lendid and bitter sight!--A woman who thinks herself alone,
standing before her mirror in expectation of the man she wishes to
subdue!

The six incense-burners scattered about the room sent up invisible
columns of perfume. The balsam spices of Arabia wore floating webs in
which my shameless senses were entangled.... And, back toward me,
standing straight as a lily, Antinea smiled into her mirror.

Low steps sounded in the corridor. Antinea immediately fell back into
the nonchalant pose in which I had first seen her. One had to see such
a transformation to believe it possible.

Morhange entered the room, preceded by a white Targa.

He, too, seemed rather pale. But I was most struck by the expression
of serene peace on that face which I thought I knew so well. I felt
that I never had understood what manner of man Morhange was, never.

He stood erect before Antinea without seeming to notice her gesture
inviting him to be seated.

She smiled at him.

"You are surprised, perhaps," she said finally, "that I should send
for you at so late an hour."

Morhange did not move an eyelash.

"Have you considered it well?" she demanded.

Morhange smiled gravely, but did not reply.

I could read in Antinea's face the effort it cost her to continue
smiling; I admired the self-control of these two beings.

"I sent for you," she continued. "You do not guess why?... Well, it is
to tell you something that you do not expect. It will be no surprise
to you if I say that I never met a man like you. During your
captivity, you have expressed only one wish. Do you recall it?"

"I asked your permission to see my friend before I died," said
Morhange simply.

I do not know what stirred me more on hearing these words: delight at
Morhange's formal tone in speaking to Antinea, or emotion at hearing
the one wish he had expressed.

But Antinea continued calmly:

"That is why I sent for you--to tell you that you are going to see him
again. And I am going to do something else. You will perhaps scorn me
even more when you realize that you had only to oppose me to bend me
to your will--I, who have bent all other wills to mine. But, however
that may be, it is decided: I give you both your liberty. Tomorrow
Cegheir-ben-Cheikh will lead you past the fifth enclosure. Are you
satisfied?"

"I am," said Morhange with a mocking smile.

"That will give me a chance," he continued, "to make better plans for
the next trip I intend to make this way.