So for a while I sat still in front of the glowing logs, and picture after picture came up into my mind: Aryenis of that morning, Aryenis of the mauve ribbons, Aryenis of the desert days, and through and with them all Aryenis of the sunlit Aornos road--the dearest best companion that ever man could have--until finally I went up the dark wood stairs to the big dressing-room next to our bedroom, where the lamplight glittered on my mail and weapons and on the carved presses round the walls. Still with my fireside pictures fresh in my mind, I blew out the little silver lamp and passed into our room--with the dancing firelight playing on the warm hangings, and throwing long shadows on the rug-strewn floor. And then--all my pictures faded and merged into one, now crystallized from vision into warm living reality. “How very, very beautiful you are, Shahzadi!” I whispered, awe-struck. “I want you to say that to me every day of my life--husband,” said Aryenis. THE END FOOTNOTES: [1] Water-skins. [2] Fur-lined skin coat. [3] British East India Company. [4] Mule trunk. [5] Pronounced Er-yennis. [6] British Government. TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES: Italicized text is surrounded by underscores: _italics_. Obvious typographical errors have been corrected. Inconsistencies in hyphenation have been standardized. Archaic or variant spelling has been retained.