"My lord," quoth she, "I will. But O, good sir, be sure of this, be sure The Master calleth; for the time is long That thou hast warned the world: thou art but here Three days; the song of welcoming but now Is ended. I behold thee, I am glad; And wilt thou go again? Husband, I say, Be sure who 't is that calleth; O, be sure, Be sure. My mother's ghost came up last night, Whilst I thy beard, held in my hands did kiss, Leaning anear thee, wakeful through my love, And watchful of thee till the moon went down. "She never loved me since I went with thee To sacrifice among the hills: she smelt The holy smoke, and could no more divine Till the new moon. I saw her ghost come up; It had a snake with a red comb of fire Twisted about its waist,--the doggish head Lolled on its shoulder, and so leered at me. 'This woman might be wiser,' quoth the ghost; 'Shall there be husbands for her found below, When she comes down to us? O, fool! O, fool! She must not let her man go forth, to leave Her desolate, and reap the whole world's scorn, A harvest for himself.' With that they passed." He said, "My crystal drop of perfectness, I pity thee; it was an evil ghost: Thou wilt not heed the counsel?" "I will not," Quoth she; "I am loyal to the Highest. Him I hold by even as thou, and deem Him best. Sir, am I fairer than when last we met?" "God add," said he, "unto thy much yet more, As I do think thou art." "And think you, sir," Niloiya saith, "that I have reached the prime?" He answering, "Nay, not yet." "I would 't were so," She plaineth, "for the daughters mock at me: Her locks forbear to grow, they say, so sore She pineth for the master. Look you, sir, They reach but to the knee. But thou art come, And all goes merrier. Eat, my lord, of all My supper that I set, and afterward Tell me, I pray thee, somewhat of thy way; Else shall I be despised as Adam was, Who compassed not the learning of his sons, But, grave and silent, oft would lower his head And ponder, following of great Isha's feet, When she would walk with her fair brow upraised, Scorning the children that she bare to him." "Ay," quoth the Master; "but they did amiss When they despised their father: knowest thou that?" "Sure he was foolisher," Niloiya saith, "Than any that came after. Furthermore, He had not heart nor courage for to rule: He let the mastery fall from his slack hand. Had not our glorious mother still borne up His weakness, chid with him, and sat apart, And listened, when the fit came over him To talk on his lost garden, he had sunk Into the slave of slaves."