The Worshipper of the Image

nes as a young witch gathering simples. She wore a hood of finely woven shadows, yet, though

nd at the foot of every tree she cried "Hush! Hush!" to the bedtime nests. When all but one were still, she slipped the hood from

vaulted lightly over the mossed fence and dipped down the gre

over to himself-"I l

e trees the black and white gable of a lit

dragonflies with their lamp-like eyes of luminous horn, moths with pall-like wings that filled the world with silence as you looked at them, sleepy as death-loved them with the passion of a Japanese artist who delights to carve

en he said to himself, with a smile in which was the delig

rly. He had done with it. He had carved it in seven words. The litt

gloom of the wood suggested an addition: "And some day I shall find in the wood that moth of

ow. A small fire flickered beneath a quaintly devised mantel, though it was summer-for the mists crept up the hill at night and chilled the souls of the books. A great old bureau, with a wonderful belly of mahogany, filled a corner of the room, breathing antique mystery and refinement. At one end of it, on a small vacant space of wall, hung a cast, apparently the death-mask of a woman, by which the eye was immediately attrac

ever changed and yet

light, and her smile softened and deepe

and stood in

Smiling Silence, I love you. All day long on the mo

he gentle sound of a woman's voice calling

ce, Antony bent nearer t

whispered, "Good-bye, unt

into the wood, and called back to the approaching voice: "I

the sun made a misty glory of her pale gold hair. She seemed a fairy romantic thing thus gliding in her yellow silk gown through t

ach other, "where in the wide world have you b

ncy! the High Muses have made me half-an-hour late for d

ing dinner, Antony-but you

are beautiful to-night, Silen-Beatrice. You look like a lady

en to the night-jar. He is w

!" said Antony, "so sincere,

hy, sincerity is the most fas

x, and once more in fancy he pressed his lips to hers in the dusk

TNO

ieux" is feminine, her name is masculine. In such fanciful nam