A Woman or a Goddess?--a rainbow Flame in mortal shape?--a spirit
of earth, air, fire, water? ... or a Thought of Beauty embodied
into human sweetness and made perfect? ... Clothed in gold attire,
and girdled with gems, she stood, leaning indolently against the
middle mast of the vessel, her great, sombre, dusky eyes resting
drowsily on the swarming masses of people, whose frenzied roar of
rapture and admiration sounded like the breaking of billows.

Presently, with a slow, solemn smile on her haughtily curved lips,
she extended one hand and arm, snow-white and glittering with
jewels, and made an imperious gesture to command silence.
Instantly a profound hush ensued. Lifting a long, slender, white
wand, at the end of which could be plainly seen the gleaming
silver head of a Serpent, she described three circles in the air
with a perfectly even, majestic motion, and as she did this, her
marvellous eyes turned toward Theos, and dwelt steadily upon him.

He met her gaze fully, absorbing into his inmost soul the mesmeric
spell of her matchless loveliness,--he saw, without actually
realizing the circumstance, that the whole vast multitude around
him had fallen prostrate in an attitude of worship,--and still he
stood erect, drinking in the warmth of those dark, witching,
sleepy orbs that flashed at him half-resentfully, half-
mockingly, . . and then, . . the beauty-burdened ship began to sway
gently, and move onwards,--she, that wondrous Siren-Queen was
vanishing,--vanishing!--she and her kneeling maidens, and music,
and flowers,--vanishing ... Where?

With a start he sprang from his post of observation,--he felt he