by the warmth, crept up
to the pale bosom of his mistress, and began to lick her face. Either
the animal warmth so close to her heart, or some more powerful impulse
of nature followed this act with a thrill of life. Lina did not open her
eyes, but softly, as the limbs move in a dream, her arms folded
themselves over Fair-Star, and a tear stole from under her trembling
lashes, chasing away those that had melted on her cheeks.

Zillah regarded her with a look of profound satisfaction. She had placed
a cup of spiced wine on the hearth, ready for use, and with her soft
voice and caressing touch, now bent over the girl.

"Take this," she said, holding the spicy draught to Lina's lips. "Drink,
it is warm and invigorating--after that you can sleep."

Lina opened her eyes and looked dreamily at the woman, but her hands
wandered as she attempted to take the cup, and she had no power to lift
her head.

Zillah put her arm softly beneath the drooping head, and raised it to
her bosom. Then with gentle words of persuasion she lifted the cup, and
Lina drank off the wine with thirsty eagerness. Her eyes were open and
lifted to the strange face bending over her with a glance, half wonder,
half content, as we often remark in an infant when its hunger is
satisfied, and it lies with drops of milk trembling like pearls upon the
red of its lips.

"My child--my child!" whispered Zillah, pressing her lips down upon the
forehead of the passive young creature, "my child!" As the kiss touched
her forehead, Lina uttered a sharp cry, for, with that keen intuition,
which is a rare and sometimes fatal gift, she felt the moral poison of
that kiss in all her veins, and began to struggle in the woman's
embrace, but without the power to cast it off.

Zillah's brow blackened, and her eyes shot forth gleams of anger, but
the hushing tones of her voice were unbroken, and she made a gentle
effort to cradle the restless head once more upon her bosom. Lina ceased
to resist. Some narcotic had evidently been mingled with her drink, for
the white lids fell drowsily over her eyes, and she surrendered herself
more and more helplessly to that evil embrace, dropping at last into a
heavy slumber, that seemed like death.

The woman soon wearied of her position, and after a little, thrust the
sleeping girl from her bosom with a degree of loathing quite equal to
that Lina had suffered under her first kiss.

"There is no danger that she will be found dead on my h