“Bybeggarfolk，orperchancebywildcreatures！“
　　“Wouldbeggarfolkdaretoenterthatplaceofdeath？“sheansweredwithcontempt。“Orwouldwildbeaststakethefoodandpilethedishesneatlytogetherandreplacetheflatstonesonthemouthsofthejarsofmilkandwater，asahousewifemight？Oh！donotlaugh。Oflatethishasalwaysbeendone，asIwhooftenfetchthevesselsknowwell。“
　　“Haveyoueverseentheseghosts，Palka？“
　　“Yes，onceIsawoneofthem。ItwasabouttwomonthsagothatI
　　passedthemouthofthevalleyaftermoonrise，forIhadbeenkeptoutlatesearchingforakidwhichwaslost。Thinkingthatitmightbeinthevalley，Ipeeredupit。AsIwaslooking，fromroundagreatrockglidedaghost。Shestoodstill，withthemoonlightshiningonher，andgazedtowardstheNile。I，too，stoodstillintheshadow，thirtyorfortypacesaway。Thenshethrewupherarmsasthoughindespair，turnedandvanished。“
　　“She！“Isaid，thencheckedmyselfandaskedindifferently:“Well，whatwasthefashionofthisghost？“
　　“SofarasIcouldseethatofayoungandbeautifulwoman，wearingsuchclothesaswefindupontheancientdead，onlywrappedmorelooselyabouther。“
　　“Hadsheaughtuponherhead，Palka？“
　　“Yes，abandofgoldoracrownsetuponherhair，andaboutherneckwhatseemedtobeanecklaceofgreenandgold，forthemoonlightflasheduponit。Itwasmuchsuchanecklaceasyouwearbeneathyourrobe，Hodur。“
　　“AndprayhowdoyouknowwhatIwear，Palka？“Iasked。
　　“Bymeansofwhatyoulack，poorman，theeyesinmyhead。OnenightwhenyouwereasleepIhadneedtopassthroughyourchambertoreachanotherbeyond。Youhadthrownoffyouroutergarmentbecauseoftheheat，andIsawthenecklace。AlsoIsawagreatredswordlyingbyyoursideandnotedonyourbarebreastsundryscars，suchashuntersandsoldierscomeby。Allofthesethings，Hodur，Ithoughtstrange，seeingthatIknowyoutobenothingbutapoorblindbeggarwhogainshisbreadbyhisskillupontheharp。“
　　“Therearebeggarswhowerenotalwaysbeggars，Palka，“Isaidslowly。
　　“Quiteso，Hodur，andtherearegreatmenandrichwhosometimesappeartobebeggars，and——manyotherthings。Still，havenofearthatweshallstealyournecklaceortalkabouttheredswordorthegoldwithwhichyournieceHildaweightshergarments。Poorgirl，shehasallthewaysofafinelady，onewhohasknownCourts，asIthinkyousaidwasthecase。Itmustbesadforhertohavefallensolow。
　　Still，havenofear，Hodur，“andshetookmyhandandpresseditinacertainsecretfashionwhichwaspractisedamongthepersecutedChristiansintheEastwhentheywouldrevealthemselvestoeachother。Thenshewentawaylaughing。
　　Asforme，IsoughtMartina，whohadbeensleepingthroughtheheat，andtoldhereverything。
　　“Well，“shesaidwhenIhadfinished，“youshouldgivethankstoGod，Olaf，sincewithoutdoubtthisghostistheladyHeliodore。SoshouldJodd，“Iheardheraddbeneathherbreath，forinmyblindnessmyearshadgrownveryquick。
　　MartinaandIhadmadeaplan。Palka，aftermuchcoaxing，tookuswithheroneeveningwhenshewenttoplacetheaccustomedofferingsintheValleyoftheDead。Indeed，atfirstsherefusedoutrighttoallowustoaccompanyher，because，shesaid，onlythosewhowereborninthevillageofKurnahadmadesuchofferingssincethedayswhenthePharaohsruled，andthatifstrangerssharedinthisdutyitmightbringmisfortune。Weanswered，however，thatifsothemisfortunewouldfallonus，theintruders。Alsowepointedoutthatthejarsofwaterandmilkwereheavy，and，asithappened，therewasnoonefromthehamlettohelptocarrythemthisnight。Havingweighedthesefacts，Palkachangedhermind。
　　“Well，“shesaid，“itistruethatIgrowfat，andafterlabouringalldayatthisandthathavenodesiretobearburdenslikeanass。Socomeifyouwill，andifyoudieorevilspiritscarryyouaway，donotaddyourselvestothenumberoftheghosts，ofwhomtherearetoomanyhereabouts，andblamemeafterwards。“
　　“Onthecontrary，“Isaid，“wewillmakeyouourheirs，“andIlaidabagcontainingsomepiecesofmoneyuponthetable。
　　Palka，whowasasavingwoman，tookthemoney，forIhearditrattleinherhand，hungthejarsaboutmyshoulders，andgaveMartinathemeatandcorninabasket。Theflatcakes，however，shecarriedherselfonawoodentrencher，because，asshesaid，shefearedlestweshouldbreakthemandangertheghosts，wholikedtheirfoodtobewellserved。Sowestarted，andpresentlyenteredthemouthofthatawfulvalleywhich，Martinatoldme，lookedasthoughithadbeenriventhroughthemountainbylightningstrokesandthenblastedwithacurse。
　　Upthisdryanddesolateplace，which，shesaid，wasborderedoneithersidebywallsofgreyandjaggedrock，wewalkedinsilence。
　　OnlyInotedthatthedogwhichhadfollowedusfromthehouseclungclosetoourheelsandnowandagainwhimpereduneasily。
　　“Thebeastseeswhatwecannotsee，“whisperedPalkainexplanation。
　　Atlastwehalted，andIsetdownthejarsatherbiddinguponaflatrockwhichshecalledtheTableofOfferings。
　　“See！“sheexclaimedtoMartina，“thosethatwereplacedherethreedaysagoareallemptiedandneatlypiledtogetherbytheghosts。I
　　toldHodurthattheydidthis，buthewouldnotbelieveme。Nowletuspackthemupinthebasketsandbegone，forthesunsetsandthemoonriseswithinthehalfofanhour。Iwouldnotbehereinthedarkfortenpiecesofpuregold。“
　　“Thengoswiftly，Palka，“Isaid，“forwebideherethisnight。“
　　“Areyoumad？“sheasked。
　　“Notatall，“Ianswered。“Awisemanoncetoldmethatifonewhoisblindcanbutcomefacetofacewithaspirit，heseesitandtherebyregainshissight。Ifyouwouldknowthetruth，thatiswhyIhavewanderedsofarfrommyowncountrytofindsomelandwhereghostsmaybemet。“
　　“NowIamsurethatyouaremad，“exclaimedPalka。“Come，Hilda，andleavethisfooltomaketrialofhiscureforblindness。“
　　“Nay，“answeredMartina，“Imuststaywithmyuncle，althoughIamverymuchafraid。IfIdidnot，hewouldbeatmeafterwards。“
　　“Beatyou！Hodurbeatawoman！Oh！youarebothmad。Orperhapsyouareghostsalso。Ihavethoughtitonceortwice，whoatleastamsurethatyouareotherthanyouseem。HolyJesus！thisplacegrowsdark，andItellyouitisfullofdeadkings。MaytheSaintsguardyou；attheleast，you’llkeephighcompanyatyourdeath。Farewell；whate’erbefalls，blamemenotwhowarnedyou，“andshedepartedatarun，theemptyvesselsrattlingonherbackandthedogyappingbehindher。
　　Whenshehadgonethesilencegrewdeep。
　　“Now，Martina，“Iwhispered，“findsomeplacewherewemayhidewhenceyoucanseethisTableofOfferings。“
　　Sheledmetowhereafallenrocklaywithinafewpaces，andbehinditwesatourselvesdowninsuchapositionthatMartinacouldwatchtheTableofOfferingsbythelightofthemoon。
　　Herewewaitedforalongwhile；itmayhavebeentwohours，orthree，orfour。AtleastIknewthat，althoughIcouldseenothing，thesolemnityofthatplacesankintomysoul。Ifeltasthoughthedeadweremovingaboutmeinthesilence。IthinkitwasthesamewithMartina，foralthoughthenightwasveryhotinthatstifling，airlessvalley，sheshiveredatmyside。AtlastIfeltherstartandheardherwhisper:
　　“Iseeafigure。ItcreepsfromtheshadowoftheclifftowardstheTableofOfferings。“
　　“Whatisitlike？“Iasked。
　　“Itisawoman’sfiguredrapedinwhitecloths；shelooksabouther；
　　shetakesuptheofferingsandplacestheminabasketshecarries。Itisawoman——noghost——forshedrinksfromoneofthejars。Oh！nowthemoonlightshinesuponherface；itis/thatofHeliodore！/“
　　Iheardandcouldrestrainmyselfnolonger。Leapingup，IrantowardswhereIknewtheTableofOfferingstobe。Itriedtospeak，butmyvoicechokedinmythroat。Thewomansaworheardmecomingthroughtheshadows。Atleast，utteringalowcry，shefledaway，forIcaughtthesoundofherfeetontherocksandsand。ThenItrippedoverastoneandfelldown。
　　InamomentMartinawasatmyside。
　　“Trulyyouarefoolish，Olaf，“shesaid。“DidyouthinkthattheladyHeliodorewouldknowyouatnight，changedasyouareandinthisgarb，thatyoumustrushatherlikeanangrybull？Nowshehasgone，andperchanceweshallneverfindhermore。Whydidyounotspeaktoher？“
　　“Becausemyvoicechokedwithinme。Oh！blamemenot，Martina。IfyouknewwhatitistoloveasIdoandaftersomanyfearsandsorrows——“
　　“ItrustthatIshouldknowalsohowtocontrolmylove，“brokeinMartinasharply。“Come，wastenomoretimeintalk。Letussearch。“
　　ThenshetookmebythehandandledmetowhereshehadlastseenHeliodore。
　　“Shehasvanishedaway，“shesaid，“hereisnothingbutrock。“
　　“Itcannotbe，“Ianswered。“Oh！thatIhadmyeyesagain，ifforanhour，IwhowasthebesttrackerinJutland。Seeifnostonehasbeenstirred，Martina。Thesandwillbedamperwhereithaslain。“
　　Sheleftme，andpresentlyreturned。