rtains behind us, I observed, to my astonishment,
that Hans had sneaked in after me, and squatted down quite close to
them, apparently in the hope of being overlooked.

It seemed, as I gathered later, that somehow or other he had guessed, or
become aware of the object of our visit, and that his burning curiosity
had overcome his terror of the "White Witch." Or possibly he hoped to
discover whether or not she were so ugly as he supposed her veil-hidden
face to be. At any rate there he was, and if Ayesha noticed him, as I
think she did, for I saw by the motion of her head, that she was looking
in his direction, she made no remark.

For a while she sat still in her chair contemplating us both. Then she
said,

"How comes it that you are late? Those that seek their lost loves should
run with eager feet, but yours have tarried."

I muttered some excuse to which she did not trouble to listen, for she
went on,

"I think, Allan, that your sandals, which should be winged like to those
of the Roman Mercury, are weighted with the grey lead of fear. Well, it
is not strange, since you have come to travel through the Gates of Death
that are feared by all, even by Ayesha's self, for who knows what he may
find beyond them? Ask the Axe-Bearer if he also is afraid."

I obeyed, rendering all that she had said into the Zulu idiom as best I
could.

"Say to the Queen," answered Umslopogaas, when he understood, "that I
fear nothing, except women's tongues. I am ready to pass the Gates of
Death and, if need be, to come back no more. With the white people
I know it is otherwise because of some dark teachings to which they
listen, that tell of terrors to be, such as we who are black do not
dread. Still, we believe that there are ghosts and that the spirits of
our fathers live on and as it chances I would learn whether this is so,
who above all things desire to met a certain ghost, for which reason I
journeyed to this far land.

"Say these things to the white Queen, Macumazahn, and tell her that if
she should send me to a place whence there is no return, I who do not
love the world, shall not blame her overmuch, though it is true that I
should have chosen to die in war. Now I have spoken."

When I had passed on all this speech to Ayesha, her comment on it was,

"This black Captain has a spirit as brave as his body, but how is it
with your spirit, Allan? Are you also prepared to risk so much? Learn
that I can promise you nothing, save t