lack robes,
and each having a large bat perched upon his head, marched in slow
procession with the Prince in their midst, chanting a melancholy song,
to the iron gate that led into a kind of Temple. At the sound of their
chanting, another band of slaves appeared, and took possession of the
unhappy Vivien.

They looked to him exactly like the ones he had left, except that they
moved more slowly still, and each one held a raven upon his wrist, and
their harsh croakings re-echoed through the dismal place. Holding the
Prince by the arms, not so much to do him honour as to restrain his
impatience, they proceeded by slow degrees up the steps of the Temple,
and when they at last reached the top he thought his long waiting must
be at an end. But on the contrary, after slowly enshrouding him in a
long black robe like their own, they led him into the Temple itself,
where he was forced to witness numbers of lengthy rites and ceremonies.
By this time Vivien's active impatience had subsided into passive
weariness, his yawns were continual and scandalous, but nobody heeded
him, he stared hopelessly at the thick black curtain which hung down
straight in front of him, and could hardly believe his eyes when it
presently began to slide back, and he saw before him the Black Bird. It
was of enormous size, and was perched upon a thick bar of iron which ran
across from one side of the Temple to the other. At the sight of it all
the slaves fell upon their knees and hid their faces, and when it had
three times flapped its mighty wings it uttered distinctly in Prince
Vivien's own language the words:

'Prince, your only chance of happiness depends upon that which is most
opposed to your own nature.'

Then the curtain fell before it once more, and the Prince, after many
ceremonies, was presented with a raven which perched upon his wrist, and
was conducted slowly back to the iron gate. Here the raven left him and
he was handed over once more to the care of the first band of slaves,
while a large bat flickered down and settled upon his head of its own
accord, and so he was taken back to the marble bath, and had to go
through the whole process again, only this time he began in deep water
which receded daily inch by inch. When this was over the slaves escorted
him to the outer gate, and took leave of him with every mark of
esteem and politeness, to which it is to be feared he responded but
indifferently, since the gate was no sooner opened than he