ack filth. The hardest work fell to Maskull. He
not only had the exhausting task of beating the way, but was continually
called upon to help his companions out of their difficulties. Without
him they could not have got through.

After a peculiarly evil patch, they paused to recruit their strength.
Corpang's breathing was difficult, Sullenbode was quiet, listless, and
depressed.

Maskull gazed at them doubtfully. "Does this continue?" he inquired.

"No. I think," replied the woman, "we can't be far from the Mornstab
Pass. After that we shall begin to climb again, and then the road will
improve perhaps."

"Can you have been here before?"

"Once I have been to the Pass, but it was not so bad then."

"You are tired out, Sullenbode."

"What of it?" she replied, smiling faintly. "When one has a terrible
lover, one must pay the price."

"We cannot get there tonight, so let us stop at the first shelter we
come too."

"I leave it to you."

He paced up and down, while the others sat. "Do you regret anything?" he
demanded suddenly.

"No, Maskull, nothing. I regret nothing."

"Your feelings are unchanged?"

"Love can't go back--it can only go on."

"Yes, eternally on. It is so."

"No, I don't mean that. There is a climax, but when the climax has been
reached, love if it still wants to ascend must turn to sacrifice."

"That's a dreadful creed," he said in a low voice, turning pale beneath
his coating of mud.

"Perhaps my nature is discordant.... I am tired. I don't know what I
feel."

In a few minutes they were on their feet again, and the journey
recommenced. Within half an hour they had reached the Mornstab Pass.

The ground here was drier; the broken land to the north served to drain
off the moisture of the soil. Sullenbode led them to the northern edge
of the ridge, to show them the nature of the country. The pass was
nothing but a gigantic landslip on both sides of the ridge, where it was
the lowest above the underlying land. A series of huge broken terraces
of earth and rock descended toward Barey. They were overgrown with
stunted vegetation. It was quite possible to get down to the lowlands
that way, but rather difficult. On either side of the landslip, to cast
and west, the ridge came down in a long line of sheer, terrific cliffs.
A low haze concealed Barey from view. Complete stillness was in the air,
broken only by the distant thundering of an invisible waterfall.

Maskull and Sullenbode sat down