Only Oros ate nothing, but remained where he was, smiling at us
benignantly, nor did Ayesha touch any food.
CHAPTER XXIII
THE YIELDING OF AYESHA
When I had satisfied myself, Leo was still at his meal, for loss of
blood or the effects of the tremendous nerve tonic which Ayesha ordered
to be administered to him, had made him ravenous.
I watched his face and became aware of a curious change in it, no
immediate change indeed, but one, I think, that had come upon him
gradually, although I only fully appreciated it now, after our short
separation. In addition to the thinness of which I have spoken, his
handsome countenance had grown more ethereal; his eyes were full of the
shadows of things that were to come.
His aspect pained me, I knew not why. It was no longer that of the
Leo with whom I was familiar, the deep-chested, mighty-limbed, jovial,
upright traveller, hunter and fighting-man who had chanced to love and
be loved of a spiritual power incarnated in a mould of perfect womanhood
and armed with all the might of Nature's self. These things were still
present indeed, but the man was changed, and I felt sure that this
change came from Ayesha, since the look upon his face had become
exceeding like to that which often hovered upon hers at rest.
She also was watching him, with speculative, dreamy eyes, till
presently, as some thought swept through her, I saw those eyes blaze up,
and the red blood pour to cheek and brow.
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