alone in the darkness of the dwelling
of the star. To be hidden like that, and to watch for his coming, was
to be granted much joy by the gods. That the gods exact payment for
all joys more than mortal, was one secret Tahn-te did not whisper to
her, though the thought had clouded his own eyes more than once as he
clasped her close to him.

What the gods would exact he did not know, but daily and nightly he
made prayers to the mediators of the spirit land, and hoped in his
heart that the god of his people prove not akin to the jealous god of
the men of iron;--for a jealous god would, without doubt, take her
from him! Against men he could protect her--but if the gods awoke--and
were jealous--

And he remembered the fastings, and the penance, and the prayers by
which he had, unknown to all others, dedicated his life to the gods
alone!

But of this he said no word--only held her more close in his
thoughts--but ever a gray shadow moved beside him--the shadow of an
unknown fear--and it was the same shadow by which he had been led to
count over the seeds of the sacred growth--that he be sure it was in
his power to make the death sleep beautiful to her, if the death sleep
should shorten their trail together in the Earth Life.

She knew nothing of his fear, and watched each lengthening shadow with
delight--since the growing shadows were heralds of his coming! Even
the trembling of the earth was forgotten in that joy--and she scarcely
noted that the air had grown strangely sultry--almost a thing of
weight it seemed;--a brooding, waiting spirit, silencing even the
whisper of the pines--and the whisper of the pine was sacred music to
the Te-hua people;--through all the ages it had whispered, until in a
good hour it had given voice to their earth-born god!

She knew not anything of the gods of her own people, and the ominous
silence of the pines meant not to her what they would mean to a girl
of the river villages. But the magic of the place did make itself felt
to her when her robe, as she touched it, sent out little snappings as
of fireflies' wings, and far across the land tiny flashes flamed from
earth to sky as the dusk grew. When she shook loose her hair that she
might arrange it more pleasing for his sight, she was startled by the
tiny crackling, like finest of twigs in a blaze--and to smooth it
into braids silenced none of the strange magic;--each time her hand
touched it, the little sparks flashed--under the heavy bro