est? Well,
she had given me an answer, because she was "as a sinful woman with
a woman's love and of the earth, earthy," while with the rest it was
otherwise. Oh! this was clear, that in the heavens man has no friend
among the heavenly, save perhaps the greatest Friend of all Who
understands both flesh and spirit.

Thus I mused in this burning world which was still so beautiful, this
alien world into which I had thrust myself unwanted and unsought.
And while I mused this happened. The fiery waters of the stream were
disturbed by something and looking up I saw the cause.

A dog had plunged into them and was swimming towards me. At a glance
I knew that dog on which my eyes had not fallen for decades. It was a
mongrel, half spaniel and half bull-terrier, which for years had been
the dear friend of my youth and died at last on the horns of a wounded
wildebeeste that attacked me when I had fallen from my horse upon
the veld. Boldly it tackled the maddened buck, thus giving me time to
scramble to my rifle and shoot it, but not before the poor hound had
yielded its life for mine, since presently it died disembowelled, but
licking my hand and forgetful of its agonies. This dog, Smut by name, it
was that swam or seemed to swim the brook of fire. It scrambled to the
hither shore, it nosed the earth and ran to the ruby stone and stared
about it whining and sniffing.

At last it seemed to see or feel me, for it stood upon its hind legs
and licked my face, yelping with mad joy, as I could see though I
heard nothing. Now I wept in earnest and bent down to hug and kiss the
faithful beast, but this I could not do, since like myself it was only
shadow.

Then suddenly all dissolved in a cataract of many-coloured flames and I
fell down into an infinite gulf of blackness.

Surely Ayesha was talking to me! What did she say? What did she say? I
could not catch her words, but I caught her laughter and knew that after
her fashion she was making a mock of me. My eyelids were dragged down
as though with heavy sleep; it was difficult to lift them. At last they
were open and I saw Ayesha seated on her couch before me and--this I
noted at once--with her lovely face unveiled. I looked about me, seeking
Umslopogaas and Hans. But they were gone as I guessed they must be,
since otherwise Ayesha would not have been unveiled. We were quite
alone. She was addressing me and in a new fashion, since now she
had abandoned the formal "you" and was us