must perish here in misery."

"You hear what the man says, Maqueda?" said Orme heavily. "There is some
truth in it. It really does not matter to us whether we die in the power
of the Abati or here of starvation; in fact, I think that we should
prefer the former end, and doubtless no hand will be laid on you. Will
you go?"

"Nay," she answered passionately. "A hand would be laid on me, the hand
of Joshua, and rather than that he should touch me I will die a hundred
deaths. Let fate take its course, for as I have told you, I believe that
then it will open to us some gate we cannot see. And if I believe in
vain, why there is another gate which we can pass together, O Oliver,
and beyond that gate lies peace. Bid the man be silent, or drive him
away. Let him trouble me no more."

The lamp flame sank low. It flickered, once, twice, thrice, each time
showing the pale, drawn faces of us six seated about it, like wizards
making an incantation, like corpses in a tomb.

Then it went out.

How long were we in that place after this? At least three whole days and
nights, I believe, if not more, but of course we soon lost all count of
time. At first we suffered agonies from famine, which we strove in vain
to assuage with great draughts of water. No doubt these kept us alive,
but even Higgs, who it may be remembered was a teetotaller, afterwards
confessed to me that he has loathed the sight and taste of water ever
since. Indeed he now drinks beer and wine like other people. It was
torture; we could have eaten anything. In fact the Professor did manage
to catch and eat a bat that got entangled in his red hair. He offered me
a bite of it, I remember, and was most grateful when I declined.

The worst of it was also that we had a little food, a few hard ship's
biscuits, which we had saved up for a purpose, namely, to feed Maqueda.
This was how we managed it. At certain intervals I would announce that
it was time to eat, and hand Maqueda her biscuit. Then we would all
pretend to eat also, saying how much we felt refreshed by the food and
how we longed for more, smacking our lips and biting on a piece of wood
so that she could not help hearing us.

This piteous farce went on for forty-eight hours or more until at
last the wretched Japhet, who was quite demoralized and in no mood for
acting, betrayed us, exactly how I cannot remember. After this Maqueda
would touch nothing more, which did not greatly matter as there was only
one