"Do not be afraid, Lianor. I will guard you with my life!" he said
bravely.

"But is there no way to escape?" Lianor asked wildly, frightened at
the peril into which her folly had brought them all.

"We might have gone; but it is too late. They are here," Toki said
gravely. "The only thing we can do is to hide amongst these broken
statues, and perhaps we may be safe from their view,"

Scarcely had this been done than the procession arrived, stopped
before the temple, and the men commenced building a huge square pile
of wood; on this they placed a bier, on which lay the corpse of an old
man, decked with silks and costly jewels.

Lianor and Panteleone, watching from their hiding-place the strange
preparations, now saw a girl, very young and beautiful, but weeping
bitterly, being dragged toward the pile by a tall, hard-looking woman.

"Come!" she cried, in loud, ringing tones, "now is the time to uphold
the honor of your family, and show your courage!"

With a shudder the girl drew back, and clasping her hands piteously
together, said:

"Why should I thus sacrifice my young life to the cruelty of your
customs? I cannot endure the thought of being burnt alive--it is too
horrible!"

"It is your duty! A widow must follow her husband in death," coldly.