would build a city."

"Why dost thou not fly thy falcon, or write thy thoughts upon the sand,
as thou didst yesterday, my father?"

The man loosed the falcon from his wrist, and watched it fly away.

"My son, I care not for the falcon, nor any more for writing on the
sands."

"My father, if thou didst build a city, I would not tear it down, but I
would keep it with my thousand men.

"Thou hast well said, my son." And the man stooped and kissed the lad on
the forehead.

And so they travelled on in silence for a long time, and slowly they
came to the opal haze, which smelled sweet as floating flowers, and gave
their hearts a halcyon restfulness. And glancing down at him many times,
the father saw the lad's face look serenely wise, without becoming old,
and his brown hair clustered on his forehead with all the life of youth
in it. Yet in his eyes the lad seemed as old as himself.

"My father," said the lad again, "wouldst thou then build a city?"

And the father answered: "Nay, my son, I would sow seed, and gather it
into harvest--enough for my needs, no more; and sit quiet in my doorway
when my work was done, and be grateful to the gods."

The lad waited a moment, then answered: "When thou wast a governor in
our own country, thou hadst serfs and retainers without number, and
fifty men to beat upon the shields of brass to tell of thy coming
through the gates of the King's house; now thou wouldst sow a field and
sit quiet in thy doorway, like the blind seller of seed-cakes 'gainst
the temple."

"Even so, my son." Then he stooped down, knelt upon his knees, and
kissed the earth solemnly, and when he rose there was a smile upon his
face.

Then the lad said: "When I was the son of a governor I loved to play
with the golden balls, to shoot at the target for pearls, and to ride
the flamingo down; now I would grind the corn which thou didst reap, and
with oil make seed-cakes for our supper, and sit quiet with thee in thy
doorway." Then he too stooped down and kissed the earth, and rose up
again with a smile upon his face.

And as they went the earth seemed suddenly to blossom anew, the glory
of the Scarlet Hills burst upon them, and they could hear bugles calling
far off and see giant figures trooping along the hills, all scarlet too,
with streaming hair. And presently, near to a lake, there was a
great gateway, and perched upon a rock near it a chateau of divine
proportions, on which was written above the perfect