her subject stars； gleamed through the fissures of the cave； on
whose floor lay the relics of antediluvian races； and rested in one
flood of silvery splendor upon the hollows of the extinct volcano；
with tufts of dank herbage； and wide spaces of paler sward；
covering the gold belowgold； the dumb symbol of organized
Matter's great mystery； storing in itself； according as Mind； the
informer of Matter； can distinguish its uses； evil and good； bane
and blessing。
Hitherto the Veiled Woman had remained in the rear； with the white…
robed； skeletonlike image that had crept to my side unawares with
its noiseless step。 Thus； in each winding turn of the difficult
path at which the convoy following behind me came into sight； I had
seen； first； the two gayly dressed； armed men； next the black；
bierlike litter； and last the Black…veiled Woman and the White…
robed Skeleton。
But now； as I halted on the tableland； backed by the mountain and
fronting the valley； the woman left her companion； passed by the
litter and the armed men； and paused by my side； at the mouth of
the moonlit cavern。
There for a moment she stood； silent； the procession below mounting
upward laboriously and slow； then she turned to me； and her veil
was withdrawn。
The face on which I gazed was wondrously beautiful； and severely
awful。 There was neither youth nor age； but beauty； mature and
majestic as that of a marble Demeter。
〃Do you believe in that which you seek？〃 she asked in her foreign；
melodious； melancholy accents。
〃I have no belief；〃 was my answer。 〃True science has none。 True
science questions all things； takes nothing upon credit。 It knows
but three states of the minddenial； conviction； and that vast
interval between the two which is not belief but suspense of
judgment。〃
The woman let fall her veil； moved from me； and seated herself on a
crag above that cleft between mountain and creek； to which； when I
had first discovered the gold that the land nourished； the rain
from the clouds had given the rushing life of the cataract； but
which now； in the drought and the hush of the skies； was but a dead
pile of stones。
The litter now ascended the height： its bearers halted； a lean hand
tore the curtains aside； and Margrave descended leaning； this time；
not on the Black…veiled Woman； but on the White…robed Skeleton。
There； as he stood； the moon shone full on his wasted form； on his
face； resolute； cheerful； and proud； despite its hollowed outlines
and sicklied hues。 He raised his head； spoke in the language
unknown to me； and the armed men and the litter bearers grouped
round him； bending low； their eyes fixed on the ground。 The Veiled
Woman rose slowly and came to his side； motioning away； with a mute
sign； the ghastly form on which he leaned； and passing round him
silently； instead； her own sustaining arm。 Margrave spoke again a
few sentences； of which I could not even guess the meaning。 When
he had concluded； the armed men and the litter bearers came nearer
to his feet； knelt down； and kissed his hand。 They then rose； and
took from the bierlike vehicle the coffer and the fuel。 This done；
they lifted again the litter； and again； preceded by the armed men；
the procession descended down the sloping hillside； down into the
valley below。
Margrave now whispered； for some moments； into the ear of the
hideous creature who had made way for the Veiled Woman。 The grim
skeleton bowed his head submissively； and strode noiselessly away
through the long grassesthe slender stems； trampled under his
stealthy feet； relifting themselves as after a passing wind。 And
thus he； too； sank out of sight down into the valley below。 On the
tableland of the hill remained only we threeMargrave； myself； and
the Veiled Woman。
She had reseated herself apart； on the gray crag above the dried
torrent。 He stood at the entrance of the cavern； round the sides
of which clustered parasital plants； with flowers of all colors；
some among them opening their petals and exhaling their fragrance
only in the hours of night； so that； as his form filled up the jaws
of the dull arch； obscuring the moonbeam that strove to pierce the
shadows that slept within； it stood nowwan and blightedas I had
seen it first； radiant and joyous； literally 〃framed in blooms。〃
IV
〃So；〃 said Margrave； turning to me； 〃under the soil that spreads
around us lies the gold which to you and to me is at this moment of
no value； except as a guide to its twin…bornthe regenerator of
life！〃
〃You have not yet described to me the nature of the substance which
we are to explore； nor the process by which the virtues you impute
to it are to be extracted。〃
〃Let us first find the gold； and instead of describing the life…
amber； so let me call it； I will point it out to your own eyes。 As
to the process； your share in it is so simple that you will ask me
why I seek aid from a chemist。 The life…amber； when found； has but
to be subjected to heat and fermentation for six hours； it will be
placed in a small caldron which that coffer contains； over the fire
which that fuel will feed。 To give effect to the process； certain
alkalies and other ingredients are required； but these are
prepared； and mine is the task to commingle them。 From your
science as chemist I need and ask naught。 In you I have sought
only the aid of a man。〃
〃If that be so； why； indeed； seek me at all？ Why not confide in
those swarthy attendants； who doubtless are slaves to your orders？〃
〃Confide in slaves； when the first task enjoined to them would be
to discover； and refrain from purloining gold！ Seven such
unscrupulous knaves； or even one such； and I； thus defenseless and
feeble！ Such is not the work that wise masters confide to fierce
slaves。 But that is the least of the reasons which exclude them
from my choice； and fix my choice of assistant on you。 Do you
forget what I told you of the danger which the Dervish declared no
bribe I could offer could tempt him a second time to brave？〃
〃I remember now； those words had passed away from my mind。〃
〃And because they had passed away from your mind； I chose you for
my comrade。 I need a man by whom danger is scorned。〃
〃But in the process of which you tell me I see no possible danger
unless the ingredients you mix in your caldron have poisonous
fumes。〃
〃It is not that。 The ingredients I use are not poisons。〃
〃What other danger； except you dread your own Eastern slaves？ But；
if so； why lead them to these solitudes； and； if so； why not bid me
be armed？〃
〃The Eastern slaves； fulfilling my commands； wait for my summons；
where their eyes cannot see what we do。 The danger is of a kind in
which the boldest son of the East would be more craven； perhaps；
that the daintiest Sybarite of Europe； who would shrink from a
panther and laugh at a ghost。 In the creed of the Dervish； and of
all who adventure into that realm of Nature which is closed to
philosophy and open to magic； there are races in the magnitude of
space unseen as animalcules in the world of a drop。 For the tribes
of the drop science has its microscope。 Of the host of yon azure
Infinite magic gains sight； and through them gains command over
fluid conductors that link all the parts of creation。 Of these
races； some are wholly indifferent to man； some benign to him； and
some deadly hostile。 In all the regular and prescribed conditions
of mortal being； this magic realm seems as blank and tenantless as
yon vacant air。 But when a seeker of powers beyond the rude
functions by which man plies the clockwork that measures his hours；
and stops when its chain reaches the end of its coil； strives to
pass over those boundaries at which philosophy says； 'Knowledge
ends'then； he is like all other travelers in regions unknown； he
must propitiate or brave the tribes that are hostilemust depend
for his life on the tribes that are friendly。 Though your science
discredits the alchemist's dogmas； your learning informs you that
all alchemists were not ignorant impostors； yet those whose
discoveries prove them to have been the nearest allies to your
practical knowledge； ever hint in their mystical works at the
reality of that realm which is open to magicever hint that some
means less familiar than furnace and bellows are essential to him
who explores the elixir of life。 He who once quaffs that elixir；
obtains in his very veins the bright fluid by which he transmits
the force of his will to agencies dormant in Nature； to giants
unseen in the space。 And here； as he passes the boundary which
divides his allotted and normal mortality from the regions and
races that magic alone can explore； so； here； he breaks down the
safeguard between himself and the tribes that are hostile。 Is it
not ever thus between man and man？ Let a race the most gentle and
timid and civilized dwell on one side a river or mountain； and
another have home in the region beyond； each； if it pass not the
intervening barrier； may with each live in peace。 But if ambitious
adventurers scale the mountain； or cross the river； with design to
subdue and enslave the population they boldly invade； then all the
invaded arise in wrath and defiancethe neighbors are changed into
foes。 And therefore this processby which a simple though rare
material of Nature is made to yield to a mortal the boon of a life
which brings； with its glorious resistance to Time； desires and
faculties to subject to its service beings that dwell in the earth
and the air and the deephas ever been one of the same peril which
an invader must brave when he crosses the bounds of his nation。 By
this key alone you unlock all the cells of the alchemist's lore； by
this alone understand how a labor； which a chemist's crudest
apprentice could perform； has baffled the giant fathers of all your
dwarfed children of science。 Nature； that stores this priceless
boon； seems to shrink from conceding it to manthe invisible
tribes that abhor him oppose themselves to the gain that might give
them a master。 The duller of those who were the life…seekers of
old would have told you how some chance； trivial； unlooked…for；
foiled their grand hope at the very point of fruition； some dolt