ry what these
men find so heavy?"

"It is one of the properties of that force which thou callest fire," she
answered sweetly, "to make what has been exposed to it, if for a little
while only, as light as thistle-down. Else, how could I, who am so
frail, have borne yonder block of gold?"

"Quite so! I understand now," answered Leo.

Well, that was the end of it. The lump of metal was hid away in a kind
of rock pit, with an iron cover, and we returned to Ayesha's apartments.

"So all wealth is thine, as well as all power," said Leo, presently, for
remembering Ayesha's awful threat I scarcely dared to open my mouth.

"It seems so," she answered wearily, "since centuries ago I discovered
that great secret, though until ye came I had put it to no use. Holly
here, after his common fashion, believes that this is magic, but I tell
thee again that there is no magic, only knowledge which I have chanced
to win."

"Of course," said Leo, "looked at in the right way, that is in thy way,
the thing is simple." I think he would have liked to add, "as lying,"
but as the phrase would have involved explanations, did not. "Yet,
Ayesha," he went on, "hast thou thought that this discovery of thine
will wreck the world?"

"Leo," she answered, "is there then nothing that I can do which will
not wreck this world, for which thou hast such tender care, who shouldst
keep all thy care--for me?"

I smiled, but remembering in time, turned the smile into a frown at
Leo, then fearing lest that also might anger her, made my countenance as
blank as possible.

"If so," she continued, "well, let the world be wrecked. But what
meanest thou? Oh! my lord, Leo, forgive me if I am so dull that I cannot
always follow thy quick thought--I who have lived these many years
alone, without converse with nobler minds, or even those to which mine
own is equal."

"It pleases thee to mock me," said Leo, in a vexed voice, "and that is
not too brave."

Now Ayesha turned on him fiercely, and I looked towards the door. But
he did not shrink, only folded his arms and stared her straight in
the face. She contemplated him a little, then said--"After that great
ordained reason which thou dost not know, I think, Leo, that why I love
thee so madly is that thou alone art not afraid of me. Not like Holly
there, who, ever since I threatened to turn his bones to gold--which,
indeed, I was minded to do," and she laughed--"trembles at my footsteps
and cowers beneath my soft