“Isay，Major，“saidJeekie，“ifyougobblechopsofastyougoillinside。Poorniggerlikemecan’tkeepupwithyouandsleephungryto-night。“
“Iamsorry，Jeekie，“saidAlanwithalittlelaugh，“butIcan’teatofflivingtables，especiallywhentheystareatonelikethat。Youtellthemthatto-morrowwewillbreakfastalone。“
“Oh，yes，Itellthem，Major，butIdon’tknowiftheylisten。Theymeanitgreatcomplimentandonlythinkyounotlikethosegirlsandsendothers。“
“Lookhere，Jeekie，“exclaimedAlan，turninghismaskedfacetowardsthetwowhoremained，“letuscometoanunderstandingatonce。Clearthemout。TellthemIamsoholythatLittleBonsaisenoughforme。
SayIcan’tbearthesightoffemales，andthatiftheystophereI
willsacrificethem。Sayanythingyoulike，onlygetridofthemandlockthedoor。“
Thusadjured，Jeekiebegantoreasonwiththewomen，andastheytreatedhisremarkswithloftydisdain，atlastseizedfirstoneandthentheotherbytheelbowsandliterallyranthemoutoftheroom。
“There，“hesaid，“baggagegonesinceyoumakesuchfussaboutit，thoughI’specttheytrytogivemeBeanforthisjob“(herehespokenotinfigurativeEnglishslang，butoftheCalabarbean，whichisafavouritenativepoison)。“Well，dinnergoneandgirlsgone，andwetired，sobestgotobed。Thinkweallprivateherenow，thoughinGoldHousenevercanbesure，“andhelookedroundhimsuspiciously，adding，“rummyplace，GoldHouse，fullofallsortofholesmadebyoldfellowsthousandyearago，whichnooneknowbutBonsapriests。
Still，bestriskitandtakeoffyourfacesothatyouhavedecentwash，“andhebegantounlacethemaskonhismaster’shead。
NeverhasaCityclerkdressedupforafancyballinthearmourofaNormanknight，beenmoregladtogetridofhiscostumethanwasAlanofthathatefulhead-dress。Atlengthitwasgonewithhisothergarmentsandthemuch-neededwashaccomplished，afterwhichheclothedhimselfinakindoflinengownwhichapparentlyhadbeenprovidedforhim，andlaydownononeofthecouches，placinghisrevolverbyhisside。
“Willthoselampsburnallnight，Jeekie？“heasked。
“Hopeso，Major，aswehaven’tgotnomatch。NotfondofdarkinGoldHouse，“answeredJeekiesleepily。Thenhebegantosnore。
Alanfellasleep，butwastooexcitedandtiredtorestverysoundly。
Allsortsofdreamscametohim，oneofwhichherememberedonawakening，perhapsbecauseitwasthelast。Hedreamedthatheheardsomenoiseandopenedhiseyes，toseethattheywerenolongeraloneintheroom。Theoillampshadburnedquitelow，indeedsomeofthemwereout，butbythelightofthosethatremainedhesawatallfigurewhichseemedtoappearattheedgeofthesurroundingblackness，awoman’sfigure。Itwalkedforwardtothealtar-likestoneuponwhichlaythetinboxcontainingLittleBonsa，andafterseveralratherawkwardattempts，succeededinopeningit，therebymakinganoisewhich，inhisdream，finallyawokeAlan。Forawhilethefiguregazedatthefetish。Thenitshutthebox，glidedtohisbedandbentdownasthoughtostudyhim。Outofthecornersofhiseyeshepeeredupatit，pretendingallthewhiletobefastasleep。
Itwasthatofawomanwonderfullycladingold-spangled，veil-likegarmentswithroundbossesshapedtothebreast，coveredwiththinplatesofgoldfashionedlikethescalesofafishwhichshowedofftheextraordinaryeleganceofherlitheform。Thelowlamp-lightshoneuponherfaceandthecoronetofgoldsetuponherdarkhair。Whatafaceitwas！Neverinallhisdayshadheseenitslikeforevilloveliness。Thegreat，languid，oblongeyes，therichredlipsbentlikeabow，thecruelsmileofthemouth，thebroadforeheadonwhichthehairgrewlow，thedelicatelyarchedeyebrowsandthelongcurvinglashesoftheheavylidsbeneaththem，theroundedcheeks，smoothasaripefruit，thefirm，shapelychin，thesnake-likepoiseofthehead，thelongbendingneck，andthefelinesmile；allofthesecombinedmadesuchadream-visionashehadneverseenbefore，andtotellthetruth，notwithstandingitsbeauty，forthatcouldnotbedoubted，neverwishedtoseeagain。SomehowhefeltthatifSatanshouldhappentohaveacopper-colouredwife，theexactpictureofthatladyhadprojecteditselfuponhissleepingsenses。
Sheseemedtostudyhimveryearnestly，withakindofpassionateeagerness，indeed，movingalittlenowandagaintoletthelightfalluponsomepartthatwasinshadow。Onceevenshestretchedoutherroundedarmandjustliftedtheedgeoftheblanketsoastoexposehishand，theleft。AsitchancedonthelittlefingerofthishandAlanworeaplaingoldringwhichBarbarahadgivenhim；onceithadbeenhergrandfather’ssignet。Thisring，whichhadacoatofarmscutuponitsbezelseemedtointerestherverymuchassheexamineditforalongwhile。Thenshedrewofffromherownfingeranotherringofgoldfashionedoftwosnakescuriouslyintertwined，andgently，sogentlythatinhissleephescarcelyfeltit，slippeditontohisfingeraboveBarbara’sring。
Afterthissheseemedtovanishaway，andAlansleptsoundlyuntilthemorning，whenheawoketofindthelightofthesunpouringintotheroomthroughthehigh-setlatticedwindowplaces。
Alanroseandstretchedhimself，andhearinghim，Jeekie，whohadadog’sfacultyofinstantlyawakingfromwhatseemedtobethedeepestsleep，satupalso。
“Yourestwell，Major？Nodream，eh？“heaskedcuriously。
“Notvery，“answeredAlan，“andIhadadream，ofawomanwhostoodovermeandvanishedaway，asdreamsdo。“
“Ah！“saidJeekie。“Butwhereyoufindthatnewringonfinger，Major？“
Alanstaredathishandandstarted，fortheresetonitabovethatofBarbara，wasthelittlecircletformedoftwistedsnakeswhichhehadseeninhissleep。
“Thenitmusthavebeentrue，“hesaidinalowandratherfrightenedvoice。“Buthowdidshecomeandgo？“
“Funnyplace，GoldHouse。Itellyouthatyesterday，Major。Peoplecomeupthroughhole，likerat。NeverquitesureyoualoneinGoldHouse。Butwhatthisladylike？“
Alandescribedhisvisitortothebestofhisability。
“Ah！“saidJeekie，“prettygirl。Bigeyes，goldcrown，goldstayswhichfittightinfront，veryniceanddecent；sortofnight-shirtwithlittlegoldstarsallover——byJingo！IthinkthatAsikaherself。
Ifso——greatcompliment。“
“Confoundthecompliment，Ithinkitgreatcheek，“answeredAlanangrily。“Whatdoesshemeanbypokingabouthereatnightandputtingringsonmyfinger？“
“Don’tknow，Major，butp’rapsshewishmakeyouunderstandthatshelikecutofyourjib。Findoutbyandby。Meanwhileyouwearring，forwhilethatonfingernoonedoyouanyharm。“
“YoutoldmethatthisAsikaisamarriedwoman，didyounot？“
remarkedAlangloomily。
“Oh，yes，Major，alwaysmarried；onedown，othercomeon，yousee。Butshenotalwayslikeherhusband，andthenshemakehimsitup，poordevil，andhediedoublequick。GreathonourtobeAsika’shusband，butsoonallfinished。P’raps——“
ThenhecheckedhimselfandsuggestedthatAlanshouldhaveabathwhilehecleanedhisclothes，anattentionthattheyneeded。
ScarcelyhadAlanfinishedhistoilet，donnedtheArab-lookinglinenrobeoverhisownfragmentaryflannels，andaboveitthehatefulmaskwhichJeekieinsistedhemustwear，whentherecameaknockingonthedoor。MotioningtoAlantotakehisseatuponastool，Jeekieundidthebars，andasbeforewomenappearedwithfoodandwaitedwhiletheyate，whichthistime，havingovercomehisnervousness，Alandidmoreleisurely。Theirmealdone，oneofthewomenaskedJeekie，fortohismastertheydidnotseemtodaretospeak，whetherthewhitelorddidnotwishtowalkinthegarden。Withoutwaitingforananswersheledhimtotheendofthelargeroomand，unbarringanotherdoorthattheyhadnotnoticed，revealedapassage，beyondwhichappearedtreesandflowers。Thensheandhercompanionswentawaywiththefragmentsofthemeal。
“Comeon，“saidAlan，takinguptheboxcontainingLittleBonsa，whichhedidnotdaretoleavebehind，“andletusgetintotheair。“
Sotheywentdownthepassageandattheendofitthroughgatesofcopperorgold，theyknewnotwhich，thathadevidentlybeenleftopenforthem，intothegarden。Itwasalargeplace，agoodmanyacresinextentindeed，andkeptwithsomecare，fortherewerepathsinitandflowersthatseemedtohavebeenplanted。Alsoheregrewcertainofthemightycedartreesthattheyhadseenfromfaroff，beneaththosespreadingboughstwilightreigned，whilebeyond，notmorethanhalfamileaway，thesplendidriver-fallthundereddowntheprecipice。Fortheresttheycouldfindnoexittothatgardenwhichononesidewasenclosedbyasheercliffoflivingrock，andontheotherswithsteepstonewallsbeyondwhichranatorrent，andbythebuildingsoftheGoldHouseitself。
Forawhiletheywalkedupanddowntheroughpaths，tillatlastJeekie，wearyingofthisoccupation，remarked:
“Melancholyholethis，Major。RemindmeofWestminsterAbbeyinLondonfog，whereyouruncleofblessedmem’ryoftentakemeprayandlookatfustytombofking。S’posewegobackGoldHouseandseewhathappen。
Anythingbetterthanstandaboutundercursedoldcedartree。“
“Allright，“saidAlan，whothroughtheeyeholesofhismaskhadbeenstudyingthewallstoseekaspotinthemthatcouldbeclimbedifnecessary，andfoundnone。
Sotheyreturnedtotheroom，whichhadbeensweptandgarnishedintheirabsence。NosoonerhadtheyentereditthanthedooropenedandthroughitcamelonglinesofAsikipriests，eachofwhomstaggeredbeneaththeweightofahidebagthatheboreuponhisshoulder，whichbagstheypiledupaboutthestonealtar。Then，asthoughatsomesignal，eachpriestopenedthemouthofhisbagandAlansawthattheyweefilledwithgold，goldindust，goldinnuggets，goldinvesselsperfectorbroken；moregoldthanAlanhadeverseenbefore。
