outer sea that I felt sure she must be the same,
who by some strange chance had come here. Such, indeed, is quite
likely, for there may have been a pass over the mountains to the land
of the Kosekin; and those savage cannibals may all have been honored
Kosekin exiles, dwelling in poverty, want, woe, and darkness, all of
which may have been allotted to them as a reward for eminent virtues.
And so here she was, the nightmare hag, and I saw that she recognized
me.

A circle was now formed around us, and the light stood in the middle.
The nightmare hag also stood within the circle on the other side of
the light opposite us. The beams of the lamp flickered through the
darkness, faintly illuminating the faces of the horrible creatures
around, who, foul and repulsive as harpies, seemed like unclean
beasts, ready to make us their prey. Their glances seemed to menace
death; their blear eyes rested upon us with a horrid eager hunger. My
worst fears at that moment seemed realized; for I saw that Almah's
associates were worse than mine, and her fate had been more bitter.
And I wondered how it had been possible for her to live among such
associates; or, even though she had lived thus far, whether it would
be possible for her to endure it longer.

And now there arose a melancholy chant from the old hags around--a
dreadful strain, that sounded like a funeral dirge, sung in shrill,
discordant voices, led by the nightmare hag, who as she sang waved
in her hand a kind of club. All the time I held Almah in my arms,
regardless of those around us, thinking only of her from whom I must
soon again be separated, and whom I must leave in this drear abode to
meet her fearful fate alone. The chant continued for some time, and as
long as it continued it was sweet to me; for it prolonged the meeting
with Almah, and postponed by so much our separation.

At length the chant ceased. The nightmare hag looked fixedly at us,
and spoke these words:

"You have embraced for the last time. Henceforth there is no more
sorrow in your love. You may be happy now in being forever disunited,
and in knowing the bliss of eternal separation. As darkness is better
than light, as death is better than life, so may you find separation
better than union."

She now gave a blow with her club at the lamp, which broke it to atoms
and extinguished the flame. She continued:

"As the baleful light is succeeded by the blessed darkness, so may
you find the light of union f