it good for us to be here?"

Sah-luma regarded him in wide-eyed amazement.

"Good? good?" he repeated with a sort of impatient disdain. "What
dost thou mean by 'good'? What is good? What is evil? Canst thou
tell? If so, thou art wiser than I! Good to be here? If it is good
to drown remembrance of the world in draughts of pleasure; if it
is good to love and be beloved; if it is good to ENJOY, aye! enjoy
with burning zest every pulsation of the blood and every beat of
the heart, and to feel that life is a fiery delight, an exquisite
dream of drained-off rapture, then it is good to be here! If," and
he caught Theos's hand in his own warm palm and pressed it, while
his voice sank to a soft and infinitely caressing sweetness, "if
it is good to climb the dizzy heights of joy and drowse in the
deep sunshine of amorous eyes, . . to slip away on elfin wings into
the limitless freedom of Love's summerland, ... to rifle rich
kisses from warm lips even as rosebuds are rifled from the parent
rose, and to forget! ...--to forget all bitter things that are
best forgotten--"

"Enough, enough!" cried Theos, fired with a reckless impulse of
passionate ardor. "On, on, Sah-luma! I follow thee! On! let us
delay no more!"

At that moment a far-off strain of music saluted his ears--music
evidently played on stringed instruments. It was accompanied by a
ringing clash of cymbals; he listened, and listening, saw a smile
lighten Sah-luma's features--a smile sweet, yet full of delicate
mockery. Their eyes met; a wanton impetuosity flashed like