We will kiss thy painted face, O Sphinx, if thou wilt betray to us
Time.

And yet I fear that in his ultimate anguish he may take hold blindly
of the world and the moon and slowly pull down upon him the House of
Man.




IDLE DAYS ON THE YANN


So I came down through the wood to the bank of Yann and found, as
had been prophesied, the ship _Bird of the River_ about to loose her
cable.

The captain sate cross-legged upon the white deck with his scimitar
lying beside him in its jewelled scabbard, and the sailors toiled to
spread the nimble sails to bring the ship into the central stream of
Yann, and all the while sang ancient soothing songs. And the wind of
the evening descending cool from the snowfields of some mountainous
abode of distant gods came suddenly, like glad tidings to an anxious
city, into the wing-like sails.

And so we came into the central stream, whereat the sailors lowered
the greater sails. But I had gone to bow before the captain, and to
inquire concerning the miracles, and appearances among men, of the
most holy gods of whatever land he had come from. And the captain