turn sick and faint. But, even if I had known that I
must die if I stopped, I do not believe that I could have moved, for
I was absolutely fascinated. But still I knew my danger. Supposing she
should hear me, or see me through the curtain, supposing I even sneezed,
or that her magic told her that she was being watched--swift indeed
would be my doom.

Down came the clenched hands to her sides, then up again above her head,
and, as I am a living and honourable man, the white flame of the fire
leapt up after them, almost to the roof, throwing a fierce and ghastly
glare upon _She_ herself, upon the white figure beneath the covering,
and every scroll and detail of the rockwork.

Down came the ivory arms again, and as they did so she spoke, or rather
hissed, in Arabic, in a note that curdled my blood, and for a second
stopped my heart.

"Curse her, may she be everlastingly accursed."

The arms fell and the flame sank. Up they went again, and the broad
tongue of fire shot up after them; and then again they fell.

"Curse her memory--accursed be the memory of the Egyptian."

Up again, and again down.

"Curse her, the daughter of the Nile, because of her beauty.

"Curse her, because her magic hath prevailed against me.

"Curse her, because she held my beloved from me."

And again the flame dwindled and shrank.

She put her hands before her eyes, and abandoning the hissing tone,
cried aloud:--

"What is the use of cursing?--she prevailed, and she is gone."

Then she recommenced with an even more frightful energy:--

"Curse her where she is. Let my curses reach her where she is and
disturb her rest.

"Curse her through the starry spaces. Let her shadow be accursed.

"Let my power find her even there.

"Let her hear me even there. Let her hide herself in the blackness.

"Let her go down into the pit of despair, because I shall one day find
her."

Again the flame fell, and again she covered her eyes with her hands.

"It is of no use--no use," she wailed; "who can reach those who sleep?
Not even I can reach them."

Then once more she began her unholy rites.

"Curse her when she shall be born again. Let her be born accursed.

"Let her be utterly accused from the hour of her birth until sleep finds
her.

"Yea, then, let her be accursed; for then shall I overtake her with my
vengeance, and utterly destroy her."

And so on. The flame rose and fell, reflecting itself in her agonised
eyes; the hissing sound o