live,Dorna．Onedayyou’llgetitfromeitheronesideortheother．Letmetakeyoutosomewhereveryiing．"

    "OK．Itrustyouolddog．I’llgoanywherewithyou.”shesaidwithanaivesmile．

    "Closeyoureyesthen.”

    Suddenlythesleepinggirlonthegem-studdedthroossedrestlesslyshouting，

    "Run,olddog,run!Orthey’llgetusboth!"Theringingughterofthefivenakedwomensittingbeforeher,resouhehall.Itseemedtobethemostbeautifulsoundintheworld．

    "Let’swakeherup”saidAisha“orshewon’tsleepatalltonight．She’llprowroundandwakeeverybodyup.”Theotherfourwomeovertothethroneandkissedherresoundinglyonherrosycheeks．Aishabroughtuptherear．Dornarubbedhereyessleepilyandmuttered，

    4

    "Theywereafterhim．YouwokemeupjustasIwasgoingtosavehimandbringhimbae．Oh,whydidyouhavetowakeme?"

    "Besensible，girl．KingDimitriisawonderfulmaakeself．Howcouldhebepursuedbybadmen?"saidAishatenderlyarrangingthegirl’sruffledhairwithherfingers．DornahadbeenphercarebyDimitriwhenhebroughthertotheKingdomofDreamsandAishahadanalmostmotherlyloveforthisunprincipledbutsoverylovablewaif．Dornawasnowagrownupgirl，andsinceshehadneverknownthewarmthofamother’slove，sheexuberatedunderAisha’scareandalwaysactedlikeachildbeforeher．Nowshepoutedlikeaspoiltchild，

    "It’sallyourfault．YouwokemebeforeIcouldsavehimandbringhimhome．Nowhe’sgoneagain!"

    "Timeforyourmathcss,Dorna．Whereareyourshoes?"

    "Idon’tliketowearshoes．Idon’tlikematheither!"

    "OK!We’llreadhistoryihen.”Sosaying，thetwoleftforthestudyandStephaus，AngelidSamantharetiredtotheirrooms．Thegreathallresumeditsmajesticsilence．

    InthisPaceofDreams,timeslippedbysilentlyasthesandthroughthelongslenderfingersofabeautifulwoman,oraspainstakingasthehsssetinthequietdeeprecessesofanapace．Whatistime?Whatsignificedoesithave?Thosesleaperingfingerswhichbelongtoalonelywomanonthebeach，pyingidlywiththesandortoyingwiththeclustersofweeds．Herfragranceisdifferentfromthatofflowersorratheritisanartificialperfume．Herbodytemperatureisdifferentfromtheheatofthesunshine．Sandslipsslowlythroughherfingersastheydointhehssofaimes．Toknowthemeaningandsignifie，weshouldperhapsknowwhatisonhermindasshenguidlytoyswiththeweedsorwatchesthesandslipthroughherslenderfingers．

    Dimitrisatyawningandstretghimself．Therefleofthefieryautumnsunfilteredintohisdipidatedshelter．Itwastooearlytogooutyet．Dr．ElinaGelbartwouldnotbehometilfterdark．Aswastheusualcaseafteragoodnap,Dimitrifelthispenisharden．Itgavehimahappy,fortablefeelingbecauseitmeanthewasstillphysicallystroretchedandsaid，

    "Suchislife!Thisiswonderful!"Abigfatmousewhichlivedinamouseholeintheshelteralsowokeupandpokedhisheadout．LikeDimitri，seeingthesun，itkwastooearlytogolookingforfood,soitcloseditsbeadyeyesabacktosleep．Inthissociety，Dimitriwaslikethemouse，uselessbutalsoharmless．Hethenthoughtofthecigarettegirl，Dorna．ShewasnowinhisKingdomofDreamswithpeopletolookafterher．Sheshouldbesafeandhappy．Butthatwomanwhosesleaperingfingersyingwithweedsandsand,whowasshe?AtDimitri’sage，hewasnumbtoloveanditspassions．Tohim，theyweremeaningless．Butheretaihelustyanimalneedsof

live,Dorna．Onedayyou’llgetitfromeitheronesideortheother．Letmetakeyoutosomewhereveryiing．"

    "OK．Itrustyouolddog．I’llgoanywherewithyou.”shesaidwithanaivesmile．

    "Closeyoureyesthen.”

    Suddenlythesleepinggirlonthegem-studdedthroossedrestlesslyshouting，

    "Run,olddog,run!Orthey’llgetusboth!"Theringingughterofthefivenakedwomensittingbeforeher,resouhehall.Itseemedtobethemostbeautifulsoundintheworld．

    "Let’swakeherup”saidAisha“orshewon’tsleepatalltonight．She’llprowroundandwakeeverybodyup.”Theotherfourwomeovertothethroneandkissedherresoundinglyonherrosycheeks．Aishabroughtuptherear．Dornarubbedhereyessleepilyandmuttered，

    4

    "Theywereafterhim．YouwokemeupjustasIwasgoingtosavehimandbringhimbae．Oh,whydidyouhavetowakeme?"

    "Besensible，girl．KingDimitriisawonderfulmaakeself．Howcouldhebepursuedbybadmen?"saidAishatenderlyarrangingthegirl’sruffledhairwithherfingers．DornahadbeenphercarebyDimitriwhenhebroughthertotheKingdomofDreamsandAishahadanalmostmotherlyloveforthisunprincipledbutsoverylovablewaif．Dornawasnowagrownupgirl，andsinceshehadneverknownthewarmthofamother’slove，sheexuberatedunderAisha’scareandalwaysactedlikeachildbeforeher．Nowshepoutedlikeaspoiltchild，

    "It’sallyourfault．YouwokemebeforeIcouldsavehimandbringhimhome．Nowhe’sgoneagain!"

    "Timeforyourmathcss,Dorna．Whereareyourshoes?"

    "Idon’tliketowearshoes．Idon’tlikematheither!"

    "OK!We’llreadhistoryihen.”Sosaying，thetwoleftforthestudyandStephaus，AngelidSamantharetiredtotheirrooms．Thegreathallresumeditsmajesticsilence．

    InthisPaceofDreams,timeslippedbysilentlyasthesandthroughthelongslenderfingersofabeautifulwoman,oraspainstakingasthehsssetinthequietdeeprecessesofanapace．Whatistime?Whatsignificedoesithave?Thosesleaperingfingerswhichbelongtoalonelywomanonthebeach，pyingidlywiththesandortoyingwiththeclustersofweeds．Herfragranceisdifferentfromthatofflowersorratheritisanartificialperfume．Herbodytemperatureisdifferentfromtheheatofthesunshine．Sandslipsslowlythroughherfingersastheydointhehssofaimes．Toknowthemeaningandsignifie，weshouldperhapsknowwhatisonhermindasshenguidlytoyswiththeweedsorwatchesthesandslipthroughherslenderfingers．

    Dimitrisatyawningandstretghimself．Therefleofthefieryautumnsunfilteredintohisdipidatedshelter．Itwastooearlytogooutyet．Dr．ElinaGelbartwouldnotbehometilfterdark．Aswastheusualcaseafteragoodnap,Dimitrifelthispenisharden．Itgavehimahappy,fortablefeelingbecauseitmeanthewasstillphysicallystroretchedandsaid，

    "Suchislife!Thisiswonderful!"Abigfatmousewhichlivedinamouseholeintheshelteralsowokeupandpokedhisheadout．LikeDimitri，seeingthesun，itkwastooearlytogolookingforfood,soitcloseditsbeadyeyesabacktosleep．Inthissociety，Dimitriwaslikethemouse，uselessbutalsoharmless．Hethenthoughtofthecigarettegirl，Dorna．ShewasnowinhisKingdomofDreamswithpeopletolookafterher．Sheshouldbesafeandhappy．Butthatwomanwhosesleaperingfingersyingwithweedsandsand,whowasshe?AtDimitri’sage，hewasnumbtoloveanditspassions．Tohim，theyweremeaningless．Butheretaihelustyanimalneedsof