eet, and she is growing
so beautiful. O, I could share you with her willingly when we are
spirits! If you would train her and teach her, Angel, and bring her
up for your own self! ... She had all the best of me without the bad
of me; and if she were to become yours it would almost seem as if
death had not divided us... Well, I have said it. I won't mention
it again."

She ceased, and he fell into thought. In the far north-east sky he
could see between the pillars a level streak of light. The uniform
concavity of black cloud was lifting bodily like the lid of a pot,
letting in at the earth's edge the coming day, against which the
towering monoliths and trilithons began to be blackly defined.

"Did they sacrifice to God here?" asked she.

"No," said he.

"Who to?"

"I believe to the sun. That lofty stone set away by itself is in the
direction of the sun, which will presently rise behind it."

"This reminds me, dear," she said. "You remember you never would
interfere with any belief of mine before we were married? But I knew
your mind all the same, and I thought as you thought--not from any
reasons of my own, but because you thought so. Tell me now, Angel,
do you think we shall meet again after we are dead? I want to know."

He kissed her to avoid a reply at such a time.

"O, Angel--I fear that means no!" said she, with a suppressed sob.
"And I wanted so to see you again--so much, so much! What--not even
you and I, Angel, who love each other so well?"

Like a greater than himself, to the critical question at the critical
time he did not answer; and they were again silent. In a minute or
two her breathing became more regular, her clasp of his hand relaxed,
and she fell asleep. The band of silver paleness along the east
horizon made even the distant parts of the Great Plain appear dark
and near; and the whole enormous landscape bore that impress of
reserve, taciturnity, and hesitation which is usual just before day.
The eastward pillars and their architraves stood up blackly against
the light, and the great flame-shaped Sun-stone beyond them; and the
Stone of Sacrifice midway. Presently the night wind died out, and
the quivering little pools in the cup-like hollows of the stones lay
still. At the same time something seemed to move on the verge of the
dip eastward--a mere dot. It was the head of a man approaching them
from the hollow beyond the Sun-stone. Clare wished they had gone
onward, but i