`Afterthesunhadset，thedarknessseemedtodriveuponus，borneineveryfaintpuffofthebreeze。InthemiddleofahedgedpathIsawthearrested，gaunt，watchful，andapparentlyone-leggedsilhouetteofTamb’Itam；andacrosstheduskyspacemyeyedetectedsomethingwhitemovingtoandfrobehindthesupportsoftheroof。AssoonasJim，withTamb’Itamathisheels，hadstarteduponhiseveningrounds，Iwentuptothehousealone，and，unexpectedly，foundmyselfwaylaidbythegirl，whohadbeenclearlywaitingforthisopportunity。
`Itishardtotellyouwhatitwaspreciselyshewantedtowrestfromme。Obviouslyitwouldbesomethingverysimple——thesimplestimpossibilityintheworld；as，forinstance，theexactdescriptionoftheformofacloud。Shewantedanassurance，astatement，apromise，anexplanation——I
don’tknowhowtocallit：thethinghasnoname。Itwasdarkundertheprojectingroof，andallIcouldseeweretheflowinglinesofhergown，thepalesmallovalofherface，withthewhiteflashofherteeth，and，turnedtowardsme，thebigsombreorbitsofhereyes，wherethereseemedtobeafaintstir，suchasyoumayfancyyoucandetectwhenyouplungeyourgazetothebottomofanimmenselydeepwell。Whatisthatmovesthere？
youaskyourself。Isitablindmonsteroronlyalostgleamfromtheuniverse？
Itoccurredtome——don’tlaugh——thatallthingsbeingdissimilar，shewasmoreinscrutableinherchildishignorancethantheSphinxpropoundingchildishriddlestowayfarers。ShehadbeencarriedofftoPatusanbeforehereyeswereopen。Shehadgrownupthere；shehadseennothing，shehadknownnothing，shehadnoconceptionofanything。Iaskmyselfwhethersheweresurethatanythingelseexisted。Whatnotionsshemayhaveformedoftheoutsideworldistomeinconceivable：allthatsheknewofitsinhabitantswereabetrayedwomanandasinisterpantaloon。Herloveralsocametoherfromthere，giftedwithirresistibleseductions；butwhatwouldbecomeofherifheshouldreturntotheseinconceivableregionsthatseemedalwaystoclaimbacktheirown？Hermotherhadwarnedherofthiswithtearsbeforeshedied……