The moon rose slowly between two bars of dark cloud which gradually whitened into silver beneath her shining presence, and a scintillating pathway of diamond-like reflections began to spread itself across the sea.  I remained at the window, feeling an odd disinclination to turn away into the darkness of my room.  And I began to think that perhaps it was rather hard that I should be left all by myself locked up in this way;—­surely I might have been allowed a light of some sort!  Then I at once reproached myself for allowing the merest suggestion of a complaint to enter my mind, for, after all, I was an uninvited guest in the House of Aselzion—­I was not wanted—­and I remembered the order that had been issued concerning me:  ’The moment she desires to leave, every facility for departure is to be granted to her.’  I was much more afraid of this ‘facility for departure’ than I was of my present solitude, and I determined to look upon the whole adventure in the best and most cheerful light.  If it was best I should be alone, then loneliness was good—­if it was necessary I should be in darkness, then darkness was also agreeable to me.

Scarcely had I thus made up my mind to these conditions when my room was suddenly illumined by a soft yet effulgent radiance-and I started up in amazement, wondering where it came from.  I could see no lamps or electric burners,—­it was as if the walls glowed with some surface luminance.  When my first surprise had passed, I was charmed and delighted with the warm and comforting brightness around me,—­it rather reminded me of the electric brilliancy on the sails of the ‘Dream.’  I moved away from the window, leaving it open, as the night was very close and warm, and sat down at the table to read a little, but after a few minutes laid the book aside to listen to a strange whispering music that floated towards me, apparently from the sea, and thrilled me to the soul.  No eloquent description could give any idea of the enthralling sweetness of the harmonies that were more breathed upon the air than sounded—­and I became absorbed in following the rhythm of the delicious cadences as they rose and fell.  Then by degrees my thoughts wandered away to Rafel Santoris,—­ where was he now?—­in what peaceful expanse of shining waters had his fairy vessel cast anchor?  I pictured him in my brain till I could almost see his face,—­the broad brow,—­the fearless, tender eyes and smile—­and I could fancy that I heard the deep, soft accents of his voice, always so gentle when he spoke to me—­me, who had half resented his influence!  And a quick wave of long pent-up tenderness rose in my heart—­my whole soul ran out, as it were, to greet him with outstretched arms—­I knew in my own consciousness that he was more than all the world to me, and I said aloud:—­“My beloved, I love you!  I love you!” to the silence, almost as if I thought it could convey the words to him whom most I desired to hear them.