s. Was that a
dream, or this? No, no, both were too real. The hum of my faraway
city still rang in my ears: a swift vision of the girl I had loved; of
the men I had hated; of the things I had hoped for rose before me,
still dazing my inner eye. And these about me were real people, too;
it was real earth; real skies, trees, and rocks--had the infernal gods
indeed heard, I asked myself, the foolish wish that started from my
lips in a moment of fierce discontent, and swept me into another
sphere, another existence? I looked at the boy as though he could
answer that question, but there was nothing in his face but vacuous
wonder; I clapped my hands together and beat my breast; it was true; my
soul within me said it was true; the boy had not lied; the djins had
heard; I was just in the flesh I had; my common human hungers still
unsatisfied where never mortal man had hungered before; and scarcely
knowing whether I feared or not, whether to laugh or cry, but with all
the wonder and terror of that great remove sweeping suddenly upon me I
staggered back to my seat, and dropping my arms upon the table, leant
my head heavily upon them and strove to choke back the passion which
beset me.

CHAPTER III

It was the light touch of the boy An upon my shoulder which roused me.
He was bending down, his pretty face full of concernful sympathy, and
in a minute said--knowing nothing of my thoughts, of course.

"It is the wine, stranger, the pink oblivion, it sometimes makes one
feel like that until enough is taken; you stopped just short of what
you should have had, and the next cup would have been delight--I should
have told you."

"Ay," I answered, glad he should think so, "it was the wine, no doubt;
your quaint drink, sir, tangled up my senses for the moment, but they
are clearer now, and I am eager past expression to learn a little more
of this strange country I have wandered into."

"I would rather," said the boy, relapsing again into his state of
kindly lethargy, "that you learnt things as you went, for talking is
work, and work we hate, but today we are all new and fresh, and if ever
you are to ask questions now is certainly the time. Come with me to
the city yonder, and as we go I will answer the things you wish to
know;" and I went with him, for I was humble and amazed, and, in truth,
at that moment, had not a word to say for myself.

All the way from the plain where I had awoke to the walls of the city
stood booths,