altars and the empty
shrines.

"A dead world lighting a dead world," said Arlee under her breath.

"I could read by it," stated Miss Falconer impressively.

Lady Claire glanced up at Billy with a touch of mischief. "Would you
like to paint it?" she suggested.

"Heaven forbid!" said Billy soberly.

Falconer said nothing at all, except to Arlee. He was very shrewdly
drawing her to the other end of the pylon, seeing that the time of
descent was nearly upon them. And when the time arrived, and the
English ladies and their stoic escort started down the steep steps,
Falconer made no motion of following them. He stood still, his hands
in his pockets, and chuckled softly at the sound of his sister's
voice, floating lesseningly up to them.

"How Emma is dragoning that William Whatdycallit Hill," he said
appreciatively.

"Why do you call him that?" questioned Arlee.

"Oh, that chap is so deuced odd about that name of his. I asked him
what the B. stood for, and he looked me in the eye like a fighting
cock and said for his middle name.... Queer chap--" Suddenly
Falconer looked sidewise at Arlee and stopped.

"He is--unusual," she agreed, moving toward the steps.

The curious expression upon Falconer's face deepened. "Let 'em go
on," he said jerkily. "I don't want to leave this yet, do you?"

Arlee glanced about hesitantly, without answering, and slowly she
let fall the white froth of skirt she had been gathering for the
descent.

In silence she looked out over the temple. The moon had paled from
fire to molten silver now, and like scattered sparks of it burned
the thousand circling stars. She felt very strange and unreal--a
tiny figure topping this great gate in the face of the ancient
silence....

"We never have a chance for a word together," Falconer was mumbling,
with a nervous hand at his mustache.

Her thoughts came fleetly back from the ancient worlds.... Her own
was upon her. She turned and laughed at him. "We've talked for three
whole days!"

"Have we? But always in some group.... I understand that Hill told
you what a couple of donkeys we made of ourselves on your account?"
Anxiously he scanned her face, silver-clear in the moonlight, for
signs of ridicule.

But Arlee's smile was very sweet. It made the sandy-haired young
man's heart quicken mysteriously. "He told me," she said. "I think
it was fine of you."

"Fine? It was lunacy.... He'd got worked up over some horrible story
he'd heard," went on