fasting."

"He is right," Shotaye remarked; "it will make him leaner."

Both laughed, but Hayoue said with greater earnestness,

"Tyame is doing penance also."

"Then he is with his woman from Shyuamo," flippantly observed Shotaye;
"it will make Turquoises cheaper." She turned away with an indifferent
air. Her careless manner struck the young man, and when he saw that she
would not speak, but only gazed at the sky, he went off with the present
he had received. He felt differently; he took the matter very seriously.
He directed his steps toward the tall building where it might be
possible to ascertain something else. Hayoue was afraid of the Turquoise
people and their designs.

Shotaye was far from indifferent to the piece of news which Hayoue had
brought to her. But neither was she surprised. She expected as much. It
was therefore easy for her to appear perfectly calm and unconcerned. She
was fully convinced that her case had been the subject of last night's
discussion in the council, but the fact that the delegates were doing
penance proved that the matter was still pending, and that no conclusion
had been reached. There was consequently time before her still, and the
reprieve amounted to about four days. She had time to reflect and to
prepare her course of action. The sooner she was alone and left to her
own musings the better, and that was why she turned away so abruptly
from the young man. Hayoue drew from her manner the inference that the
woman busied herself with thoughts entirely foreign to his own, and did
not wish to be disturbed. But as soon as he turned to go she watched him
through one corner of her eye. When he was far enough away, she rose,
and slowly crept back into her dwelling.

We need not follow the train of thought that occupied Shotaye.

It was in the main the same that had filled her mind during the last
week. One thing was certain, she was not silly enough to fast. She would
not commit such a blunder. Neither would she call on Say Koitza. She
regarded her companion in danger as sufficiently advised, and felt sure
that the wife of Zashue was prepared for any event. Why then disturb
her? It might only lead her into committing some disastrous blunder.
Without Shotaye's direct knowledge Say was sure to do nothing at all,
and that was the best for both. For the present, all that could be done
was to remain absolutely quiet and to wait.

Hayoue, on the other hand, was not so philosophical. As he