"The star that was over my life is over it no longer.

I have no life-star any longer.
The jewel of the southern sky withdraws his light, paling before the white gold from the northern land.

The gold that shall be mine through all the cycles of the sun, the gold that neither man nor monarch shall take from me.

What have I to do with stars in heaven?
Is not my star come down to earth to abide with me through life?
And when life is over and the scroll is full, shall not my star bear me hence, beyond the fiery foot-bridge, beyond the paradise of my people and its senseless sensuality of houris and strong wine?
Beyond the very memory of limited and bounded life, to that life eternal where there is neither limit, nor bound, nor sorrow?
Shall our two souls not unite and be one soul to roam through the countless circles of revolving outer space?
Not through years, or for times, or for ages--but for ever?
The light of life is woman, the love of life is the love of woman; the light that pales not, the life that cannot die, the love that can know not any ending; _my_ light, _my_ life, and _my_ love!" His whole soul was in his voice, and his whole heart; the twining white fingers, the half-closed eyes, and the passionate quivering tone, told all he had left unsaid.

It was surely a high and a noble thing that he felt, worthy of the man in his beauty of mind and body.