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faint desert track； stretched away to Tombouctou。 The mitre upon the
head was worn surely as if it were a helmet； the pastoral staff with
its double cross was grasped as if it were a sword。 Upon the lower
cross was stretched a figure of the Christ in agony。 And the Cardinal；
gazing with the eyes of an eagle out into the pathless wastes of sand
that lay beyond the palm trees； seemed； by his mere attitude； to cry
to all the myriad hordes of men the deep…bosomed Sahara mothered in
her mystery and silence； 〃Come unto the Church！ Come unto me！〃
He called men in from the desert。 Domini fancied his voice echoing
along the sands till the worshippers of Allah and of his Prophet heard
it like a clarion in Tombouctou。
When she reached the great hotel the sun was just beginning to set。
She drew Count Anteoni's card from her glove and rang the bell。 After
a long interval a magnificent man； with the features of an Arab but a
skin almost as black as a negro； opened the door。
〃Can I go up the tower to see the sunset？〃 she asked； giving him the
card。
The man bowed low； escorted her through a long hall full of furniture
shrouded in coverings； up a staircase； along a corridor with numbered
rooms； up a second staircase and out upon a flat…terraced roof； from
which the tower soared high above the houses and palms of Beni…Mora； a
landmark visible half…a…day's journey out in the desert。 A narrow
spiral stair inside the tower gained the summit。
〃I'll go up alone；〃 Domini said。 〃I shall stay some time and I would
rather not keep you。〃
She put some money into the Arab's hand。 He looked pleased； yet
doubtful too for a moment。 Then he seemed to banish his hesitation
and； with a deprecating smile； said something which she could not
understand。 She nodded intelligently to get rid of him。 Already； from
the roof； she caught sight of a great visionary panorama glowing with
colour and magic。 She was impatient to climb still higher into the
sky； to look down on the world as an eagle does。 So she turned away
decisively and mounted the dark； winding stair till she reached a
door。 She pushed it open with some difficulty； and came out into the
air at a dizzy height； shutting the door forcibly behind her with an
energetic movement of her strong arms。
The top of the tower was small and square； and guarded by a white
parapet breast high。 In the centre of it rose the outer walls and the
ceiling of the top of the staircase； which prevented a person standing
on one side of the tower from seeing anybody who was standing at the
opposite side。 There was just sufficient space between parapet and
staircase wall for two people to pass with difficulty and manoeuvring。
But Domini was not concerned with such trivial details； as she would
have thought them had she thought of them。 Directly she had shut the
little door and felt herself alonealone as an eagle in the skyshe
took the step forward that brought her to the parapet； leaned her arms
on it； looked out and was lost in a passion of contemplation。
At first she did not discern any of the multitudinous minutiae in the
great evening vision beneath and around her。 She only felt conscious
of depth； height； space； colour； mystery； calm。 She did not measure。
She did not differentiate。 She simply stood there； leaning lightly on
the snowy plaster work； and experienced something that she had never
experienced before； that she had never imagined。 It was scarcely
vivid； for in everything that is vivid there seems to be something
small； the point to which wonders converge； the intense spark to which
many fires have given themselves as food； the drop which contains the
murmuring force of innumerable rivers。 It was more than vivid。 It was
reliantly dim； as is that pulse of life which is heard through and
above the crash of generations and centuries falling downwards into
the abyss； that persistent； enduring heart…beat； indifferent in its
mystical regularity； that ignores and triumphs； and never grows louder
nor diminishes； inexorably calm； inexorably steady； undefeatedmore
utterly unaffected by unnumbered millions of tragedies and deaths。
Many sounds rose from far down beneath the tower； but at first Domini
did not hear them。 She was only aware of an immense； living silence； a
silence flowing beneath； around and above her in dumb； invisible
waves。 Circles of rest and peace； cool and serene； widened as circles
in a pool towards the unseen limits of the satisfied world； limits
lost in the hidden regions beyond the misty； purple magic where sky
and desert met。 And she felt as if her brain； ceaselessly at work from
its birth； her heart； unresting hitherto in a commotion of desires；
her soul； an eternal flutter of anxious； passionate wings； folded
themselves together gently like the petals of roses when a summer
night comes into a garden。
She was not conscious that she breathed while she stood there。 She
thought her bosom ceased to rise and fall。 The very blood dreamed in
her veins as the light of evening dreamed in the blue。
She knew the Great Pause that seems to divide some human lives in two；
as the Great Gulf divided him who lay in Abraham's bosom from him who
was shrouded in the veil of fire。
BOOK II。 THE VOICE OF PRAYER
CHAPTER VII
The music of things from below stole up through the ethereal spaces to
Domini without piercing her dream。 But suddenly she started with a
sense of pain so acute that it shook her body and set the pulses in
her temples beating。 She lifted her arms swiftly from the parapet and
turned her head。 She had heard a little grating noise which seemed to
be near to her； enclosed with her on this height in the narrow space
of the tower。 Slight as it was； and shortalready she no longer heard
itit had in an instant driven her out of Heaven； as if it had been
an angel with a flaming sword。 She felt sure that there must be
something alive with her at the tower summit； something which by a
sudden movement had caused the little noise she had heard。 What was
it？ When she turned her head she could only see the outer wall of the
staircase； a section of the narrow white space which surrounded it； an
angle of the parapet and blue air。
She listened； holding her breath and closing her two hands on the
parapet； which was warm from the sun。 Now； caught back to reality； she
could hear faintly the sounds from below in Beni…Mora。 But they did
not concern her； and she wished to shut them out from her ears。 What
did concern her was to know what was with her up in the sky。 Had a
bird alighted on the parapet and startled her by scratching at the
plaster with its beak？ Could a mouse have shuffled in the wall？ Or was
there a human being up there hidden from her by the masonry？
This last supposition disturbed her almost absurdly for a moment。 She
was inclined to walk quickly round to the opposite side of the tower；
but something stronger than her inclination； an imperious shyness；
held her motionless。 She had been carried so far away from the world
that she felt unable to face the scrutiny of any world…bound creature。
Having been in the transparent region of magic it seemed to her as if
her secret； the