hroats of fluted alabaster, and flowering in coiffures of imperial
gold.

Nor was their temple less magnificent. To make it fair, Ruskin had
relit the seven lamps of architecture, and written the seven labours of
Hercules; for these windows through a whole youth Burne Jones had
worshipped painted glass at Oxford, and to breathe romance into these
frescos had Rossetti been born, and Dante born again. Men had gone to
prison and to death that this temple of Whiskey-and-Soda might be fair.

Strange, in truth, are the ministrations to which Beauty is called.
Out of the high heaven is she summoned, from mystic communion with her
own perfection, from majestic labours in the Sistine Chapel of the
Stars,--yea, she must put aside her gold-leaf and purples and leave
unfinished the very panels of the throne of God,--that Circe shall have
her palace, and her worshippers their gilded sty.

As there were at least a score of "worshippers" round each Circe, my
nervousness became unimportant, and therefore passed. Thus, as my
companion and I sat at one of the little tables, from which we might
gaze upon the sea without and Aphrodite within, my eyes were able to
fly like bees from one fair face to another. Finally, they settled upon
a Circe less besieged of the hoarse and grunting mob. She was
conspicuously less in height, her hair was rather bright red than
golden, and her face had more meanings than the faces of her fellows.

"Why," in a flash it came to me, "it's Rosalind!" and clean forgetting
to be shy, or polite to my companion, I hastened across to her, to be
greeted instantly in a manner so exclusively intimate that the little
crowd about her presently spread itself among the other crowds, and we
were left to talk alone.

"Well," I said, "you're a nice girl! Whatever are you doing here?"

"Yes, I'm afraid you'll have but a strange opinion of me," she said;
"but I love all experience,--it's such fun,--and when I heard that
there was a sudden vacancy for a golden-haired beauty in this place, I
couldn't resist applying, and to my surprise they took me--and here I
am! Of course I shall only stay till Orlando appears--which," she
added mournfully--"he hasn't done yet."

Her hours were long and late, but she had two half-days free in the
week, and for these of course I engaged myself.

Meanwhile I spent as much time as I decently could at her side; but it
was impossible to monopolise her, and the rest of my time there was no