Part 32 (1/2)

We ca in front of it terraces of flowers It seemed not unlike my own house at home, but I took little note of it, because of a woman who sat upon the verandah, if I arments of white silk fastened about her irdle On her neck also was a collar of jewels I forget the colour; indeed this seeht from the different e was blue In her ar happily as she rocked it to and fro Yva went towards the woman who looked up at her step and uttered a little cry Then for the first time I saw the woman's face It was that of my dead wife!

As I followed in my dream, a little cloud of mist seemed to cover both one Only my wife remained, she and the child There she stood, solemn and sweet While I drew near she laid down the child upon the cushi+oned seat fro them about me She embracedshe lifted up the child, it was a girl, for hter,” she said, ”and behold all that I a ready for you where we shall dwell in a day to corew confused

”Yva,” I said ”Where is Yva who brought o into the house?”

”Yes,” she answered happily ”Yva went into the house Look again!”

I looked and it was Yva's face that was pressed against arbed as eful necklace

”You may not stay,” she whispered, and lo! it was my wife that spoke, not Yva

”Tell me what it means?” I implored

”I cannot,” she answered ”There are mysteries that you may not know as yet Love Yva if you will and I shall not be jealous, for in loving Yva you love me You cannot understand? Then know this, that the spirit has many shapes, and yet is the same spirit--sometimes Noho am far, yet near, bid you farewell a while”

Then all passed in a flash and the dream ended

Such was the only one of those visions which I can recall

I see and tu I saas the palm roof of our house upon the rock I kneas our house, for just above me was a palm leaf of which I had myself tied the stalk to the frameith a bit of coloured ribbon that I had chanced to find in ramme card of a dance that I had attended at Honolulu and I had kept it because I thought it ht be useful Finally I used it to secure that loose leaf

I stared at the ribbon which brought back a flood of , and listened--Bickley's voice, and the Lady Yva's

”Yes,” Bickley was saying, ”he will do well now, but he went near, very near”

”I kneould not die,” she answered, ”because my father said so”

”There are two sorts of deaths,” replied Bickley, ”that of the body and that of the o, but from certain indications I do not think that will happen now He will get quite well again--though--” and he stopped

”I alad to hear you say so,” chiht that I should have to read the Burial Service over poor Arbuthnot Indeed I was much puzzled as to the best place to bury him

Finally I found a very suitable spot round the corner there, where it isn't rock, in which one can't dig and the soil is not liable to be flooded In fact I went so far as to clear away the bush and to rave with its foot to the east In this climate one can't delay, you know”

Weak as I was, I s was so exactly like Bastin

”Well, you wasted your labour,” exclailad to say I did But I don't think it was your operations and the rest that cured hih you take all the credit

I believe it was the Life-water that the Lady Yva ave hi”

”Then I hope that in the future you will not interfere with nant Bickley, and either the voices passed away or I went to sleep

When I woke up again it was to find the Lady Yva seated at ive ,” she said slowly in English

”Who taught you e?” I asked, astonished ”Bastin and Bickley, while you ill, they teach; they teach o,” she added enigmatically ”All think one woman beautiful when no other wo to what proceedings on the part of Bastin and Bickley she alluded Could that self-centred pair--oh! it was i have I been ill?” I asked to escape the subject which I felt to be uncomfortable