had been, though somewhat languid, as though strength had left her.

"It is true enough," she said, "and soon I must be stirring lest many
of my people should be killed. My lord, wouldst thou see war? Nay,
thou shalt bide here in safety whilst I go forward--to visit Atene as I
promised."

"Where thou goest, I go," said Leo angrily, his face flushing to the
roots of his hair with shame.

"I pray thee not, I pray thee not," she answered, yet without venturing
to forbid him. "We will talk of it hereafter. Oros, away! Send round the
Fire of Hes to every chief. Three nights hence at the moonrise bid
the Tribes gather--nay, not all, twenty thousand of their best will be
enough, the rest shall stay to guard the Mountain and this Sanctuary.
Let them bring food with them for fifteen days. I join them at the
following dawn. Go."

He bowed and went, whereon, dismissing the matter from her mind, Ayesha
began to question me again about the Chinese and their customs.

It was in course of a somewhat similar conversation on the following
night, of which, however, I forget the exact details, that a remark of
Leo's led to another exhibition of Ayesha's marvellous powers.

Leo--who had been considering her plans for conquest, and again
combating them as best he could, for they were entirely repugnant to his
religious, social and political views--said suddenly that after all they
must break down, since they would involve the expenditure of sums of
money so vast that even Ayesha herself would be unable to provide