Indeed, she spoke with such conviction that I grew sure that she
was not merely amusing herself, and felt very much inclined to believe
her, for, after all, Ayesha may be changed now.
"Then while I was at my wits' end I remembered the lock of hair--all
that remains to us of _her_," and Leo touched his breast. "I drew it
out and compared it with the Khania's, and at the sight of it she became
quite different, jealous, I suppose, for it is longer than hers, and not
in the least like.
"Horace, I tell you that the touch of that lock of hair--for she did
touch it--appeared to act upon her nature like nitric acid upon sham
gold. It turned it black; all the bad in her came out. In her anger her
voice sounded coarse; yes, she grew almost vulgar, and, as you know,
when Ayesha was in a rage she might be wicked as we understand it, and
was certainly terrible, but she was never either coarse or vulgar, any
more than lightning is.
"Well, from that moment I was sure that whoever this Khania may be, she
had nothing to do with Ayesha; they are so different that they never
could have been the same--like the hair. So I lay quiet and let her
talk, and coax, and threaten on, until at length she drew herself up and
marched from the room, and I heard her lock the door behind her. That's
all I have to tell you, and quite enough too, for I don't think that the
Khania has done with me, and, to say the truth, I am afraid of her.
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