are overtaken by tears they do not understand how to escape
from them until they are simply bored by much weeping.

When they topped a slight incline they saw a light shining some distance
away, and toward this the Thin Woman hurried. As they drew near she saw
it was a small fire, and around this some figures were seated. In a few
minutes she came into the circle of the firelight, and here she halted
suddenly. She would have turned and fled, but fear loosened her knees
so that they would not obey her will; also the people by the fire had
observed her, and a great voice commanded that she should draw near.

The fire was made of branches of heather, and beside it three figures
sat. The Thin Woman, hiding her perturbation as well as she could, came
nigh and sat down by the fire. After a low word of greeting she gave
some of her cake to the children, drew them close to her, wrapped her
shawl about their heads and bade them sleep. Then, shrinkingly, she
looked at her hosts.

They were quite naked, and each of them gazed on her with intent
earnestness. The first was so beautiful that the eye failed upon him,
flinching aside as from a great brightness. He was of mighty stature,
and yet so nobly proportioned, so exquisitely slender and graceful, that
no idea of gravity or bulk went with his height. His face was kingly
and youthful and of a terrifying serenity. The second man was of equal
height, but broad to wonderment. So broad was he that his great height
seemed diminished. The tense arm on which he leaned was knotted and
ridged with muscle, and his hand gripped deeply into the ground. His
face seemed as though it had been hammered from hard rock, a massive,
blunt face as rigid as his arm. The third man can scarcely be described.
He was neither short nor tall. He was muscled as heavily as the second
man. As he sat he looked like a colossal toad squatting with his arms
about his knees, and upon these his chin rested. He had no shape nor
swiftness, and his head was flattened down and was scarcely wider than
his neck. He had a protruding dog-like mouth that twitched occasionally,
and from his little eyes there glinted a horrible intelligence. Before
this man the soul of the Thin Woman grovelled. She felt herself crawling
to him. The last terrible abasement of which humanity is capable came
upon her: a fascination which would have drawn her to him in screaming
adoration. Hardly could she look away from him, but her arms were abo