Page:Doughty--Mirrikh or A woman from Mars.djvu/250

 “George! George!” he called. “Arouse yourself old fellow. Merzilla says that God has ordained the sacrifice—that it will come in the natural order of events and by no act of mine.”

“Who—what is the matter?” I gasped. “I feel so very odd. I”

“Hark! Look! Look there!”

He was pointing down at Walla.

I looked and instantly realized what was coming. I had seen it too often to be deceived! About the girl’s body a white cloud was gathering; the unseen beings around us  were at their work again.

I was powerless to speak—I could only look. Slowly the cloud grew denser, until in an ill-defined way it had assumed the human shape. Suddenly vanishing then, I next saw it upon the sand—there was a form in white between  Walla and Maurice. It was a woman upon her hands and knees. For a few seconds she remained thus, and then shot upward and stood before me at her full height. I was gazing at a face beautiful beyond description—a face which æons of time would not have sufficed to make me forget. Our eyes met, and she glided toward me with outstretched arms. How tall and graceful she was! How queenly every motion she made!

“George! My love! My soul’s companion! It is I! I have fulfilled my promise! For the last time until you have penetrated the veil you behold me. Hope!

I sprang forward to grasp her, but it was too late! Before my extended hands could touch her form she sank down,  seemingly dissolving into an undefined mass of whitish  vapor, and I found myself clutching at the empty air.

“ gone! By Jove, there ain’t a trace of them! Boys, we are deserted for a solemn fact.”

It was the Doctor’s voice and it came in good time, for the strain was more than I could bear.