner and Pearse.

"Surely, my friend," she crooned. "Thyself alone, of those who came in
this ship, may return. If I am desirable, see to it that I can be
pleased with thee." Dolores stood up, bent upon him a dazzling smile,
leaned as if to kiss his lips, then with a tinkling little ripple of
mirth blew a kiss instead and ran up the companion-stairs to the deck.

Tomlin stood glaring after her as if fascinated. His face, deeply
flushed a moment before, had gone deathly white; his profile, turned
under the lamp toward his companions, showed deeply puckered brows over
stony eyes, lips parted as if to utter a cry of horror. And Venner,
fuming inwardly, had seen enough to recall some of his badly