or a moment she wished that he had been as Keyork Arabian,
stronger than she; then, with the half-conscious comparison the passion
for the man himself surged up and drowned every other thought. She
almost forgot that for the time he was not to be counted among the
living. She went to him, and clasped her hands upon his shoulder, and
looked up into his scarce-seeing eyes.

"You must love me," she said, "you must love me because I love you so.
Will you not love me, dear? I have waited so long for you!"

The soft words vibrated in his sleeping ear but drew forth neither
acknowledgment nor response. Like a marble statue he stood still, and
she leaned upon his shoulder.

"Do you not hear me?" she cried in a more passionate tone. "Do you not
understand me? Why is it that your love is so hard to win? Look at me!
Might not any man be proud to love me? Am I not beautiful enough for
you? And yet I know that I am fair. Or are you ashamed because people
call me a witch? Why then I will never be one again, for your sake! What
do I care for it all? Can it be anything to me--can anything have worth
that stands between me and you? Ah, love--be not so very hard!"

The Wanderer did not move. His face was as calm as a sculptured stone.

"Do you despise me for loving you?" she asked again, with a sudden
flush.

"No. I do not despise you." Something in her tone had pierced through
his stupor and had found an answer. She started at the sound of his
voice. It was as though he had been awake and had known the weight of
what she had been saying, and her anger rose at the cold reply.

"No--you do not despise me, and you never shall!" she exclaimed
passionately. "You shall love me, as I love you--I will it, with all
my will! We are created to be all, one to the other, and you shall not
break through the destiny of love. Love me, as I love you--love me with
all your heart, love me with all your mind, love me with all your soul,
love me as man never loved woman since the world began! I will it, I
command it--it shall be as I say--you dare not disobey me--you cannot if
you would."

She paused, but this time no answer came. There was not even a
contraction of the stony features.

"Do you hear all I say?" she asked.

"I hear."

"Then understand and answer me," she said.

"I do not understand. I cannot answer."

"You must. You shall. I will have it so. You cannot resist my will, and
I will it with all my might. You have no will--you are