A Cigarette-Maker's Romance

he was working through the never-ending hours of her weary day, he was calmly seated upon a chair by the open window in his little roo

thing very pleasant is about to happen, who has prepared himself for it, and who sits

a few moments when this happened, satisfying himself that he had been mistaken, and then, shaking his head and once more passing his hands round each other, he resumed his seat and his former attitude. He listened also for the chiming of the hours, and when he was sure that an hour had passed since the arrival of his imaginary express train, he rose again, looked out of the window, watched the wheeling of the house swallows, and assumed an air of momentary indifference. The next ringing of the clock bells revived the illusion. Another train was doubtless just running in to the station, and in a quarter of an hour his friends might be with him. There was no time to be lost. The flush returned to his cheeks as he hastily combed his smooth hair for the twentieth time, examining his appearance minutely in the dingy, spotted mirror, brushing his clothes-far too well brushed these many years-and lastly making sure that there was no weak point in the adjustment of his false collar. He made another turn of inspection round his little room, feeling sure that there was just time to see that all was right and in order,

and that he might enjoy an interval of distraction in looking out of the window until the next one arrived. The Count must have had a very exaggerated idea of the facility of communication between Munich and Russia, for he assuredly stood waiting for his friends, combed, brushed, and altogether at his best, more than twenty times between the morning and the evening. As the day declined, indeed, his imaginary railway station must

is level rays shot over the sea of roofs and the forest of chimneys and entered the little room

in a tone of great anxiety, "I have f

a night together-they call that space of time the sutki, and it is a more or less elastic term, as we say "from day to day," "from one evening to another." Rooms in Russian hotels are let by the sutki, railway tickets are valid for one or more sutki, and the Count might have chosen to consider that his sutki extended from the time when he had spoken to Fischelowitz until twelve o'clock on the following night. But he had no means of knowing exactly what the time had been when he had been

large fortune in the course of the evening, no scheme for raising so considerable a sum as fifty marks presented itself to his imagination. Poor as he was, he was far more used to lending than to borrowing, and more accustomed to giving than to e

his trouble increasing in exact propor

arks! It is an enormous sum to find at a moment's notice. If they had only telegraphed me a credit at once, I could

his, and beyond the furniture the room contained little enough. He had parted long ago with an old silver watch, of which the chain had even sooner found its way to the lender's. A long-cherished ring had disappeared last winter, by an odd coincidence, at the very time when Johann Schmidt's oldest child was lying ill with diphtheria. As for clothing, he had noth

ce brightened again. "Before midnight-but they will be here befor

he must go out. What if his friends arrived

ary time-table, "there is no train n

tten word upon his table, and he took up a sheet of writing paper and a pen. It was remarkable that there was a good supply of the former on the

r of urgent importance, connected with a personal engagement. He will return as soon as possible an

red on distraction. His brain refused to act any longer, and he was utterly incapable of thinking consecutively of anything, still less of solving a problem so apparently incapable of solution as was involved in the question of finding fifty marks at an hour's notice. It was practically of little use to repeat the words "Fifty marks" incessantly and in an audible voice, to the great surprise of the few pedestrians he met. It was far from likely that any of them would consider themselves called upon to stop in their walk and to produce two large gold pieces and a small one, for the benefit of an odd-looking stranger. And yet, as

re he was going, he was generally making the best of his way to the establishment in which so much of his time was passed. This is exactly what took place on the present occasion. Conscious only of his debt, and not knowing where to find money with which to pay it, he was unwittingly hurrying towards the very place in which the payment was to be made, and, within a quarter of an hour of his leaving his lodging, he found himself standing on the pavement, over against the tobacconist's shop, stupidly gazing at the glass door, the well-known sign and the familiar, dilapidated chalet of cigarettes which

to cause a permanent impression in his brain, which was distinctly visible to him whenever he thought of the walk in any way, whether he had just been over the ground or not. He could not now account to himself for his being so near Fischelowitz's shop, and he found it impossible to decide whether he had come thither by his usual route or not. It was still harder to explain the reason for his coming, since the fifty marks were no nearer to his hand than before, and without them it was useless to think of entering. A

outer things-a voice in which love, sympathy, tenderness and anxiety for him had t

is it? Speak to me-I am

, and seemed to recov

esitated. "I think-I must have been a little dizzy wi

olded, on the day when he expected his friends. Vjera, her face pale with distress, passed her arm through his and made as though she would walk w

?" he asked, stopping again

ng terrible was happening, and it was only by a desperate effort that she contr

child?" Then he laughed nervously. "The fact is," he continued, "th

his words his despair was evident. His usually erect carriage was gone. His head sank wearily forward, his shoulders rounded themsel

pardon," she added, humbly, "perhaps it would help you to speak of it. That

iety kept her from losing her self-possession. For the first time in her life she felt that she was the stronger of the two, and that if he was to be saved it must be by her efforts rather than by anything he was now able to do for himself. She loved him, mad or sane, with an admiration and a devotion which took no account of his in

f you will tell me what has happened, I will do what I can-if it were

n stood still, gazing into her eyes

ng, Vjera? You used to

she an

oment, the natural situation was reversed. His eyes were lustreless, tired, without energy. Hers were suddenly bright and flashing with determination, and with the expression of her new-found will. Vjera felt that all at once a change had

e. Those who have faced great physical dangers, or who have been matched by fate against overwhelming odds of anxiety and trouble, alone know what great things are done when men stand at bay and face the world, and fate, and life, and death and misfortune, all banded together against them, and say in their hearts, "We will win this fight or die." Then, at that word, when it is spoken earnestly, in sinc

on the pavement of the commonplace Munich street, she made her stand and faced the odds, as bravely as ever soldier faced the enemy's triumphant charge, though she was o

e Count's face as though s

hing right," she said. "But you m

ral manner. "You see, my friends have probably arrived by this train, and yet I cannot go home until I have set this other matter right with Fischelowitz. It is true, I have left a wo

ra, anxious to get at t

fifty marks-and until they come, I do not see what to do. Fifty marks-to-day it seems so much,

m for to-night?" Vjera asked, not understan

what that means, child, nor how terrible it is for a man not to pay before the day is over-ah, if it were not a debt of honour!-but there is no time to be lost. It is almost dark already. Go hom

opposite direction, his head bent down, his arms swinging by his sid

ty that he stood still. "You have only half explained the trouble to me, but I

the Count. "I could nev

Fischelowitz and promised to pa

o-it was that villain, last wi

to pay that!" cried Vjera, i

by to-night. I gave my word, my word as a gentleman, Vjera, which I cannot b

elowitz should have taken s

sides, I gave it of my own accord. I did not wait for him to ask it,

e be so heartless

an to. Good-night, Vjera dear-I must be quick.

out the least hesitation. He started, in the utmost astonishment,

it from you, or how do you think it would be possible fo

the words which meant so much to her and which seemed to

. And as for taking the fifty marks from me-will not your friends be here to-night, as you say, and will you not be able to give it all back ve

is growing so late, and it will only be until to-morrow, only for a few hours perhaps. If you will wait to-night I may bring it to you bef

ied to throw so much certainty into her tone as might persuade him, a

his pockets. Then his face fell. On the previous evening, when they had led him away from the eating-house, he had carelessly given all he had-a mark and two pennies-

gone before he could protest. And in this way she took