Onthehithersideofthepoolwaswhatlookedlikeapark，forheregrewgreat，blacktrees，whichfromtheirflatshapeAlantooktobesomevarietyofcedar，andstandingaloneinthemidstofthisparkwherenootherhabitationscouldbediscovered，wasalarge，lowbuildingwithdark-colouredwallsandgabledroofsthatflashedlikefire。
“TheGoldHouse！“saidAlantohimselfwithagasp。“Soitisnotadreamoralie。“
Thedetailsatthatdistancehecouldnotdiscover，nordidhetrytodoso，forthegeneralgloryofthesceneheldhiminitsgrip。Atthiseveninghour，foralittlewhile，thelevelraysofthesettingsunpouredstraightupthehuge，water-hollowedkloof。Theystruckuponthefaceofthefall，stainingitandthecloudsofmistthathungabove，toahundredglorioushues；indeedthesubstanceofthefoamingwaterseemedtobeinterlacedwithrainbowswhereofthearchreachedtheircrestandthefeetwerelostinthesullenblacknessofthepoolbeneath。Beautifultoowasthevalley，glowinginthequietlightofevening，andeventhenativetownthusgildedandglorified，lookedlikesomehappyhomeofpeace。
Thesunwassinkingrapidly，andbeforethelitterreachedthefootofthehillandbegantocrosstherichvalley，allthegloryhaddepartedandonlythecataractshowedwhiteandghost-likethroughthegloom。Butstillthelight，whichseemedtogathertoitself，gleameduponthatgoldenroofamidthecedartrees；thenthemoonroseandthegoldwasturnedtosilver。Alanlaybackuponhiscushionsfullofwonder，almostofawe。ItwasamarvellousthingthatheshouldhavelivedtoreachthissecretplacehiddenintheheartofAfricaanddefendedbyswamps，mountainsandsavagestowhich，sofarasheknew，onlyonewhitemanhadeverpenetrated。Andtothinkofit！Thatwhiteman，hisownuncle，hadneverevenhelditworthwhiletomakepublicanyaccountofitswonders，whichapparentlyhadseemedtohimofnoimportance。Orperhapshethoughtthatifhedidhewouldnotbebelieved。Well，theretheywerebeforeandabouthim，andnowthequestionwas，whatwouldbehisfateinthisGoldHousewherethegreatfetishdweltwithitspriestess？
Ah！thatpriestess！Somehowheshiveredalittlewhenhethoughtofher；itwasasthoughherinfluencewereoverhimalready。Nextmomentheforgotherforawhile，fortheyhadcometotheriverbrinkandthelitterwasbeingcarriedontoabargeorferry，aboutwhichweregatheredmanyarmedmen。EvidentlytheGoldHousewaswelldefendedbothbyNatureandotherwise。Theferrywaspulledorrowedacrosstheriver，hecouldnotseewhich，andtheypassedthroughagatewayintothetownandupabroadstreetwherehundredsofpeoplewatchedhisadvent。Theydidnotseemtospeak，oriftheyspoketheirvoiceswerelostinthesoundofthethunderofthegreatcataractwhichdominatedtheplacewithitssullen，continuousroar。IttookAlandaystobecomeaccustomedtothatroar，butbytheinhabitantsofAsiki-landapparentlyitwasnotnoticed；theirearsandvoiceswereattunedtoovercomeitsvolumewhichtheirfathershadknownfromthebeginning。
Presentlytheywerethroughthetownandawoodengateinaninnerwallwhichsurroundedtheparkwherethecedarsgrew。AtthisspotAlannotedthateverybodyleftthemexceptthebearersandafewmenwhomhetooktobepriests。Ontheystolelikeghostsbeneaththemightytrees，fromwhoselimbshunglongfestoonsofmoss。Itwasverydarkthere，onlyinplaceswhereaboughwasbrokenthemoonlightlayinwhitegulesupontheground。Anotherwallandanothergate，andsuddenlythelitterwassetdown。Itscurtainsopened，torchesflashed，womenappearedcladinwhiterobes，veiledandmysterious，whobowedbeforehim，thenhalfledandhalfliftedhimfromhislitter。Hecouldfeeltheireyesonhimthroughtheirveils，buthecouldnotseetheirfaces。Hecouldseenothingexcepttheirnaked，copper-colouredarmsandlongthinhandsstretchedouttoassisthim。
Alandescendedfromthelitterasslowlyashecould，forsomehowheshrankfromthequaint，carvedportalwhichhesawbeforehim。Hedidnotwishtopassit；itsaspectfilledhimwithreluctance。Thewomendrewhimon，theirhandspulledathisarms，theirshoulderspressedhimfrombehind。Stillhehungback，lookingabouthim，tilltohisdelighthesawtheotherlitterarriveandoutofitemergeJeekie，stillwearinghissun-helmetwithitsfringeoftatteredmosquitocurtain。
“Hereweare，Major，“hesaidinhischeerfulvoice，“turnedupallrightlikeabadha’penny，butinoddsituation。“
“Veryodd，“echoedAlan。“Couldyoupersuadetheseladiestoletgoofme？“
“Don’tknow，“answeredJeekie。“’Specttheydoubtfullyyourwives；
’spectyouhavelotsofwiveshere；don’tgetwhitemaneveryday，somakemostofhim。Bestthingyoudo，kickoutandteachthemplace。
Rubnoseindirtatonceandmakethemgood，thatfirst-classplanwithfemale。Inolikeinterfereinsuchdelicatematter。“
Terrifiedbythisinformation，Alanputouthisstrengthandshookthewomenoffhim，whereonwithoutseemingtotakeanyoffencetheydrewbacktoalittledistanceandbegantobow，likeautomata。ThenJeekieaddressedthemintheirownlanguage，askingthemwhattheymeantbydefilingthismightylord，bornoftheHeavens，withthetouchoftheirhands，whereattheywentonbowingmorehumblythanbefore。NexthethrewasidethecushionsofthelitterandfindingthetinboxcontainingLittleBonsa，helditbeforehiminbothhandsandbadethewomenleadon。
Themarchbegan，abewilderingmarch。Itwaslikeanightmare。Veiledwomenwithtorchesbeforeandbehind，Jeekiestalkingaheadcarryingthebatteredtinbox，longpassageslinedwithgold，avisionofblackwateredgedwithawidepromenade，andfinallyalargelamp-litroomwhereoftheroofwassupportedbygildedcolumns，andintheroomcouchesofcushions，woodenstoolsinlaidwithivory，vesselsofwater，greatbasinsmadeofsomeblack，hardwood，andinthecentreablockofstonethatlookedlikeanaltar。
Jeekiesetdownthetinboxuponthealtar-likestone，thenheturnedtothecrowdofwomenandsaid，“Bringfood。“Instantlytheydeparted，closingthedooroftheroombehindthem。
“Nowforawash，“saidAlan，“unlacethisconfoundedmask，Jeekie。“
“Mustn’t，Major，mustn’t。Prieststellmethat。Ifthosegirlsseeyouwithoutmask，perhapstheykillthem。Waittilltheygoneaftersupper，thentakeitoff。NooneallowedseeyouwithoutmaskexceptAsikaherself。“
Alansteppedtooneofthewoodenbowlsfullofwaterwhichstoodunderalamp，andgazedathisownreflection。Themaskwasgilded；
theshamlipswerepaintedredandroundtheeye-holeswereblacklines。
“Why，itishorrible，“heexclaimed，startingback。“IlooklikeadevilcrossedwithGuyFawkes。DoyoumeantotellmethatIhavegottoliveinthisthing？“
“Afraidso，Major，uponallpublicoccasion。Atleasttheysaythat。
Youholy，notlawfulseeyoursacredface。“
“WhodotheAsikithinkIam，then，Jeekie？“
“Theythinkyouyourreverendunclecomebackaftermany，manyyear。
Yousee，Major，theynotbelieveunclerunawaywithLittleBonsa；
theybelieveLittleBonsarunawaywithunclejustforchangeofairandsoon，andthatnow，whenshetiredofstrangeland，shebringhimbackagain。Thatwhyyousoholy，favouriteofLittleBonsawholivewithyouallthistimeandkeepyoujustsameage，bloomofyouth。“
“InHeaven’sname，“askedAlan，exasperated，“whatisLittleBonsa，beyondanancientanduglygoldfetish？“
“Hush，“saidJeekie，“mustn’tcallhernameshereinherownhouse。
LittleBonsamuchmorethanfetish，LittleBonsaalive，orso，“headdeddoubtfully，“thesesillyniggerssay。ShewifeofBigBonsa，yousee，to-morrowp’raps。Buttheirstorythis，thatshegetdeadsickofBigBonsaandboltwithwhiteMedicineman，whodarepreachshenothingbutheathenidol。Shewantshowhimwhetherornosheonlyidol。Thattheyarn，prieststellitmeto-day。Theyalwayswatchforhertherebytheedgeofthelake。TheyalwayssureLittleBonsacomeback。Notatallsurprised，butassheloveyouonce，youstopholy；
andIholyalso，thankgoodness，becauseshetakemetooasservant。
Thereforewesleepinpeace，fortheynotcutoutthroats，atanyrateatpresent，thoughIthink，“headdedmournfully，“theynotletusgoeither。“
Alansatdownonastoolandgroanedattheappallingprospectsuggestedbythisinformation。
“Cheerup，Major，“saidJeekiesympathetically。“Perhapsmanagehookitsomehow，andmeanwhilemakebestofbadbusinessandhavehigholdtime。YouseeyouwanttocomeAsiki-land，thoughItellyouitrumplace，and，“headdedwithcertitudeandacircularsweepofhishand，“byJingo！youherenowandIdaresaytheygiveyouallthegoldyouwant。“
“What’sthegoodofgoldunlessonecangetawaywithit？What’sthegoodofanythingifweareprisonersamongthesedevils？“
“Perhapstimeshow，Major。Hush！herecomedinner。Yousitstillonstoolandlookholy。“
Thedooropenedandthroughitappearedfourofthewomenbearingdishesandcupsfullofdrink，fashionedofgoldlikethatwhichhadbeengiventoAlaninthelitter。Henoticedatoncethattheyhadremovedtheirveilsandoutergarments，ifindeedtheywerethesamewomen，andnow，likemanyotherAfricans，werebutlightlycladinlinencapesopeninfrontthathungovertheirshoulders，shortpetticoatsorskirtsabouttheirmiddles，andsandals。Suchwastheirattirewhich，scantyasitmightbe，wasyetbecomingenoughandextremelyrich。Thusthecapewasfastenedwithabroochofworkedgold，sowerethesandalstraps，whilethepetticoatwasadornedwithbeadsofgoldthatjingledastheywalked，andamongstthemstringsofotherbeadsofvariousandbeautifulcolours，thatmightbeglassormightbepreciousstones。Moreover，thesewomenwereyoungandhandsome，havingsplendidfiguresandwell-cutfeatures，soft，darkeyesandratherlonghairwornintheformalandattractivefashionthathasbeendescribed。
AdvancingtoAlantwoofthemkneltbeforehim，holdingoutthetraysuponwhichwasthefood。Sotheyremainedwhileheate，likebronzestatues，norwouldtheyconsenttochangetheirpostureevenwhenhetoldthemintheirlanguagetobepleasedtogoaway。OnhearingthemselvesaddressedintheAsikilanguage，theyseemedsurprised，fortheirfaceschangedalittle，butgotheywouldnot。TheresultwasthatAlangrewextremelynervousandateanddranksorapidlythathescarcelynotedwhathewasputtingintohismouth。ThenbeforeJeekie，towhomthewomendidnotkneel，hadhalffinishedhisdinner，Alanroseandwalkedaway，whereontwoofthewomengatheredupeverything，includingthedishesthathadbeengiventoJeekie，andinspiteofhisremonstrancescarriedthemoutoftheroom。
