iage, and when we appeared
on the scene I fancy, from all I could gather, that though there
were still many obstacles in his path, success was by no means
out of his reach. But now all this had changed; the coy Nyleptha
smiled no more in his direction, and he was not slow to guess
the cause. Infuriated and alarmed, he turned his attention to
Sorais, only to find that he might as well try to woo a mountain
side. With a bitter jest or two about his fickleness, that door
was closed on him for ever. So Nasta bethought himself of the
thirty thousand wild swordsmen who would pour down at his bidding
through the northern mountain passes, and no doubt vowed to adorn
the gates of Milosis with our heads.

But first he determined, as I learned, to make one more attempt
and to demand the hand of Nyleptha in the open Court after the
formal annual ceremony of the signing of the laws that had been
proclaimed by the Queens during the year.

Of this astounding fact Nyleptha heard with simulated nonchalance,
and with a little trembling of the voice herself informed us
of it as we sat at supper on the night preceding the great ceremony
of the law-giving.

Sir Henry bit his lip, and do what he could to prevent it plainly
showed his agitation.

'And what answer will the Queen be pleased to give to the
great Lord?' asked I, in a jesting manner.

'Answer, Macumazahn' (for we had elected to pass by our Zulu
names in Zu-Vendis), she said, with a pretty shrug of her ivory
shoulder. 'Nay, I know not; what is a poor woman to do, when
the wooer has thirty thousand swords wherewith to urge his love?'
And from under her long lashes she glanced at Curtis.

Just then we rose from the table to adjourn into another room.
'Quatermain, a word, quick,' said Sir Henry to me. 'Listen.
I have never spoken about it, but surely you have guessed: I
love Nyleptha. What am I to do?'

Fortunately, I had more or less already taken the question into
consideration, and was therefore able to give such answer as
seemed the wisest to me.

'You must speak to Nyleptha tonight,' I said. 'Now is your time,
now or never. Listen. In the sitting-chamber get near to her,
and whisper to her to meet you at midnight by the Rademas statue
at the end of the great hall. I will keep watch for you there.
Now or never, Curtis.'

We passed on into the other room. Nyleptha was sitting, her
hands before her, and a sad anxious look upon her lovely face.
A little way