and　cold　against　the　rocky　walls。　Also　I　thought　I
  could　see　her　eyes　flash　through　the　gauze　that　hid
  them。　I　saw　poor　Billali；　whom　I　had　believed　to　be　a
  very　fearless　person；　positively　quiver　with　terror　at
  her　words。
  〃O　'Hiya'！　O　_i_　She　_i_　！〃　he　said；　without　lifting
  his　white　head　from　the　floor。　〃O　_i_　She　_i_　；　as
  thou　art　great；　be　merciful；　for　I　am　now　as　ever　thy
  servant　to　obey。　It　was　no　plan　or　fault　of　mine；　O
  _i_　She　_i_　；　it　was　those　wicked　ones　who　are　called
  my　children。　Led　on　by　a　woman　whom　thy　guest　the　Pig
  had　scorned；　they　would　have　followed　the　ancient
  custom　of　the　land；　and　eaten　the　fat　black　stranger
  who　came　hither　with　these　thy　guests　the　Baboon；　and
  the　Lion　who　is　sick；　thinking　that　no　word　had　come
  from　thee　about　the　black　one。　But　when　the　Baboon　and
  the　Lion　saw　what　they　would　do；　they　slew　the　woman；
  and　slew　also　their　servant　to　save　him　from　the
  horror　of　the　pot。　Then　those　evil　ones；　ay；　those
  children　of　the　Wicked　One　who　lives　in　the　Pit；　they
  went　mad　with　the　lust　of　blood；　and　flew　at　the
  throats　of　the　Lion　and　the　Baboon　and　the　Pig。　But
  gallantly　they　fought。　O　_i_　Hiya！　_i_　they　fought
  like　very　men；　and　slew　many；　and　held　their　own；　and
  then　I　came　and　saved　them；　and　the　evil…doers　have　I
  sent　on　hither　to　Ko^r　to　be　judged　of　thy　greatness；
  O　_i_　She！　_i_　and　here　they　are。〃
  〃Ay；　old　man；　I　know　it；　and　tomorrow　will　I　sit　in
  the　great　hall　and　do　justice　upon　them；　fear　not。　And
  for　thee；　I　forgive　thee；　though　hardly。　See　that　thou
  dost　keep　thine　household　better。　Go。〃
  Billali　rose　upon　his　knees　with　astonishing　alacrity；
  bowed　his　head　thrice；　and　his　white　beard　sweeping
  the　ground；　crawled　down　the　apartment　as　he　had
  crawled　up　it；　till　he　finally　vanished　through　the
  curtains；　leaving　me；　not　a　little　to　my　alarm；　alone
  with　this　terrible　but　most　fascinating　person。
  CHAPTER　XIII
  AYESHA　UNVEILS
  〃There；〃　said　_i_　She　_i_　；　〃he　has　gone；　the　white…
  bearded　old　fool！　Ah；　how　little　knowledge　does　a　man
  acquire　in　his　life。　He　gathereth　it　up　like　water；
  but　like　water　it　runneth　through　his　fingers；　and
  yet；　if　his　hands　be　but　wet　as　though　with　dew；
  behold　a　generation　of　fools　call　out；　'See；　he　is　a
  wise　man！'　Is　it　not　so？　But　how　call　they　thee？
  'Baboon；'　he　says；〃　and　she　laughed；　〃but　that　is　the
  fashion　of　these　savages　who　lack　imagination；　and　fly
  to　the　beasts　they　resemble　for　a　name。　How　do　they
  call　thee　in　thine　own　country；　stranger？〃
  〃They　call　me　Holly；　O　queen；〃　I　answered。
  〃Holly；〃　she　answered；　speaking　the　word　with
  difficulty；　and　yet　with　a　most　charming　accent；　〃and
  what　is　Holly？〃
  〃'Holly'　is　a　prickly　tree；〃　I　said。
  〃So。　Well；　thou　hast　a　prickly　and　yet　a　treelike
  look。　Strong　art　thou；　and　ugly；　but；　if　my　wisdom　be
  not　at　fault；　honest　at　the　core；　and　a　staff　to　lean
  on。　Also　one　who　thinks。　But　stay；　O　Holly；　stand　not
  there；　enter　with　me　and　be　seated　by　me。　I　would　not
  see　thee　crawl　before　me　like　those　slaves。　I　am　weary
  of　their　worship　and　their　terror；　sometimes　when　they
  vex　me　I　could　blast　them　for　very　sport；　and　to　see
  the　rest　turn　white；　even　to　the　heart。〃　And　she　held
  the　curtain　aside　with　her　ivory　hand　to　let　me　pass
  in。
  I　entered；　shuddering。　This　woman　was　very　terrible。
  Within　the　curtains　was　a　recess；　about　twelve　feet　by
  ten；　and　in　the　recess　was　a　couch　and　a　table　whereon
  stood　fruit　and　sparkling　water。　By　it；　at　its　end；
  was　a　vessel　like　a　font　cut　in　carved　stone；　also
  full　of　pure　water。　The　place　was　softly　lit　with
  lamps　formed　out　of　the　beautiful　vessels　of　which　I
  have　spoken；　and　the　air　and　curtains　were　laden　with
  a　subtle　perfume。　Perfume　too　seemed　to　emanate　from
  the　glorious　hair　and　white；　clinging　vestments　of　_i_
  She　_i_　herself。　I　entered　the　little　room；　and　there
  stood　uncertain。
  〃Sit；〃　said　_i_　She　_i_　；　pointing　to　the　couch。　〃As
  yet　thou　hast　no　cause　to　fear　me。　If　thou　hast　cause；
  thou　shalt　not　fear　for　long；　for　I　shall　slay　thee。
  Therefore　let　thy　heart　be　light。〃
  I　sat　down　on　the　end　of　the　couch　near　to　the　font
  like　basin　of　water；　and　_i_　She　_i_　sank　down　softly
  on　to　the　other　end。
  〃Now；　Holly；〃　she　said；　〃how　comest　thou　to　speak
  Arabic　？　It　is　my　own　dear　tongue；　for　Arabian　am　I　by
  birth；　even　'　_i_　al　Arab　al　Ariba　_i_　'〃　（an　Arab　of
  the　Arabs）；　〃and　of　the　race　of　our　father　Yara‘b；　the
  son　of　Ka^htan；　for　in　that　fair　and　ancient　city　Ozal
  was　I　born；　in　the　province　of　Yaman　the　Happy。　Yet
  dost　thou　not　speak　it　as　we　used　to　speak。　Thy　talk
  doth　lack　the　music　of　the　sweet　tongue　of　the　tribes
  of　Hamyar　which　I　was　wont　to　hear。　Some　of　the　words
  too　seem　changed；　even　as　among　these　Amahagger；　who
  have　debased　and　defiled　its　purity；　so　that　I　must
  speak　with　them　in　what　is　to　to　me　another　tongue。〃
  〃I　have　studied　it；〃　I　answered；　〃for　many　years。　Also
  the　language　is　spoken　in　Egypt　and　elsewhere。〃
  〃So　it　is　still　spoken；　and　there　is　yet　an　Egypt？　And
  what　Pharaoh　sits　upon　the　throne？　Still　one　of　the
  spawn　of　the　Persian　Ochus；　or　are　the　Achaemenians
  gone；　for　so　far　is　it　to　the　days　of　Ochus？〃
  〃The　Persians　have　been　gone　from　Egypt　for　nigh　two
  thousand　years；　and　since　then　the　Ptolemies；　the
  Romans；　and　many　others　have　flourished　and　held　sway
  upon　the　Nile；　and　fallen　when　their　time　was　ripe；〃　I
  said；　aghast。　〃What　canst　thou　know　of　the　Persian
  Artaxerxes？〃
  _i_　She　_i_　laughed；　and　made　no　answer；　and　again　a
  cold　chill　went　through　me。　〃And　Greece；〃　she　said；
  〃is　there　still　a　Greece？　Ah；　I　loved　the　Greeks。
  Beautiful　were　they　as　the　day；　and　clever；　but　fierce
  at　heart　and　fickle；　notwithstanding。〃
  〃Yes；〃　I　said；　〃there　is　a　Greece；　and；　just　now；　it
  is　once　more　a　people。　Yet　the　Greeks　of　to…day　are
  not　what　the　Greeks　of　the　old　time　were；　and　Greece
  herself　is　but　a　mockery　of　the　Greece　that　was。〃
  〃So！　The　Hebrews；　are　they　yet　at　Jerusalem？　And　does
  the　Temple　that　the　wise　king　built　stand？　and　if　so；
  what　God　do　they　worship　therein？　Is　their　Messiah
  come；　of　whom　they　preached　so　much　and　prophesied　so
  loudly；　and　doth　he　rule　the　earth？〃
  〃The　Jews　are　broken　and　gone；　and　the　fragments　of
  their　people　strew　the　world；　and　Jerusalem　is　no
  more。　As　for　the　temple　that　Herod　built〃
  〃Herod！〃　she　said。　〃I　know　not　Herod。　But　go　on。〃
  〃The　Romans　burned　it；　and　the　Roman　eagles　flew
  across　its　ruins；　arid　now　Judaea　is　a　desert。〃
  〃So；　so！　They　were　a　great　people；　those　Romans；　and
  went　straight　to　their　enday；　they　sped　to　it　like
  Fate；　or　like　their　own　eagles　on　their　prey！and
  left　peace　behind　them。〃
  〃Solitudinera　faciunt；　pacem　appellant；〃　I　suggested。
  〃Ah；　thou　canst　speak　the　Latin　tongue；　too！〃　she
  said；　in　surprise。　〃It　hath　a　strange　ring　in　my　ears
  after　all　these　days；　and　it　seems　to　me　that　thy
  accent　does　not　fall　as　the　Romans　put　it。　Who　was　it
  wrote　that？　I　know　not　the　saying；　but　it　is　a　true
  one　of　that　great　people。　It　seems　that　I　have　found　a
  learned　manone　whose　hands　have　held　the　water　of
  the　world's　knowledge。　Knowest　thou　Greek　also？〃
  〃Yes；　O　queen；　and　something　of　Hebrew；　but　not　to
  speak　them　well。　They　are　all　dead　languages　now。〃
  _i_　She　_i_　clapped　her　hands　in　childish　glee。　〃Of　a
  truth；　ugly　tree　that　thou　art；　thou　growest　the
  fruits　of　wisdom；　O　Holly；〃　she　said；　〃but　of　those
  Jews　whom　I　hatedfor　they　called　me　'heathen'　when　I
  would　have　taught　them　my　philosophydid　their
  Messiah　come；　and　doth　he　rule　the　world？〃
  〃Their　Messiah　came；〃　I　answered；　with　reverence；　〃but
  he　came　poor　and　lowly；　and　they　would　have　none　of
  him。　They　scourged　him；　and　crucified　him　upon　a　tree；
  but　yet　his　words　and　his　works　live　on；　for　he　was
  the　Son　of　God；　and　now　of　a　truth　he　doth　rule　half
  the　world；　but　not　with　an　empire　of　the　world。〃
  〃Ah；　the　fierce…hearted　wolves；〃　she　said；　〃the
  followers　of　Sense　and　of　many　godsgreedy　of　gain
  and　faction　torn。　I　can　see　their　dark　faces　yet。　So
  they　crucified　their　Messiah？　Well　can　I　believe　it。
  That　he　was　a　Son　of　the　Living　Spirit　would　be　naught
  to　them；　if　indeed　he　was　so；　and　of　that　we　will　talk
  afterwards。　They　would　care　naught　for　any　God　if　he
  came　not　with　pomp　and　power。　They；　a　chosen　people；　a
  vessel　of　him　they　call　Jehovah！　ay；　and　a　vessel　of
  Baal；　and　a　vessel　of　Astoreth；　and　a　vessel　of　the
  gods　of　the　Egyptiansa　high…stomached　people；　greedy
  of　aught　that　brought　them　wealth　and　power。　So　they
  crucified　their　Messiah　because　he　came　in　lowly
  guiseand　now　are　they　scattered　about　the　earth。
  Why；　if　I　remember；　so　said　one　of　their　prophets　that
  it　should　be。　Well；　let　them　go；　they　broke　my　heart；
  those　Jews；　and　made　me　look　with　evil　eyes　across　the
  world；　ay；　and　drove　me　to　this　wilderness；　this　place
  of　a　people　that　was　before　them。　When　I　would　have
  taught　them　wisdom　in　Jerusalem　they　stoned　me；　ay；　at
  the　gate　of　the　Temple　those　white…bearded　hypocrites
  and　rabbis　hounded　the　people　on　to　stone　me！　See；
  here　is　the　mark　of　it　to　this　day！〃　and　with　a　sudden
  mov