tone--"To love her is, for many men, an absolute necessity,--but
the Virgin Priestess of the Sun and the Serpent receives love, as
statues may receive it,--moving all others to frenzy, she is
herself unmoved!"

Theos listened, scarcely hearing. He was studying every line in
Sah-luma's face and figure with fixed and wistful attention.
Almost unconsciously he pressed the arm he held, and Sah-luma
looked up at him with a half-smile.

"I fancy we shall like each other!" he said--"Thou art a western
singing bird-of-passage, and I a nested nightingale amid the roses
of the East,--our ways of making melody are different,--we shall
not quarrel!"

"Quarrel!" echoed Theos amazedly--"Nay! ... I might quarrel with
my nearest and dearest, but never with thee, Sah-luma! For I know
thee for a very prince of poets! ... and would as soon profane the
sanctity of the Muse herself, as violate thy proffered
friendship!"

"Why, so!" returned Sah-luma, his brilliant eyes flashing with
undisguised pleasure,--"An' thou thinkest thus of me we shall be
firm and fast companions! Thou hast spoken well and not without
good instruction--I perceive my fame hath reached thee in thine
own ocean-girdled lands, where music is as rare as sunshine. Right
glad am I that chance has thrown us together, for now thou wilt be
better able to judge of my unrivalled master-skill in sweet word-
weaving! Thou must abide with me for all the days of thy sojourn
here. ... Art willing?"