Alwyn had listened with an absorbed yet somewhat mystified air of attention.
"The venerable Esdras was certainly a poet in his own way!" he remarked lightly. "There is something very fascinating about the rhythm of his lines, though I confess I don't grasp their meaning. Still, I should like to have them all the same,--will you let me write them out just as you have translated them?"
Willingly assenting to this, Heliobas read the extract over again, Alwyn taking down the words from his dictation.
"Perhaps," he then added musingly, "perhaps it would be as well to copy a few passages from the Apocrypha also."
Whereupon the Bible was brought into requisition, and the desired quotations made, consisting of verses xxiv. to xxvi. in the [Footnote: The reader is requested to refer to the parts of "Esdras" here indicated.] ninth chapter of the Second Book of Esdras, and verses xxv. to xxvi. in the tenth chapter of the same. This done, Heliobas closed and clasped the original text of the Prophet's work and returned it to its casket; then addressing his guest in a kindly, yet serious tone, he said: "You are quite resolved to undertake this journey, Mr. Alwyn?"
Alwyn looked dreamily out of the window at the flame of the sunset hues reflected from the glowing sky on the white summit of the mountains.
"Yes, ... I ... I think so!" The answer had a touch of indecision in it.
"In that case," resumed Heliobas, "I have prepared a letter of introduction for you to one of our Order known as Elzear of Melyana,--he is a recluse, and his hermitage is situated close to the Babylonian ruins. You will find rest and shelter there after the fatigues of travel. I have also traced out a map of the district, and the exact position of the field you seek, . . here it is," and he laid a square piece of parchment on the table; "you can easily perceive at a glance how the land lies. There are a few directions written at the back, so I think you will have no difficulty. This is the letter to Elzear,"--here he held out a folded paper--"will you take it now?"
Alwyn received it with a dubious smile, and eyed the donor as if he rather suspected the sincerity of his intentions.
"Thanks very much!" he murmured listlessly. "You are exceedingly good to make it all such plain sailing for me,--and yet ... to be quite frank with you, I can't help thinking I am going on a fool's errand!"
"If that is your opinion, why go at all?" queried Heliobas, with a slight disdain in his accents. "Return to England instead--forget the name of 'Ardath,' and forget also the one who bade you meet her there, and who has waited for you 'these many thousand days!'"