of thousands of
human voices upraised in unrest of some kind.

This way and that surged the multitude, bowing unconsciously before the
gusts of passion which swept from every quarter.

The fret of the thousands of feet upon the paving sounded a silky
accompaniment to the strange throaty murmur of fast rising religious
hysteria; sharp, uncontrollable cries stood out like steel pencilling
against the velvet monotony of the throbbing drums; the never ceasing
tinkle of rings, and clanking of bracelets and holy chains against the
blare of the horns sounded as out of place as a child singing in a
thunder storm.

The high priest, with the face of Rome, with a beckoning gesture, drew
towards him other priests. Some also with the face of Rome, and some
with the face of the field labourer; some, gaunt and stern; some, jolly
and rotund; well, just like any gathering of clergy, of any creed, you
can see any day, in any country of Europe.

The chiming of the silver bell had stopped when the worshippers, upon
the peremptory command of the priests, fled pell-mell out of the temple
and down the steps to join the frenzied crowd; while from the direction
of the Praying Ghats there arose a roar of voices as two slim figures
sped swiftly up the narrow lane, which seemed to open of its own accord
before them.

The woman, clad from the waist downwards in one linen piece, came
running swiftly, lightly, undisturbed, almost hidden in the masses of
her hair blown before her by the rising wind.

Her naked body gleamed in the mixed lights; one hand, thrust out
through the hair, held a dagger with diamond hilt; the other was
clasped in the hand of the man who ran evenly and steadily beside her.

There was not apparently an inch of space to spare in all those narrow
streets; but by the madness of religion which drove the packed humanity
back against the walls, a way was made for her who appeared to the
multitude as the long-promised earthly incarnation of the Goddess of
Death.

When she had passed, those who were against the wall remained there,
standing crushed to death, supported by the indifferent neighbours who
had helped to drive in their ribs; and those who had slipped to their
knees in religious fervour, or by reason of the state of the street,
also remained prone upon the ground, the mass of people treading
indifferently upon their broken backs and necks, while the threatening
heavens were rent with screams of physical agony and