I am well again! What, art thou still melancholy! ... still
sombre! ... Nay, surely thou wilt not be a veritable kill-joy!"

Theos stood mute and sorely perplexed. He saw at once how useless
it was now to try and convince Sah luma of any danger threatening
him through the instigation of the woman he loved,--he would never
believe it! And yet ... something must be done to put him on his
guard. Taking up the scroll of the public news, where the account
of the finding of the body of Nir-jalis was written with all that
exaggerated attention to repulsive details which seems to be a
special gift of the cheap re-porters, Theos pointed to it.

"His was a cruel end!"--he said in a low, uncertain voice,--"Sah-
luma, canst thou expect mercy from a woman who has once been so
merciless?"

"Bah!" returned the Laureate lightly. "Who and what was Nir-jalis?
A hewer of stone images--a no-body!--he will not be missed!
Besides, he is only one of many who have perished thus."

"Only one of many!" ejaculated Theos with a shudder of aversion..
"And yet, . . O thou most reckless and misguided soul! ... thou dost
love this wanton murderess!"

A warm flush tinted Sah-luma's olive skin,--his hands clenched and
unclenched slowly as though he held some struggling, prisoned
thing, and raising his head he looked at his companion full and
steady with a singularly solemn and reproving expression in his
luminous eyes.