Chapter 44

Away

Though clothed in language of my own, the maiden's story is in
substance the same as she related. Yet were not these things narrated
as past events; she merely recounted them as impressions of her
childhood, and of her destiny yet unaccomplished. And mystical as the
tale most assuredly was, my knowledge of the strange arts of the
island priesthood, and the rapt fancies indulged in by many of their
victims, deprived it in good part of the effect it otherwise would
have produced.

For ulterior purposes connected with their sacerdotal supremacy, the
priests of these climes oftentimes secrete mere infants in their
temples; and jealously secluding them from all intercourse with the
world, craftily delude them, as they grow up, into the wildest conceits.

Thus wrought upon, their pupils almost lose their humanity in the
constant indulgence of seraphic imaginings. In many cases becoming
inspired as oracles; and as such, they are sometimes resorted to by
devotees; always screened from view, however, in the recesses of the
temples. But in every instance, their end is certain. Beguiled with
some fairy tale about revisiting the islands of Paradise, they are
led to the secret sacrifice, and perish unknown to their kindred.

But, would that all this had been hidden from me at the time. For
Yillah was lovely enough to be really divine; and so I might have
been tranced into a belief of her mystical legends.

But with what passionate exultation did I find myself the
deliverer of this beautiful maiden; who, thinking no harm, and rapt
in a dream, was being borne to her fate on the coast of Tedaidee. Nor
now, for a moment, did the death of Aleema her guardian seem to hang
heavy upon my heart. I rejoiced that I had sent him to his gods; that
in place of the sea moss growing over sweet Yillah drowned in the
sea, the vile priest himself had sunk to the bottom.

But though he had sunk in the deep, his ghost sunk not in the deep
waters of my soul. However in exultations its surface foamed up, at
bottom guilt brooded. Sifted out, my motives to this enterprise
justified not the mad deed, which, in a moment of rage, I had done:
though, those motives had been covered with a gracious pretense;
concealing myself from myself. But I beat down the thought.

In relating her story, the maiden frequently interrupted it with
questions concerning myself:--Whence I came: being white, from
Oroolia? Whither I was going: to Amma? And what had happened to
Aleema? For she had been dismayed at the fray, though knowing not
what it could mean; and she had heard the priest's name called upon
in lamentations. These questions for the time I endeavored to evade;
only inducing her to fancy me some gentle demigod,