“Bybeggarfolk，orperchancebywildcreatures！“
“Wouldbeggarfolkdaretoenterthatplaceofdeath？“sheansweredwithcontempt。“Orwouldwildbeaststakethefoodandpilethedishesneatlytogetherandreplacetheflatstonesonthemouthsofthejarsofmilkandwater，asahousewifemight？Oh！donotlaugh。Oflatethishasalwaysbeendone，asIwhooftenfetchthevesselsknowwell。“
“Haveyoueverseentheseghosts，Palka？“
“Yes，onceIsawoneofthem。ItwasabouttwomonthsagothatI
passedthemouthofthevalleyaftermoonrise，forIhadbeenkeptoutlatesearchingforakidwhichwaslost。Thinkingthatitmightbeinthevalley，Ipeeredupit。AsIwaslooking，fromroundagreatrockglidedaghost。Shestoodstill，withthemoonlightshiningonher，andgazedtowardstheNile。I，too，stoodstillintheshadow，thirtyorfortypacesaway。Thenshethrewupherarmsasthoughindespair，turnedandvanished。“
“She！“Isaid，thencheckedmyselfandaskedindifferently:“Well，whatwasthefashionofthisghost？“
“SofarasIcouldseethatofayoungandbeautifulwoman，wearingsuchclothesaswefindupontheancientdead，onlywrappedmorelooselyabouther。“
“Hadsheaughtuponherhead，Palka？“
“Yes，abandofgoldoracrownsetuponherhair，andaboutherneckwhatseemedtobeanecklaceofgreenandgold，forthemoonlightflasheduponit。Itwasmuchsuchanecklaceasyouwearbeneathyourrobe，Hodur。“
“AndprayhowdoyouknowwhatIwear，Palka？“Iasked。
“Bymeansofwhatyoulack，poorman，theeyesinmyhead。OnenightwhenyouwereasleepIhadneedtopassthroughyourchambertoreachanotherbeyond。Youhadthrownoffyouroutergarmentbecauseoftheheat，andIsawthenecklace。AlsoIsawagreatredswordlyingbyyoursideandnotedonyourbarebreastsundryscars，suchashuntersandsoldierscomeby。Allofthesethings，Hodur，Ithoughtstrange，seeingthatIknowyoutobenothingbutapoorblindbeggarwhogainshisbreadbyhisskillupontheharp。“
“Therearebeggarswhowerenotalwaysbeggars，Palka，“Isaidslowly。
“Quiteso，Hodur，andtherearegreatmenandrichwhosometimesappeartobebeggars，and——manyotherthings。Still，havenofearthatweshallstealyournecklaceortalkabouttheredswordorthegoldwithwhichyournieceHildaweightshergarments。Poorgirl，shehasallthewaysofafinelady，onewhohasknownCourts，asIthinkyousaidwasthecase。Itmustbesadforhertohavefallensolow。
Still，havenofear，Hodur，“andshetookmyhandandpresseditinacertainsecretfashionwhichwaspractisedamongthepersecutedChristiansintheEastwhentheywouldrevealthemselvestoeachother。Thenshewentawaylaughing。
Asforme，IsoughtMartina，whohadbeensleepingthroughtheheat，andtoldhereverything。
“Well，“shesaidwhenIhadfinished，“youshouldgivethankstoGod，Olaf，sincewithoutdoubtthisghostistheladyHeliodore。SoshouldJodd，“Iheardheraddbeneathherbreath，forinmyblindnessmyearshadgrownveryquick。
MartinaandIhadmadeaplan。Palka，aftermuchcoaxing，tookuswithheroneeveningwhenshewenttoplacetheaccustomedofferingsintheValleyoftheDead。Indeed，atfirstsherefusedoutrighttoallowustoaccompanyher，because，shesaid，onlythosewhowereborninthevillageofKurnahadmadesuchofferingssincethedayswhenthePharaohsruled，andthatifstrangerssharedinthisdutyitmightbringmisfortune。Weanswered，however，thatifsothemisfortunewouldfallonus，theintruders。Alsowepointedoutthatthejarsofwaterandmilkwereheavy，and，asithappened，therewasnoonefromthehamlettohelptocarrythemthisnight。Havingweighedthesefacts，Palkachangedhermind。
“Well，“shesaid，“itistruethatIgrowfat，andafterlabouringalldayatthisandthathavenodesiretobearburdenslikeanass。Socomeifyouwill，andifyoudieorevilspiritscarryyouaway，donotaddyourselvestothenumberoftheghosts，ofwhomtherearetoomanyhereabouts，andblamemeafterwards。“
“Onthecontrary，“Isaid，“wewillmakeyouourheirs，“andIlaidabagcontainingsomepiecesofmoneyuponthetable。
Palka，whowasasavingwoman，tookthemoney，forIhearditrattleinherhand，hungthejarsaboutmyshoulders，andgaveMartinathemeatandcorninabasket。Theflatcakes，however，shecarriedherselfonawoodentrencher，because，asshesaid，shefearedlestweshouldbreakthemandangertheghosts，wholikedtheirfoodtobewellserved。Sowestarted，andpresentlyenteredthemouthofthatawfulvalleywhich，Martinatoldme，lookedasthoughithadbeenriventhroughthemountainbylightningstrokesandthenblastedwithacurse。
Upthisdryanddesolateplace，which，shesaid，wasborderedoneithersidebywallsofgreyandjaggedrock，wewalkedinsilence。
OnlyInotedthatthedogwhichhadfollowedusfromthehouseclungclosetoourheelsandnowandagainwhimpereduneasily。
“Thebeastseeswhatwecannotsee，“whisperedPalkainexplanation。
Atlastwehalted，andIsetdownthejarsatherbiddinguponaflatrockwhichshecalledtheTableofOfferings。
“See！“sheexclaimedtoMartina，“thosethatwereplacedherethreedaysagoareallemptiedandneatlypiledtogetherbytheghosts。I
toldHodurthattheydidthis，buthewouldnotbelieveme。Nowletuspackthemupinthebasketsandbegone，forthesunsetsandthemoonriseswithinthehalfofanhour。Iwouldnotbehereinthedarkfortenpiecesofpuregold。“
“Thengoswiftly，Palka，“Isaid，“forwebideherethisnight。“
“Areyoumad？“sheasked。
“Notatall，“Ianswered。“Awisemanoncetoldmethatifonewhoisblindcanbutcomefacetofacewithaspirit，heseesitandtherebyregainshissight。Ifyouwouldknowthetruth，thatiswhyIhavewanderedsofarfrommyowncountrytofindsomelandwhereghostsmaybemet。“
“NowIamsurethatyouaremad，“exclaimedPalka。“Come，Hilda，andleavethisfooltomaketrialofhiscureforblindness。“
“Nay，“answeredMartina，“Imuststaywithmyuncle，althoughIamverymuchafraid。IfIdidnot，hewouldbeatmeafterwards。“
“Beatyou！Hodurbeatawoman！Oh！youarebothmad。Orperhapsyouareghostsalso。Ihavethoughtitonceortwice，whoatleastamsurethatyouareotherthanyouseem。HolyJesus！thisplacegrowsdark，andItellyouitisfullofdeadkings。MaytheSaintsguardyou；attheleast，you’llkeephighcompanyatyourdeath。Farewell；whate’erbefalls，blamemenotwhowarnedyou，“andshedepartedatarun，theemptyvesselsrattlingonherbackandthedogyappingbehindher。
Whenshehadgonethesilencegrewdeep。
“Now，Martina，“Iwhispered，“findsomeplacewherewemayhidewhenceyoucanseethisTableofOfferings。“
Sheledmetowhereafallenrocklaywithinafewpaces，andbehinditwesatourselvesdowninsuchapositionthatMartinacouldwatchtheTableofOfferingsbythelightofthemoon。
Herewewaitedforalongwhile；itmayhavebeentwohours，orthree，orfour。AtleastIknewthat，althoughIcouldseenothing，thesolemnityofthatplacesankintomysoul。Ifeltasthoughthedeadweremovingaboutmeinthesilence。IthinkitwasthesamewithMartina，foralthoughthenightwasveryhotinthatstifling，airlessvalley，sheshiveredatmyside。AtlastIfeltherstartandheardherwhisper:
“Iseeafigure。ItcreepsfromtheshadowoftheclifftowardstheTableofOfferings。“
“Whatisitlike？“Iasked。
“Itisawoman’sfiguredrapedinwhitecloths；shelooksabouther；
shetakesuptheofferingsandplacestheminabasketshecarries。Itisawoman——noghost——forshedrinksfromoneofthejars。Oh！nowthemoonlightshinesuponherface；itis/thatofHeliodore！/“
Iheardandcouldrestrainmyselfnolonger。Leapingup，IrantowardswhereIknewtheTableofOfferingstobe。Itriedtospeak，butmyvoicechokedinmythroat。Thewomansaworheardmecomingthroughtheshadows。Atleast，utteringalowcry，shefledaway，forIcaughtthesoundofherfeetontherocksandsand。ThenItrippedoverastoneandfelldown。
InamomentMartinawasatmyside。
“Trulyyouarefoolish，Olaf，“shesaid。“DidyouthinkthattheladyHeliodorewouldknowyouatnight，changedasyouareandinthisgarb，thatyoumustrushatherlikeanangrybull？Nowshehasgone，andperchanceweshallneverfindhermore。Whydidyounotspeaktoher？“
“Becausemyvoicechokedwithinme。Oh！blamemenot，Martina。IfyouknewwhatitistoloveasIdoandaftersomanyfearsandsorrows——“
“ItrustthatIshouldknowalsohowtocontrolmylove，“brokeinMartinasharply。“Come，wastenomoretimeintalk。Letussearch。“
ThenshetookmebythehandandledmetowhereshehadlastseenHeliodore。
“Shehasvanishedaway，“shesaid，“hereisnothingbutrock。“
“Itcannotbe，“Ianswered。“Oh！thatIhadmyeyesagain，ifforanhour，IwhowasthebesttrackerinJutland。Seeifnostonehasbeenstirred，Martina。Thesandwillbedamperwhereithaslain。“
Sheleftme，andpresentlyreturned。
