bowed to us and drank. But as she drank I
noted with a thrill of joy that her eyes were fixed on mine as though
it were me she pledged and me alone. Again she filled the cup with the
sparkling water, for it did sparkle, like that French liqueur in which
are mingled little flakes of gold, and handed it to me.

I bowed to her and drank. I suppose the fluid was water, but to me it
tasted more like strong champagne, dashed with Chateau Yquem. It was
delicious. More, its effects were distinctly peculiar. Something quick
and subtle ran through my veins; something that for a few moments
seemed to burn away the obscureness which blurs our thought. I began
to understand several problems that had puzzled me, and then lost their
explanations in the midst of light, inner light, I mean. Moreover, of a
sudden it seemed to me as though a window had been opened in the heart
of that Glittering Lady who stood beside me. At least I knew that it was
full of wonderful knowledge, wonderful memories and wonderful hopes, and
that in the latter two of these I had some part; what part I could not
tell. Also I knew that my heart was open to her and that she saw in it
something which caused her to marvel and to sigh.

In a few seconds, thirty perhaps, all this was gone. Nothing remained
except that I felt extremely strong and well, happier, too, than I had
been for years. Mutely I asked her for more of the water, but she shook
her head and, taking the cup from me, filled it again and gave it to
Bickley, who drank. He flushed, seemed to lose the self-control which
was his very strong characteristic, and said in a rather thick voice:

"Curious! but I do not think at this moment there is any operation that
has ever been attempted which I could not tackle single-handed and with
success."

Then he was silent, and Bastin's turn came. He drank rather noisily,
after his fashion, and began:

"My dear young lady, I think the time has come when I should expound to
you--" Here he broke off and commenced singing very badly, for his voice
was somewhat raucous:

From Greenland's icy mountains,
From India's coral strand,
Where Afric's sunny fountains
Roll down their golden sand.

Ceasing from melody, he added:

"I determined that I would drink nothing intoxicating while I was on
this island that I might be a shining light in a dark place, and now
I fear that quite unwittingly I have broken what I look upon as a
promise."

Then