Page:Artabanzanus (Ferrar, 1896).djvu/70

62 'Did he give you hope of relief?'

'No; he said the disease was incurable.' The lady passed her hand over her face and sighed deeply; as for tears, she seemed to have lost the power of weeping.

The Demon drew off the robe which covered the lady's breast. 'Come and look,' he said to me.

I shrank back; no terrible sight should, I had made up my mind, cross my eyeballs in that place, if I could possibly prevent it. Therefore, I not only shrank back, but I squeezed my eyelids together firmly. Fortunately, he did not insist on my obeying him.

As we left the room, I asked him if that lady had also been a queen.

'Yes,' he answered, with a low, malicious laugh. 'She was an empress of a very powerful nation indeed. I dare say some of her history is known to you. If it is not, it ought to be. There is nothing like teaching wisdom by examples. Nobody rejoices more than I do when I get an opportunity of impressing upon the minds of those who love me what a very wicked thing it is to persevere in sin up to the very moment of one's death. That empress was rich, wise, clever, and strong in national and unscrupulous energy; and she was famous—or infamous, I suppose, according to your code of morality—for the number of her lovers, and for her ambition, in the contemplated gratification of which she was suddenly struck down.

'Have I not a splendid city here?' resumed the Demon, as we walked through the crowded streets, in which new wonders presented themselves every moment. 'This portion of it is the Department of Sensual Pleasure. It is occupied by those beings who, when they were in your world, gave themselves up without restraint to the gratification of every evil passion. It is a good thing for me, for it gives plenty to do, and just like you, my friend I am