THE GUEBRE PRIEST. 
253 
cution were not interrupted. A quantity of dry wood 
had been conveyed into the tomb during the mornings 
and immediately behind the building a stout stake 
was driven into the earthy about the size of a man’s 
leg, and just five feet high : it was a dry bamboo ; 
and to this the victims were to be attached, in order 
that they might consume together. The preparations 
were at length completed. When this was announced 
to the Parsee’s daughter, she exhibited no emotion, 
and did not utter a word. She feared not to die ; and 
to her there was a consolation in the thought that 
she was about to be accompanied in her journey to 
another world with him in whom all her affections 
were absorbed. The natural romance of her nature 
was roused into unusual action by the awful position 
in which she was placed ; this kindled her enthusiasm, 
and she hailed death as the removal of an eternal 
barrier between her and the object of her adoration. 
She supposed that he was no less reconciled than her- 
self to that stern adjudication, which would remove 
two affectionate hearts beyond the reach of mortal 
tyranny. 
Her lover, though neither so calm nor so full of an- 
ticipation, was still tolerably resigned to the fate that 
awaited him — the absorbing passion of his soul quick- 
ening his resolution, and flinging a sort of halo round the 
dismal preparations of death. There was, nevertheless, 
an occasional wavering of mind as it dwelt involun- 
tarily upon the change he was about to undergo, the 
fearful question arising whether his separation from 
the object of his love might not be eternal. His firm- 
ness was rather the result of temperament, and of 
z 
