concavity of black cloud was lifting bodily like the lid of a pot,
letting in at the earth's edge the coming day, against which the
towering monoliths and trilithons began to be blackly defined.
'Did they sacrifice to God here?' asked she.
'No,' said he.
'Who to?'
'I believe to the sun. That lofty stone set away by itself is in the
direction of the sun, which will presently rise behind it.'
'This reminds me, dear,' she said. 'You remember you never would
interfere with any belief of mine before we were married? But I knew
your mind all the same, and I thought as you thought--not from any
reasons of my own, but because you thought so. Tell me now, Angel,
do you think we shall meet again after we are dead? I want to know.'
He kissed her to avoid a reply at such a time.
'O, Angel--I fear that means no!' said she, with a suppressed sob.
'And I wanted so to see you again--so much, so much! What--not even
you and I, Angel, who love each other so well?'
Like a greater than himself, to the critical question at the critical
time he did not answer; and they were again silent. In a minute or
two her breathing became more regular, her clasp of his hand relaxed,
and she fell asleep. The band of silver paleness along the east
horizon made even the distant parts of the Great Plain appear dark
and near; and the whole enormous landscape bore that impress of
reserve, taciturnity, and hesitation which is usual just before day.
The eastward pillars and their architraves stood up blackly against
the light, and the great flame-shaped Sun-stone beyond them; and the
Stone of Sacrifice midway. Presently the night wind died out, and
the quivering little pools in the cup-like hollows of the stones lay
still. At the same time something seemed to move on the verge of the
dip eastward--a mere dot. It was the head of a man approaching them
from the hollow beyond the Sun-stone. Clare wished they had gone
onward, but in the circumstances decided to remain quiet. The figure
came straight towards the circle of pillars in which they were.
He heard something behind him, the brush of feet. Turning, he saw
over the prostrate columns another figure; then before he was aware,
another was at hand on the right, under a trilithon, and another on
the left. The dawn shone full on the front of the man westward, and
Clare could discern from this that he was tall, and walked as if
trained. They all closed in with evident purpose. Her story then
was true! Springing to his feet, he looked around for a weapon,
loose stone, means of escape, anything. By this time the nearest
man was upon him.
'It is no use, sir,' he said. 'There are sixteen of us on the Plain,
and the whole country is reared.'
'Let her finish her sleep!' he implored in a whisper of the men as
they gathered round.
When they saw where she lay, which they had not done till then, they
showed no objection, and stood watching her, as still as the pillars
around. He went to the stone and bent over her, holding one poor
little hand; her breathing now was quick and small, like that of a
