312 The Diary of a Drug Fiend
laugh as we wanted to laugh. We sat down on a patch
of grass ablaze with flowers and rolled over and over,
tearing up tufts of grass and biting them to overcome
our emotions.
Dionysus evidently thought it was a game and began
to romp; but Hermes, though evidently eager to join
in the fun, was held back by his sense of responsibility.
“‘ Where on earth did you learn such extraordinary
language ? ”’ cried Lou at last, the tears running down
her cheeks.
Hermes became more serious than ever.
“It’s from the Book of the Law. Change not so
much as the style of a letter,” he said.
We began quite seriously to wonder whether we had
not got into one of those fantastic waking dreams with
which heroin had made us familiar. But this was a
dream of a totally different quality. It had a strain of
wholesomeness and actuality running through its
incredible tissue of marvels.
At last we sat up and drew a long breath. Hermes
hastened to assist Lou to her feet, and the action,
natural as it was, coming from such an extraordinary
quarter, set us off laughing again.
Dionysus was regarding us with big serious eyes.
“You'll do,” he suddenly decided; and began to
execute a little step-dance of his own.
But we could see that Hermes, with all his unwilling-
ness to interfere with other people, was impatient;
and we scrambled to our feet. This time, Lou took his
hand, and left me to bring up the rear with Dionysus,
who poured forth an unending stream of prattle. I
could not even hear it; the whole thing was too much
for me.
We came out on to the terrace of the villa; King
Lamus was standing in the open doorway. He had
changed his travelling clothes for a silken robe of the
brightest blue, with scarlet linings to the hood and
sleeves like that of the boys. But on the breast in
golden embroidery was an Egyptian eye within an