NowthatIamonthesubjectofwings，IoughtnottoomitmentionofacustomamongtheGy—eiwhichseemstomeveryprettyandtenderinthesentimentitimplies。AGywearswingshabituallywhenyetavirgin—shejoinstheAnaintheiraerialsports—sheadventuresaloneandafarintothewilderregionsofthesunlessworld：intheboldnessandheightofhersoarings，notlessthaninthegraceofhermovements，sheexcelstheoppositesex。But，fromthedayofhermarriageshewearswingsnomore，shesuspendsthemwithherownwillinghandoverthenuptialcouch，nevertoberesumedunlessthemarriagetiebeseveredbydivorceordeath。
NowwhenZee’svoiceandeyesthussoftened—andatthatsofteningIpropheticallyrecoiledandshuddered—Taee，whohadaccompaniedusinourflights，butwho，child—like，hadbeenmuchmoreamusedwithmyawkwardness，thansympathisinginmyfearsorawareofmydanger，hoveredoverus，poisedamidstspreadwings，andhearingtheendearingwordsoftheyoungGy，laughedaloud。Saidhe，\"IftheTishcannotlearntheuseofwings，youmaystillbehiscompanion，Zee，foryoucansuspendyourown。\"
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ChapterXXI。
Ihadforsometimeobservedinmyhost’shighlyinformedandpowerfullyproportioneddaughterthatkindlyandprotectivesentimentwhich，whetherabovetheearthorbelowit，anall—wiseProvidencehasbestoweduponthefemininedivisionofthehumanrace。ButuntilverylatelyIhadascribedittothataffectionfor’pets’whichahumanfemaleateveryageshareswithahumanchild。InowbecamepainfullyawarethatthefeelingwithwhichZeedeignedtoregardmewasdifferentfromthatwhichIhadinspiredinTaee。Butthisconvictiongavemenoneofthatcomplacentgratificationwhichthevanityofmanordinarilyconceivesfromaflatteringappreciationofhispersonalmeritsonthepartofthefairsex;onthecontrary，itinspiredmewithfear。YetofalltheGy—eiinthecommunity，ifZeewereperhapsthewisestandthestrongest，shewas，bycommonrepute，thegentlest，andshewascertainlythemostpopularlybeloved。Thedesiretoaid，tosuccour，toprotect，tocomfort，tobless，seemedtopervadeherwholebeing。ThoughthecomplicatedmiseriesthatoriginateinpenuryandguiltareunknowntothesocialsystemoftheVril—ya，still，nosagehadyetdiscoveredinvrilanagencywhichcouldbanishsorrowfromlife;andwhereveramongstherpeoplesorrowfounditsway，thereZeefollowedinthemissionofcomforter。DidsomesisterGyfailtosecuretheloveshesighedfor？Zeesoughtherout，andbroughtalltheresourcesofherlore，andalltheconsolationsofhersympathy，tobearuponagriefthatsoneedsthesolaceofaconfidant。Intherarecases，whengraveillnessseizeduponchildhoodoryouth，andthecases，lessrare，when，inthehardyandadventurousprobationofinfants，someaccident，attendedwithpainandinjuryoccurred，Zeeforsookherstudiesandhersports，andbecamethehealerandnurse。Herfavourite106flightsweretowardstheextremeboundariesofthedomainwherechildrenwerestationedonguardagainstoutbreaksofwarringforcesinnature，ortheinvasionsofdevouringanimals，sothatshemightwarnthemofanyperilwhichherknowledgedetectedorforesaw，orbeathandifanyharmhadbefallen。