heart of a rose. Therefore the music rose
like a fountain of crystal drops, cold, clear, and of an entrancing
sweetness, and the face above it was such that I had no power to turn my
eyes away. How shall I say what it was? All I had ever desired, dreamed,
hoped, prayed, looked at me from the remote beauty of the eyes and with
the most persuasive gentleness entreated me, rather than commanded to
follow fearlessly and win. But these are words, and words shaped in the
rough mould of thought cannot convey the deep desire that would have
hurled me to his feet if Vanna had not held me with a firm restraining
hand. Looking up in adoring love to the dark face was a ring of woodland
creatures. I thought I could distinguish the white clouded robe of a
snow-leopard, the soft clumsiness of a young bear, and many more, but
these shifted and blurred like dream creatures--I could not be sure of
them nor define their numbers. The eyes of the Player looked down upon
their passionate delight with careless kindness.

Dim images passed through my mind. Orpheus--No, this was no Greek.
Pan-yet again, No. Where were the pipes, the goat hoofs? The young
Dionysos--No, there were strange jewels instead of his vines. And then
Vanna's voice said as if from a great distance;

"Krishna--the Beloved." And I said aloud, "I see!" And even as I said it
the whole picture blurred together like a dream, and I was alone in the
pavilion and the water was foaming past me. Had I walked in my sleep, I
thought, as I made my way hack? As I gained the garden gate, before me,
like a snowflake, I saw the Ninefold Flower.

When I told her next day, speaking of it as a dream, she said simply;
"They have opened the door to you. You will not need me soon.

"I shall always need you. You have taught me everything. I could see
nothing last night until you took my hand."

"I was not there," she said smiling. "It was only the thought of me, and
you can have that when I am very far away. I was sleeping in my tent.
What you called in me then you can always call, even if I am--dead."

"That is a word which is beginning to have no meaning for me. You have
said things to me--no, thought them, that have made me doubt if there is
room in the universe for the thing we have called death."

She smiled her sweet wise smile.

"Where we are death is not. Where death is we are not. But you will
understand better soon."

Our march curving took us by the Mogul gardens of Achibal, a