mong a few eccentric persons."

"That shame surely must be the rudiment of our Lichstorm passion. But
now say--why did you come here?"

"To meet with new experiences, perhaps. The old ones no longer
interested me."

"How long have you been in this world?"

"This is the end of my fourth day."

"Then tell me what you have seen and done during those four days. You
cannot have been inactive."

"Great misfortunes have happened to me."

He proceeded briefly to relate everything that had taken place from
the moment of his first awakening in the scarlet desert. Sullenbode
listened, with half-closed eyes, nodding her head from time to time.
only twice did she interrupt him. After his description of Tydomin's
death, she said, speaking in a low voice--"None of us women ought by
right of nature to fall short of Tydomin in sacrifice. For that one act
of hers, I almost love her, although she brought evil to your door."
Again, speaking of Gleameil, she remarked, "That grand-souled girl I
admire the most of all. She listened to her inner voice, and to nothing
else besides. Which of us others is strong enough for that?"

When his tale was quite over, Sullenbode said, "Does it not strike you,
Maskull, that these women you have met have been far nobler than the
men?"

"I recognise that. We men often sacrifice ourselves, but only for a
substantial cause. For you women almost any cause will serve. You love
the sacrifice for its own sake, and that is because you are naturally
noble."

Turning her head a little, she threw him a smile so proud, yet so sweet,
that he was struck into silence.

They tramped on quietly for some distance, and then he said, "Now you
understand the sort of man I am. Much brutality, more weakness, scant
pity for anyone--Oh, it has been a bloody journey!"

She laid her hand on his arm. "I, for one, would not have it less
rugged."

"Nothing good can be said of my crimes."

"To me you seem like a lonely giant, searching for you know not what....
The grandest that life holds.... You at least have no cause to look up
to women."

"Thanks, Sullenbode!" he responded, with a troubled smile.

"When Maskull passes, let people watch. Everyone is thrown out of your
road. You go on, looking neither to right nor left."

"Take care that you are not thrown as well," said Corpang gravely.

"Maskull shall do with me whatever he pleases, old skull! And for
whatever he does, I will thank him.... In place of a heart