led the vales of the lovely home of Latona.'

For a moment, as Saronia thought of her own mother, a shudder passed.
'Twas but a moment, and the priestess looked as calm as summer eve.

'Hast thou ever told the story to another?'

'No, no, and no human being but the mighty Saronia should ever have
drawn it from me. Thou by thy power dost compel me to act unwillingly. I
would far rather have buried it under those blue, seething waters and
have ended my course.'

'It is well. See thou dost guard it; see thou dost guard it. Now, what
can I do for thee? When humble was my lot and thou sawest my exaltation
nigh, thou saidst, "Remember me when thou enterest on thy high estate."
What may be done for thee?'

'Nothing. I go my way, leaving in thy keeping my awful secret, and trust
thy silence. I go to my den on the mountain side, unwinding my fate. The
thread will soon be broken, but ere it snaps my mission will be
perfected.'

'Hast thou a mission?'

'As truly as yon passing ship glides on towards the harbour mouth, and
until it be accomplished Endora is the witch of Ephesus, the blackened
soul. After that, I know not what.'

'Can I aid thee? Gold I have; take some.'

'No. I am not thankless, but have sufficient. Can Endora be of service
to _thee_?'

'I fear not.'

'Then adieu. I shall come to this loved spot again. It is the nearest I
can come to my beloved Delos.'

She crept away amongst the golden flowers down the side of the cliff.
The seagull cried to its mate, the waves dashed up their foam till it
mixed with the silvery light, and falling like showers of dew, lay on
the lips of the flowers.

* * * * *

And Saronia, the High Priestess of Diana, stood out against sky and sea,
stood out against silver and blue, the great globed sun, a circle of
light, forming a halo around her head.

CHAPTER XXXIII

NIKA

'He is away, my lord and master, my wedded husband, the Proconsul of
Ephesus. Gone to Rome on State matters. Let him go! There are other
Romans here as good as he, perhaps better. I shall mix with them, and,
doing so, further hate the man I am tied to, sold to. I hate him! There
is but one love in my heart--the love for Chios, who spurns it. Stay! I
wonder if there be another beside Chios who may quench this flame
devouring me? There may be. And this I determine, wherever I find love
in unison, thither will I