for you are worn dark and dry from much fasting. I have brought you
milk and fresh fruit, such as the desert does not furnish."
Straight north they travelled until noon was high. The white dromedary
had an escort of eight camels, including Romney's pair, and some twenty
desert horsemen. They were entirely off travel lines, and Romney
realised that the way was kept closed to commerce between Nadiram and
Wampli by the desert-parties, chiefly to protect this northern way to
the country of Rajananda.... In the afternoon they followed for two
hours the path of an ancient river-bed, and entered, when the shadows
gathered, a land of rocky hills--the beasts quickened their pace under
the scent of water.... At sunset, by a spring, Romney's camel kneeled.
The escort vanished. Bamban unfolded fresh white clothing. Romney was
granted the luxury of a bath.
Ahead was verdure and a temple. It was low, and there was a walled
garden to the side, the green foliage hanging over the stones.... Beyond
was a village that looked as if it had been born again from a ruin. It
was strange as a dream--cattle feeding peacefully in the dip of land
between the temple and the town. Night was creeping in.
Even Bamban had vanished. There was silence. Romney emerged from the
sheltering leaves of the spring, his eyes fixed upon the temple....
There was a voice:
"Ah, do not keep me longer from him!"
... A strange altering of time and space--a wavering brightness in the
dusk--a woman's figure in the gateway of the garden wall.
"My man! My man!"
She was running to him, her arms held forward. His own limbs stumbled,
for the full power of his life went from him to her breast.... They
were alone.... They entered the garden of the temple together.... Her
arms did not leave him, yet they were about his knees, and words came to
him leaning forward:
"... Remember--that night as we journeyed forward by swiftest
camels--the risen star in our eyes--the quest in our hearts?"
Romney caught her up in his arms and stilled her whispering lips against
his own.
THE END.