Evening star., 1898-03-12
CHAPTER VIII.
Aziel PIights His Troth.

At first AZiel feared that the poison had
done its work and that ELISA was dead,
till, placing his hand upon her heart he
felt ii beating family and knew that she
did but swoon. To leave her to seek water
or assistance was impossible, since he
dared not loose his hold of the bandage
about her wrist, he knelt at her side
awaiting the return of Matem.
How beautiful her pale face seemed there
in the moonlight, set in its frame of dusky
hair! And how strange was this tale Of
hers, of a dream that she had DRAINED a
dream which to save his own had led her
to offer her life to the murde-er's arrow
Many would not believe it, but he felt that
1t was true; he felt that even if she wished
1t she could not lie to him, for, as he had
known since first they met, their souls
were naked to each other. Yes, having
thus been warned of his anger she had
Offer her life for him, for him who thai
n n.crning had called her. unjustly, as Me-
TEN said, "a girl of the groves and a mur-
deress. How came it that she had done
this, unless. indeed, she loved him as-he
loved her? He could no longer palter with
himself; it was the truth. Last night
when lssachar accused him. he had felt
this. although then he would not admit it
altogether, and now tonight he knew that
lis fate had found him. They would say
that, after the common fashion of man,
ne had been conquered by lovely face
and form and brave deeI of devotion.
E:ut i. was not so. Something beyond TIE
flesh and its works and attributes; drew
MIN toward this woman, something he
could neither understand nor define, nm
less, indeed, the vision of Issachar afined
1t, but of which he had been conscious
since first he set his eyes upon her face.
1t was possible, il was even probable,
that before another hour had gone by she
would have passed beyond mis- reach into
the deeps of death, whittier for while he
could not follow her Yet he knew that
the knowledge that she never could be mis-
would not affect the love of her that turn
ed in him, for his desire toward her was
not the desire of the earth He bent down
over her. gazing into her pale face till his
lips almost touched har own, and his breath
beating on her seemed to give her life
again. She opened her eyes and gazed at
him awhile, deeply. and with meaning,
even as he gaZed at her.
He spoke TO word, for his lips seemed to
be smitten with silence, but his heart
said. Il love you: l love you.'' and her
heart heard it, for she answered with her
voice:
"Bethink you who and what 1 am"
1T matters not. for we are one," ne re-
Piled
"Bethnk you." sh. said again, that soon
1 may be dead and lost to you'
1T cannot be, for we are one" he re-
Piled "One We have been In the past. one
we are today, and one We shall be through
all the length 81 life and death"
Prince" she said again, "once more.
and for the last time, / say. bethink you
we'll, for 1t comes upon ME that your words
are true, and that If i take that which to-
| night you Offer, it will be forever and for
aye"
Forever and aye let 1t be-" he said,
| leaning toward her
Forever and for aye let 1t be-" she re-
peated, holding up her lips to his.
And thus they plighted their strange
| troth
Lady" said a voice in their ears, the
voice OF Metem. Il pray you. let me at
| tend TO your hand, for there Is no time to
lose"
! Aziel looked up to see the Phosaician