astonished, as I think the
reader will be also, and at once made up my mind to press on with the
matter. I wrote to this effect to Mr. Holly, but a week afterwards
received a letter from that gentleman's lawyers, returning my own, with
the information that their client and Mr. Leo Vincey had already left
this country for Thibet, and they did not at present know their address.

Well, that is all I have to say. Of the history itself the reader must
judge. I give it him, with the exception of a very few alterations,
made with the object of concealing the identity of the actors from the
general public, exactly as it came to me. Personally I have made up my
mind to refrain from comments. At first I was inclined to believe that
this history of a woman on whom, clothed in the majesty of her almost
endless years, the shadow of Eternity itself lay like the dark wing
of Night, was some gigantic allegory of which I could not catch the
meaning. Then I thought that it might be a bold attempt to portray the
possible results of practical immortality, informing the substance of
a mortal who yet drew her strength from Earth, and in whose human bosom
passions yet rose and fell and beat as in the undying world around her
the winds and the tides rise and fall and beat unceasingly. But as I
went on I abandoned that idea also. To me the story seems to bear the
stamp of truth upon its face. Its explanation I must leave to others,
and with this slight preface, which circumstances make necessary, I
introduce the world to Ayesha and the Caves of Kor.--The Editor.

P.S.--There is on consideration one circumstance that, after a reperusal
of this history, struck me with so much force that I cannot resist
calling the attention of the reader to it. He will observe that so far
as we are made acquainted with him there appears to be nothing in the
character of Leo Vincey which in the opinion of most people would have
been likely to attract an intellect so powerful as that of Ayesha. He is
not even, at any rate to my view, particularly interesting. Indeed, one
might imagine that Mr. Holly would under ordinary circumstances have
easily outstripped him in the favour of _She_. Can it be that extremes
meet, and that the very excess and splendour of her mind led her by
means of some strange physical reaction to worship at the shrine of
matter? Was that ancient Kallikrates nothing but a splendid animal
loved for his hereditary Greek beauty? Or is the true exp