So they marched, and in great companies they marched, company
behind company, young and old, past the Queen, saluting her and
drawing courage from the loveliness and kindness of her unveiled
face.
In the rocks beneath the palaces of Chitor are very great caves -
league long and terrible, with ways of darkness no eyes have
seen; and it is believed that in times past spirits have haunted
them with strange wailings. In these was prepared great store of
wood and oils and fragrant matters for burning. So to these caves
they marched and, company by company, disappeared into the
darkness; and the voice of their singing grew faint and hollow,
and died away, as the men stood watching their women go.
Now, when this was done and the last had gone, the Rani descended
the steps, and the Rana, taking a torch dipped in fragrant oils,
followed her, and the Princes walked after, clad like bridegrooms
but with no faces of bridal joy. At the entrance of the caves,
having lit the torch, he gave it into her hand, and she,
receiving it and smiling, turned once upon the threshold, and for
the first time those Princes beheld the face of the Queen, but
they hid their eyes with their hands when they had seen.
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