XXXII
WHEN THE WATCH PASSED
"Sh! sh!" whispered Yoné, suddenly, and crushed her small hand upon Hoshiko's mouth.
It was the watchman with staff and lantern, crying weirdly in the night. He passed near. He paused nearer. Yoné drew a bit of shrubbery before them.
"I heard a song, by all the gods I heard a foolish song in this sacred place of tombs. Come forth," he cried aloud, "he who sings foolishly in a sacred place, come forth and be punished of the gods so that you may repent! Otherwise your punishment will wait until you are unready for it."
Now he moved on. His voice came muttering back:—
"Come forth, come forth! I heard a song, an unholy song in the sacred place of tombs."
Yoné let the bush return and laughed happily in the arms of Hoshiko.
"Oh, is it not all as it was, beloved? It is the same watchman—older. And they are the same, almost the same, words—more eery. And we are close, close—as we were then. Oh, it is divine to be close with you! So—so, my beloved, another omen! Everything else is as it was. Shall not we be?"
Hoshiko was silent.