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with a silver serpent, its head of sapphires, and just above her bosom was a fiery jewel which resembled the human eye, this singularly life-like jewel was absolutely repulsive as it moved to and fro with the breathing of the wearer.

Istar now ascended her throne in statuesque majesty, and sinking indolently amid its sable cushions, she shone in her wonderful whiteness like a glistening pearl set in ebony. She signed to her guests to resume their places at the table; she was instantly obeyed.

Zamula taking what seemed to be his accustomed place at right, Abram found a vacant corner at her left. At that moment a triumphant burst of music rushed through the dome, and the rush and buzz of conversation began. Two servants stood near Istar, waving large fans of peacock plumes slowly to and fro, which emitted a thousand jewel-like splendors.

A slave knelt on one knee, attired in scarlet, proffering a golden salver loaded with the choicest fruits and wines.

In this gay and gorgeous scene Abram surveyed this woman resplendent in all the startling seductiveness of her dangerous charms; and he was not insensible to the mesmeric spell that was certainly stealing over and intoxicating the entire being of all present,—should he yield to the magic spell ?—Should he for one brief hour enjoy the love that kills? No, no! a thousand times no. It seemed to him that the destiny of multitudes and nations rested upon his integrity in that hour.

There was nothing repulsive in the half ironical, half mischievous merriment of these patrician revelers, their witticism was brilliant and pointed, but never indelicate,—but the soft, enervating sensualism of trained and cultured epicurean

aristocrats is a moral poison whose effects are so insidious as to be scarcely felt till all the native nobility of character has withered, and naught is left of the man but the shadow wreck of his former self.

As the banquet progressed, wine followed more lavishly; peal after peal of laughter echoed throughout the dome, all sorts of topics were discussed.

Abram now turned to hear what Istar was saying to Zamula,

"And how is thy beauteous Sarai?

"Art thou still charmed with her marvelous singing?

"I hear that thou hast given her freedom, is that prudent, is she not safer as thy slave?”–

"The child is free to shape her own fate, her own future; I bind her no longer to my service."

Istar's drowsy eyes shot forth a fiery glance from under their heavily fringed drooping lids.

Zamula met this glance with a mutinous look of determination. She languidly took a goblet of wine, kissed the brim and handed it to him, he took it, drank from it and returned it. Istar refilled it and with soft animation and tenderness, turned to Abram and handed it to him; he took the cup and drank a little and with a slight salutation returned it.

"What a serious melancholy countenance is thine, Sir Abram," she said abruptly, thou art truly a man of strongly repressed and concentrated powers,-just the nature I love: I would there were more of thy proud and chilly temperament,-most men are full of folly, nervous are they, their heads are weak and apt to ache on small provocation, and their bodies cannot endure fatigue.

"Aye, but thou art a man clothed from head to foot in complete armour." She paused, and leaning forward so that the dark tresses of her fragrant hair touched his arm.

She turned and touched a bell at her side, it gave a sharp noise like a cymbal-and lo, the banquet table vanishedthe broad center space of the hall was now clear from all obstruction, and the drowsy revelers aroused themselves from their half inebriated languor. There was the sound of singing voices in the distance, and the globe of fire changed its hue from that of crimson to a delicate pink; nearer came the singing. From the extreme end of the vast hall a door opened, and all at once a troop of girls came dancing into the full pinkness of the light that floated about them, their garments were white, filmy and clinging-they tripped forward and surrounded Istar,, fluttering, saluting her with gestures of exquisite grace and devoted humility, while she enthroned in supreme fairness, looked down upon them like a goddess calmly surveying a crowd of vestal worshipers. And when their salutations were done, they flocked like doves to the center of the hall, there they poised bird-like, with their snowy arms upraised, as though ready to fly, and waitedthen came a tingling jangle of silver bells beating out a measured, languorous rythm,—and with one accord they all merged together in the voluptuous grace of a dance, ravishing and wild, there was fantastic grace in these fairy-like forms, as advancing, now retreating, now parting asunder with an air of coquetry and caprice-anon meeting again, and winding arm in arm,-bending forward in attitudes of entreaty, inviting love to soothe the sweetness of their lips with kisses.

The light changed from pale pink to delicate amber green. And now a flaring shaft of flame struck through like a sword from the farther end of the hall, and presently the whole wall opened and recoiling backwards on either side, disclosed a garden,—the green turf was lit up by the glory of the late moon, gold and green pavilions glimmered invitingly through the shadows of the great magnolia trees.

And there was a crash of cymbals; then a chime of bells, -a steady ringing, persuasive chime; and one maiden alone, -Peri-like floated seemingly from some far off place, glided into the full luster of the varying lights. The music now changed into a wild curious fantastic medley; to this the girl leaped forward with a startlingly beautiful abruptness, and halting as it were on the boundary line between the dome and the garden beyond, raised her arms in a snowy arch above her head and paused, for an instant only. Dropping her arms again with swift decision, she straightway hurled herself, so to speak, into the giddy paces of a wild fantastic dance,round and round she floated, sometimes bending wistfully toward the green turf as if listening to voices below, and sometimes waving her white hands upward as though in summons to spirits above.

Suddenly the music changed from appealing persuasive tones to that of martial-like fervor; the light changed to a dazzling pale green azure and again to a pearly clear white.

The girl's movements grew indolently slow-and from the shade there stepped forth a man, noble of form, clothed from chest to knee in a close fitting garb that looked like woven threads of gold; his hair was crowned with ivy, and at his belt the glittering sheath of a dagger; slowly and with

courtly grace he approached the maiden, who seemed to be drowsily footing her way into dreamland, he touched her shoulder, she started with a gesture of surprise,—a brilliant smile dawned on her face,-withdrawing herself slightly, she assumed an air of sweet disdain and refusal, then capriciously relenting, she gave him her hand, and in another instant, to the sound of a joyful melody, the dazzling pair whirled away in a giddy waltz,—on they flew on the smooth green turf, under drooping flowers in the moonlight, with the radiations from the dome sparkling upon them. Gradually they vanished through the shadows beyond. The young men who had watched this dance through in silence and flushed ecstasy, now sprang from their couches and seizing the other dancing maidens who had until now remained in clustered, half hidden groups behind the columns of the hall, whirled them off into the inviting pleasance beyond.

And before Abram could quite realize what had happened, the great globe in the dome was suddenly extinguished, and through the merest glimmer of light he discovered that he was alone.

Zamula had disappeared, and while he was considering how to find his way out of those enchanted grounds—suddenly a hand was laid on him. It was Istar, her face was temptingly near his own,—

"Abram," she said softly, and waited, he was mute, unmoved,

"Dost thou love me?" she cried.

"Lady, thou art fair, but I am too wise to love in the way of folly." She bade him follow her, and in a moment he

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