Part 17 (1/2)

I confess that this behaviour on Toreat believer in the instincts of anis, and I felt certain that if this man had not been in all essentials human like ourselves, Tommy would not have tolerated hi for Toreater kindness than he did at us, suggested that there was goodness in hi in its wonderful tolerance may love a bad person in whom it s, or, I may add, a child or a flower

As a matter of fact, the ”old God,” as we had christened hi all our association with him, cared infinitely more for Tommy than he did for any of us, a circumstance that ultimately was not without its influence upon our fortunes But for this there was a reason as we learned afterwards, also he was not really so amiable as I hoped

When we had looked at each other for a long while the sleeper began to arrange his beard, of which the length seemed to surprise hi this out and apparently not wishi+ng to disturb Toave up the occupation, and after one or two atteue and lips still seemed to be stiff, addressed us in soe, unlike any that we had ever heard We shook our heads Then by an afterthought I said ”Good day” to hie of the Orofenans He puzzled over the word as though it were ave it back to me with a difference indeed, but in a hich convinced us that he quite understood what I meant The conversation went no further at the moment because just then so with his back against the coffin of the Glittering Lady, whoan to turn round, and being too weak to do so,his purpose, held up one of the hurricane laerness he surveyed her who lay within the coffin, and after he had done so, uttered a sigh as of intense relief

Next he pointed to the ain from the thermos flask, which I observed excited his keen interest, for, having touched the flask with his hand and found that it was cool, he appeared tofroh he had got the clue to the mystery, and sed his second drink of coffee and spirit This done, heout a certain catch in the bolts which at first we could not master, for it will be remembered that on this coffin these were shot

In the end, by pursuing the same methods that we had used in the instance of his oe raised the coffin lid and once more were driven to retreat fro odour like to that of a whole greenhouse full of tuberoses, that flowed out of it, inducing a kind of stupefaction from which even Tommy fled

When we returned it was to find theby the side of the coffin, for as yet he could not stand, with his glowing eyes fixed upon the face of her who slept therein and waving his long arms above her

”Hypnotic business! Wonder if it ork,” whispered Bickley Then he lifted the syringe and looked inquiringly at the man, who shook his head, and went on with his mesmeric passes

I crept round hiht watch her face, which orth watching, while Bickley, with his ed in disinfecting the syringe in some spirit or acid I believe he was about to h beneath the influence of the hypnotic passes, a change appeared on the Glittering Lady's face Hitherto, beautiful as it was, it had been a dead face though one of a person who had suddenly been cut off while in full health and vigour a few hours, or at the ain; it was as though the spirit were returning from afar, and not without toil and tribulation

Expression after expression flitted across the features; indeed these seeht have belonged to several different individuals, though each was beautiful

The fact of these reestion of multiform personalities which they conveyed impressed both Bickley and myself very much indeed Then the breast heaved tule Next the eyes opened They were full of wonder, even of fear, but oh! what marvelous eyes I do not kno to describe them, I cannot even state their exact colour, except that it was dark, so like the blue of sapphires of the deepest tint, and yet not black; large, too, and soft as a deer's They shut again as though the light hurt them, then once

At length they foundthere, appeared to take it in by degrees More, it see heart At least the fear passed from her features and was replaced by a faint sives to one known and well loved, as the effects of chloroform pass away For a while she looked at aze, then suddenly, for the first ti her arms, lifted them and threw the his i Bickley stared also through his glasses and sniffed as though in disapproval, while I re with a wild i and beloved child I doubt if I could have done so, however, for really I was immovable; my heart seemed to stop and allthis endured, but I do kno it ended

Presently in the intense silence I heard Bastin's heavy voice and looking round, saw his big head projecting into the sepulchre

”Well, I never!” he said, ”you seein like that with the lady, there will be complications before you have done, Arbuthnot”

Talk of being brought back to earth with a rush!+ I could have killed Bastin, and Bickley, turning on hie fire in front of the statue I think he was about to argue when the Ancient gave hilance of his fierce eyes, which alarmed him, and he departed, bewildered, to return presently with the wood

But the sound of his voice had broken the spell The Lady let her ar to faint Bickley sprang forith his sal volatile and applied it to her nostrils, the Ancient not interfering, for he seenise that he had to deal with a man of skill and one who ain and, to oave her, not coffee and brandy, but a mixture he compounded of hot water, preserved milk and meat essence The effect of it on her onderful, since a fewit she sat up in the coffin Then we lifted her fro? and perceived that beneath her also were crystal boxes of the radiant, heat-giving substance We sat her on the floor of the sepulchre, wrapping her also in a blanket

Noas that Toh in welcome of an old friend, calmly established himself beside her and laid his black head upon her knee She noted it and sentle s and stroked him feebly

Bickley tried to make her drink soive it to Tommy This, however, he would not do because there was but one cup Presently both of the sleepers began to shi+ver, which caused Bickley anxiety Abusing Bastin beneath his breath for being so long with the fire, he drew the blankets closer about the boxes in the coffin They were loose, beingour handkerchiefs about his hand, he took them out and placed the of which the Ancient nodded approval Just then, too, Bastin returned with his first load of firewood, and soon we had ajust outside the sepulchre I saw that they observed the lighting of this fire by rearain, as indeed we did also--too warm Then in my turn I had an idea I knew that by now the sun would be beating hotly against the rock of the ested to Bickley, that, if possible, the best thing we could do would be to get thereed, if we could make them understand and they were able to walk So I tried First I directed the Ancient's attention to the mouth of the cave which at this distance showed as a white circle of light He looked at it and then at est that he should proceed there, repeating the word ”Sun” in the Orofenan tongue He understood at once, though whether he read my mind rather than what I said I a Lady understood also and seeo

Only she looked rather pitifully at her feet and shook her head This decided me

I do not know if I have mentioned anywhere that I am a tall ed not so very heavy after her long fast At any rate I felt quite certain that I could carry her for that distance Stooping down, I lifted her up, signing to her to put her ar to Bickley and Bastin to bring along the Ancient between theled out of the sepulchre, and started down the cave She was ht, and yet I could have wished the journey longer To begin with she seemed quite trustful and happy in ainst ht do, especially when I had to stop and throw her long hair roundin the dust

A bundle of lavender, or a truss of nen hay, could not have beenelectric about the touch of her, which went through and through me Very soon it was over, and ere out of the cave into the full glory of the tropical sun At first, that her eyes ht and her awakened body to its heat, I set her dohere shadow fell fro rock, in a canvas deck chair that had been brought by Mara about her to protect her froratefully into the soft seat and shut her eyes, for the motion had tired her I noted, however, that she drew in the sweet air with long breaths

Then I turned to observe the arrival of the Ancient, as being borne between Bickley and Bastin in what children know as a dandy-chair, which is for their hands in a peculiar fashi+on It says nity of his presence that even thus, with one arm round the neck of Bickley and the other round that of Bastin, and his long white beard falling al

Unfortunately, however, just as they were e from the cave, Bastin, always the ed to leave hold with one hand, so that his passenger nearly caave him Indeed, I think that from this moment he hated Bastin Bickley he respected as a h in comparison with his own, the latter was infantile and crude; me he tolerated and even liked; but Bastin he detested

The only one of our party for who real affection was the spaniel Tos, and also in the shadow Then, after a little while, we moved both of them into the sun