ply the mother's
place to her younger sister, Taus.

She had not recovered the careless cheerfulness of earlier years, but,
graver than the companions of her own age, she absented herself from
the gaieties of the Biamite maidens. Meanwhile her beauty had increased
wonderfully, and, attracting attention far and wide, drew many suitors
from neighbouring towns to Tennis. Only a few, however, had made offers
of marriage to her father; the beautiful girl's cold, repellent manner
disheartened them. She herself desired nothing better; yet it secretly
incensed her and pierced her soul with pain to see herself at twenty
unwedded, while far less attractive companions of her own age had long
been wives and mothers.

The arduous task which she had performed a short time before for her
widowed sister had increased the seriousness of her disposition to
sullen moroseness.

After her return home she often rowed to the Owl's Nest, for Ledscha
felt bound to old Tabus, and, so far as lay in her power, under
obligation to atone for the injury which the horror of her lover's
sudden death had inflicted upon his grandmother.

Now she had at last been subjugated by a new passion--love for the Greek
sculptor Hermon, who did his best to win the heart of the Biamite girl,
whose austere, extremely singular beauty attracted his artist eyes.

To-day Ledscha had come to the sorceress to learn from her what awaited
her and her love. She had landed on the island, sure of favourable
predictions, but now her hopes lay as if crushed by hailstones.

If Bias, who was superior to an ordinary slave, was right, she was to be
degraded to a toy and useful tool by the man who had already proved
his pernicious power over other women of her race, even her own young
sister, whom she had hitherto guarded with faithful care. It had by no
means escaped her notice that the girl was concealing something from
her, though she did not perceive the true cause of the change.

The bright moonbeams, which now wove a silvery web over every
surrounding object, seemed like a mockery of her darkened soul.

If the demons of the heights and depths had been subject to her, as to
the aged enchantress she would have commanded them to cover the heavens
with black clouds. Now they must show her what she had to hope or to
fear.

She shook her head slightly, as if she no longer believed in a
favourable turn of affairs, pushed the little curls which had escaped
from the wealth of