The soft booming of a gong presently roused him to attention, and a moment later the door of the apartment opened and an ascetic-looking man, whose duty and privilege it was to wait upon him, entered deferentially.
He stood for a moment in an attitude of profound abasement; then he stepped forward and stood beside the table.
"Master," he said, in a low voice.

"The newest among us would speak with you!" The Prophet raised his head and a gleam of interest crossed his eyes; but almost immediately he subdued the look.
"I am willing," he replied, unemotionally, in the usual formula.

Then he glanced at his attendant.

"After this, the audiences for the day are over," he added.
The man bowed, and with awe-struck deference moved silently from the room, almost immediately reappearing, to usher in the devotee, and with the same conscious air of mystery, to retire, closing the heavy door.
For a moment the new-comer stood just inside the threshold.

As on the night of the Prophet's coming, she wore a long, black dress that accentuated her height and grace, and brought into prominence the clear pallor of her skin and the remarkable luminous brilliance of her eyes.