The Devil: A Tragedy of the Heart and Conscience

rs earlier, before Hofmann married, Mahler, befriended by his family, had been sent away to Paris to study art. Olga, at that time a

rned to find the sweetheart whom he had kissed for the first time when he told her good-by, married to another. He was not greatly shocked at the discov

. Olga honestly believed that she loved her husband and had long ago forgotten her love for Karl. Lately she had interested herself in his future to the extent of propo

d confess it, some secret prompting made them fear to break down the barriers of convention, and they remained to each other chaperoned and safe. On th

any of your models or your

d at Karl, whom the proposition seemed to excite to strange eagerness. She

ived Herman's proposition. Unwillingly Olga's mind traveled swiftly back to the old days and her girlhood,

Olga; I wil

that he could scarcely give attention to Herman, who rattled on about the portrait. It was finally settled

evil purpose against which good contends; the incarnation of the arch fiend in the attractive shape of a suave, polished, plausible, eloquent man of the world, whose cy

the promise of a s

which oppressed him when he arose. He was filled with misgiving, dou

thout enthusiasm. Warm, beautiful, affectionate, she m

nd the studio

aspiration of the artist; they were mementos of the models w

gers until it crumbled, his mouth tight, his eyebrows drawn together. Then he seized

wed warmly. In front of the inviting fire was the big arm-chair with its wide seat, comfortable cushions and high pulpit back. As he laid aside his greatcoat

of a feeling that it was occupied. He pressed his hands to his ey

ng mad!"

d loudly

ch! Hei

side his coat and Heinrich held for him his velvet dressing jacket. He slipped into it, shook himself, and li

errible sight

Heinrich sai

been here?"

selle Mimi. She is waitin

r, flung himself on a couch and held the sheet before his eyes. He did not

d folding Karl's coat, waited. The

I shall not need her

ieur," Hei

door of the studio and th

says he will not need you

at full length on the couch,

nded figure whose lines showed through her

ook. He pretended to be absorbed in his newspaper. Mimi looked a

going to pai

, not

love me any

t's impatience and irritation, but h

me. Ah, Karl, when you loved me you painted me

ME; YOU HAVE CEASED T

on of Henry

o larg

orced

. "You talk like a

It is always the way with us poor models. At first it is, 'Ah, what shoulder

? It is all angles!' or, 'What on earth have you put on your face?

e was an extremely pretty girl of the bourgeois type, with heavy coils of straw

ide his paper and es

g her shoulder, "don't cry, Mim

imi unveiled her eyes and looked at him eag

e, Karl? Ah, tell m

es

e again? If not to-da

but I am v

again. Mimi's mood suddenly turned to an

ove me, and I know why. Y

de an impatient gestur

y silly, Mim

t, because I was a fool. You are going to marry Ma'm'selle Elsa Berg, who is said to be very beaut

ard all of this?" Karl demanded

r; you cannot deny

iftly to contrition, and

own, and I must have annoyed you. We models are alwa

lingly at Karl,

, and I promise to paint you again, pe

Then she fled from the room. Karl flung himself dow