ld their babes, crowded the
ways. Even the low-caste women walked with measured steps and proudly,
decked in what they had of best, their eyes lengthened with soorma, and
flowers in the darkness of their hair.

The Queen was clothed in a gold robe of rejoicing, her bodice latticed
with diamonds and great gems, and upon her bosom the necklace of table
emeralds, alight with green fire, which is the jewel of the Queens of
Chitor. So she stood radiant as a vision of Shri, and it appeared that
rays encircled her person.

And the Rana, unarmed save for his sword, had the saffron dress of a
bridegroom and the jeweled cap of the Rajput Kings, and below in the
hall were the Princes and Chiefs, clad even as he.

Then, raising her lotus eyes to her lord, the Princess said,--

"Beloved, the time is come, and we have chosen rightly, for this is
the way of honour, and it is but another link forged in the chain of
existence; for until existence itself is ended and rebirth destroyed,
still shall we meet in lives to come and still be husband and wife. What
room then for despair?"

And he answered,--

"This is true. Go first, wife, and I follow. Let not the door swing to
behind thee. But oh, to see thy beauty once more that is the very speech
of Gods with men! Wilt thou surely come again to me and again be fair?"

And for all answer she smiled upon him, and at his feet performed the
obeisance of the Rajput wife when she departs upon a journey; and they
went out together, the Queen unveiled.

As she passed through the Princes, they lowered their eyes so that none
saw her; but when she stood on the steps of the palace, the women all
turned eagerly toward her like stars about the moon, and lifting their
arms, they began to sing the dirge of the Rajput women.

So they marched, and in great companies they marched, company behind
company, young and old, past the Queen, saluting her and drawing courage
from the loveliness and kindness of her unveiled face.

In the rocks beneath the palaces of Chitor are very great caves--league
long and terrible, with ways of darkness no eyes have seen; and it
is believed that in times past spirits have haunted them with strange
wailings. In these was prepared great store of wood and oils and
fragrant matters for burning. So to these caves they marched and,
company by company, disappeared into the darkness; and the voice of
their singing grew faint and hollow, and died away, as the men stood
watchin