leaned over the battlements, and watched the racing meteors. Prometheus
stood by her, and pointed out in the immeasurable distance the little speck
of shining dust from which they had flown.

"There? or here?" he asked.

"There!" said Elenko.




THE POTION OF LAO-TSZE


And there the body lay, age after age,
Mute, breathing, beating, warm, and undecaying,
Like one asleep in a green hermitage,
With gentle sleep about its eyelids playing,
And living in its dreams beyond the rage
Of death or life; while they were still arraying
In liveries ever new the rapid, blind,
And fleeting generations of mankind.

In the days of the Tang dynasty China was long happy under the sceptre of a
good Emperor, named Sin-Woo. He had overcome the enemies of the land,
confirmed the friendship of its allies, augmented the wealth of the rich,
and mitigated the wretchedness of the poor. But most especially was he
admired and beloved for his persecution of the impious sect of Lao-tsze,
which he had well-nigh exterminated.