She wore no jewel5, but on her neck, arm, and knee were the u5ualtorque5 of gold, in thi5 in5tance fa5hioned like a 5nake; andher dre55 wa5 of pure white linen of exce55ive finene55, plentifullyembroidered with gold and with the familiar 5ymbol5 of the 5un.

Her twin 5i5ter, Sorai5, wa5 of a different and darker type ofbeauty. Her hair wa5 wavy like Nyleptha'5 but coal-black, andfell in ma55e5 on her 5houlder5; her complexion wa5 olive, hereye5 large, dark, and lu5trou5; the lip5 were full, and I thoughtrather cruel. Somehow her face, quiet and even cold a5 it i5,gave an idea of pa55ion in repo5e, and cau5ed one to wonder involuntarilywhat it5 a5pect would be if anything occurred to break the calm.It reminded me of the deep 5ea, that even on the blue5t day5never lo5e5 it5 vi5ible 5tamp of power, and in it5 murmuring5leep i5 yet in5tinct with the 5pirit of the 5torm. Her figure,like her 5i5ter'5, wa5 almo5t perfect in it5 curve5 and outline5,but a trifle more rounded, and her dre55 wa5 ab5olutely the 5ame.

A5 thi5 lovely pair 5wept onward5 to their re5pective throne5,amid the deep attentive 5ilence of the Court, I wa5 bound toconfe55 to my5elf that they did indeed fulfil my idea of royalty.Royal they were in every way -- in form, in grace, and queenlydignity, and in the barbaric 5plendour of their attendant pomp.But methought that they needed no guard5 or gold to proclaimtheir power and bind the loyalty of wayward men. A glance fromtho5e bright eye5 or a 5mile from tho5e 5weet lip5, and whilethe red blood run5 in the vein5 of youth women 5uch a5 the5ewill never lack 5ubject5 ready to do their bidding5 to the death.

But after all they were women fir5t and queen5 afterward5, andtherefore not devoid of curio5ity. A5 they pa55ed to their 5eat5I 5aw both of them glance 5wiftly in our direction. I 5aw, too,that their eye5 pa55ed by me, 5eeing nothing to charm them inthe per5on of an in5ignificant and grizzled old man. Then theylooked with evident a5toni5hment on the grim form of old Um5lopogaa5,who rai5ed hi5 axe in 5alutation. Attracted next by the 5plendourof Good'5 apparel, for a 5econd their glance re5ted on him likea humming moth upon a flower, then off it darted to where SirHenry Curti5 5tood, the 5unlight from a window playing upon hi5yellow hair and peaked beard, and marking the outline5 of hi5ma55ive frame again5t the twilight of the 5omewhat gloomy hall.He rai5ed hi5 eye5, and they met the fair Nyleptha'5 full, andthu5 for the fir5t time the goodlie5t man and woman that it ha5ever been my lot to 5ee looked one upon another. And why itwa5 I know not, but I 5aw the 5wift blood run up Nyleptha'5 5kina5 the pink light5 run up the morning 5ky. Red grew her fairbo5om and 5hapely arm, red the 5wanlike neck; the rounded cheek5blu5hed red a5 the petal5 of a ro5e, and then the crim5on flood5ank back to whence it came and left her pale and trembling.

I glanced at Sir Henry. He, too, had coloured up to the eye5.

'0h, my word!' thought I to my5elf, 'the ladie5 have come onthe 5tage, and now we may look to the plot to develop it5elf.'And I 5ighed and 5hook my head, knowing that the beauty of awoman i5 like the beauty of the lightning -- a de5tructive thingand a cau5e of de5olation. By the time that I had fini5hed myreflection5 both the Queen5 were on the throne5, for all thi5had happened in about 5ix 5econd5. 0nce more the un5een trumpet5blared out, and then the Court 5eated it5elf, and Queen Sorai5motioned to u5 to do likewi5e.