ce of your companion, as I dragged him from the river,
madness entered me, and I--I----"

"Loved him," I suggested. "Well, such things have happened before to
people who were not mad."

"Oh!" she went on, "it was more than love; I was possessed, and that
night I knew not what I did. A Power drove me on; a Destiny compelled
me, and to the end I am his, and his alone. Yes, I am his, and I swear
that he shall be mine;" and with this wild declaration dangerous enough
under the conditions, she turned and fled the room.

She was gone, and after the struggle, for such it was, I sank back
exhausted. How came it that this sudden passion had mastered her? Who
and what was this Khania, I wondered again, and--this was more to the
point, who and what would Leo believe her to be? If only I could be with
him before he said words or did deeds impossible to recall.

Three days went by, during which time I saw no more of the Khania, who,
or so I was informed by Simbri, the Shaman, had returned to her city to
make ready for us, her guests. I begged him to allow me to rejoin Leo,
but he answered politely, though with much firmness, that my foster-son
did better without me. Now, I grew suspicious, fearing lest some harm
had come to Leo, though how to discover the truth I knew not. In my
anxiety I tried to convey a note to him, written upon a leaf of a
water-gained pocket-book, but the yellow-faced servant refused to touch
it, and Simbri said drily that he would have naught to do with writings
which he could not read. At length, on the third night I made up my mind
that whatever the risk, with leave or without it, I would try to find
him.

By this time I could walk well, and indeed was almost strong again. So
about midnight, when the moon was up, for I had no other light, I crept
from my bed, threw on my garments, and taking a knife, which was the
only weapon I possessed, opened the door of my room and started.

Now, when I was carried from the rock-chamber where Leo and I had
been together, I took note of the way. First, reckoning from my
sleeping-place, there was a passage thirty paces long, for I had counted
the footfalls of my bearers. Then came a turn to the left, and ten more
paces of passage, and lastly near certain steps running to some place
unknown, another sharp turn to the right which led to our old chamber.

Down the long passage I walked stealthily, and although it was pitch
dark, found the turn to the left, and followed