Lilith

"Will the cat−woman−−I mean the woman that isn't the cat−woman, and has no claws to her toes−−give her
grapes?"
"She is more likely to give her scratches!"
"Why?−−You say she is her friend!"
"That is just why.−−A friend is one who gives us what we need, and the princess is sorely in need of a
terrible scratching."
They were silent again.
"If any of you are afraid," I said, "you may go home; I shall not prevent you. But I cannot take one with me
who believes the giants rather than me, or one who will call a good lady the cat−woman!"
"Please, king," said one, "I'm so afraid of being afraid!"
"My boy," I answered, "there is no harm in being afraid. The only harm is in doing what Fear tells you. Fear
is not your master! Laugh in his face and he will run away."
"There she is−−in the door waiting for us!" cried one, and put his hands over his eyes.
"How ugly she is!" cried another, and did the same.
"You do not see her," I said; "her face is covered!"
"She has no face!" they answered.
"She has a very beautiful face. I saw it once.−−It is indeed as beautiful as Lona's!" I added with a sigh.
"Then what makes her hide it?"
"I think I know:−−anyhow, she has some good reason for it!"
"I don't like the cat−woman! she is frightful!"
"You cannot like, and you ought not to dislike what you have never seen.−−Once more, you must not call her
the cat−woman!"
"What are we to call her then, please?"
"Lady Mara."
Lilith
"That is a pretty name!" said a girl; "I will call her `lady Mara'; then perhaps she will show me her beautiful
face!"
Mara, drest and muffled in white, was indeed standing in the doorway to receive us.
"At last!" she said. "Lilith's hour has been long on the way, but it is come! Everything comes. Thousands of
years have I waited−−and not in vain!"
Lilith 123