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her　son　destroy　me　if　he　might；　because　I　slew　his　
father。　And　thou；　my　Kallikrates；　art　the　father；　and　
in　a　sense　thou　art　likewise　the　son；　and　wouldst　thou　
avenge　thy　wrong；　and　the　wrong　of　that　far…off　mother　
of　thine　upon　me；　O　Kallikrates？　See；〃　and　she　slid　to　
her　knees；　and　drew　the　white　corsage　still　farther　
down　her　ivory　bosom〃see；　here　beats　my　heart；　and　
there　by　thy　side　is　a　knife；　heavy　and　long　and　
sharp；　the　very　knife　to　slay　an　erring　woman　with。　
Take　it　now；　and　be　avenged。　Strike；　and　strike　home！…
…so　shalt　thou　be　satisfied；　Kallikrates；　and　go　
through　life　a　happy　man；　because　thou　hast　paid　back　
the　wrong；　and　obeyed　the　mandate　of　the　past。〃

He　looked　at　her；　and　then　stretched　out　his　hand　and　
lifted　her　to　her　feet。

〃Rise；　Ayesha；〃　he　said；　sadly；　〃well　thou　knowest　
that　I　cannot　strike　thee；　no；　not　even　for　the　sake　
of　her　whom　thou　slewest　but　last　night。　I　am　in　thy　
power；　and　a　very　slave　to　thee。　How　can　I　kill　thee？…
…sooner　should　I　slay　myself。〃

〃Almost　dost　thou　begin　to　love　me；　Kallikrates；〃　she　
answered；　smiling。　〃And　now　tell　me　of　thy　country
'tis　a　great　people；　is　it　not？　with　an　empire　like　
that　of　Rome！　Surely　thou　wouldst　return　thither；　and　
it　is　well；　for　I　mean　not　that　thou　shouldst　dwell　in　
these　caves　of　Ko^r。　Nay；　when　once　thou　art　even　as　I　
am；　we　will　go　hencefear　not　but　that　I　shall　find　a　
pathand　then　shall　we　cross　to　this　England　of　
thine；　and　live　as　it　becometh　us　to　live。　Two　
thousand　years　have　I　waited　for　the　day　when　I　should　
see　the　last　of　these　hateful　caves　and　this　gloomy…
visaged　folk；　and　now　it　is　at　hand；　and　my　heart　
bounds　up　to　meet　it　like　a　child's　towards　its　
holiday。　For　thou　shalt　rule　this　England〃

〃But　we　have　a　queen　already；〃　broke　in　Leo；　hastily。

〃It　is　naught；　it　is　naught；〃　said　Ayesha；　〃she　can　be　
overthrown。〃　At　this　we　both　broke　out　into　an　
exclamation　of　dismay；　and　explained　that　we　should　as　
soon　think　of　overthrowing　ourselves。

〃But　here　is　a　strange　thing；〃　said　Ayesha；　in　
astonishment；　〃a　queen　whom　her　people　love！　Surely　
the　world　must　have　changed　since　I　dwelt　in　Ko^r。〃

Again　we　explained　that　it　was　the　character　of　
monarchs　that　had　changed；　and　that　the　one　under　whom　
we　lived　was　venerated　and　beloved　by　all　right…
thinking　people　in　her　vast　realms。　Also；　we　told　her　
that　real　power　in　our　country　rested　in　the　hands　of　
the　people；　and　that　we　were　in　fact　ruled　by　the　
votes　of　the　lower　and　least　educated　classes　of　the　
community。

〃Ah；〃　she　said；　〃a　democracythen　surely　there　is　a　
tyrant；　for　I　have　long　since　seen　that　democracies；　
having　no　clear　will　of　their　own；　in　the　end　set　up　a　
tyrant；　and　worship　him。〃

〃Yes；〃　I　said；　〃we　have　our　tyrants。〃　

〃Well；〃　she　answered；　resignedly；　〃we　can　at　any　rate　
destroy　these　tyrants；　and　Kallikrates　shall　rule　the　
land。〃

I　instantly　informed　Ayesha　that　in　England　〃blasting〃　
was　not　an　amusement　that　could　be　indulged　in　with　
impunity；　and　that　any　such　attempt　would　meet　with　
the　consideration　of　the　law　and　probably　end　upon　a　
scaffold。

〃The　law；〃　she　laughed；　with　scorn…〃the　law！　Canst　
thou　not　understand；　O　Holly；　that　I　am　above　the　law；　
and　so　shall　my　Kallikrates　be　also？　All　human　law　
will　be　to　us　as　the　north　wind　to　a　mountain。　Does　
the　wind　bend　the　mountain；　or　the　mountain　the　wind？

〃And　now　leave　me；　I　pray　thee；　and　thou　too；　my　own　
Kallikrates；　for　I　would　get　me　ready　against　our　
journey；　and　so　must　ye　both；　and　your　servant　also。　
But　bring　no　great　quantity　of　things　with。　thee；　for　
I　trust　that　we　shall　be　but　three　days　gone。　Then　
shall　we　return　hither；　and　I　will　make　a　plan　whereby　
we　can　bid　farewell　forever　to　these　sepulchres　of　
Ko^r。　Yes；　surely　thou　mayst　kiss　my　hand！〃

So　we　went；　I；　for　one；　meditating　deeply　on　the　awful　
nature　of　the　problem　that　now　opened　out　before　us。　
The　terrible　_i_　She　_i_　had　evidently　made　up　her　
mind　to　go　to　England；　and　it　made　me　absolutely　
shudder　to　think　what　would　be　the　result　of　her　
arrival　there。　What　her　powers　were　I　knew；　and　I　
could　not　doubt　but　that　she　would　exercise　them　to　
the　full。　It　might　be　possible　to　control　her　for　a　
while；　but　her　proud；　ambitious　spirit　would　be　
certain　to　break　loose　and　avenge　itself　for　the　long　
centuries　of　its　solitude。　_i_　She　_i_　would；　if　
necessary；　and　if　the　power　of　her　beauty　did　not　
unaided　prove　equal　to　the　occasion；　blast　her　way　to　
any　end　she　set　before　her；　and；　as　she　could　not　die；　
and　for　aught　I　knew　could　not　even　be　killed；　what　
was　there　to　stop　her？　In　the　end　she　would；　I　had　
little　doubt；　assume　absolute　rule　over　the　British　
dominions；　and　probably　over　the　whole　earth；　and；　
though　I　was　sure　that　she　would　speedily　make　ours　
the　most　glorious　and　prosperous　empire　that　the　world　
has　ever　seen；　it　would　be　at　the　cost　of　a　terrible　
sacrifice　of　life。

The　whole　thing　sounded　like　a　dream　or　some　
extraordinary　invention　of　a　speculative　brain；　and　
yet　it　was　a　facta　wonderful　factwhich　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　wonderful　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。

CHAPTER　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　sheet…
like　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　Jewsof　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　
yonder　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　
endwho　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　loath　to　do；　after　our　
long　confinement　in　these　caves；　which；　however　
suitable　they　might　be　for　sarcophagia　singularly　
inappropriate　word；　by　the　way；　for　these　particular　
tombs；　which　certainly　did　not　consume　the　bodies　
given　to　their　keepingwere　depressing　habitations　
for　breathing　mortals　like　ourselves。　Either　by　
accident　or　by　the　orders　of　_i_　She　_i_　；　the　space　
in　front　of　the　cave　where　we　had　beheld　that　awful　
dance　was　perfectly　clear　of　spectators。　Not　a　soul　
was　to　be　seen；　and　consequently　I　do　not　believe　that　
our　departure　was　known　to　anybody；　except　perhaps　the　
mutes　who　waited　on　_i_　She　_i_　；　and　they　were；　of　
course；　in　the　habit　of　keeping　what　they　saw　to　
themselves。

In　a　few　minutes'　time　we　were　stepping　out　sharply　
across　the　great　cultivated　plain　or　lake　bed；　framed　
like　a　vast　emerald　in　its　setting　of　frowning　cliff；　
and　had　another　opportunity　of　wondering　at　the　
extraordinary　nature　of　the　site　chosen　by　these　old　
people　of　Ko^r　for　their　capital；　and　at　the　
marvellous　amount　of　labor；　ingenuity；　and　engineering　
skill　that　must　have　been　brought　into　requisition　by　
the　founders　of　the　city　to　drain　so　huge　a　sheet　of　
water；　and　to　keep　it　clear　of　subsequent　
accumulations。　It　is；　indeed；　so　far　as　my　experience　
goes；　an　unequalled　instance　of　what　man　can　do　in　the　
face　of　nature；　for　in　my　opinion　such　achievements　as　
the　Suez　Canal　or　even　the　Mont　Cenis　Tunnel　do　not　
approach　this　ancient　undertaking　in　magnitude　and　
grandeur　of　conception。

When　we　had　been　walking　for　about　half　an　hour；　
enjoying　ourselves　exceedingly　in　the　delightful　cool　
which　about　this　time　of　the　day　always　appeared　to　
descend　upon　the　great　plain　of　Ko^r；　and　which　in　
some　degree　atoned　for　the　want　of　any　kind　or　sea　
breezefor　all　wind　was　kept　off　by　the　rocky　
mountain　wallwe　began　to　get　a　clear　view　of　what　
Billali　had　informed　us　were　the　ruins　of　the　great　
city。　And　even　from　that　distance　we　could　see　how　
wonderful　those　ruins　were；　a　fact　which　with　every　
step　we　took　became　more　evident。　The　city　was　not　
very　large　if　compared　to　Babylon　or　Thebes；　or　other　
cities　of　remote　antiquity；　perhaps　its　outer　wall　
contained　some　twelve　square　miles　of　ground；　or　a　
little　more。　Nor　had　the　walls；　so　far　as　we　could　
judge　when　we　reached　them；　been　very　high；　probably　
not　more　than　forty　feet；　which　was　about　their　
present　height　where　they　had　not；　through　the　sinking　
of　the　ground　or　some　such　cause；　fallen　into　ruin。　
The　reason　of　this；　no　doubt；　was　that　the　people　of　
Ko^r；　being　protected　from　any　outside　attack　by　far　
more　tremendous　ramparts　than　any　that　the　hand　of　man　
could　rear；　only　required　them　for　show　and　to　guard　
against　civil　discord。　But；　on　the　other　hand；　they　
were　as　broad　as　they　were　high；　built　entirely　of　
dressed　stone；　hewn；　no　doubt；　from　the　vast