FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111  
112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   >>  
g shall separate us any more." The words had scarcely passed my lips when the same terrible cry which I had heard once before sounded from the interior of the grotto. Alumion called or rather sang out a response to the cry, which I did not understand, then said to me in her ordinary voice, "It is Siloo. I must go now and give him food." I was curious to know who or what was Siloo, but did not dare to ask. She raised her arms gracefully and smiled a sweet farewell. "Are you going to leave me like that?" said I. "What would you have?" she answered, turning towards the cave. "In my country lovers bind themselves by mutual vows." "What need of vows? Have we not confessed our loves?" "Will you not tell me when I shall see you again? Will you not say when you will be mine--when you will marry me?" A blush mounted to her cheek as she answered with a divine glance, "Meet me at sunset to-morrow, and I will be yours." As yet I had not mentioned my adventure with Alumion to any of my companions, but that night I said to Gazen, as we smoked our cigars together, "Wish me joy, old fellow! I am going to be married." He seemed quite dumbfounded, and I rather think he fancied that I must have come to an understanding with Miss Carmichael. "Really!" said he with the air of a man plucking up heart after an unexpected blow. "May I ask who is the lady?" "The Priestess of the Lily." "The Priestess!" he exclaimed utterly astonished, but at the same time vastly relieved. "The Priestess! Come, now, you are joking." "Never was more serious in my life." Then I told him what had happened, how I had met her, and my engagement to marry her. "If you will take my advice," said he dryly, "you'll do nothing of the kind." "Why?" "Have you considered the matter?" he replied significantly. "Considered the matter! A love like mine does not 'consider the matter' as though it were a problem in Euclid. With such a woman as Alumion a lover does not stop to 'consider the matter,' unless he is a fool." "A woman--yes; but remember that she is a woman of another planet. She might not make a suitable wife for you." "I love her. I love her as I can never love a woman of our world. She is a thousand times more beautiful and good than any woman I have ever known. She is an ideal woman--a perfect woman--an angel in human form." "That may be; but what will her family say?" "My dear Gazen, don't you know they man
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111  
112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   >>  



Top keywords:

matter

 

Priestess

 

Alumion

 
answered
 
engagement
 

happened

 
family
 

advice

 

unexpected

 

plucking


exclaimed
 

joking

 

relieved

 

vastly

 

utterly

 
astonished
 

thousand

 

beautiful

 

suitable

 
planet

remember

 
perfect
 

replied

 

considered

 

significantly

 

problem

 

Euclid

 
Considered
 

sunset

 

raised


gracefully

 

smiled

 

curious

 

farewell

 

country

 

lovers

 

turning

 

ordinary

 

terrible

 

passed


scarcely

 

separate

 

sounded

 

response

 

understand

 

called

 
interior
 

grotto

 

fellow

 

married