treasure?"

"The treasure of gold and precious stones hidden in the gorge of the
desert hills. None knows the place of it but I; and I will give it to
none but him I love."

"But you said that... Really, my dear, I don't understand a bit! As for
Mr. Freeman, he may care for Semitzin, for aught I know; but, I must
confess, I think you're mistaken in supposing he's in love with you,--if
that is what you mean. I met him before you did, you know; and if I were
to tell you all that we----"

"What are you or Miriam to me?--Ah! she comes!--The treasure--by the
turning of the white pyramid--six hundred paces--on the right--the
arch----" Her voice died away. She covered her face with her hands, and
trembled violently. Slowly she let them fall, and stared around her.
"Grace, is it you? Has anything happened? How came I like this? What is
it?"

"Well, if you don't know, I'm afraid I can't tell you. I had begun to
think you had gone mad. It must be either that or somnambulism. Who is
Semitzin?"

"Semitzin? I never heard of him."

"It isn't a man: it's a princess. And the treasure?"

"Am I asleep or awake? What are you saying?"

"The white pyramid, you know----"

"Don't make game of me, Grace. If I have done anything----"

"My dear, don't ask me! I tell you frankly, I'm nonplussed. You were
somebody else a minute ago.... The truth is, of course, you've been
dreaming awake. Has any one else seen you beside me?"

"Have I been out of my room?" asked Miriam, in dismay.

"You must have been, I should think, to get that costume. Well, the best
plan will be, I suppose, to say nothing about it to anybody. It shall be
our secret, dear. If I were you, I would have one of the women sleep
in your room, in case you got restless again. It's just an attack of
nervousness, probably,--having so many strangers in the house, all of a
sudden. Now you must go to bed and get to sleep: it's awfully late, and
there'll be ever so much going on to-morrow."

Grace herself slept little that night. She could not decide what to make
of this adventure. Nowadays we are provided with a name for the peculiar
psychical state which Miriam was undergoing, and with abundant instances
and illustrations; but we perhaps know what it is no more than we did
twenty-five or thirty years ago. Grace's first idea had been that Miriam
was demented; then she thought she was playing a part; then she did not
know what to think; and finally she came to the conclusion t