a brute who would have had no mercy had he succeeded. I should
have died, thou also, or both banished, and Saronia would have been in
the power of this man, who had a passion for her.'

'He?'

'Yes, he.'

Chios stooped down, gently drawing back the mantle which had fallen over
the dead man's face, when, to his horror, he discovered who the murdered
man was.

Standing erect, he looked into the eyes of Endora.

'Woman, thou hast committed a frightful deed! Thou hast slain the High
Priest of the Temple of Diana!'

She stood motionless, silent. Then, raising herself to her full height,
she said:

'Chios, this may bring me death;' and she uttered a moan like the
sighing of the doomed. 'Take thy dagger, plunge it into my heart! Do not
let them torture me! Death from thine hand I would receive as a kiss of
love! As for the death of this man, I repent not. I knew him well
before I slew. Were he a god, and I could kill, I would have done so!'

What was to be done? The first impulse of Chios was to call Saronia and
tell her all. No; he dared not. She must be free from knowledge of the
thing.

He took the dead body and drew it on one side, that Saronia might not
perceive it.

Then, ordering Endora home, he went back to the priestess.

'What ails thee, Chios? Thou art agitated. Has aught occurred?'

'No; it must have been the wild bird's shriek. No being was about save
Endora. Let us move away.'

And they walked up the pathway past the corpse, and as she passed she
shuddered.

'Art thou cold, Saronia?'

'No; but by some strange intuition I feel the presence of the dead.'

'Banish the thought!' said he. ''Tis but the moaning winds which play
upon thy soul.'

'Where is Endora, Chios?'

'Gone; I sent her home.'

They arrived at the confines of the grove through which Saronia must
pass.

'One kiss, my love,' said the Greek--'one kiss from those sweet lips,
and I go to feed upon the memories of Saronia. Do not forget next week
at the home of Endora, on the Mountain of Pion. Good-night,
dearest--good-night!'

She passed through the Sacred Grove, took with her her implements of
sacrifice, and went within the walls which surrounded the Temple. Great
gusts of wind came roaring through the pine-trees of the grove, rushed
onwards, striking the sacred pile, shrieking and crying with
many-sounding voices around the marble pillars, until the mighty Temple
was as a great harp on which the storm-winds played a solemn