ords,
she might in most ways have been some singularly gifted and beautiful
modern woman.

The time has come when I must speak of my relations with Yva and of
their climax. As may have been guessed, from the first I began to love
her. While the weeks went on that love grew and grew, until it utterly
possessed me, although for a certain reason connected with one dead, at
first I fought against it. Yet it did not develop quite in the fashion
that might have been expected. There was no blazing up of passion's
fire; rather was there an ever-increasing glow of the holiest affection,
till at last it became a lamp by which I must guide my feet through life
and death. This love of mine seemed not of earth but from the stars. As
yet I had said nothing to her of it because in some way I felt that she
did not wish me to do so, felt also that she was well aware of all that
passed within my heart, and desired, as it were, to give it time to
ripen there. Then one day there came a change, and though no glance or
touch of Yva's told me so, I knew that the bars were taken down and that
I might speak.

It was a night of full moon. All that afternoon she had been talking to
Bastin apart, I suppose about religion, for I saw that he had some books
in his hand from which he was expounding something to her in his slow,
earnest way. Then she came and sat with us while we took our evening
meal. I remember that mine consisted of some of the Life-water which
she had brought with her and fruit, for, as I think I have said, I had
acquired her dislike to meat, also that she ate some plantains, throwing
the skins for Tommy to fetch and laughing at his play. When it was over,
Bastin and Bickley went away together, whether by chance or design I do
not know, and she said to me suddenly:

"Humphrey, you have often asked me about the city Pani, of which a
little portion of the ruins remains upon this island, the rest being
buried beneath the waters. If you wish I will show you where our royal
palace was before the barbarians destroyed it with their airships. The
moon is very bright, and by it we can see."

I nodded, for, knowing what she meant, somehow I could not answer her,
and we began the ascent of the hill. She explained to me the plan of the
palace when we reached the ruins, showing me where her own apartments
had been, and the rest. It was very strange to hear her quietly telling
of buildings which had stood and of things that had happened ov