this as good a protection against the carnivora as we could have;
and then Ajor and I sat down before it, and the lesson proceeded,
while from all about us came the weird and awesome noises of the
Caspakian night--the moaning and the coughing and roaring of the
tigers, the panthers and the lions, the barking and the dismal
howling of a wolf, jackal and hyaenadon, the shrill shrieks of
stricken prey and the hissing of the great reptiles; the voice of
man alone was silent.

But though the voice of this choir-terrible rose and fell from
far and near in all directions, reaching at time such a tremendous
volume of sound that the earth shook to it, yet so engrossed was
I in my lesson and in my teacher that often I was deaf to what at
another time would have filled me with awe. The face and voice of
the beautiful girl who leaned so eagerly toward me as she tried to
explain the meaning of some word or correct my pronunciation of
another quite entirely occupied my every faculty of perception.
The firelight shone upon her animated features and sparkling eyes;
it accentuated the graceful motions of her gesturing arms and hands;
it sparkled from her white teeth and from her golden ornaments, and
glistened on the smooth firmness of her perfect skin. I am afraid
that often I was more occupied with admiration of this beautiful
animal than with a desire for knowledge; but be that as it may,
I nevertheless learned much that evening, though part of what I
learned had naught to do with any new language.

Ajor seemed determined that I should speak Caspakian as quickly
as possible, and I thought I saw in her desire a little of that
all-feminine trait which has come down through all the ages from
the first lady of the world--curiosity. Ajor desired that I should