erciless in his frenzy, saw at length that his horse was seriously
distressed; he slackened pace, allowed his followers to rejoin him, and
rode, perforce, at what seemed to him a mere crawl. The sun was a
flaming furnace; the earth seemed to be overspread with white fire-ash,
which dazed the eyes and choked. But Basil felt only the fire in his
heart and brain. Forgetful of all about him, he had not ridden more
than a few miles, when he missed the road; his men, ignorant of the
country, followed him without hesitation, and so it happened that, on
stopping at one of the few farms on their way, to ask how far it still
was to Arpinum, he learnt that he must ride back for nearly a couple of
hours to regain the track he should have taken. He broke into frantic
rage, cursed the countrymen who directed him, and as he spurred his
beast, cursed it too because of its stumbling at a stone.

There was now no hope of finishing the journey to-day. His head on his
breast, Basil rode more and more slowly. The sun declined, and ere long
it would be necessary to seek harbourage. But here among the hills no
place of human habitation came in view. Luckily for themselves some of
the horsemen had brought provender. Their lord had given thought to no
such thing. The sun set; the hills cast a thickening shadow, even Basil
began to gaze uneasily ahead. At length there appeared a building,
looking in the dusky distance like a solitary country house. It proved
to be the ruin of a temple.

'Here we must stop,' said Basil. 'My horse can go no further. Indeed,
the darkness would stay us in any case. We must shelter in these walls.'

The men peered at each other, and a whisper went among them. For their
part, said one and all, they would rest under the open sky. Basil
understood.

'What! you are afraid? Fools, do as you will. These walls shall shelter
me though all the devils in hell were my bedfellows.'

What had come to him? asked his followers. Never had Basil been known
to speak thus. Spite of their horror of a forsaken temple, two or three
entered, and respectfully made offer of such food as they had with
them. Basil accepted a piece of bread, bade them see to his horse, and
crept into a corner of the building. He desired to be alone and to
think; for it seemed to him that he had not yet been able to reflect
upon the story told by Sagaris. What was it that lurked there at the
back of his mind? A memory, a suggestion of some sort, which would