While Jeekie was trying to explain this mysterious speech to Alan, the Asika broke in, asking: 

“Do you always want to wear that mask?”

He answered, “Certainly not,” whereon she bade Jeekie take it off, which he did.

“Understand me,” she said, fixing her great languid eyes upon his in a fashion that made him exceedingly uncomfortable, “understand, Vernoon, that if you go out anywhere, it must be in your mask, which you can only put off when you are alone with me?”

“Why?”

“Because, Vernoon, I do not choose that any other woman should see your face.  If a woman looks upon your uncovered face, remember that she dies—­not nicely.”

Alan stared at her blankly, being unable to find appropriate Asiki words in which to reply to this threat.  But the Asika only leaned back in her chair and laughed at his evident confusion and dismay, till a new thought struck her.

“Your lips are free now,” she said; “kiss my hand after the fashion of your own country,” and she stretched it out to Alan, leaving him no choice but to obey her.

“Why,” she went on mischievously, taking his hand and in turn touching it with her red lips, “why, are you a thief, Vernoon?  That ring was mine and you have stolen it.  How did you steal that ring?”

“I don’t know,” he answered, through Jeekie, “I found it on my finger.  I cannot understand how it came there.  I understand nothing of all this talk.”

“Well, well, keep it, Vernoon, only give me that other ring of yours in exchange.”

“I cannot,” he replied, colouring.  “I promised to wear it always.”

“Whom did you promise?” she asked with a flash of rage.  “Was it a woman?  Nay, I see, it is a man’s ring, and that is well, for otherwise I would bring a curse on her, however far off she may be dwelling.  Say no more and forgive my anger.  A vow is a vow—­keep your ring.  But where is that one you used to wear in bygone days?  I recall that it had a cross upon it, not this star and figure of an eagle.”

Now Alan remembered that his uncle owned such a ring with a cross upon it, and was frightened, for how did this woman know these things?

“Jeekie,” he said, “ask the Asika if I am mad, or if she is.  How can she know what I used to wear, seeing that I was never in this place till yesterday, and certainly I have not met her anywhere else.”

“She mean when you your reverend uncle,” said Jeekie, wagging his great head, “she think you identical man.”

“What troubles you, Vernoon,” the Asika asked softly, then added anything but softly to Jeekie, “Translate, you dog, and be swift.”

So Jeekie translated in a great hurry, telling her what Alan had said, and adding on his own account that he, silly white man that he was, could not understand how, as she was quite a young woman, she could have seen him before she was born.  If that were so, she would be old and ugly now, not beautiful as she was.