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mutterings of the priest who draws back the cur… tains of the shrineand
here； after the scribe has left these two yellow pages blank as though to set
a space of reverence between himself and what comes nexthere speaks
the truth； the voice； the fact of all life。〃 But 〃Oh！ Jones；〃 she said；
turning from the dusty pages and clasping her young； milk…warm hands
over mine and leaning towards me until her blushing cheek was near to
my shoulder and the incense of her breath upon me。 〃Oh！ Gulliver
Jones；〃 she said。 〃Make me read no more； my soul revolts from the task；
the crazy brown letters swim before my eyes。 Is there no learning near at
hand that would be pleasanter reading than this silly book of yours？
What； after all；〃 she said； growing bolder at the sound of her own voice；
〃what； after all； is the musty reticence of gods to the whispered secret of a
maid？ Jones； splendid stranger for whom all men stand aside and women
look over shoulders； oh； let me be your book！〃 she whispered； slipping on
to my knee and winding her arms round my neck till； through the white
glimmer of her single vest； I could feel her heart beating against mine。
〃Newest and dearest of friends； put by this dreary learning and look in my
eyes； is there nothing to be spelt out there？〃
And I was constrained to do as she bid me； for she was as fresh as an
almond blossom touched by the sun； and looking down into two
swimming blue lakes where shyness and passion were contendingbooks
easy enough； in truth； to be read； I saw that she loved me； with the
unconventional ardour of her nature。
It was a pleasant discovery； if its abruptness was em… barrassing； for
she was a maid in a thousand； and half ashamed and half laughing I let her
escalade me； throwing now and then a rueful look at the Secret of the
Gods； and all that priceless knowledge treated so unworthily。
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What else could I do？ Besides； I loved her myself！ And if there
was a momentary chagrin at having yonder golden knowledge put off by
this lovely interruption； yet I was flesh and blood； the gods could wait
they had to wait long and often before； and when this sweet interpreter
was comforted we would have another try。 So it happened I took her into
my heart and gave her the answer she asked for。
For a long time we sat in the dusky grandeur of the royal library； my
mind revolving between wonder and ad… miration of the neglected
knowledge all about； and the stir… rings of a new love； while Heru herself；
lapsed again into Martian calm； lay half sleeping on my shoulder； but pre…
sently； unwinding her arms； I put her down。
〃There； sweetheart；〃 I whispered； 〃enough of this for the moment；
tonight； perhaps； some more； but while we are here amongst all this lordly
litter； I can think of nothing else。〃 Again I bid her turn the pages； noting as
she did so how each chapter was headed by the coloured configuration of
a world。 Page by page we turned of crackling parchment； until by chance；
at the top of one； my eye caught a coloured round I could not fail to
recognise'twas the spinning but… ton on the blue breast of the
immeasurable that yesterday I inhabited。 〃Read here；〃 I cried； clapping
my finger upon the page midway down； where there were some signs
looking like Egyptian writing。 〃Says this quaint dabbler in all knowledge
anything of Isis； anything of Phra； of Am… mon； of Ammon Top？〃
〃And who was Isis？ who Ammon Top？〃 asked the lady。
〃Nay； read；〃 I answered； and down the page her slender fingers went
awandering till at a spot of knotted signs they stopped。 〃Why； here is
something about thy Isis；〃 ex… claimed Heru； as though amused at my
perspicuity。 〃Here； halfway down this chapter of earth…history； it says；〃
and putting one pink knee across the other to better prop the book she
read：
〃And the priests of Thebes were gone； the sand stood un… trampled on
the temple steps a thousand years； the wild bees sang the song of
desolation in the ears of Isis； the wild cats littered in the stony lap of
Ammon； ay； another thou… sand years went by； and earth was tilled of
unseen hands and sown with yellow grain from Paradise； and the thin veil
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that separates the known from the unknown was rent； and men walked to
and fro。〃
〃Go on；〃 I said。
〃Nay；〃 laughed the other； 〃the little mice in their eager… ness have been
before yousee； all this corner is gnawed away。〃
〃Read on again；〃 I said； 〃where the page is whole； those sips of
knowledge you have given make me thirsty for more。 There； begin where
this blazonry of initialed red and gold looks so like the carpet spread by
the scribe for the feet of a sovereign truthwhat says he here？〃 And she；
half pouting to be set back once more to that task； half won… dering as she
gazed on those magic letters； let her eyes run down the page； then began：
〃And it was the Beginning； and in the centre void pres… ently there
came a nucleus of light： and the light brightened in the grey primeval
morning and became definite and articulate。 And from the midst of that
natal splendour； behind which was the Unknowable； the life came
hitherward； from the midst of that nucleus undescribed； undescribable；
there issued presently the primeval sigh that breathed the breath of life into
all things。 And that sigh thrilled through the empty spaces of the
illimitable： it breathed the breath of promise over the frozen hills of the
outside planets where the night…frost had lasted without beginning： and the
waters of ten thousand nameless oceans； girding nameless planets； were
stirred； trembling into their depth。 It crossed the il… limitable spaces
where the herding aerolites swirl forever through space in the wake of
careering world； and all their whistling wings answered to it。 It
reverberated through the grey wastes of vacuity； and crossed the dark
oceans of the Outside； even to the black shores of the eternal night
beyond。
〃And hardly had echo of that breath died away in the hollow of the
heavens and the empty wombs of a million barren worlds； when the light
brightened again； and draw… ing in upon itself became definite and took
form； and therefrom； at the moment of primitive conception； there came〃
And just then； as she had read so far as that； when all my faculties
were aching to know what came next whether this were but the idle
scribbling of a vacuous fool； or something elsethere rose the sound of
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soft flutes and tinkling bells in the corridors； as seneschals wandered pip…
ing round the palace to call folk to meals； a smell of roast meat and
grilling fish as that procession lifted the curtains between the halls； and
〃Dinner！〃 shouted my sweet Martian； slapping the cov… ers of The
Secret of the Gods together and pushing the stately tome headlong from
the table。 〃Dinner！ 'Tis worth a hundred thousand planets to the
hungry！〃
Nothing I could say would keep her； and； scarcely know… ing whether
to laugh or to be angry at so unseemly an interruption； but both being
purposeless I dug my hands into my pockets； and somewhat sulkily
refusing Heru's invita… tion to luncheon in the corridor （Navy rations had
not fitted my stomach for these constant debauches of gos… samer food）；
strolled into the town again in no very pleasant frame of mind。