The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1918-03-22

minutes, gazing &C the Sleeper and h2M
queen. And\ from the new angle frora
which King saw him the Sleeper's like
ness to himself was actually startling.
Startling-weirdA<like an incarnation
were Yasmlni's words when at last she
spoke.
"Muhammad lied We LIED In his
teethI His sons have Hrultiplied his
liei Siddhattha, whom men have called
Gotama, the Buddha, was before MR-
hammad and he knew morel He toldN
OF the wheel Of things. and there is o
wheell Yet, what knew the Buddha OF
the wheel2 He who spoke Of Dharma
(the customs Of the law) not knowing
Dharmal This Is true-of 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 were9
1t is the same wish. and loi We are
ready, this man and l. We will obey.
We gods-ye old godsl"
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 !" she prayed. "Dear old
| gods-older than these I1ills'-show
me In vision what their fault was
why these two were ended before the
endi
II know all the other things We have
! shown me. a4now the worlds silly
| creeds have made it mad, and 1t must
rend itself, and this man and I shall
| reap where the nations sowed-if only
| we obey! Wherein. We old dear gods,
who love me, did these two disobey2
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. II
was as If she could dimly see her
plans foredoomed, and yet hoped on in
spite Of 1t. The fatalism that she
| scorned as Muhammad's lie held her
In its grip, and her natural courage
fought with it. Womanlike, she turned
to King in that minute and confided to
him her very inmost thoughts. And he,
| without an linking as to how she must
fail, yet knew that she must, and pitied
her. vi a a4..Y, aa
"Have you seen that breast under
the armor?" she asked suddenly.
| "Come nearer! Come and looki Did
she kill him? Was that dagger-stab
in his breast? I found perfume in
these caves-great jars of it, and use
it always. think that scent is the
preservative. Athelstan--listen! I
think he would have failed her! I
think she stabbed him rather than see
him fail, and then swallowed poisonl
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! I 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 her
slave that minute. For in that min
ute she left no charm unexercised-F
sex - mesmerism = beauty - flattery
Cher eyes could flatter as dumb dogs
fiatter huntsman)-graceu nutterable
-mystery-she used every art on him
she knew. Yet he stood the test.
'Even If you fail me, well-beloved,
7 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 I will forgive, knowing that in
the end the gods will never let you fail
mel You are mine, and earth is ours,
for the old gods inteEd 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 noth-
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 servant of
the raj; his life anc 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 be had loved her with all his
heart, not on any conditions would he
have admitted 1t 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.
s'Come with me. Atheistan!" 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 If he we're