"'Ah! 'tis always so. Lovers heed not time. But the hour with me hath seemed an age.'
"We walked stealthily back again, not meeting a living soul; and I crept to my couch without waking one of my comrades. They all slept on in ignorance, and I resolved to keep my own counsel. The episode was too sacred and too painful to take anyone into my confidence; besides, no purpose would be gained, and I had nought to tell that would be of service in our dire necessity. Kaosp shook me by the hand before he departed, and a few minutes afterwards, as I lay awake in my misery, thinking of all that had taken place within the past hour, I heard the new guard arrive and station themselves in the corridor beside the outer door!"
It is unnecessary, for the purposes of this narrative, to record our doings during the three days of grace that were allowed us. We neither saw or heard anything of the King, Volinè, or Perodii. We were entirely shut off from all outside affairs, and we knew nothing of what was being done either in the palace or among the people of Edos. We were treated precisely the same as before our trial, with the exception of being allowed to walk in the garden of Siccoth. That privilege was denied, and we were kept close prisoners to our rooms.
Two things occurred, however, which call for special notice. The first was the withdrawal of Kaosp and his men; he and they being replaced by an entirely new set of guards. The reason we could not discover. We sorely missed our old friend and his cheerful ways; and Graham, at least, had some misgivings at his absence. Had Kaosp's breach of trust in aiding Volinè and himself to meet after the trial become known, and his treachery punished? We could not get any information from our new warders. Each one of them maintained a stolid silence, and never addressed a single word to either of us during those three dreadful days of suspense. The second thing worthy of mention was the fact that we were now watched day and night incessantly. There were always two guards with us, and every movement on our part was closely observed. But in spite of all this extra precaution we were never searched, and our little personal belongings remained untouched.
Wearily the days passed on, and we were filled with an agony of suspense, as our last few hours of life ebbed slowly yet surely away. Not one of us appeared fully to realise the awfulness of our impending fate, for each in secret was buoyed up with the hope that our doom by some means would be averted. We hoped and hoped as the time slipped on; yet nothing occurred to warrant even the remotest thought that we should be saved. As usual, the Doctor was most cheerful; Temple and Sandy were becoming exceedingly cast down; Graham had secret faith in Volinè and her mystic ring, which he still wore upon his finger.
The fatal day dawned at last. But our guards exhibited precisely the same stolid demeanour, and breakfast was served to us as usual. We ate little, but drank deeply of a liquor somewhat resembling still hock, the effects of which were exceedingly stimulating and comforting. We had only had this "wine" at our noonday meals before, and we concluded that our captors had been kind enough to furnish us with this liquor to brace us for the coming ordeal at sunset. We little suspected that the "wine" was drugged, and had been given to us for a purpose!
Half an hour after the meal was over, each one of us felt a sickly stupor creeping over him, numbing his sense of feeling, and in subtle sureness robbing him of all use of his limbs. The early effects of the poison were by no means unpleasant. We were filled with a luxurious languor; a delicious feeling of rest, of freedom from anxiety came over us, but soon the poison had other effects, and we became speechless; the brain seemed a mass of molten fire; we appeared to be swelling into absolute giants; everything around us grew distorted, and every muscle seemed to become scorched and withered, until we sank into a complete state of coma!
From this moment we remembered no more until we were awoke by a cool, fresh wind blowing on our faces, and a hum and roar, like that from some excited multitude, dinning as distant thunder in our ears. We tried to rise, but in vain; for every limb was draped in brass chains, and we were bound and helpless in the hands of our remorseless enemies!
Graham and Sandy recovered quickly from the effects of the drug when once we regained consciousness, but we must have lain for many hours in a helpless state of stupor. We found ourselves in a tent, the entrance to which was folded back, but only the sky was visible, and this was hidden every few moments as the giant form of a soldier passed to and fro on guard outside.
"Curses on the refinement of their cruelty," said Graham, as he looked round at his helpless comrades, and felt the brass fetters on his own legs and wrists.