hurriedly.

"Master, there were no other reasons, unless the Cup, when it is awake,
remembers what it has held in trance, which I do not believe. I wooed
her as I was, not telling her that I am also King of the Ethiopians, or
any more than I seem to be. Moreover the holy Tanofir told her nothing,
for he swore as much to me and he does not lie."

"And what did she say to you, Bes?" I asked, for I was curious.

"She lied fast enough, Master. She said--well, what she said when first
we met her, that there was more in me than the eye saw and that she who
had lived so much with spirits looked to the spirit rather than to the
flesh, and that dwarf or no she loved me and desired nothing better than
to marry me and be my true and faithful wife and helpmeet. She lied so
well that once or twice almost I believed her. At any rate I took her
at her word, not altogether for myself, believe me, Master, but because
without doubt what the holy Tanofir has shown us will come to pass, and
it is necessary to you that I should be married."

"You married her to help me, Bes?"

"That is so, Master--after all, but a little thing, seeing that she is
beautiful, well born and very pleasant, and I am fond of her. Also I do
her no wrong for she has bought more than she bargained for, and if she
has any that are not dwarfs, her children may be kings. I do not think,"
he added reflectively, "that even the faithful Ethiopians could accept
a second dwarf as their king. One is very well for a change, but not two
or three. The stomach of a tall people would turn against them."

I took Bes's hand and pressed it, understanding the depth of his
love and sacrifice. Also some spirit--doubtless it came from the holy
Tanofir--moved me to say,

"Be comforted, Bes, for I am sure of this. Your children will be strong
and straight and tall, more so than any of their forefathers that went
before them."

This indeed proved to be the case, for their father's deformity was but
an accident, not born in his blood.

"Those are good-omened words, Master, for which I thank you, though the
holy Tanofir said the like when he wed us with the sacred words this
morning and gave us his blessing, endowing my wife with certain gifts of
secret wisdom which he said would be of use to her and me."

"Where is she now, Bes?"

"With the holy Tanofir, Master, until I fetch her, training her younger
sister to be a diviner's worthy Cup. Only perhaps I shall never send,
seeing