Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1918-02-01

which King saw him the Sleeper'S like
ness to himself was actually startling.
Startling -weird-like an incarnation
were Yasmini's words when at last she
spoke.
"Muhammad liedi He lied In his
teeth! His sons have multiplied his
lie! Siddhattha, whom men have called
Gotama, the Buddha, was before Mu-
hammad and he knew more! He told
of the wheel of things, and there Is
wheel! Yet, what knew the Buddha OF
the wheel? He who spoke of Dharma
(the customs of the lawl not knowing
Dharma! This is true-0f old there
was wish of the gods-of the old
gods. And so these two were. There
is wish again now of the old gods.
So, are we two not as they two were?
1t is the same wish, and 10! We are
ready, this man and /. We will obey.
We gods-ye old gods!'
She raised her arms and, going closer
to the bed, stood there in an attitude
of mystic reverence, giving and re-
ceiving blessings.
"Dear gods y she prayed. Dear old
gods-older than these 'Hills'-show
me in vision what their fault was
why these two were ended before the
end!
81 know all the other things ye have
shown me. I know the worlds silly
creeds have made It mad, and it must
rend itself, and this man and shall
reap where the nations sowed-n only
we obey! Wherein. We old dear gods.
who love me, did these two disobey?
pray you, tell me in vision!"
She shook her head and sighed. Sad
ness seemed to have crept over her;
like cold mist from the night. It
was as If she could dimly see her
plans foredoomed, and yet hoped on in
spite of it. The fatalism that she
scorned as Muhammad's lie held her
in its grip, and her natural courage
fought with it. Womaplike, she turned
to King in that minute and confided to
him her very inmost thoughts. And he,
without an inkling as to how she must
fail, yet knew that she must, and pitied
her.
"Have you seen that breast under
| "Come nearer! Come and look Did
she kill him? Was that a dagger-stah
! in his breast? found perfume In
these caves-great Jars of it, and l use
| it always. I think that scent is the
preservative. Athelstan-listen
think he would have failed her!
think she stabbed him rather than see
him foi1 ond fhoo esxyo IIoxryod ~.o;o~~a
Afterward their servants laid them
there. She smiles in death because she
knew the wheel will turn and that
death dies too! He looks grim be-
cause he knew less than she. It is al.
ways woman who understands and
man who fails! think she stabbed
him. She should have loved him bet.
ter, and then there would have been
no need. I will love you better than
she loved him -
She turned and devoured him with
her eyes, so that it needed all his man.
hood to hold him back from being hel
slave that minute. For in that mine
ute she left no charm unexercised-
sex - mesmerism - beauty - fattery
Cher eyes could f1atter as dumb dogs
| fiatter huntsman) -grace unutterable
-mystery-she used every art on him
she knew. Yet he stood the test.
''Even if you fail me, well-beloved.
| I will love you! The gods who gave
you me will know how to make you
| love; and lessons are to learn. If you
| fail me will forgive, knowing that in
the end the gods will never let you fail
me! You are mine, and earth is ours,
for the old gods intend it so ~
| She seemed to expect him to take her
| In his arms again: but he stood re-
| spectfully and made no answer, nor
any move. Grim and strong his jowl
was, like the Sleeper's, and the dark
hair three days old on it softened moth
! ing of its lines. His Roman nose and
steady, dark, full eyes suggested no
compromise. Yet he was good to look
at. She had not lied when she said
she loved him, and he understood her
and was sorry. But he did not look
sorry, nor did he offer any argument to
quench her love. He was a servant OF
the raj; his life anG his love had been
India's since the day he first buckled
on his spurs, and Yasmini would not
have understood that.
Nor did she understand that. even
| suppOsing he had loved her with all his
| heart, not on any conditions would ha
| have admitted it until absolutely free,
any more than that if she crucified him
he would love her the same, supposing
| that he loved her at all. Nor did she
| trust the 'old gods" too we'll, or let
them work unaided.
"Come with me, Athelstanl" she said.
| She took his arm-found little jeweled
| slippers in a closet hewn in the wall
! put them on and led him to the cur
tains he had entered by. She led down
the steps, and at the foot told him to
put on his slippers, as II he we're
child. Then. hurrying as If those opal
eyes of hers were Indifferent to dark
or daylight, she picked her way among
| powders that he could feel but not
see, along floor that was only smooth
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