proudly on the bosoms of their white gowns.

One or two, more daring, stretched out their hands to touch the
golden frame of the harp as it was carried past them by the youth
in crimson,--a pretty fellow enough, who looked extremely haughty,
and almost indignant at this effrontery on the part of the fair
poet-worshippers, but he made no remonstrance, and merely held his
head a little higher and walked with a more consequential air, as
he followed his master at a respectful distance. Another long
ecstatic shout of "Hail Sah-luma!" arose on all sides, rippling
away,--away,--down, as it seemed, to the very furthest edge of
echoing resonance,--and then the remainder of the crowd quickly
scattered right and left, leaving the spacious embankment almost
deserted, save for the presence of several copper-colored, blue-
shirted individuals who were commencing the work of taking down
and rolling up the silken awnings, accompanying their labors by a
sort of monotonous chant that, mingling with the slow, gliding
plash of the river, sounded as weird and mournful as the sough of
the wind through leafless trees.

Meanwhile Theos, in the company of his new friend, began to
express his thanks for the timely rescue he had received,--but
Sah-luma waived all such acknowledgments aside.

"Nay, I have only served thee as a crowned Laureate should ever
serve a lesser minstrel,"--he said, with that indescribably
delicious air of self-flattery which was so whimsical, and yet so
winning,--"And I tell thee in all good faith that, for a newly
arrived visitor in Al-Kyris, thy first venture was a reckless one!
To omit to kneel in the presence of the High Priestess during her