ut the
head. Hes waved back the priestess Papave, who fell half fainting to
the ground and lay there covering her eyes with her hand. Then uttering
something like a scream she gripped this veil in her thin talons, tore
it away, and with a gesture of uttermost despair, turned and faced us.

Oh! she was--nay, I will not describe her. I knew her at once, for thus
had I seen her last before the Fire of Life, and, strangely enough,
through the mask of unutterable age, through that cloak of humanity's
last decay, still shone some resemblance to the glorious and superhuman
Ayesha: the shape of the face, the air of defiant pride that for an
instant bore her up--I know not what.

Yes, there she stood, and the fierce light of the heartless fires beat
upon her, revealing every shame.

There was a dreadful silence. I saw Leo's lips turn white and his knees
begin to give; but by some effort he recovered himself, and stayed still
and upright like a dead man held by a wire. Also I saw Atene--and this
is to her credit--turn her head away. She had desired to see her rival
humiliated, but that horrible sight shocked her; some sense of their
common womanhood for the moment touched her pity. Only Simbri, who, I
think, knew what to expect, and Oros remained quite unmoved; indeed, in
that ghastly silence the latter spoke, and ever afterwards I loved him
for his words.

"What of the vile vessel, rotted in the grave of time? What of the flesh
that perishes?" he said. "Look through the ruined lamp to the eternal
light which burns within. Look through its covering carrion to the
inextinguishable soul."

My heart applauded these noble sentiments. I was of one mind with Oros,
but oh, Heaven! I felt that my brain was going, and I wished that it
would go, so that I might hear and see no more.

That look which gathered on Ayesha's mummy face? At first there had been
a little hope, but the hope died, and anguish, anguish, _anguish_ took
its place.

Something must be done, this could not endure. My lips clave together,
no word would come; my feet refused to move.

I began to contemplate the scenery. How wonderful were that sheet of
flame, and the ripples which ran up and down its height. How awesome its
billowy crest. It would be warm lying in yonder red gulf below with the
dead Rassen, but oh! I wished that I shared his bed and had finished
with these agonies.

Thank Heaven, Atene was speaking. She had stepped to the side of the
naked-head