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LAY THERE STILIL AND SILENT.

glowing embers upon this spot, such as the one ye now sce, and waited for the coming of night. Sitting beside 1t, I was told to watch the lovers, and, when they passed into the jasper vale, to blow the embers, that they might glow redder stilly as the charm which was ogiven me was mm()lul with them. Then should my lover he restored to me, and the queen who had stolen his Jove should perish. So osard the oreat magiclan,

“\When the stars came out [ heard the sound of vo'ces, as before ; then the lovers appearcd from under the archway. |1 placed the charm upon the embers, and, fining them with my breathy next looked up at the great star which shone brighter than the others, and begged 1t to be pititul and to restore to me my beloved.

“As T did so, a sudden light appeared above, for the star burst and fell upon the fovers ! T hastened forward, for the magi- cian had told me that the Prince would be uninjured. Alas ! when T reached the spot

MAGAZINT

nothing was there, for the Prince and his adored conc had dis- appeared. 1 looked up to the sky once more, but the great star was no longer to be scen; while m its place were two others, smaller, but shining together, as if the twain had become stars sct 1n the blue heaven to abide for ever side by side.

“I ran shrieking from the val- ley, and wandered aimlessly for days on the mountain slopes. 1

could not die, and now my spirit urges me ever to visit this valley at mghtfall. Years have passed since then; the palace of the Prince has disappearced, but amid the ruins ot this jasper vale 1 wander sadly, or climb the deso- late mountain peaks.

“When the great star which ye sce above appears, I kindle a hre, as I did of old, for then do T sce the star fall and the lovers perish. The magi- cian deceived me, for he hated the Prince, and used me as the means of destroying him."

1T ThrouarouT the narrative neither of us had interrupted ; on its conclusion I glanced uncasily at my companion.

“What do you think about this star 2 | whispered. FFor reply, Denviers pomted towards the woman, who had partly raised herself, and was engaged in endeavouring to make the embers glow brighter. After remaining silent for some minutes before answering my question, Denviers at last sald—

“1f there 1s any truth in what we have been told, T think the proof of it will soon be forthcoming.”

“The woman scems to be strangely moved,” T continued ; “ would it not be bet- ter for us to move away to the spot from where we watched her as she kindled the re 7" Tothis question Denviers assented, and we took up a position from which we could observe clearly whatever happened i the valley.

“ Do you think she is mad ?" T asked. Then, without waiting for my companion to answer, I grasped his arm firmly to en-

join silence.

[Te eolanced in the direction in which he

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