"And do you know," she said, "that Life is illusion?"

"Of course it is not," I said. "Life is real, Life is earnest----."

At that the witch and her cat (who had not moved from her old place by
the hearth) burst into laughter. I stayed some time, for there was
much that I wished to ask, but when I saw that the laughter would not
stop I turned and went away.




THE AVENGER OF PERDÓNDARIS

I was rowing on the Thames not many days after my return from the Yann
and drifting eastwards with the fall of the tide away from Westminster
Bridge, near which I had hired my boat. All kinds of things were on
the water with me--sticks drifting, and huge boats--and I was
watching, so absorbed the traffic of that great river that I did not
notice I had come to the City until I looked up and saw that part of
the Embankment that is nearest to Go-by Street. And then I suddenly
wondered what befell Singanee, for there was a stillness about his
ivory palace when I passed it by, which made me think that he had not
then returned. And though I had seen him go forth with his terrific
spear, and mighty elephant-hunter though he was, yet his was a fearful
quest for I knew that it was none other than to avenge Perdóndaris by
slaying that monster with the single tusk who had overthrown it
suddenly in a day. So I tied up my boat as soon as I came to some
steps, and landed and left the Embankment, and about the third street
I came to I began to look for the opening of Go-by Street; it is very