higher nature. Better death than such a love,—for it works misery on earth; but who can tell what horrors it may not create Hereafter!"
When the Princess Ziska betakes herself to the
Mena House Hotel, near the Pyramids, Dr. Dean,
Gervase Armand, and Denzil Murray follow her.
She entertains them at dinner, and after dinner,
while the Doctor and Armand are strolling without,
Murray puts his fate to the touch, with results
as might have been expected, for the Princess has
displayed little emotion in respect to anybody save
Armand, and in his case it is clear that her interest
has a malignant foundation.
Armand comes after him, and, in a passionate scene, audaciously proposes to "play the part of Araxes over again." Ziska promises to give him her answer on the morrow, and on the morrow Armand receives it.
The last scene of this "Problem of a Wicked Soul" takes place beneath the Great Pyramid. Why and how the modern Araxes and the modern Ziska-Charmazel come together in the end in this strangest of meeting-places, we will leave the reader to discover for him or herself.
But we may at least record our admiration for the feat of imagination of which "Ziska" is the result, and indicate the lesson that is to be learned from its
