shriek, and fainted in my arms.

Then as I turned upon my heels with her upon my breast my foot caught
upon the cloths still wound about the tripod of the sphere. Over went
that implement of a thousand years of sorcery, and out went the red fire.
But little I cared--the princess was safe! And up the palace steps,
amidst a low, wailing hum of consternation from the recovering Martians,
I bore that bundle of limp and senseless loveliness up into the pale shine
of her own porch, and there, laying her down upon a couch, watched her
recover presently amongst her women with a varied assortment of emotions
tingling in my veins.




CHAPTER VI

Beyond the first flutter of surprise, the Martians had shown no interest
in the abrupt termination of the year's divinations. They melted away,
a trifle more silently perhaps than usual, when I shattered the magic
globe, but with their invariable indifference, and having handed
the reviving Heru over to some women who led her away, apparently
already half forgetful of the things that had just happened, I was
left alone on the palace steps, not even An beside me, and only the
shadow of a passerby now and then to break the solitude. Whereon a
great loneliness took hold upon me, and, pacing to and fro along the
ancient terrace with bent head and folded arms, I bewailed my fate.
To and fro I walked, heedless and melancholy, thinking of the old world,
that was so far and this near world so distant from me in everything
making life worth living, thinking, as I strode gloomily here and there,