told him.

Without another word he bent and kissed her; in silence we passed on,
his arm still about her girdled waist, golden head and black close
together. Soon we stood before the crimson slab that was the door to
the sanctuary of the Silent Ones. She poised uncertainly before it;
then with a defiant arching of the proud little head that sent all the
bronze-flecked curls flying, she pressed. It slipped aside and once
more the opalescence gushed out, flooding all about us.

Dazzled as before, I followed through the lambent cascades pouring
from the high, carved walls; paused, and my eyes clearing, looked
up--straight into the faces of the Three. The angled orbs centred upon
the handmaiden; softened as I had seen them do when first we had faced
them. She smiled up; seemed to listen.

"Come closer," she commanded, "close to the feet of the Silent Ones."

We moved, pausing at the very base of the dais. The sparkling mists
thinned; the great heads bent slightly over us; through the veils I
caught a glimpse of huge columnar necks, enormous shoulders covered
with draperies as of pale-blue fire.

I came back to attention with a start, for Lakla was answering a
question only heard by her, and, answering it aloud, I perceived for
our benefit; for whatever was the mode of communication between those
whose handmaiden she was, and her, it was clearly independent of
speech.

"He has been told," she said, "even as you commanded."