From her stolen casket of beauty and super-human power had
leapt into her bosom, there to dwell unceasingly, a hundred torturing
demons, of whose wings mere mortal kind do but feel the far-off, icy
shadowing.
Yes; and that the parallel might be complete, Hope alone still lingered
in that rifled chest.
CHAPTER XX
AYESHA'S ALCHEMY
It was shortly after this incident of the snow-leopard that one of these
demon familiars of Ayesha's, her infinite ambition, made its formidable
appearance. When we had dined with her in the evening, Ayesha's habit
was to discuss plans for our mighty and unending future, that awful
inheritance which she had promised to us.
Here I must explain, if I have not done so already, that she had
graciously informed me that notwithstanding my refusal in past years
of such a priceless opportunity, I also was to be allowed to bathe my
superannuated self in the vital fires, though in what guise I should
emerge from them, like Herodotus when he treats of the mysteries of old
Egypt, if she knew, she did not think it lawful to reveal.
Secretly I hoped that my outward man might change for the better, as the
prospect of being fixed for ever in the shape of my present and somewhat
unpleasing personality, did not appeal to me as attractive. In truth, so
far as I was concerned, the matter had an academic rather than an actual
interest, such as we take in a fairy tale, since I did not believe that
I should ever put on this kind of immortality.
Pages:
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357