"
The whistling voice died away like the thin cry of some starving child
in a desert, and there was a great silence. Then in a moment the figure
of gold ceased to glow and the eyes of emerald to burn, leaving the
thing but a dead lump of metal. The priests prostrated themselves, and
rising, led us from the place without a word, but in the light of the
lamps I saw that their faces were full of terror--so full that I doubted
whether it could be feigned.
As we had come, so we went, and at last found ourselves outside the
glittering temple doors where the litters awaited us.
"What did it mean?" I whispered to Quilla, who was by my side.
"For you and the other I know not," she answered hurriedly; "but for
me I think that it means death. Yet, not until--not until----" And she
ceased.
At that moment the moon appeared from behind the rain-clouds and shone
upon her upturned face, and in her eyes there was a glory.
Now, as I learned afterwards, these words of its most famous oracle went
all through the land and caused great talk and wonder mixed with fear,
for none of such import had been spoken by it for generations.
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