The King's Talisman — page 122: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE KINGS TALISMAN. 113 thoughtfully into the limpid stream beneath. The old woman whom we left upon the structure had gone, and save here and there, where a solitary pedestrian was wending his way homeward, all was still and quiet. The cool, fresh. breeze swept gracefully over the burning brow of the old man, and with a sudden start, as though the thought of his present unprotected situation had but just entered his mind, he turned from the bridge and hastened toward the dwelling. With a cautious, but yet hurried step, the counselor pur- sued his way, until at length he reached the square within which stood the monumental tomb of Dilotus. The place was sacred ground, and naught but the footfall of Al-Bassa broke its solemn stillness. A bronze railing guarded the base of the monument from the tomb of the profane, and from within this railing, just as the old man came opposite to it, leaped forth a human form. ‘Hold, there!” exclaimed the person who had thus un- ceremoniously shown himself. ‘* Ere you pass on, I would see that face of yours.” ‘Stand back!” said Al-Bassa, endeavoring to assume a calmness which he did not feel. ‘‘Not until I see that face of yours,” persisted the stran- ger, as he laid his hand on the old man’s shoulder. ‘And what can my face be to you?” Al-Bassa asked, while a fear of some impending evil crept over him. “Tt may be much—perhaps nothing.” ‘‘Then it can be nothing. Let me pass, or it may be the worse for thee.” As Al-Bassa spoke, he shook off the grasp that was laid upon his shoulder, but in so doing he also released the mantle from his head, and though the night was only re- lieved by the stars, yet the stranger at once recognized the pedestrian, for placing his hand quickly back upon the - old man’s shoulder, with a firmer grip than before, he said: (Ef) Eomicbooks