The History of Photogen and Nycteris.…

A beautiful moth brushed across the great blue eyes of Nycteris. She sprang to her feet to follow it -- not in the spirit of the hunter, but of the lover. Her heart -- like every heart, if only its fallen sides were cleared away -- was an inexhaustible fountain of love: she loved everything she saw. But as she followed the moth, she caught sight of something lying on the bank of the river, and not yet having learned to be afraid of anything, ran straight to see what it was. Reaching it, she stood amazed. Another girl like herself! But what a strange-looking girl! -- so curiously dressed too! -- and not able to move! Was she dead? Filled suddenly with pity, she sat down, lifted Photogen's head, laid it on her lap, and began stroking his face. Her warm hands brought him to himself. He opened his black eyes, out of which had gone all the fire, and looked up with a strange sound of fear, half moan, half gasp.

But when he saw her face, he drew a deep breath, and lay motionless -- gazing at her: those blue marvels above him, like a better sky, seemed to side with courage and assuage his terror. At length, in a trembling, awed voice, and a half whisper, he said, "Who are you?"