his brown hair clustered on his forehead with all the life of youth in
it. Yet in his eyes the lad seemed as old as himself.

"My father," said the lad again, "wouldst thou then build a city?"

And the father answered: "Nay, my son, I would sow seed, and gather it
into harvest--enough for my needs, no more; and sit quiet in my doorway
when my work was done, and be grateful to the gods."

The lad waited a moment, then answered: "When thou wast a governor in our
own country, thou hadst serfs and retainers without number, and fifty men
to beat upon the shields of brass to tell of thy coming through the gates
of the King's house; now thou wouldst sow a field and sit quiet in thy
doorway, like the blind seller of seed-cakes 'gainst the temple."

"Even so, my son." Then he stooped down, knelt upon his knees, and kissed
the earth solemnly, and when he rose there was a smile upon his face.

Then the lad said: "When I was the son of a governor I loved to play with
the golden balls, to shoot at the target for pearls, and to ride the
flamingo down; now I would grind the corn which thou didst reap, and with
oil make seed-cakes for our supper, and sit quiet with thee in thy
doorway." Then he too stooped down and kissed the earth, and rose up
again with a smile upon his face.

And as they went the earth seemed suddenly to blossom anew, the glory of
the Scarlet Hills burst upon them, and they could hear bugles calling far
off and see giant figures trooping along the hills, all scarlet too, with
streaming hair. And presently, near to a lake, there was a great gateway,
and perched upon a rock near it a chateau of divine proportions, on which