The Veiled Lady

orehead in strong contrast to the wizened, almost sour, visage of our landlady. Up to the time of his coming every one had avoided that end, or had grad

, untrammelled and unlimited, that rings down the hide-bound table of a dismal boarding-house, carries with it a surprise and charm that outclasses them all. The effect on this occasion was like the opening of a window letting in a gust of pure air. Some of the more sensitive shivered a

but that every one else within the sound of his seductive voice was yielding to his influence. Stories that had lain quiet in our minds for months for lack of a willing or appreciative ear, or had been told behind our hands,-small pipings most of them of club and social gossip, now became public property, some being bowled along the table straight at the new boarder, who sent his own r

t empty-a fact that had greatly influenced her-and that he had at once moved in. His trunks-there were two of them-had, she remembered, been covered with foreign labels (and still were)-all of which could be verified by any one who had a right to know and who would take the trouble to inspect his room when he was out, which occurred every day between ten in the morning and six in the afternoon

ith marked respect, was exceedingly agreeable, and had insisted-and this she stated was the one particular thing that endeared him to her-had insisted on paying his board a MONTH IN ADVANCE, instead of waiting until the thirty days had elapsed.

was shared by every one at my end of the table, although

lerk; "although I don't know any Danes. But he's a daisy, an

view of writing a book. Nothing else would persuade a man of his parts to live here. I lived in just such a place the winter I spent in Dresden. You want to get close to the people when

ous powers of conversation, I could not divest myself of the conviction that underneath it all there lay something more than a mere desire to be either kindly or entertaining; in fact

ersationalists with a world-wide experience to draw upon-was slight, and my grounds for doubting his sincerity w

till held t

he face of a clown who has been hurt in a tumble and who, while wrestling with the pain, still keeps his face a-grin. Suddenly, from out of his merry, smooth-shaven face, there came a flash from his eyes so searching, so keen, so suspici

ays after peering into Bing's face, watching for its repe

the ladies? They hang on his every word. Curious

h suspicion, and then there flashed from their depths a light that seemed to illuminate every corner of my brain. When I looked again his face was wreathed in smiles, his eyes sparkling with merriment. Instantly my doubts returned

in literature, who had never been out of his own country, and who spoke no tongue but hi

heartiest manner, laying his hand on my shoulder as he spoke. "You'll find me in my room. I've s

that I had asked him an irrelevant question after the flash had va

arger, I can tell you, than I have had in many other parts of the world. I can write here, too, without interruption. What else do we want, really?-To be warm, to be fed and then to have some congenial spirits about us! I am quite happy, I as

over the two trunks with their labels; over a desk littered, piled, crammed with papers; over the mantel, on which was spread a row of pho

not see-I keep it behind the others-three of them, like a little pair of steps-all I have left. Th

chil

es

e are

e he took down the photograph of the man in full uniform-"is the Grand Duke Vladimir. Yes, a soldierly-loo

mentioned my mother a

our age-at mine it is all over. But why did you leave her? It is so har

wri

ows and looked at

ing? Books? What i

he newspapers, and now and then I get a short

talked, his back to me. He turned

your invention, you will come quite close to what they call genius. I saw all this in your face to-night; that is why I wanted to talk to you. So many young men go astray for want of a word dropped into their minds at the ri

taken a seat, although a chair was next to my

gave that half a column, and-dry work, isn't it? But I like it, for I can write here by my fire if I please, and all my other time is my own. You see they are signed 'Norvic Bing.' I insisted on that. These publishers are selfish sometimes, and want

e blaze of decorations worn by the men; the graciousness of the Empress and the charm of her beauty-then of a visit he had made to the Exile a few months after he had r

-night with both hands over mine, saying I should come again when he was at leisure, as he had been that night-which

for his children-for those he loved and from whom he was parted. I had boasted to myself of my intuition and had looked, as I supposed, deep into his heart, and all I found were t

aedia, I explained to my fellow-boarders, I being looked upon now as having special information owing to my supposed intimac

self when I left my room-had done so that night, I thought, but I must h

us hands to each one down the table, leaving a warmth behind him which they had not known since he last pressed their pal

, had been paid in advance, but it was the man she missed. No one else could add th

ake except herself, and never then unless some emergency arose. It was empty of everything that belonged to him-had been for days. The room had been set in order and the bed had be

top of the dead coals lay a little heap of a