xtraordinary invention of
a speculative brain, and yet it was a fact--a wonderful fact--of which
the whole world would soon be called on to take notice. What was the
meaning of it all? After much thinking I could only conclude that this
marvellous creature, whose passion had kept her for so many centuries
chained as it were, and comparatively harmless, was now about to be used
by Providence as a means to change the order of the world, and possibly,
by the building up of a power that could no more be rebelled against
or questioned than the decrees of Fate, to change it materially for the
better.

XXIII

THE TEMPLE OF TRUTH

Our preparations did not take us very long. We put a change of clothing
apiece and some spare boots into my Gladstone bag, also we took our
revolvers and an express rifle each, together with a good supply of
ammunition, a precaution to which, under Providence, we subsequently
owed our lives over and over again. The rest of our gear, together with
our heavy rifles, we left behind us.

A few minutes before the appointed time we once more attended in
Ayesha's boudoir, and found her also ready, her dark cloak thrown over
her winding-sheetlike wrappings.

"Are ye prepared for the great venture?" she said.

"We are," I answered, "though for my part, Ayesha, I have no faith in
it."

"Ah, my Holly," she said, "thou art of a truth like those old Jews--of
whom the memory vexes me so sorely--unbelieving, and hard to accept
that which they have not known. But thou shalt see; for unless my mirror
beyond lies," and she pointed to the font of crystal water, "the path is
yet open as it was of old time. And now let us start upon the new life
which shall end--who knoweth where?"

"Ah," I echoed, "who knoweth where?" and we passed down into the great
central cave, and out into the light of day. At the mouth of the cave we
found a single litter with six bearers, all of them mutes, waiting, and
with them I was relieved to see our old friend Billali, for whom I
had conceived a sort of affection. It appeared that, for reasons not
necessary to explain at length, Ayesha had thought it best that, with
the exception of herself, we should proceed on foot, and this we were
nothing loth to do, after our long confinement in these caves,
which, however suitable they might be for sarcophagi--a singularly
inappropriate word, by the way, for these particular tombs, which
certainly did not consume the bodies given to thei