, but I have forgotten. Prince Hath
would know! Meanwhile let me give you to drink, great stranger, let me
get you something."

"Well, then," I laughed, "reach me down an antidote to fate, a specific
for an absent mistress, and forgetful friends."

"What was she like?" said An, hesitating a little and frowning.

"Nay, good friend," was my answer, "what can that matter to you?"

"Oh, nothing, of course," answered that Martian, and while she took
from the table a cup and filled it with fluid I felt in the pouch of my
sword-belt to see if by chance a bit of money was lying there, but
there was none, only the pips of an orange poor Polly had sucked and
laughingly thrown at me.

However, it did not matter. The girl handed me the cup, and I put my
lips to it. The first taste was bitter and acrid, like the liquor of
long-steeped wood. At the second taste a shiver of pleasure ran
through me, and I opened my eyes and stared hard. The third taste
grossness and heaviness and chagrin dropped from my heart; all the
complexion of Providence altered in a flash, and a stupid irresistible
joy, unreasoning, uncontrollable took possession of my fibre. I sank
upon a mossy bank and, lolling my head, beamed idiotically on the
lolling Martians all about me. How long I was like that I cannot say.
The heavy minutes of sodden contentment slipped by unnoticed,
unnumbered, till presently I felt the touch of a wine-cup at my lips
again, and drinking of another liquor dulness vanished from my mind, my
eyes cleared, my heart throbbed; a fantastic gaiety seized upon my
limbs; I bounded to my feet, and seizing An's two hands in mine, swung
that damsel round in a giddy dance, capering as never dancer danced
before, till spent and weary I sank down again from sheer lack of
breath, and only knew thereafter that An was sitting by me saying,
"Drink! drink stranger, drink and forget!" and as a third time a cup
was pressed to my lips, aches and pleasures, stupidness and joy, life
itself, seemed slipping away into a splendid golden vacuity, a hazy
episode of unconscious Elysium, indefinite, and unfathomable.

CHAPTER V

When I woke, feeling as refreshed as though I had been dreaming through
a long night, An, seeing me open-eyed, helped me to my feet, and when I
had recovered my senses a little, asked if we should go on. I was
myself again by this time, so willingly took her hand, and soon came
out of the tangle into the open spaces. I mus