Lilith
Lilith
Lilith
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me as she could lie, the heat of her body slowly penetrating mine, and her breath, which had nothing of the<br />
wild beast in it, swathing my head and face in a genial atmosphere. A full conviction that her intention toward<br />
me was good, gained possession of me. I turned like a sleepy boy, threw my arm over her, and sank into<br />
profound unconsciousness.<br />
When I began to come to myself, I fancied I lay warm and soft in my own bed. "Is it possible I am at home?"<br />
I thought. The well−known scents of the garden seemed to come crowding in. I rubbed my eyes, and looked<br />
out: I lay on a bare stone, in the heart of a hateful city!<br />
I sprang from the bench. Had I indeed had a leopardess for my bedfellow, or had I but dreamed it? She had<br />
but just left me, for the warmth of her body was with me yet!<br />
I left the recess with a new hope, as strong as it was shapeless. One thing only was clear to me: I must find<br />
the princess! Surely I had some power with her, if not over her! Had I not saved her life, and had she not<br />
prolonged it at the expense of my vitality? The reflection gave me courage to encounter her, be she what she<br />
might.<br />
CHAPTER XXV. THE PRINCESS<br />
Making a circuit of the castle, I came again to the open gates, crossed the ravine−like moat, and found myself<br />
in a paved court, planted at regular intervals with towering trees like poplars. In the centre was one taller than<br />
the rest, whose branches, near the top, spread a little and gave it some resemblance to a palm. Between their<br />
great stems I got glimpses of the palace, which was of a style strange to me, but suggested Indian origin. It<br />
was long and low, with lofty towers at the corners, and one huge dome in the middle, rising from the roof to<br />
half the height of the towers. The main entrance was in the centre of the front−−a low arch that seemed half<br />
an ellipse. No one was visible, the doors stood wide open, and I went unchallenged into a large hall, in the<br />
form of a longish ellipse. Toward one side stood a cage, in which couched, its head on its paws, a huge<br />
leopardess, chained by a steel collar, with its mouth muzzled and its paws muffled. It was white with dark<br />
oval spots, and lay staring out of wide−open eyes, with canoe−shaped pupils, and great green irids. It<br />
appeared to watch me, but not an eyeball, not a foot, not a whisker moved, and its tail stretched out behind it<br />
rigid as an iron bar. I could not tell whether it was a live thing or not.<br />
>From this vestibule two low passages led; I took one of them, and found it branch into many, all narrow and<br />
irregular. At a spot where was scarce room for two to pass, a page ran against me. He started back in terror,<br />
but having scanned me, gathered impudence, puffed himself out, and asked my business.<br />
"To see the princess," I answered.<br />
"A likely thing!" he returned. "I have not seen her highness this morning myself!"<br />
I caught him by the back of the neck, shook him, and said, "Take me to her at once, or I will drag you with<br />
me till I find her. She shall know how her servants receive her visitors."<br />
<strong>Lilith</strong><br />
He gave a look at me, and began to pull like a blind man's dog, leading me thus to a large kitchen, where<br />
were many servants, feebly busy, and hardly awake. I expected them to fall upon me and drive me out, but<br />
they stared instead, with wide eyes−−not at me, but at something behind me, and grew more ghastly as they<br />
stared. I turned my head, and saw the white leopardess, regarding them in a way that might have feared<br />
stouter hearts.<br />
Presently, however, one of them, seeing, I suppose, that attack was not imminent, began to recover himself; I<br />
turned to him, and let the boy go.<br />
<strong>Lilith</strong> 80