xysm
the colour ebbed back from her again, and for a while she would lie
motionless. But strength and power seemed gradually to grow, and at last
these prevailed, and drove death and sleep beneath them. Her eyelids
struggled with their fastenings. Her lips parted, and her bosom heaved.
With shivering gasps her breath began to pant between her reddening
lips. At first it rattled dryly in her throat, but soon it softened and
became more regular. And then with a last effort her eyes, her glorious
loving eyes, slowly opened.

I leaned over and called her softly by name.

Her eyes met mine, and a glow arose from their depths that gave me the
greatest joy I have met in all the world.

"Deucalion, my love," she whispered. "Oh, my dear, so you have come for
me. How I have dreamed of you! How I have been racked! But it was worth
it all for this."

18. STORM OF THE SACRED MOUNTAIN

It was Nais herself who sent me to attend to my sterner duties. The din
of the attack came to us in the house where I was tending her, and she
asked its meaning. As pithily as might be, for she was in no condition
for tedious listening, I gave her the history of her nine years' sleep.

The colour flushed more to her face. "My lord is the properest man in
all the world to be King," she whispered.

"I refused to touch the trade till they had given me the Queen I
desired, safe and alive, here upon the Mountain."

"How we poor women are made the chattels of you men! But, for myself, I
seem to like the traffic well enough. You should not have let me stand
in the way of Atlantis' good, Deucalion. Still, it is very sweet to know
you were weak there for once, and that I was the cause of your weakness.
What is that bath over yonder? Ah! I remember; my wits seem none of the
clearest just now."

"You have made the beginning. Your strength will return to you by quick
degrees. But it will not bear hurrying. You must have a patience."

"Your ear, sir, for one moment, and then I will rest in peace. My poor
looks, are they all gone? You seem to have no mirror here. I had visions
that I should wake up wrinkled and old."

"You are as you were, dear, that first night I saw you--the most
beautiful woman in all the world."

"I am pleased you like me," she said, and took the cup of broth I
offered her. "My hair seems to have grown; but it needs combing sadly. I
had a fancy, dear, once, that you liked ruddy hair best, and not a plain
brown." She closed