Is it not so?"
"It is so, O Hes," they answered.
She paused a while, then with a gesture of infinite sweetness turned to
Leo, bent towards him thrice and slowly sank upon her knee.
"Say thou," Ayesha said, looking up at him with her wondrous eyes, "say
before these here gathered, and all those witnesses whom thou canst not
see, dost thou again accept me as thy affianced bride?"
"Aye, Lady," he answered, in a deep but shaken voice, "now and for
ever."
Then while all watched, in the midst of a great silence, Ayesha rose,
cast down her sistrum sceptre that rang upon the rocky floor, and
stretched out her arms towards him.
Leo also bent towards her, and would have kissed her upon the lips. But
I who watched, saw his face grow white as it drew near to hers. While
the radiance crept from her brow to his, turning his bright hair to
gold, I saw also that this strong man trembled like a reed and seemed as
though he were about to fall.
I think that Ayesha noted it too, for ere ever their lips met, she
thrust him from her and again that grey mist of fear gathered on her
face.
In an instant it passed. She had slipped from him and with her hand held
his hand as though to support him. Thus they stood till his feet grew
firm and his strength returned.
Oros restored the sceptre to her, and lifting it she said--"O love and
lord, take thou the place prepared for thee, where thou shalt sit for
ever at my side, for with myself I give thee more than thou canst know
or than I will tell thee now.
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