groves of palms and other trees through these they rode till they came to the surrounding brick wall of the temple where the told them that the guide said they must because was speaking and the people would beat them if they disturbed him so they obeyed and the two of them accompanied by the and dick who had now arrived were led through a door in the temple wall into a side chapel which about down its length opened out of the great hall that was still filled with columns whereof most were standing at the mouth of this chapel in the deep shadow behind a fallen column whence they could see without being seen they were told to stand still and did so as yet quite unnoticed the sight before them was indeed remarkable all that great hall was crowded with hundreds of men women and children rather light in colour and of a high bred stamp of feature clad of them in clean and flowing robes the men wearing or head dresses of various colours whereof the ends hung upon their shoulders and the women whose faces were exposed like on a platform raised upon some broken columns at the end of the hall were two figures those of a man and a woman between whom sat a grey little dog who looked in their direction and until the man it with a kind of sudden pain recognised at the first glance that this woman was beautiful although in a fashion that was new to her the waving hair uncovered by any veil but retained in place by the only emblem of her ancient which still used a band of dull gold whence above her brow rose the or snake fell somewhat stiffly upon her shoulders its thick mass trimmed level at the ends in it as in a frame was set the earnest mysterious face wherein glowed her large and lovely eyes placed there on high her rounded form wrapped in purest white did not look small or perhaps the dignity of her mien her folded hands and upright pose in her chair of state seemed to add to its stature she was smiling as she always smiled the coral coloured lips were slightly parted and in the ray of sunlight that fell upon her from the open roof could distinguish the rows of perfect teeth between them while her head was turned a little that she might watch her companion of tbe spirit with those wonderful and loving eyes so f was the savage woman of whom she had been told this ethereal and beautiful being with the wild sweet face like to the face of an angel a desire to choke followed the woman s glance to the man at her side for they sat together like the solemn stately figures of husband and wife upon the egyptian which years ago had brought from egypt oh it was without a doubt but changed could that noble looking in the flowing robes of white which hid his feet and the stately head dress also of white that fell upon his broad shoulders be the same creature who clad in his cheap and hideous garments she had dismissed from her drawing room in london as repulsive beyond bearing then his beard was fiery red and straggling now it was iron grey trimmed square and massive like his shoulders and his head then the eye that remained to him was red arid now it was large and luminous the face also had grown spiritual hke that of his companion a light seemed to shine upon it which smoothed away its if not handsome he looked what he was � a leader of men refined good noble a man to love and to all this understood in a flash and by the light of that illumination understood also for the first time the completeness of her own wicked folly there set above the common crowd adored and with his was the husband whom she had cast away like dirt � for dick s sake he dick was speaking in her ear and she turned her head and glanced at him his heavy eyes were staring at the loveliness of his fat cheeks lay in folds above the not too well shaven chin he wiped his bald head with a handkerchief that was no longer clean and smelt of and by dick was saying that little woman is something like isn t she no wonder our pious friend stopped in the you are nice looking but you have all your work cut out to get him away from that you had better go home and apply for a divorce on the ground of desertion just to save your face be silent she whispered almost in a hiss and with a fierce flash of her eyes must she listen to dick s at such a moment oh now she was sure of it it was he whom she hated not was speaking in and in a rich slow voice that reached the remotest recesses of that hall his words by quiet and dignified motions of his hands he was speaking and every soul of that great company in utter silence and with heads bent in respect hung upon his wisdom the with the point of her white umbrella and whispered tell me she said what do his say listened and from time to time interpreted the sense of s remarks in a low rapid voice which none of the audience who were unaware of their presence overheard the noble lord he informed them talks of gratitude to god which some of them have forgot he shows them how they should all be very grateful he tells them his own story that is interesting said lady go on i did always want to hear that story bowed and continued he says to his dear children that he tells them this story 