Part 5 (2/2)

”She appears ... she appears,” the sibyl went on stammering.

Lucius stared breathlessly.

Suddenly, in the fumes, a figure was vaguely outlined as of a dainty woman, flimsy and thin, a shade that moved to and fro.

”I see her!” cried Lucius. ”Ilia, Ilia! Speak one word to me! Come back to me! I cannot live without you!”

The vision had vanished. The smoke clouded away. The curtains closed again.

”It is difficult,” said the sibyl, faintly, ”to hold the astral bodies of living persons for more than a single moment. I can summon the dead for you for a longer time. But Ilia is not dead.”

”Then where is she?” cried Lucius.

The sibyl now pressed the sandal to her forehead and her other hand lay on Lucius' head:

”I see her,” said the sibyl. ”She is lying in a boat, swooning.... The sea is raging.... Now rough, bearded men are hurrying her away....”

”She is kidnapped!” cried Lucius. ”By pirates?”

”Yes!” cried the sibyl and fell into a faint.

The pretty Greek girl appeared and said:

”The fee is half a ptolemy, in gold....”

Caleb paid.

Lucius looked down in despair upon the swooning sibyl.

”To-morrow night, my lord,” said the Greek girl, in a sing-song voice, ”Herophila will be able to tell you more ... where Ilia was taken by the pirates.”

But Lucius clenched his fists; he foamed at the mouth with sudden anger and roared:

”She has merely read my own thoughts! No more! No more!”

He glared round him like a madman, drew his dagger and made as though to fling himself upon the sibyl's swooning body.

”My lord! My lord!” shouted Caleb, holding him back and gripping him in his strong arms.

The Greek girl, standing in front of the fainting woman, spread wide her arms and cried:

”Do not murder a holy woman, my lord! Do not murder a poor, holy woman!”

And, as she stood thus, Lucius saw that she was like the shade of Ilia ... and he burst into sobs.

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