that she be near
me; and so we to go forward, and to make upward unto the dark mouth of
the Great Gorge.

And there to be some miles unto our right, that grim and utter huge
Mountain, whereon afar upward in the monstrousness of the night did be
perched those four fire-hills of which I have told. And below them,
there to go upward the great hills of ash, that had been cast down
throughout Eternity. And this thing had the Maid lookt upon for a great
time, and did be never done of her wonder; neither I, nor any human that
ever should have sight of so great a wonder.

And so we to have come presently upward into the high mouth of the
Gorge, and did go onward then into the gloom, a little space, until that
we were come to the place where the Gorge did bend sharp unto the left,
into darkness.

And lo! we made pause here, and turned again unto the Country of Seas,
that we have a last outward look over all that Deep and living Land,
that did be hid so far downward in the everlasting night of the world.

And, in verity, it did be a solemn thing to know that we, mayhap, to be
the last of the olden Humans that should ever to look upon that Country;
and I to wonder, in that moment, whether that the Humpt Men should ever
to develop, in some far eternity, unto the full sweetness of the spirit
of Humanity which I did think to be inward of them. And this to be both
an odd and a natural thought to have then, as I do see. But at that
time, I only to think it, and not to wot or to trouble whether that it
did be odd or otherwise. And I to think that Country did be somewise as
the Olden Time renewed; but truly we to look upon early things with new
eyes.

And we yet to look awhile, and to be husht, and to hark in those last
moments unto the far mutter of the Great Fire-Mountains, and the
Fire-Hills, and the noise of life which did go over that Land; and we
even then to be but a few short pacings off from the silence of the
Great Gorge, which should lead us presently toward the Eternal
Strangeness which did be in the Night Land. And the Maid did hold mine
arm very close, as we lookt our last into the red light of that Deep and
Hid Country of the World, where, in verity, we had come so utter nigh to
our Death.

And presently, I turned, and the Maid slipt her hand into mine, and the
tears did go silent down her face, because of all that did be prest upon
her heart; but yet not to be all of sorrow, for there to be both sorrow
and happine