nt point in all these mysterious, half-magical
ceremonies.

At last, after about ten or twelve such rounds, she paused, with an
absorbed air of devotion, and knocked her head three times on the ground
once more, doing poojah, before the ever-smiling Buddha.

By this time, however, the lessons of St. Alphege's rectory began to
recur to Lady Meadowcroft's mind. "Oh, Miss Wade," she murmured in an
awestruck voice, "OUGHT we to do like this? Isn't it clear idolatry?"

Hilda's common sense waved her aside at once. "Idolatry or not, it is
the only way to save our lives," she answered, in her firmest voice.

"But--OUGHT we to save our lives? Oughtn't we to be... well, Christian
martyrs?"

Hilda was patience itself. "I think not, dear," she replied, gently
but decisively. "You are not called upon to be a martyr. The danger of
idolatry is scarcely so great among Europeans of our time that we need
feel it a duty to protest with our lives against it. I have better uses
to which to put my life myself. I don't mind being a martyr--where
a sufficient cause demands it. But I don't think such a sacrifice is
required of us now in a Tibetan monastery. Life was not given us to
waste on gratuitous martyrdoms."

"But... really... I'm afraid..."

"Don't be afraid of anything, dear, or you will risk all. Follow my
lead; _I_ will answer for your conduct. Surely, if Naaman, in the midst
of idolaters, was permitted to bow down in the house of Rimmon, to save
his place at court, you may blamelessly bow down to save your life in
a Buddhist temple. Now, no more casuistry, but do as I tell you! 'Aum,
mani, padme, hum,' again! Once more round the drum there!"

We followed her a second time, Lady Meadowcroft giving in after a feeble
protest. The priests in yellow looked on, profoundly impressed by our
circumnavigation. It was clear they began to reconsider the question of
our nefarious designs on their holy city.

After we had finished our second tour round the drum, with the utmost
solemnity, one of the monks approached Hilda, whom he seemed to take now
for an important priestess. He said something to her in Tibetan, which,
of course, we did not understand; but, as he pointed at the same time
to the brother on the floor who was turning the wheel, Hilda nodded
acquiescence. "If you wish it," she said in English--and he appeared to
comprehend. "He wants to know whether I would like to take a turn at the
cylinder."

She knelt down in front o