“’Feethavepassedhere；Isawthemarksoftheminthedust，’saidtheofficer。’Shemayhavehiddeninthisplace。Search！Search！ItwillgohardwithusifwereturntoMusatotellhimthathehaslosthistoy。’
　　“Theylookedintothesarcophagusandsawthebrokenmummy。Indeed，oneofthemliftedit，unwillinglyenough，andletitfallagain，sayinggrimly，“’Musawouldscarcecareforthiscompanion，thoughinherdayshemayhavebeenfairenough。’
　　“Thentheycametothecoffin。
　　“’Here’sanother，’exclaimedthesoldier，’andonewithagoldface。
　　Allah！howitseyesstare。’
　　“’Pullitout，’saidtheofficer。
　　“’Letthatbeyourtask，’answeredtheman。’I’lldefilemyselfwithnomorecorpses。’
　　“Theofficercameandlooked。’Whatahauntedholeisthis，fulloftheghostsofidolworshippers，orsoIthink，’hesaid。’Thoseeyesstarecursesatus。Well，theChristianmaidisnothere。On，beforethetorchesfail。’
　　“Thentheywent，leavingme；thepaintedlinencreakeduponmybreastasIbreathedagain。
　　“’TillnightfallIlayinthatcoffin，fearinglesttheyshouldreturn；andItellyou，Olaf，thatstrangedreamscametomethere，forIthinkIswoonedorsleptinthatnarrowbed。Yes，dreamsofthepast，whichyoushallhearoneday，ifwelive，fortheyseemtohavetodowithyouandme。Aye，Ithoughtthatthedeadwomaninthesarcophagusatmysideawokeandtoldthemtome。AtlengthIroseandcreptbacktothisplacewherewestand，forhereIcouldseethefriendlylight，andbeingoutworn，laidmedownandslept。
　　“AtthefirstbreakofdayIcrawledfromthetomb，followedthatsameroadbywhichIhadentered，thoughIfoundithardtoclimbupthroughtheentrancehole。
　　“Nolivingthingwastobeseeninthevalley，exceptagreatnightbirdflittingtoitshaunt。Iwasparchedwiththirst，andknowingthatinthisdryplaceIsoonmustperish，Iglidedfromrocktorocktowardsthemouthofthevalley，thinkingtofindsomeothergraveorcrannywhereImightliehidtillnightcameagainandIcoulddescendtotheplainanddrink。But，Olaf，beforeIhadgonemanystepsI
　　discoveredfreshfood，milkandwaterlaiduponarock，andthoughI
　　fearedlesttheymightbepoisoned，ateanddrankofthem。WhenIknewthattheywerewholesomeIthoughtthatsomefriendmusthavesetthemtheretosatisfymywants，thoughIknewnotwhothefriendcouldbe。
　　AfterwardsIlearnedthatthisfoodwasanofferingtotheghostsofthedead。Amongourforefathersinforgottengenerationsitwas，I
　　know，thecustomtomakesuchofferings，sinceintheirblindnesstheybelievedthatthespirtsoftheirbelovedneededsustenanceastheirbodiesoncehaddone。Doubtlessthememoryoftheritestillsurvives；
　　atleast，tothisdaytheofferingsaremade。Indeed，whenitwasfoundthattheywerenotmadeinvain，moreandmoreofthemwerebrought，sothatIhavelackednothing。
　　“HerethenIhavedweltformanymoonsamongthedustofmendeparted，onlynowandagainwanderingoutatnight。OnceortwicefolkhaveseenmewhenIventuredtotheplains，andIhavebeentemptedtospeaktothemandasktheirhelp。Butalwaystheyfledaway，believingmetobetheghostofsomebygonequeen。Indeed，tospeaktruth，Olaf，thiscompanionshipwithspirits，forspiritsdodwellinthesetombs——
　　Ihaveseenthem，ItellyouIhaveseenthem——hassoworkeduponmysoulthatattimesIfeelasthoughIwerealreadyoftheircompany。
　　Moreover，IknewthatIcouldnotlivelong。Thelonelinesswassuckingupmylifeasthedrysandsuckswater。Hadyounotcome，Olaf，withinsomefewdaysorweeksIshouldhavedied。“
　　NowIspokeforthefirsttime，saying，“Anddidyouwishtodie，Heliodore？“
　　“No。BeforethewarbetweenMusaandmyfather，Magas，newscametousfromByzantiumthatIrenehadkilledyou。AllbelieveditsaveI，whodidnotbelieve。“
　　“Whynot，Heliodore？“
　　“BecauseIcouldnotfeelthatyouweredead。ThereforeIfoughtformylife，whootherwise，afterwewereconqueredandruinedandmyfatherwasslainfightingnobly，shouldhavestabbed，notthateunuch，butmyself。Thenlater，inthistomb，Icametoknowthatyouwerenotdead。TheotherlostonesIcouldfeelaboutmefromtimetotime，butyounever，youwhowouldhavebeenthefirsttoseekmewhenmysoulwasopentosuchwhisperings。SoIlivedonwhenallelsewouldhavedied，becausehopeburnedinmelikealampunquenchable。Andatlastyoucame！Oh！atlastyoucame！“
　　Herethereisanabsoluteblankinmystory。OneofthosewallsofoblivionofwhichIhavespokenseemstobebuiltacrossitspath。Itisasthoughastreamhadplungedsuddenlyfromsomebrightvalleyintothebosomofamountainsideandtherevanishedfromthekenofman。WhathappenedinthetombafterHeliodorehadendedhertale；
　　whetherwedepartedthencetogetherorleftherthereawhile；howweescapedfromKurna，andbywhatgoodfortuneorartificewecamesafelytoAlexandria，Iknownot。Astoallthesemattersmyvisionfailsmeutterly。SofarasIamconcerned，theyareburiedbeneaththedustoftime。IknowaslittleofthemasIknowofwhereandhowIsleptbetweenmylifeasOlafandthispresentlifeofmine；thatis，nothingatall。Yetinthiswayorinthatthestreamdidwinthroughthemountain，sincebeyondallgrowsclearagain。
　　OncemoreIstooduponthedeckofthe/Diana/intheharbourofAlexandria。WithmewereMartinaandHeliodore。Heliodore’sfacewasstainedandshewasdressedasaboy，suchaharlequinladassingersandmountebanksoftentakeintheircompany。Theshipwasreadytostartandthewindserved。Yetwecouldnotsailbecauseofthelackofsomepermission。AMoslemgalleypatrolledtheharbourandthreatenedtosinkusifwedaredtoweighwithoutthispaper。Thematehadgoneashorewithabribe。Wewaitedandwaited。Atlengththecaptain，Menas，whostoodbyme，whisperedintomyear，“Becalm；hecomes；alliswell。“
　　ThenIheardthemateshout:“Ihavethewritingunderseal，“andMenasgavetheordertocastofftheropesthatheldtheshiptothequay。OneofthesailorscameupandreportedtoMenasthattheircompanion，Cosmas，wasmissing。Itseemedthathehadslippedashorewithoutleaveandhadnotreturned。
　　“Therelethimbide，“saidMenas，withanoath。“Doubtlessthehogliesdrunkinsomeden。WhenheawakeshemaytellwhattalehepleasesandfindhisownwaybacktoLesbos。Castoff，castoff！I
　　say。“
　　AtthismomentthatsameCosmasappeared。Icouldnotseehim，butI
　　couldhearhimplainlyenough。Evidentlyhehadbecomeinvolvedinsomebrawl，foranangrywomanandothersweredemandingmoneyofhimandhewasshoutingbackdrunkenthreats。Amanstruckhimandthewomangothimbythebeard。Thenhisreasonlefthimaltogether。
　　“AmI，aChristian，tobetreatedthusbyyouheathendogs？“hescreamed。“Oh，youthinkIamdirtbeneathyourfeet。Ihavefriends，ItellyouIhavefriends。YouknownotwhomIserve。IsaythatIamasoldierofOlaftheNorthman，OlaftheBlind，OlafRed-Sword，hewhomadeyouprophet-worshipperssingsosmallatMitylene，ashewilldoagainerelong。“
　　“Indeed，friend，“saidaquietvoice。ItwasthatoftheMoslemcaptain，Yusuf，hewhobefriendeduswhenwearrivedatAlexandria，whohadbeenwatchingallthisscene。“Thenyouserveagreatgeneral，assomeofushavecausetoknow。Tellme，whereishenow，forIhearthathehasleftLesbos？“
　　“Whereishe？Why，aboardyondership，ofcourse。Oh！hehasfooledyoufinely。Anothertimeyou’llsearchbeggar’sragsmoreclosely。“
　　“Castoff！Castoff！“roaredMenas。
　　“Nay，“saidtheofficer，“castnotoff。Soldiers，driveawaythosemen。Imusthavewordswiththecaptainofthisship。Come，bringthatdrunkenfellowwithyou。“
　　“Nowallisfinished，“Isaid。
　　“Yes，“answeredHeliodore，“allisfinished。Afterwehaveenduredsomuchitishard。Well，atleastdeathremainstous。“
　　“Holdyourhand，“exclaimedMartina。“Godstilllivesandcansaveusyet。“
　　Blackbitternesstookholdofme。InsomefewdaysIhadhopedtoreachLesbos，andtherebewedtoHeliodore。Andnow！Andnow！
　　“Cuttheropes，Menas，“Icried，“andoutwiththeoars。We’llriskthegalley。You，Martina，setmeatthemouthofthegangwayandtellmewhentostrike。ThoughIbeblindImayyetholdthembacktillweclearthequay。“
　　Sheobeyed，andIdrewtheredswordfrombeneathmyrags。Then，amidsttheconfusionwhichfollowed，IheardthegravevoiceofYusufspeakingtome。
　　“Sir，“hesaid，“foryourownsakeIprayyouputupthatsword，whichwethinkisonewhereoftaleshavebeentold。Tofightisuseless，forIhavebowmenwhocanshootyoudownandspearsthatcanoutreachyou。
　　GeneralOlaf，abravemanshouldknowwhentosurrender，especiallyifhebeblind。“
　　“Aye，sir，“Ianswered，“andabravemanshouldknowwhentodie。“
　　“Whyshouldyoudie，General？“wentonthevoice。“IdonotknowthatforaChristiantovisitEgyptdisguisedasabeggarwillbeheldacrimeworthyofdeath，unlessindeedyoucamehithertospyouttheland。“
　　“Cantheblindspy？“askedMartinaindignantly。