f the seasons, and loved blue as an antidote to the
generally red and rusty character of their soil.

Discussing such things as these we lightly squandered the day away, and
I know of nothing more to note until the evening was come again: that
wonderful purple evening which creeps over the outer worlds at sunset,
a seductive darkness gemmed with ten thousand stars riding so low in
the heaven they seem scarcely more than mast high. When that hour was
come my friend tiptoed again to my cheek, and then, pointing to the
palace and laughingly hoping fate would send me a bride "as soft as
catkin and as sweet as honey," slipped away into the darkness.

Then I remembered all on a sudden this was the connubial evening of my
sprightly friends--the occasion when, as An had told me, the Government
constituted itself into a gigantic matrimonial agency, and, with the
cheerful carelessness of the place, shuffled the matrimonial pack anew,
and dealt a fresh hand to all the players. Now I had no wish to avail
myself of a sailor's privilege of a bride in every port, but surely
this game would be interesting enough to see, even if I were but a
disinterested spectator. As a matter of fact I was something more than
that, and had been thinking a good deal of Heru during the day. I do
not know whether I actually aspired to her hand--that were a large
order, even if there had been no suspicion in my mind she was already
bespoke in some vague way by the invisible Hath, most abortive of
princes. But she was undeniably a lovely girl; the more one thought of
her the more she grew upon the fancy, and then the preference she had
shown myself was very gratifying. Yes, I would certainly see this
quaint ceremonial, even if I took no leading part in it.

The great centre hall of the palace was full of a radiant light
bringing up its ruined columns and intruding creepers to the best
effect when I entered. Dinner also was just being served, as they
would say in another, and alas! very distant place, and the whole
building thronged with folk. Down the centre low tables with room for
four hundred people were ranged, but they looked quaint enough since
but two hundred were sitting there, all brand-new bachelors about to be
turned into brand new Benedicts, and taking it mightily calmly it
seemed. Across the hall-top was a raised table similarly arranged and
ornamented; and entering into the spirit of the thing, and little
guessing how stern a realit