"Hum膄e-膔y！" she said as though she were learning the word， "and those？""Bastin and Bickley，" I replied.
Over these patronymics she shook her head； as yet they were too much for her.
"How are you named， Sleeper？" I asked.
"Yva，" she answered.
"A beautiful name for one who is beautiful，" I declared with enthusiasm， of course always in the rich Orofenan dialect which by now I could talk well enough.
She repeated the words once or twice， then of a sudden caught their meaning， for she smiled and even coloured， saying hastily with a wave of her hand towards the Ancient who stood at a distance between Bastin and Bickley， "My father， Oro； great man；great king； great god！"
At this information I started， for it was startling to learn that here was the original Oro， who was still worshipped by the Orofenans， although of his actual existence they had known nothing for uncounted time.Also I was glad to learn that he was her father and not her old husband， for to me that would have been horrible， a desecration too deep for words.
"How long did you sleep， Yva？" I asked， pointing towards the sepulchre in the cave.
After a little thought she understood and shook her head hopelessly， then by an afterthought， she said，"Stars tell Oro to-night."So Oro was an astronomer as well as a king and a god.I had guessed as much from those plates in the coffin which seemed to have stars engraved on them.
At this point our conversation came to an end， for the Ancient himself approached， leaning on the arm of Bickley who was engaged in an animated argument with Bastin.
"For Heaven's sake！" said Bickley， "keep your theology to yourself at present.If you upset the old fellow and put him in a temper he may die.""If a man tells me that he is a god it is my duty to tell him that he is a liar，" replied Bastin obstinately.
"Which you did， Bastin， only fortunately he did not understand you.But for your own sake I advise you not to take liberties.He is not one， I think， with whom it is wise to trifle.I think he seems thirsty.Go and get some water from the rain pool， not from the lake."Bastin departed and presently returned with an aluminum jug full of pure water and a glass.Bickley poured some of it into a glass and handed it to Yva who bent her head in thanks.Then she did a curious thing.Having first lifted the glass with both hands to the sky and held it so for a few seconds， she turned and with an obeisance poured a little of it on the ground before her father's feet.
A libation， thought I to myself， and evidently Bastin agreed with me， for I heard him mutter，"I believe she is making a heathen offering."Doubtless we were right， for Oro accepted the homage by a little motion of the head.After this， at a sign from him she drank the water.Then the glass was refilled and handed to Oro who also held it towards the sky.He， however， made no libation but drank at once， two tumblers of it in rapid succession.
By now the direct sunlight was passing from the mouth of the cave， and though it was hot enough， both of them shivered a little.They spoke together in some language of which we could not understand a word， as though they were debating what their course of action should be.The dispute was long and earnest.Had we known what was passing， which I learned afterwards， it would have made us sufficiently anxious， for the point at issue was nothing less than whether we should or should not be forthwith destroyed--an end， it appears， that Oro was quite capable of bringing about if he so pleased.Yva， however， had very clear views of her own on the matter and， as I gather， even dared to threaten that she would protect us by the use of certain powers at her command， though what these were I do not know.
While the event hung doubtful Tommy， who was growing bored with these long proceedings， picked up a bough still covered with flowers which， after their pretty fashion， the Orofenans had placed on the top of one of the baskets of food.This small bough he brought and laid at the feet of Oro， no doubt in the hope that he would throw it for him to fetch， a game in which the dog delighted.For some reason Oro saw an omen in this simple canine performance， or he may have thought that the dog was making an offering to him， for he put his thin hand to his brow and thought a while， then motioned to Bastin to pick up the bough and give it to him.
Next he spoke to his daughter as though assenting to something， for I saw her sigh in relief.No wonder， for he was conveying his decision to spare our lives and admit us to their fellowship.
After this again they talked， but in quite a different tone and manner.Then the Glittering Lady said to me in her slow and archaic Orofenan：
"We go to rest.You must not follow.We come back perhaps tonight， perhaps next night.We are quite safe.You are quite safe under the beard of Oro.Spirit of Oro watch you.You understand？"I said I understood， whereon she answered：
"Good-bye， O Humfe-ry."
"Good-bye， O Yva，" I replied， bowing.
Thereon they turned and refusing all assistance from us， vanished into the darkness of the cave leaning upon each other and walking slowly.
