--" and I began some explanation which I have forgotten,
when a passing cloud, or I know not what, cut off the light so that both
the pinnacle and she who stood on it became invisible. A minute later
it returned for a little while, and there was the point of the
needle-shaped rock, but it was empty, as, save for the birds that rested
on it, it had been since the beginning of the world.

Then Umslopogaas and I shook our heads and pursued our way in silence.

This was the last that I saw of the glorious Ayesha, if indeed I did see
her and not her ghost. Yet it is true that for all the first part of the
journey, till we were through the great swamp in fact, from time to
time I was conscious, or imagined that I was conscious of her presence.
Moreover, once others saw her, or someone who might have been her. It
happened thus.

We were in the centre of the great swamp and the trained guides who were
leading came to a place where the path forked and were uncertain
which road to take. Finally they fixed on the right-hand path and were
preparing to follow it together with those who bore the litter of Inez,
by the side of which Hans was walking as usual.

At this moment, as Hans told me, the guides went down upon their faces
and he saw standing in front of them a white-veiled form who pointed to
the left-hand path, and then seemed to be lost in the mist. Without a
word the guides rose and followed this left-hand path. Hans stopped the
litter till I came up when he told me what had happened, while Inez also
began to chatter in her childish fashion about a "White Lady."

I had the curiosity to walk a little way along the right-hand path which
they were about to take. Only a few yards further on I found myself
sinking in a floating quagmire, from which I extricated myself with much
difficulty but just in time for as I discovered afterwards by probing
with a pole, the water beneath the matted reeds was deep. That night
I questioned the guides upon the subject, but without result, for they
pretended to have seen nothing and not to understand what I meant. Of
neither of these incidents have I any explanation to offer, except
that once contracted, it is as difficult to be rid of the habit of
hallucinations as of any other.

It is not necessary that I should give all the details of our long
homeward journey. So I will only say that having dismissed our bearers
and escorts when we reached higher ground beyond the horrible swa