ngings of jato skin, where the guide beat with his staff
upon the wall beside the door.

"O-lo-a, Princess of Pal-ul-don," he called, "here is the stranger
woman, the prisoner from the temple."

"Bid her enter," Jane heard a sweet voice from within command.

The eunuch drew aside the hangings and Lady Greystoke stepped within.
Before her was a low-ceiled room of moderate size. In each of the four
corners a kneeling figure of stone seemed to be bearing its portion of
the weight of the ceiling upon its shoulders. These figures were
evidently intended to represent Waz-don slaves and were not without
bold artistic beauty. The ceiling itself was slightly arched to a
central dome which was pierced to admit light by day, and air. Upon one
side of the room were many windows, the other three walls being blank
except for a doorway in each. The princess lay upon a pile of furs
which were arranged over a low stone dais in one corner of the
apartment and was alone except for a single Waz-don slave girl who sat
upon the edge of the dais near her feet.

As Jane entered O-lo-a beckoned her to approach and when she stood
beside the couch the girl half rose upon an elbow and surveyed her
critically.

"How beautiful you are," she said simply.

Jane smiled, sadly; for she had found that beauty may be a curse.

"That is indeed a compliment," she replied quickly, "from one so
radiant as the Princess O-lo-a."

"Ah!" exclaimed the princess delightedly; "you speak my language! I was
told that you were of another race and from some far land of which we
of Pal-ul-don have never heard."

"Lu-don saw to it that the priests instructed me," explained Jane; "but
I am from a far country, Princess; one to which I long to return--and I
am very unhappy."

"But Ko-tan, my father, would make you his queen," cried the girl;
"that should make you very happy."

"But it does not," replied the prisoner; "I love another to whom I am
already wed. Ah, Princess, if you had known what it was to love and to
be forced into marriage with another you would sympathize with me."

The Princess O-lo-a was silent for a long moment. "I know," she said at
last, "and I am very sorry for you; but if the king's daughter cannot
save herself from such a fate who may save a slave woman? for such in
fact you are."

The drinking in the great banquet hall of the palace of Ko-tan, king of
Pal-ul-don had commenced earlier this night than was usual, for the
king was celebr