The Project Gutenberg EBook of Ayesha, by H. Rider Haggard

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Title: Ayesha
The Further History of She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed

Author: H. Rider Haggard

Release Date: April 22, 2006 [EBook #5228]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AYESHA ***

Produced by David Moynihan; Dagny; John Bickers

AYESHA

THE RETURN OF SHE

By H. Rider Haggard

"Here ends this history so far as it concerns science and the
outside world. What its end will be as regards Leo and myself is
more than I can guess. But we feel that it is not reached. . . .
Often I sit alone at night, staring with the eyes of my mind into
the blackness of unborn time, and wondering in what shape and form
the great drama will be finally developed, and where the scene of
its next act will be laid. And when, ultimately, that _final_
development occurs, as I have no doubt it must and will occur, in
obedience to a fate that never swerves and a purpose which cannot
be altered, what will be the part played therein by that beautiful
Egyptian Amenar-tas, the Princess of the royal house of the
Pharaohs, for the love of whom the priest Kallikrates broke his
vows to Isis, and, pursued by the vengeance of the outraged
goddess, fled down the coast of Lybia to meet his doom at Kor?"--
_She_, Silver Library Edition, p. 277.

DEDICATION

My dear Lang,

The appointed years--alas! how many of them--are gone by, leaving Ayesha
lovely and loving and ourselves alive. As it was promised in the Caves
of Kor _She_ has returned again.

To you therefore who accepted the first, I offer this further history of
one of the various incarnations of that Immortal.

My hope is that after you have read her record, notwithstanding her
subtleties and sins and the shortcomings of her chronicler (no easy
office!) you may continue to wear your chain of "loyalty to our lady
Ayesha." Such, I confess, is still the fate of your old friend

H. RIDER HAGGARD.

DITCHINGHAM, 1905.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Not with a view of conciliating those readers who on principle object to
sequels, but as