When Bickley heard this I really thought he would have burst. However,
he controlled himself nobly, being anxious to hear the end of this
mysterious fib.

"How long was the time that the lord Oro set apart for sleep?" I asked.

She paused as though puzzled to find words to express her meaning, then
held up her hands and said:

"Ten," nodding at her fingers. By second thoughts she took Bickley's
hands, not mine, and counted his ten fingers.

"Ten years," said Bickley. "Well, of course, it is impossible, but
perhaps--" and he paused.

"Ten tens," she went on with a deepening smile, "one hundred."

"O!" said Bickley.

"Ten hundreds, one thousand."

"I say!" said Bickley.

"Ten times ten thousand, one hundred thousand."

Bickley became silent.

"Twice one hundred thousand and half a hundred thousand, two hundred and
fifty thousand years. That was the space of time which the lord Oro, my
father, set for our sleep. Whether it has been fulfilled he will know
presently when he has read the book of the stars and made comparison of
it with what he wrote before we laid us down to rest," and she pointed
to the metal plates which the Ancient was studying.

Bickley walked away, making sounds as though he were going to be ill and
looking so absurd in his indignation that I nearly laughed. The Lady Yva
actually did laugh, and very musical was that laugh.

"He does not believe," she said. "He is so clever he knows everything.
But two hundred and fifty thousand years ago we should have thought him
quite stupid. Then we could read the stars and calculate their movements
for ever."

"So can we," I answered, rather nettled.

"I am glad, O Humphrey, since you will be able to show my father if in
one of them he is wrong."

Secretly I hoped that this task would not be laid on me. Indeed, I
thought it well to change the subject for the edification of Bickley who
had recovered and was drawn back by his eager curiosity. Just then, too,
Bastin joined us, happy in his regained boots.

"You tell us, Lady Yva," I said, "that you slept, or should have slept
for two hundred and fifty thousand years." Here Bastin opened his eyes.
"If that was so, where was your mind all this time?"

"If by my mind you mean spirit, O Humphrey, I have to answer that at
present I do not know for certain. I think, however, that it dwelt
elsewhere, perhaps in other bodies on the earth, or some different
earth. At least, I know that my heart is very