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their sculptors； and their concubines； and traded and
quarrelled； and ate and hunted and slept and made
merry till their time came。 But come； I will show thee
the great pit beneath the cave whereof the writing
speaks。 Never shall thine eyes witness such another
sight。〃
Accordingly I followed her to a side passage opening
out of the main cave； then down a great number of
steps； and along an underground shaft which cannot
have been less than sixty feet beneath the surface of
the rock； and was ventilated by curious borings that
ran upward； I do not know where。 Suddenly the passage
ended； and she halted and bade the mutes hold up the
lamps； and； as she had prophesied； I saw a scene such
as I was not likely to see again。 We were standing in
an enormous pit； or rather on the edge of it； for it
went down deeperI do not know how muchthan the
level on which we stood； and was edged in with a low
wall of rock。 So far as I could judge； this pit was
about the size of the space beneath the dome of St。
Paul's in London； and when the lamps were held up I
saw that it was nothing but one vast charnelhouse；
being literally full of thousands of human skeletons；
which lay piled up in an enormous gleaming pyramid；
formed by the slipping down of the bodies at the apex
as fresh ones were dropped in from above。 Anything
more appalling than this jumbled mass of the remains
of a departed race I cannot imagine； and what made it
even more dreadful was that in this dry air a
considerable number of the bodies had simply become
desiccated with the skin on them； and now； fixed in
every conceivable position； stared at us out of the
mountain of white bones； grotesquely horrible
caricatures of humanity。 In my astonishment I uttered
an ejaculation； and the echoes of my voice ringing in
the vaulted space disturbed a skull that had been
accurately balanced for many thousands of years near
the apex of the pile。 Down it came with a run；
hounding along merrily towards us； and of course
bringing an avalanche of other bones after it； till at
last the whole pit rattled with their movement； even
as though the skeletons were getting up to greet us。
〃Come；〃 I said； 〃I have seen enough。 These are the
bodies of those who died of the great sickness； is it
not so？〃 I added； as we turned away。
〃Yes。 The people of Ko^r ever embalmed their dead； as
did the Egyptians； but their art was greater than the
art of the Egyptians； for whereas the Egyptians
disembowelled and drew the brain； the people of Ko^r
injected fluid into the veins； and thus reached every
part。 But stay； thou shalt see；〃 and she halted at
haphazard at one of the little doorways opening out of
the passage along which we were walking； and motioned
to the mutes to light us in。 We entered into a small
chamber similar to the one in which I had slept at our
first stopping…place； only instead of one there were
two stone benches or beds in it。 On the benches lay
figures covered with yellow linen； on which a fine and
impalpable dust had gathered in the course of ages；
but nothing like to the extent that one would have
anticipated； for in these deep…hewn caves there is no
material to turn to dust。 About the bodies on the
stone shelves and floor of the tomb were many painted
vases； but I saw very few ornaments or weapons in any
of the vaults。
〃Uplift the cloths； O Holly；〃 said Ayesha； but when I
put out my hand to do so I drew it back again。 It
seemed like sacrilege； and to speak the truth I was
awed by the dread solemnity of the place； and of the
presences before us。 Then； with a little laugh at my
fears； she drew them herself； only to discover other
and yet finer cloths lying over the forms upon the
stone bench。 These also she withdrew； and then for the
first time for thousands upon thousands of years of
did living eyes look upon the face of that chilly
dead。 It was a woman； she might have been thirty…five
years of age； or perhaps a little less； and had
certainly been beautiful。 Even now her calm； clear…cut
features； marked out with delicate eyebrows and long
eyelashes which threw little lines of the shadow of
the lamplight upon the ivory face； were wonderfully
beautiful。 There； robed in white； down which her blue
black hair was streaming； she slept her last long
sleep； and on her arm； its face pressed against her
breast； there lay a little babe。 So sweet was the
sight； although so awful； thatI confess it without
shameI could scarcely withhold my tears。 It took me
back across the dim gulf of the ages to some happy
home in dead Imperial Ko^r； where this winsome lady
girt about with beauty had lived and died； and dying
taken her last…born with her to the tomb。 There they
were before us； mother and babe； the white memories of
a forgotten human history speaking more eloquently to
the heart than could any written record of their
lives。 Reverently I replaced the grave…cloths； and；
with a sigh that flowers so fair should； in the
purpose of the Everlasting； have only bloomed to be
gathered to the grave； I turned to the body on the
opposite shelf； and gently unveiled it。 It was that of
a man in advanced life； with a long； grizzled beard；
and also robed in white； probably the husband of the
lady； who； after surviving her many years； came at
last to sleep once more for good and all beside her。
We left the place and entered others； It would be too
long to describe the many things I saw in them。 Each
one had its occupants； for the fice hundred and odd
years that elapsed between the completion of the cave
and the destruction of the race had evidently sufficed
to fill these catacombs； numberless as they were； and
all appeared to have been undisturbed since the day
when they were placed there。 I could fill a book with
the description of them； but to do so would only be to
repeat what I have said； with variations。
Nearly all the bodies； so masterly was the art with
which they had been treated； were as perfect as on the
day of death thousands of years before。 Nothing came
to injure them in the deep silence of the living rock；
they were beyond the reach of heat and cold and damp；
and the aromatic drugs with which they had been
saturated were evidently practically everlasting in
their effect。 Here and there； however； we saw an
exception； and in these cases； although the flesh
looked sound enough externally； if one touched it it
fell in； and revealed the fact that the figure was but
a pile of dust。 This arose； Ayesha told me； from these
particular bodies having； either owing to haste in the
burial or other causes； been soaked in the
preservative； instead of its being injected into the
substance of the flesh。
About the last tomb we visited I must； however； say
one word； for its contents spoke even more eloquently
to the human sympathies than those of the first。 It
had but two occupants； and they lay together on a
single shelf。 I withdrew the grave…cloths； and there；
clasped heart to heart； were a young man and a
blooming girl。 Her head rested on his arm； and his
lips were pressed against her brow。 I opened the man's
linen robe； and there over his heart was a dagger…
wound； and beneath the girl's fair breast was a like
cruel stab； through which her life had ebbed away。 On
the rock above was an inscription in three words。
Ayesha translated it。 It was 〃Wedded in Death。〃
What was the life…history of these two； who； of a
truth； were beautiful in their lives； and in their
death were not divided？
I closed my eyelids； and imagination taking up the
thread of thought shot its swift shuttle back across
the ages； weaving a picture on their blackness so real
and vivid in its detail that I could almost for a
moment think that I had triumphed o'er the Past； and
that my spirit's eyes had pierced the mystery of Time。
I seemed to see this fair girl…formthe yellow hair
streaming down her； glittering against her garments
snowy…white； and the bosom that was whiter than the
robes； even dimming with its lustre her ornaments of
burnished gold。 I seemed to see the great cave filled
with warriors； bearded and clad in mail； and； on the
lighted dais where Ayesha had given judgment； a man
standing； robed； and surrounded by the symbols of his
priestly office。 And up the cave there came one clad
in purple； and before him and behind him came
minstrels and fait maidens； chanting a wedding song。
White stood the maid against the altar； fairer than
the fairest therepurer than a lily； and more cold
than the dew that glistens in its heart。 But as the
man drew near she shuddered。 Then out of the press and
throng there sprang a dark…haired youth； and put his
arm about this long…forgotten maid； and kissed her
pale face in which the blood shot up like lights of
the red dawn across the silent sky。 And next there was
turmoil and uproar； and a flashing of swords； and they
tore the youth from her arms； and stabbed him； but
with a cry she snatched the dagger from his belt； and
drove it into her snowy breast； home to the heart； and
down she fell； and then