"I understand that she is wed to him according
to the custom of the Amahagger," I answered; "but I know not."

Her face grew dark as a thunder-cloud. Old as she was, Ayesha had not
outlived jealousy.

"Then there is an end," she said; "she must die, even now!"

"For what crime?" I asked, horrified. "She is guilty of naught that thou
art not guilty of thyself, oh Ayesha. She loves the man, and he has been
pleased to accept her love: where, then, is her sin?"

"Truly, oh Holly, thou art foolish," she answered, almost petulantly.
"Where is her sin? Her sin is that she stands between me and my desire.
Well, I know that I can take him from her--for dwells there a man upon
this earth, oh Holly, who could resist me if I put out my strength?
Men are faithful for so long only as temptations pass them by. If the
temptation be but strong enough, then will the man yield, for every man,
like every rope, hath his breaking strain, and passion is to men what
gold and power are to women--the weight upon their weakness. Believe me,
ill will it go with mortal woman in that heaven of which thou speakest,
if only the spirits be more fair, for their lords will never turn to
look upon them, and their Heaven will become their Hell. For man can be
bought with woman's beauty, if it be but beautiful enough; and woman's
beauty can be ever bought with gold, if only there be gold enough. So
was it in my day, and so it will be to the end of time. The world is a
great mart, my Holly, where all things are for sale to whom who bids the
highest in the currency of our desires."

These remarks, which were as cynical as might have been expected from
a woman of Ayesha's age and experience, jarred upon me, and I answered,
testily, that in our heaven there was no marriage or giving in marriage.

"Else would it not be heaven, dost thou mean?" she put in. "Fie on thee,
Holly, to think so ill of us poor women! Is it, then, marriage that
marks the line between thy heaven and thy hell? but enough of this. This
is no time for disputing and the challenge of our wits. Why dost thou
always dispute? Art thou also a philosopher of these latter days? As
for this woman, she must die; for, though I can take her lover from her,
yet, while she lived, might he think tenderly of her, and that I cannot
away with. No other woman shall dwell in my Lord's thoughts; my empire
shall be all my own. She hath had her day, let her be content; for
better is an hour with love than a