Or perhaps the change was in the eyes of
all of you who watched, and not in this shape of mine. I have answered.
Seek to learn no more."
"One thing I do still seek to learn. Ayesha, we were betrothed to-night.
When wilt thou marry me?"
"Not yet, not yet," she answered hurriedly, her voice quivering as she
spoke. "Leo, thou must put that hope from thy thoughts awhile, and for
some few months, a year perchance, be content to play the part of friend
and lover."
"Why so?" he asked, with bitter disappointment. "Ayesha, those parts
have been mine for many a day; more, I grow no younger, and, unlike
thee, shall soon be old. Also, life is fleeting, and sometimes I think
that I near its end."
"Speak no such evil-omened words," she said, springing from the couch
and stamping her sandalled foot upon the ground in anger born of fear.
"Yet thou sayest truth; thou art unfortified against the accidents of
time and chance. Oh! horrible, horrible; thou mightest die again, and
leave me living."
"Then give me of thy life, Ayesha."
"That would I gladly, all of it, couldst thou but repay me with the boon
of death to come.
"Oh! ye poor mortals," she went on, with a sudden burst of passion; "ye
beseech your gods for the gift of many years, being ignorant that ye
would sow a seed within your breasts whence ye must garner ten thousand
miseries.
Pages:
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335