unken columns played upon her, and in it she
sat erect, with such a face and mien of pride as no human creature ever
wore. Power seemed to flow from her; yes, it flowed from those wide-set,
glittering eyes like light from jewels.

She seemed a Queen of Death receiving homage from the dead. More, she
_was_ receiving homage from dead or living--I know not which--for, as I
thought it, a shadowy Shape arose before the throne and bent the knee to
her, then another, and another, and another.

As each vague Being appeared and bowed its starry head she raised her
sceptre in answering salutation. We could hear the distant tinkle of the
sistrum bells, the only sound in all that place, yes, and see her
lips move, though no whisper reached us from them. Surely spirits were
worshipping her!

We gripped each other. We shrank back and found the door. It gave to
our push. Now we were in the passages again, and now we had reached our
room.

At its entrance Oros was standing as we had left him. He greeted us with
his fixed smile, taking no note of the terror written on our faces. We
passed him, and entering the room stared at each other.

"What is she?" gasped Leo. "An angel?"

"Yes," I answered, "something of that sort." But to myself I thought
that there are doubtless many kinds of angels.

"And what were those--those _shadows_--doing?" he asked again.

"Welcoming her after her transformation, I suppose. But perhaps they
were not shadows--only priests disguised and conducting some secret
ceremonial!"

Leo shrugged his shoulders but made no other answer.

At length the door opened, and Oros, entering, said that the Hesea
commanded our presence in her chamber.

So, still oppressed with fear and wonder--for what we had seen was
perhaps more dreadful than anything that had gone before--we went, to
find Ayesha seated and looking somewhat weary, but otherwise unchanged.
With her was the priestess Papave, who had just unrobed her of the royal
mantle which she wore in the Sanctuary.

Ayesha beckoned Leo to her, taking his hand and searching his face with
her eyes, not without anxiety as I thought.

Now I turned, purposing to leave them alone, but she saw, and said to
me, smiling--"Why wouldst thou forsake us, Holly? To go back to the
Sanctuary once more?" and she looked at me with meaning in her glance.
"Hast thou questions to ask of the statue of the Mother yonder that thou
lovest the place so much? They say it speaks, telling