too much all womanly. The soul that triumphs must shine like steel in
the sun, and cut if need be; not merely be beauteous and shed perfume
like a lily in the shade. Yet she is very wise and fair," here he
looked at me, "perchance of her might come children such as were their
forefathers, who again would wield the sceptre of the dominion of the
earth."

I made no answer, wondering what he meant exactly and thinking it wisest
to be silent.

"You are of the short-lived races," he went on, "yet very much a man,
not without intelligence, and by the arts I have I can so strengthen
your frame that it will endure the shocks of time for three such lives
as yours, or perchance for more, and then--"

Again he paused and went on:

"The Daughter of kings likes you also, perhaps because you resemble--"
here he fixed me with his piercing eyes, "a certain kinglet of base
blood whom once she also liked, but whom it was my duty to destroy.
Well, I must think. I must study this world of yours also and therein
you may help me. Perhaps afterwards I will tell you how. Now sleep."

In another moment he was gone, but notwithstanding his powerful command,
for a while I could not sleep. I understood that he was offering Yva to
me, but upon what terms? That was the question. With her was to go great
dominion over the kingdoms of the earth. I could not help remembering
that always this has been and still is Satan's favourite bait. To me it
did not particularly appeal. I had been ambitious in my time--who is
not that is worth his salt? I could have wished to excel in something,
literature or art, or whatever it might be, and thus to ensure the
memory of my name in the world.

Of course this is a most futile desire, seeing that soon or late every
name must fade out of the world like an unfixed photograph which is
exposed to the sun. Even if it could endure, as the old demigod, or
demidevil, Oro, had pointed out, very shortly, by comparison with Time's
unmeasured vastness, the whole solar system will also fade. So of what
use is this feeble love of fame and this vain attempt to be remembered
that animates us so strongly? Moreover, the idea of enjoying mere
temporal as opposed to intellectual power, appealed to me not at all.
I am a student of history and I know what has been the lot of kings and
the evil that, often enough, they work in their little day.

Also if I needed any further example, there was that of Oro himself. He
had outlived th