I had promised to witness this work of destruction, and witness it I did, but it was with pain and regret.

When all was finished, Heliobas commanded his men to carry the statue of Zara's self down to his own private room, and then to summon all the domestics of the household in a body to the great hall, as he wished to address them.

I heard him give this order with some surprise, and he saw it.

As the Armenians slowly disappeared, carrying with great care the marble figure of their late mistress, he turned to me, as he locked up the door of the studio, and said quietly: "These ignorant folk, who serve me for money and food--money that they have eagerly taken, and food that they have greedily devoured--they think that I am the devil or one of the devil's agents, and I am going to prove their theories entirely to their satisfaction.

Come and see!" I followed him, somewhat mystified.