“She followed far; she awaited them where they wandered.  Guided by a sage named Noot, one who from the beginning had been appointed to her service and that of another—­thou, O Holly, wast that man—­she found the essence in which to bathe is to outlive Generations, Faiths, and Empires, saying—­“’I will slay these guilty ones.  I will slay them presently, as I am commanded.’

“Yet Ayesha slew not, for now their sin was her sin, since she who had never loved came to desire this man.  She led them to the Place of Life, purposing there to clothe him and herself with immortality, and let the woman die.  But it was not so fated, for then the goddess smote.  The life was Ayesha’s as had been sworn, but in its first hour, blinded with jealous rage because he shrank from her unveiled glory to the mortal woman at his side, this Ayesha brought him to his death, and alas! alas! left herself undying.

“Thus did the angry goddess work woe upon her faithless ministers, giving to the priest swift doom, to the priestess Ayesha, long remorse and misery, and to the royal Amenartas jealousy more bitter than life or death, and the fate of unending effort to win back that love which, defying Heaven, she had dared to steal, but to be bereft thereof again.

“Lo! now the ages pass, and, at the time appointed, to that undying Ayesha who, whilst awaiting his re-birth, from century to century mourned his loss, and did bitter penance for her sins, came back the man, her heart’s desire.  Then, whilst all went well for her and him, again the goddess smote and robbed her of her reward.  Before her lover’s living eyes, sunk in utter shame and misery, the beautiful became hideous, the undying seemed to die.

“Yet, O Kallikrates, I tell thee that she died not.  Did not Ayesha swear to thee yonder in the Caves of Kor that she would come again? for even in that awful hour this comfort kissed her soul.  Thereafter, Leo Vincey, who art Killikrates, did not her spirit lead thee in thy sleep and stand with thee upon this very pinnacle which should be thy beacon light to guide thee back to her?  And didst thou not search these many years, not knowing that she companioned thy every step and strove to guard thee in every danger, till at length in the permitted hour thou earnest back to her?”

She paused, and looked towards Leo, as though awaiting his reply.

“Of the first part of the tale, except from the writing on the Sherd, I know nothing, Lady,” he said; “of the rest I, or rather we, know that it is true.  Yet I would ask a question, and I pray thee of thy charity let thy answer be swift and short.  Thou sayest that in the permitted hour I came back to Ayesha.  Where then is Ayesha?  Art thou Ayesha?  And if so why is thy voice changed?  Why art thou less in stature?  Oh! in the name of whatever god thou dost worship, tell me art thou Ayesha?”

“I am Ayesha” she answered solemnly, “that very Ayesha to whom thou didst pledge thyself eternally.”