llowed
elsewhere, for when there are so many habitations from which to choose,
why should we always dwell in one of them, however strait the house or
poor the prospect?"

Now understanding that I was symbolised by the "strait house" and the
"poor prospect" I should have grown angry, had not a certain sense of
humour come to my rescue, who remembered that after all Ayesha's satire
was profoundly true. Why, beyond the earth, should anyone desire
to remain unalterably tied to and inextricably wrapped up in such a
personality as my own, especially if others of superior texture abounded
about them? Now that I came to think of it, the thing was absurd and
not to be the least expected in the midst of a thousand new and vivid
interests. I had met with one more disillusionment, that was all.

"Dost understand, Allan," went on Ayesha, who evidently was determined
that I should drink this cup to the last drop, "that these dwellers in
the sun, or the far planet where thou hast been according to thy tale,
saw thee not and knew naught of thee? It may chance therefore that at
this time thou wast not in their minds which at others dream of thee
continually. Or it may chance that they never dream of thee at all,
having quite forgotten thee, as the weaned cub forgets its mother."

"At least there was one who seemed to remember," I exclaimed, for her
poisoned mocking stung the words out of me, "one woman and--a dog."

"Aye, the savage, who being Nature's child, a sinner that departed hence
by her own act" (how Ayesha knew this I cannot say, I never told her),
"has not yet put on perfection and therefore still remembers him whose
kiss was last upon her lips. But surely, Allan, it is not thy desire
to pass from the gentle, ordered claspings of those white souls for the
tumultuous arms of such a one as this. Still, let that be, for who knows
what men will or will not do in jealousy and disappointed love? And the
dog, it remembered also and even sought thee out, since dogs are more
faithful and single-hearted than is mankind. There at least thou hast
thy lesson, namely to grow more humble and never to think again that
thou holdest all a woman's soul for aye, because once she was kind to
thee for a little while on earth."

"Yes," I answered, jumping up in a rage, "as you say, I have my lesson,
and more of it than I want. So by your leave, I will now bid you
farewell, hoping that when it comes to be _your_ turn to learn this
lesson, or a w