beneath their snows. At my feet a great river flowed,
broken here and there with isles in the bright flood. The dark
champaign that flanked its shores was of an unusual verdure. Mystery
and peril brooded on those distant ravines, the vapours of their
far-descending cataracts. In such abysmal fastnesses as these the
Hyrcan tiger might hide his surly generations. This was an air for the
sun-disdaining eagle, a country of transcendent brightness, its
flowers strangely pure and perfect, its waters more limpid, its
grazing herds, its birds, its cedar trees, the masters of their kind.

Yet not on these nearer glories my eyes found rest. But, with a kind
of heartache, I gazed, as it were towards home, upon the distant
waters of the sea. Here, on the crest of this green hill, was silence.
There, too, was profounder silence on the sea's untrampled floor.
Whence comes that angel out of nought whispering into the ear strange
syllables? I know not; but so seemed I to stand--a shattered
instrument in the world, past all true music, o'er which none the less
the invisible lute-master stooped. Could I but catch, could I but in
words express the music his bent fingers intended, the mystery, the
peace--well; then I should indeed journey solitary on the face of the
earth, a changeling in its cities.

I half feared to descend into a country so diverse from any I had yet
seen. Hitherto at least I had encountered little else than
friendliness. But here--doves in eyries! I stood, twisting my fingers
in Rosinante's mane, debating and debating. And she turned her face to
me, and looked with age into my eyes: and I know not how woke courage
in me again.

"On then?" I said, on the height. And the gentle beast leaned forward
and coughed into the valley what might indeed be "Yea!"

So we began to descend. Down we went, alone, yet not unhappy, until in
a while I discovered, about a hundred yards in advance of me, another
traveller on the road, ambling easily along at an equal pace with
mine. I know not how far I followed in his track debating whether to
overtake and to accost him, or to follow on till a more favourable
chance offered.

But Chance--avenger of all shilly-shally--settled the matter offhand.
For my traveller, after casting one comprehensive glance towards the
skies, suddenly whisked off at a canter that quickly carried him out
of sight.

A chill wind had begun to blow, lifting in gusts dust into the air and
whitening the tree-to