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“IhopethatIshalllive，“heanswered。“Iamhungry，pleasegivemesomefood。“
Nextinstanttherewasatumultnearby，andwhenAlanlookedupagainitwastoseeJeekie，verylightlyclad，flyingthroughthedoor。
“Itwillbeherepresently，“shesaid。“Oh！ifyouknewwhatIhavesuffered，ifyouonlyknew。NowyouwillrecoverwhomIthoughtdead，forthisfeverpassesquicklyandthereshallbesuchasacrifice——no，Iforgot，youhatesacrifices——thereshallbenosacrifice，thereshallbeathanksgiving，andeverywomaninthelandshallbreakherbondstohusbandortoloverandtakehimwhomshedesireswithoutreproachorloss。IwilldoasIwouldbedoneby，thatisthelawyoutaughtme，isitnot？“
Thisnovelinterpretationofasacreddoctrine，worthyofJeekiehimself，soparalyzedAlan’senfeebledbrainthathecouldmakenoanswer，nordoanythingexceptwonderwhatwouldhappeninAsiki-landwhenthedecreeofitspriestesstookeffect。ThenJeekiearrivedwithsomethingtodrinkwhichheswallowedwiththeeagernessoftheconvalescentandalmostimmediatelywenttosleepingoodearnest。
Alan’srecoverywasrapid，sinceastheAsikahadtoldhim，ifapatientlivesthroughit，thekindoffeverthathehadtakendidnotlastlongenoughtoexhausthisvitalforces。Whensheaskedhimifheneededanythingtomakehimwell，heanswered:
“Yes，airandexercise。“
Sherepliedthatheshouldhaveboth，andnextmorninghishatedmaskwasputuponhisfaceandhewassupportedbyprieststoadoorwherealitter，orratherlitterswerewaiting，oneforhimselfandanotherforJeekiewho，althoughinrobusthealth，wasstillsupposedtobeofficiallyillandnotallowedtowalkuponhisownlegs。Theyenteredtheselittersandwereborneofftillpresentlytheymetathirdlitterofparticularlygorgeousdesigncarriedbymaskedbearers，whereinwastheAsikaherself，wearinghercoronetandasplendidrobe。
Intothislitter，whichwasfittedwithasecondseat，Alanwastransferred，theMungana，forwhomitwasdesigned，beingplacedinthatvacatedbyAlan，whicheitherbyaccidentorotherwise，wasnomoreseenthatday。Theywentupthemountainsideandtotheedgeofthegreatfallandwatchedthewatersthunderdown，thoughthecrestofthemtheycouldnotreach。Nexttheywanderedoffintothehugeforeststhatclothedtheslopesofthehillsandtherehaltedandate。
ThenasthesunsanktheyreturnedtothegloomyBonsa-Townbeneaththem。
ForAlan，notwithstandinghisweaknessandanxieties，itwasaheavenlyday。TheAsikawaspassive，somenewmoodbeingonher，andscarcelytroubledhimatallexcepttocallhisattentiontoatree，aflower，oraprospectofthescenery。Hereonthemountainside，too，theairwassweet，andfortherest——well，hewhohadbeensoneartodeath，wasescapedforanhourfromthatgloomyhomeofbloodshedandsuperstition，andsawGod’sskyagain。
Thisjourneywasthefirstofmany。Everydaythelitterswerewaitingandtheyvisitedsomenewplace，althoughintothetownitselftheyneverwent。Moreover，iftheypassedthroughoutlyingvillages，thoughAlanwasforcedtowearhismask，theirinhabitantshadbeenwarnedtoabsentthemselves，sothattheysawnoone。Thecropswereleftuntendedandthecattleandsheeplowedhungrilyintheirkraals。Oncertaindays，atAlan’srequest，theyweretakentothespotswherethegoldwasfoundinthegravelbedofanalmostdrystreamthatduringtherainswasa
