ee; she loves not freedom who would
enslave: she is herself a slave. Every life, every will, every heart
that came within your ken, you have sought to subdue: you are the slave
of every slave you have made--such a slave that you do not know it!--See
your own self!"

She took her hand from the head of the princess, and went two backward
paces from her.

A soundless presence as of roaring flame possessed the house--the same,
I presume, that was to the children a silent wind. Involuntarily I
turned to the hearth: its fire was a still small moveless glow. But I
saw the worm-thing come creeping out, white-hot, vivid as incandescent
silver, the live heart of essential fire. Along the floor it crawled
toward the settle, going very slow. Yet more slowly it crept up on
it, and laid itself, as unwilling to go further, at the feet of the
princess. I rose and stole nearer. Mara stood motionless, as one that
waits an event foreknown. The shining thing crawled on to a bare bony
foot: it showed no suffering, neither was the settle scorched where the
worm had lain. Slowly, very slowly, it crept along her robe until it
reached her bosom, where it disappeared among the folds.

The face of the princess lay stonily calm, the eyelids closed as over
dead eyes; and for some minutes nothing followed. At length, on the dry,
parchment-like skin, began to appear drops as of the finest dew: in a
moment they were as large as seed-pearls, ran together, and began to
pour down in streams. I darted forward to snatch the worm from the poor
withered bosom, and crush it with my foot. But Mara, Mother of Sorrow,
stepped between, and drew aside the closed edges of the robe: no serpent
was there--no searing trail; the creature had passed in by the centre
of the black spot, and was piercing through the joints and marrow to
the thoughts and intents of the heart. The princess gave one writhing,
contorted shudder, and I knew the worm was in her secret chamber.

"She is seeing herself!" said Mara; and laying her hand on my arm, she
drew me three paces from the settle.

Of a sudden the princess bent her body upward in an arch, then sprang to
the floor, and stood erect. The horror in her face made me tremble lest
her eyes should open, and the sight of them overwhelm me. Her bosom
heaved and sank, but no breath issued. Her hair hung and dripped; then
it stood out from her head and emitted sparks; again hung down, and
poured the sweat of her torture on the floor