“Whydotheybringallthisstuffhere？“heasked，andJeekietranslatedhisquestion。
“ItisanofferingtothelordofLittleBonsa，“answeredtheheadpriest，bowing，“agiftfromtheAsika。Theheaven-bornwhitemansentwordbyhisOgulamessengersthathedesiredgold。Hereisthegoldthathedesired。“
Alanstaredatthetreasure，whichafterallwaswhathehadcometoseek。IfonlyhehaditsafeinEngland，hewouldbearichmanandhistroublesended。ButhowcouldhegetittoEngland？Hereitwasworthlessasmud。
“IthanktheAsika，“hesaid。“Iaskforporterstobearhergiftbacktomyowncountry，sinceitistooheavyformeandmyservanttocarryalone。“
Atthesewordsthepriestsmiledalittle，thensaidthattheAsikadesiredtoseethewhitelordandtoreceivefromhimLittleBonsainreturnforthegold，andthathecouldprofferhisrequesttoher。
“Good，“repliedAlan，“leadmetotheAsika。“
Thentheystarted，AlanbearingtheboxcontainingLittleBonsa，andJeekiefollowingafterhim。Theywentdownpassagesandthroughsundrydoorstillatlengththeycametoalongandnarrowhallthatseemedtobelinedwithplatesofgold。Attheendofthishallwasalargechairofblackwoodandivoryplaceduponadais，andsittinginthischairwiththelightpouringonherfromsomeopeningabove，wasthewomanofAlan’sdream，beautifultolookoninhercrownandglitteringgarments。Uponastoolatthefootofthedaissataman，ahandsomeandmelancholyman。Hishairwastiedbehindhisheadinapigtailandgilded，hisfacewaspaintedred，whiteandyellow；heworeropesofbright-colouredstonesabouthisneck，middle，armsandankles，andheldakindofsceptreinhishand。
“Whoisthatcreature？“askedAlanoverhisshouldertoJeekie。“TheCourtfool？“
“ThathusbandofAsika，Major。Henotfool，verybiggun，butlookalittlelownowbecausehistimesoonup。Comeon，Major，Asikabeckonus。Getonstomachandcrawl；thatcustomhere，“headded，goingdownontohishandsandknees，asdidallthepriestswhofollowedthem。
“I’llseeherhangedfirst，“answeredAlaninEnglish。
ThenaccompaniedbythecreepingJeekieandthetrainofprostratepriests，hemarchedupthelonghalltotheedgeofthedaisandtherestoodstillandbowedtothewomaninthechair。
“Greeting，whiteman，“shesaidinalowvoicewhenshehadstudiedhimforawhile。“Doyouunderstandmytongue？“
“Alittle，“heansweredinAsiki，“moreover，myservanthereknowsitwellandcantranslate。“
“Iamglad，“shesaid。“Tellmethen，inyourcountrydonotpeoplegoontotheirkneesbeforetheirqueen，andifnot，howdotheygreether？“
“No，“answeredAlanwiththehelpofJeekie。“Theygreetherbyraisingtheirhead-dressorkissingherhand。“
“Ah！“shesaid。“Well，youhavenohead-dress，sokiss/my/hand，“andshestretcheditouttowardshim，atthesametimeproddingthemanwhomJackiehadsaidwasherhusband，inthebackwithherfoot，apparentlytomakehimgetoutoftheway。
Notknowingwhattodo，Alansteppedontothedais，thepaintedmanscowlingathimashepassed。Thenhehaltedandsaid:
“HowcanIkissyourhandthroughthismask，Asika？“
“True，“sheanswered，thenconsideredalittleandadded，“Whiteman，youhavebroughtbackLittleBonsa，haveyounot，LittleBonsawhoranawaywithyouagreatmanyyearsago？“
“Ihave，“hesaid，ignoringtherestofthequestion。
“YourmessengerssaidthatyourequiredapresentofgoldinreturnforLittleBonsa。Ihavesentyouone，isitsufficient？Ifnot，youcanhavemore。“
“Icannotsay，OAsika，Ihavenotexaminedit。ButIthankyouforthepresentanddesireporterstoenablemetocarryitaway。“
“Youdesireporters，“sherepeatedmeditatively。“Wewilltalkofthatwhenyouhaverestedhereamoonortwo。Meanwhile，givemeLittleBonsathatshemayberestoredtoherownplace。“
Alanopenedthetinboxandliftingoutthefetish，gaveittothepriestess，whotookitandwithaserpentinemovementofextraordinarygraceglidedfromherchairontoherknees，holdingthemaskaboveherheadinbothhands，thenthricecoveredherfacewithit。Thisdone，shecalledtothepriests，biddingthemtakeLittleBonsatoherownplaceandgivenoticethroughoutthelandthatshewasbackagain。
SheaddedthattheancientFeastofLittleBonsawouldbeheldonthenightofthefullmoonwithinthreedays，andthatallpreparationsmustbemadeforitasshehadcommanded。
Thentheheadmedicine-man，raisinghimselfuponhisknees，creptontothedais，tookthefetishfromherhands，andbreakingintoawildsongoftriumph，heandhiscompanionscrawleddownthehallandvanishedthroughthedoor，leavingthemalonesavefortheAsika’shusband。
WhentheyhadgonetheAsikalookedatthismaninareflectiveway，andAlanlookedathimalsothroughtheeyeholesofhismask，findinghimwellworthstudying。Ashasbeensaid，notwithstandinghispaintandgrotesquedecorations，hewasverygood-lookingforanative，withwell-cutfeaturesofanArabtype。Alsohewastallandmuscularandnotmorethanthirtyyearsofage。WhatstruckAlanmost，however，wasnoneofthesethings，norhisjewelledchains，norevenhisgildedpigtail，buthiseyes，whichwerefullofterrors。Seeingthem，AlanrememberedJeekie’sstory，whichhehadtoldtoMr。Haswell’sguestsatTheCourt，ofhowthehusbandoftheAsikawasdrivenmadbyghosts。
Justthenshespoketotheman，addressinghimbynameandsaying:
“Leaveusalone，Mungana，Iwishtospeakwiththiswhitelord。“
Hedidnotseemtohearherwords，butcontinuedtostareatAlan。
“Hearken！“sheexclaimedinavoiceofice。“Domybiddingandbegone，oryoushallsleepaloneto-nightinacertainchamberthatyouknowof。“
ThenMunganarose，lookedatherasadogsometimesdoesatacruelmasterwhoisabouttobeatit，yes，withjustthatsameexpression，puthishandsbeforehiseyesforalittlewhile，andturning，leftthehallbyasidedoorwhichclosedbehindhim。TheAsikawatchedhimgo，laughedmusicallyandsaid:
“Itisaverydullthingtobemarried，——buthowareyounamed，whiteman？“
“Vernon，“heanswered。
“Vernoon，Vernoon，“sherepeated，forshecouldnotpronouncetheO
waswedo。“Areyoumarried，Vernoon？“
Heshookhishead。
“Haveyoubeenmarried？“
“No，“heanswered，“never，butIamgoingtobe。“
“Yes，“sherepeated，“youaregoingtobe。Yourememberthatyouwereneartoitmanyyearsago，whenLittleBonsagotjealousandranawaywithyou。Well，shewon’tdothatagain，fordoubtlesssheistiredofyounow，andbesides，“sheaddedwithaflashofferocity，“I’dmeltherwithfirefirstandsetherspiritfree。“
WhileJeekiewastryingtoexplainthismysteriousspeechtoAlan，theAsikabrokein，asking:
“Doyoualwayswanttowearthatmask？“
Heanswered，“Certainlynot，“whereonshebadeJeekietakeitoff，whichhedid。
“Understandme，“shesaid，fixinghergreatlanguideyesuponhisinafashionthatmadehimexceedinglyuncomfortable，“understand，Vernoon，thatifyougooutanywhere，itmustbeinyourmask，whichyoucanonlyputoffwhenyouarealonewithme？“
“Why？“
“Because，Vernoon，Idonotchoosethatanyotherwomanshouldseeyourface。Ifawomanlooksuponyouruncoveredface，rememberthatshedies——notnicely。“
Alanstaredatherblankly，beingunabletofindappropriateAsikiwordsinwhichtoreplytothisthreat。ButtheAsikaonlyleanedbackinherchairandlaughedathisevidentconfusionanddismay，tillanewthoughtstruckher。
“Yourlipsarefreenow，“shesaid；“kissmyhandafterthefashionofyourowncountry，“andshestretcheditouttoAlan，leavinghimnochoicebuttoobeyher。
“Why，“shewentonmischievously，takinghishandandinturntouchingitwithherredlips，“why，areyouathief，Vernoon？Thatringwasmineandyouhavestolenit。Howdidyoustealthatring？“
“Idon’tknow，“heanswered，throughJeekie，“Ifounditonmyfinger。
Icannotunderstandhowitcamethere。Iunderstandnothingofallthistalk。“
“Well，well，keepit，Vernoon，onlygivemethatotherringofyoursinexchange。“
“Icannot，“hereplied，colouring。“Ipromisedtowearitalways。“
“Whomdidyoupromise？“sheaskedwithaflashofrage。“Wasitawoman？Nay，Isee，itisaman’sring，andthatiswell，forotherwiseIwouldbringacurseonher，howeverfaroffshemaybedwelling。Saynomoreandforgivemyanger。Avowisavow——keepyourring。Butwhereisthatoneyouusedtowearinbygonedays？Irecallthatithadacrossuponit，notthisstarandfigureofaneagle。“
NowAlanrememberedthathisuncleownedsucharingwithacrossuponit，andwasfrightened，forhowdidthiswomanknowthesethings？