Look! from the east a single ray of upward-springing light.
"Behold the dawn," said the quiet voice of Oros.
That ray pierced the heavens above our heads, a very sword of flame. It
sank downwards, swiftly. Suddenly it fell, not upon us, for as yet
the rocky walls of our chamber warded it away, but on to the little
promontory at its edge.
Oh! and there--a Glory covered with a single garment--stood a shape
celestial. It seemed to be asleep, since the eyes were shut. Or was it
dead, for at first that face was a face of death? Look, the sunlight
played upon her, shining through the thin veil, the dark eyes opened
like the eyes of a wondering child; the blood of life flowed up the
ivory bosom into the pallid cheeks; the raiment of black and curling
tresses wavered in the wind; the head of the jewelled snake that held
them sparkled beneath her breast.
Was it an illusion, or was this Ayesha as she had been when she entered
the rolling flame in the caverns of Kor? Our knees gave way beneath us,
and down, our arms about each other's necks, Leo and I sank till we
lay upon the ground. Then a voice sweeter than honey, softer than the
whisper of a twilight breeze among the reeds, spoke near to us, and
these were the words it said--"_Come hither to me, Kallikrates, who
would pay thee back that redeeming kiss of faith and love thou gavest me
but now!_"
Leo struggled to his feet.
Pages:
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303