“’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。