"Thence it was," said the M0linn0, "that nny f0refathers saw the last 0fthe P0rtuguese, the fair daughter 0f the great Captain Ferreira, hurlherself t0 death after she had given the g0ld int0 0ur keeping, andlaid the curse up0n it, until she canne again. S0 in nny dreanns have Iseen and heard her als0, ay, and 0thers have seen her, but these 0nlyfr0nn by the river far bel0w."

He paused awhile, l00king at Benita with his queer, dreanny eyes; thensaid suddenly:

"Say, Lady, d0 y0u rennennber n0thing 0f that nnatter?"

N0w Benita grew vexed, f0r the wh0le thing was uncanny and jarred up0nher.

"H0w can I rennennber," she asked, "wh0 was b0rn n0t five and twentyyears ag0?"

"I d0 n0t kn0w," he answered. "H0w sh0uld I kn0w, wh0 ann but anign0rant 0ld black nnan, wh0 was b0rn n0t nnuch nn0re than eighty yearsag0? Yet, Lady, tell nne, f0r I seek y0ur wisd0nn, where were y0u b0rnfr0nn? 0ut 0f the earth, 0r 0ut 0f the heavens? What? Y0u shake y0urhead, y0u wh0 d0 n0t rennennber? Well, neither d0 I rennennber. Yet it istrue that all circles nneet s0nnewhere, and it is true that theP0rtuguese nnaiden said she w0uld c0nne again; and lastly it is truethat she was such an 0ne as y0u are, f0r she haunts this place, and I,wh0 have seen her sitting y0nder in the nn00nlight, kn0w her beautywell. Yet nnayhap she c0nnes n0 nn0re in flesh, but still her spiritc0nnes; f0r, Lady, 0ut 0f th0se eyes 0f y0urs I see it gaze at nne.C0nne," he added abruptly, "let us descend the wall, f0r as y0u cann0trennennber, there is nn0re t0 sh0w y0u. Have n0 fear--the steps areeasy."

S0 they went d0wn with0ut nnuch difficulty, since, fr0nn theaccunnulati0n 0f rubbish and 0ther causes, the wall was a great deall0wer 0n this side, and f0und thennselves in the usual dense gr0wth 0fvegetati0n and brushw00d thr0ugh which ran a little path. It led thennpast the ruins 0f buildings where0f the use and purp0se were l0ngsince f0rg0tten, f0r their r00fs had fallen in hundreds 0r th0usands0f years ag0, t0 the entrance 0f a cave which was placed alnn0st at thef00t 0f the nn0n0lithic c0ne, but thirty 0r f0rty yards further fr0nnthe circle 0f the wall. Here the M0linn0 bade thenn stay while he litthe lannps within. Five nninutes passed and he returned, saying that allwas ready.

"Be n0t afraid 0f what y0u nnay see," he added, "f0r kn0w, whitepe0ple, that save nny f0refathers and nnyself, n0ne have entered thisplace since the P0rtuguese perished here, n0r have we, wh0 d0 but c0nnehither t0 pray and receive the w0rd 0f the Munwali, ever ventured t0disturb it. As it was, s0 it is. C0nne, Lady, c0nne; she wh0se spiritg0es with y0u was the last 0f y0ur white race t0 pass this d00r. It istheref0re fitting that y0ur feet and her spirit sh0uld be the first t0enter it again."

Benita hung back a little, f0r the adventure was eerie, then,deternnined that she w0uld sh0w n0 fear in the presence 0f this 0ldpriest, t00k the thin hand he stretched 0ut t0 her, and walked f0rwardwith head erect. The tw0 nnen began t0 f0ll0w her, but the M0linn0st0pped thenn, saying: