She walked upon the beds, and the rich sweet arose ;
                                           and she gathered her hands full of flowers. Then duty, with  his white clear
                                           features, came and looked at her. Then she ceased from gathering, but she
                                           walked away among the flowers, smiling, and with her hands full.
 
                                                    Then duty, with  his still face, came again, and looked at her; but she
                                           turned away from him. At last she saw his face, and she dropped the fairest
                                           of the flowers she had held, and walked silently away.
 
                                                   Then again he came to her. And she moaned, and bent her head low,
                                           and turned to the gate. But as she went she looked back at the sunlight on the
                                           faces of the flowers, and wept in anguish. Then she went out, and it shut behind
                                           her forever; but still in her hand held of the buds she had gathered, and the
                                           scent was very sweet in the lonely desert.
 
                           
 
                                                    But he followed her. Once more he stood before her with his still, white,
                                            death-like face. And she knew what he had come for : she unbent the fingers,
                                            and let the flowers drop out, the flowers she had loved so, and walked on without
                                            them, with dry, aching eyes. Then for the last time he came. And she showed him her
                                            empty hands, the hands that held nothing now. But still he looked. Then at length
                                            she opened her bosom and took out of it small flower she had hidden there, and laid
                                            it on the sand. She had nothing more to give now, and she wandered away, and
                                            the grey sand whirled about her.