"’Drink, beloved of God, the wine of joy.’ "But as I held out my hand for the cup, and was about to drink it, being parched with thirst, a feeling of fear restrained me, and I placed it at my side. "What could this girl be doing here? Might she not possess some knowledge that it would be worth my while to find out? Her dress was befitting a priestess of Venus, and strangely out of keeping with all that I had observed before. Unless I was greatly mistaken in my judgment of faces, the priests whom I had seen were men who had overcome passion, and whose thoughts were absorbed in striving after spiritual purity and perfection. How came it then that this young girl should be in their midst, and why was she sent to me? "’At whose bidding,’ I asked, ’do you bring this cup of wine?’ "’It has been sent,’ she replied, ’from the little temple where live the daughters of the moon; the queen bade me bear it to thee as an offering of love, and she has appointed me to be thy servant, to minister to thy wants, and to obey thy will, even if I may find grace in thy sight.’ "I was very much perplexed. As far as I could make out, this girl knew no more of the meaning of her visit than I did, and I was certain that no evil thought was in her heart. "’What,’ I said, ’if I reject the cup of joy and send thee back?’ "She hung her head, then kneeling down by my side and looking beseechingly at me answered-- "’Thou wouldst not send me from thee; I will do whatsoever thou desirest, and serve thee faithfully. As the moon reflects the glory of the sun, so is it dark with me if I may not see thy face!--as the flower withers without light, so must I droop if hidden from thy presence. If thou but drink the cup which the queen offers, thou wilt then know the joy of love.’ "As she said this I suddenly became conscious that she was repeating a lesson, acting a part, the meaning of which she did not understand; and with this knowledge, all danger which the temptation might have had for me was removed. Beginning to have some idea of the truth, I looked straight into her eyes and said-- "’Who taught you this lesson? Who told you to say this to me?’ "Her part had been doubtless well prepared, but this question was not one among those for which she had an answer ready, and after hesitating a moment she spoke the truth. "’The priest of temptation.’ "’And what would you have done had I drunk the wine and bidden you stay with me?’ I asked. "’I should have stayed,’ she answered simply, and her thoughts followed her words. "Then I said, ’Return to him who sent you, and speak these words--"He, to whom you sent me, said--there are forces spiritual and forces material against which all must contend ere they reach the borderland of wisdom, but woe unto those who use the innocent children of the Highest as brands to kindle the slumbering embers of passion!"’