looked up sharply, and once more I caught the flash of those hidden
eyes; "thou," I went on hurriedly, "who hast never died?"

"That is so," she said; "and it is so because I have, half by chance and
half by learning, solved one of the great secrets of the world. Tell
me, stranger: life is--why therefore should not life be lengthened for a
while? What are ten or twenty or fifty thousand years in the history of
life? Why in ten thousand years scarce will the rain and storms lessen
a mountain top by a span in thickness? In two thousand years these caves
have not changed, nothing has changed but the beasts, and man, who is as
the beasts. There is naught that is wonderful about the matter, couldst
thou but understand. Life is wonderful, ay, but that it should be a
little lengthened is not wonderful. Nature hath her animating spirit as
well as man, who is Nature's child, and he who can find that spirit,
and let it breathe upon him, shall live with her life. He shall not live
eternally, for Nature is not eternal, and she herself must die, even as
the nature of the moon hath died. She herself must die, I say, or rather
change and sleep till it be time for her to live again. But when shall
she die? Not yet, I ween, and while she lives, so shall he who hath
all her secret live with her. All I have it not, yet have I some, more
perchance than any who were before me. Now, to thee I doubt not that
this thing is a great mystery, therefore I will not overcome thee with
it now. Another time I will tell thee more if the mood be on me, though
perchance I shall never speak thereof again. Dost thou wonder how I
knew that ye were coming to this land, and so saved your heads from the
hot-pot?"

"Ay, oh Queen," I answered feebly.

"Then gaze upon that water," and she pointed to the font-like vessel,