seen through a narrow
slit; and behind this figure stood two handsome young women, gorgeously
attired, who perpetually waved two enormous fans of ostrich feathers to
and fro over their mistress.

The lord chamberlain, who took me over from the hands of Langila, duly
announced me and forthwith retired; and I noticed that as I strode
through the doorway, attired in all my bravery, the little figure on the
divan started and gave utterance to a faint ejaculation. But she
instantly recovered herself, and, stretching out her right hand, swathed
in silken wrappings, exclaimed in a low, pleasant voice:

"Greeting, and many welcomes, Chia'gnosi! I have been anticipating this
moment with much curiosity, and also with a little trepidation, for my
prescience tells me that you are destined to exercise a great, indeed a
vital, influence upon my future; and I have wondered whether that
influence will be for good, or for evil."

"For good, I trust, Your Majesty," I replied, as, sinking on one knee, I
placed my right hand beneath hers and raised it respectfully to my lips.
As I have said, that hand was swathed in silken wrappings, so that I
could not see it, but my sense of touch told me that it was small and,
as it seemed to me, painfully thin. But although I did not see the hand
I saw something else, and that was the orange and ruddy flashes of a
jewel on the thumb, the brilliance of which was so great that it made
itself manifest even through the silken veil in which it was enveloped;
and I immediately remembered the "potent amulet", containing a stone
"which shines like the sun at eventide", mentioned by Siluce, which she
had besought me to take from its owner.

"I, too, trust that it will be for good, Chia'gnosi, otherwise you would
never have been allowed to come here," answered the queen. "My
prescience--which has never yet deceived me--tells me that in you I
shall find a man who can be either a true, loyal, steadfast friend, or
an implacable enemy; and as I am determined to make you my friend, I am
not afraid. Yet I see that, in the depths of your heart, you are
already prejudiced against me; and since that prejudice must be removed
before friendship can be born, tell me, I pray you, how did that
prejudice originate? But first, rise, and sit beside me, here."

I rose and obeyed, in some confusion; for how, I asked myself, could
this woman possibly read my inmost thoughts, as she appeared able to do?
Nevertheless, it s