His Excellency the Minister

rd thoughts, and she seemed to the Castilian as she did to Vaudrey, to be a most charming creature amid all those surroundings that might have been made expressly to match her fair

ne with him wherever his fancy had led him to travel. He gazed at her as a man looks at a woman whom he has long desired, but whom s

before very naturally brought these two together and instinctively, as if they had to exchange many confidences, they had immediately sought

several years as if dead to her. It seemed to her as they sat face to face that this flight of wasted time had made her still younger, and Rosas, notwithst

ersation with José in his studio, that Oriental corner hidden

she said, "that I have been dreamin

, in fact," said Ros

a compliment that I am used to-Lissac has t

designedly, she could not have been better satisfied with the result. Monsieur de Rosas, usually very pale, became

id, "You st

d him to have an invitation sent me for this soirée, a

again, without

loved her, since the mention of Lissac's name had made

doing, my dear duke, for

sweet and shrewd smile, which moved him profoundly, and

ave lived.' It is great folly,

id Marianne, "that you h

yo

rth Pole to Cambodia, but who has by no means a wicked heart, although a sufficiently unhappy one, and that has

ing," replied the d

at him and com

s? Well, you have just reminded me of Philip II. 'I remember everything!' B-r

ill effects that they cause

you the least harm, my dear Rosas. Give me your

half bending her face under th

closely and

rianne; but so strange a flash darted from them, that he reco

my cat-like eyes still make you af

to one of sweetness, humili

duke. It is very flattering to make a man tremble wh

José. "At my age, it is folly; but I am as superstitious as gamblers-or sailors, those other gamb

fer fro

it is probable that I should never have seen all those countries of which I spok

prevent

nne, saying abruptly, a

ou only knew-you have

it is evident that you have never had a very determined inclination

e are talking of all these things, that you have save

aid Ma

frightful of native villages. No doctors, who might, perhaps, have cured me, not a bed, not even a mattress. My servants, believing me past hope, abandoned me-or

, Ro

that tinted their cheeks with bronze-there were some pretty ones among them, I have painted them in water-colors from memory-they poured out their insults upon me in guttural tones, which I unfortunately understood, as I am an Orientalist,"-he smiled-"and in additio

the hospitals, the

voice reached me-whence?-from far away it commenced humming,-I should proclaim it yours among a thousand-a ridiculously absurd refrain that we heard together one evening at the Variétés, at an anniversary celebration. And this Boulevard chant recurred to me there in the heart of that desert, and transported me at a single bound to Paris, and

moment before pronouncing Guy's name. It was an al

ickly re

or wandering brain, such an entire possession, that I clung to it when the fever was at its height-I hummed it again and again, and on my ho

t was I who for

owered tone. "Well! yes,

on the divan, and she

y and so leaves us quite alone in this salon. It is very pleasant. Woul

said the duke. "Let me steal this ha

are h

because I am near you, listeni

g, "would you like me to sing you the

reply, but simp

eaned forward, surrounded her fair head as with an aureole of spring. Her locks were encircled with milk-white flowers and bright green leaves, transparent and clear, like

illiantly-lighted salon, under the blaze of the lights, amid the shimmering reflections of the satin draperies, he forgot everything in hi

uishing, some soothing air from Gounod, reached

himself to b

t he spoke, as if he had been gulping down some liqueur, "if you only knew how you h

emember it. I was very slender the

trait. I tore that up

e it

se eyes, those lips and tha

cheeks be

preserved you, you were always present, and pretty, so pretty-as

g in a deep, endearing tone, "why d

" said the d

ng at this man as she well knew how, and insensibly creeping

your friend was besid

me of him," Jos

if I had loved him, I should not have hesitated for a mo

ria

never loved him. I have

not speak of him," said the duke

te of appearances; he has never even kissed my lips. I thought I loved him, but before yielding, I had time to d

I

in a feeble tone. "Y

f drawn by some magnetic fluid, surrendered his face to this woman with the wandering

ated as if the better to breathe the incense of love; and wild, distracted, intoxicated, he pressed his feveris

n!-" Marianne said to him, after

into the smaller salon. Marianne saw Uncle Kayser, who was arguing with Ramel, whose kindly, lean face wore an expres

e shall see each othe

sas with her e

on it as if to show that she was not alone, that she had a natural protect

stonished at the ea

o!" she s

Why, there is

," she replied nervously. "We wi

might add would cool the impression already made on the duke.

wish it-what a funny idea!-Ramel," he said, extending his hand to the old jou

o rarely,"

said th

nne, also offering he

happy frame of mind, on returning to Kayser's studio, reviewed the incidents of that evening, recalling Vaudrey's restless smile, and seeming again to hear Rosas's confidences, while she thought: "He spoke to me of the past almost in the same terms as Lissac. Is human nature at the bottom merely commonplace, that two men o

had he to

n past days that he would keep his secret locked within him. He had smothered his love under his frigid Castilian demeanor. And now, suddenly, li

ot lie. Marianne's smile haunted him, wherever he was. In her glance was a poison that he had drunk, which set his blood on fire.

ce made the third in their company. He had often accompanied Lissac to Marianne's

s he to be

hould she have lied?

n the very midst of the crowd, he was seized with a violent attack of frenzy, such a

lipped through the groups of people and reached the door without

rcoat, while a servant turned up its o

ar duke? Shall we bea

ings were coupled in his recollections and preoccupations; besides, he really liked Guy. The Parisian was the complement of the Castilian. They had so many re

ung again. Every whiff of smoke that ascended from his cigar in the fresh air, seemed to breathe so many exhalations of yo

el and separation. They expressed so much in so few words. Rosas, as if invincibly attracted by the name of M

evard, along which the rows of gas-je

r one at once on seeing it again, and it seems as if one had never left it. I h

"As soon as one uncorks the bottle

n, who everlastingly calumniate your country.

wo days and you are already intoxicated with Parisine

only that has, in fact, af

the Parisienne. Madame

" said Ros

g than Mademo

side his friend, without uttering a word, as if he were suddenly absorbed, and Lissac, who had allowed the conversation to lapse, s

in the l

hope, set out aga

ange fellow I am. It won

c lau

You are not a Spaniard, you are a born Parisian, as I have already told you a hundred times. If I were in your pl

h all frankness, a delicate, an absurd question, if you will, one of those questions that is n

t me, my dear duke, I will answer as

h in love with Mad

y mu

e loved you

at

what she has

e threw away his cigar.

she believed she l

I had the pleasur

Maria

o perfectly understood the ques

e, to stake his life on the throw of the dice, he is permitted to put one of those misplaced questions to which I have jus

d, leaning upon it, felt that it trembled nervously. Then, touching

if you do not wish to be perfectly miserable, not to seek to become so. You are one of those men who throw their hearts open as wide as a gateway. She is a calculating creature, who pursues, madly enough I admit, without consistency or constancy in her ideas, any plan that she may have in view. She might

sas, in a tone of pi

it is the complement

ved Marianne?

t afterward, and finally to catalogue it in that album whos

as you would speak of a courtesan,

tly of Mademoiselle Alice Aubry, or of Mademoiselle Cora Touchard. I woul

on the contrary

fectly,

he not danger

love her as you have hitherto done and because I had

her to Madame Mar

ccompanied us, b

woman whom, as you have just t

hen one is dead, one needs a further concession, but in perpetuity. One only becomes one's self"-and Guy's jesting tone became serious,-"when a worthy fell

y stopping short on the pavement.

a woman is never altogether just toward her. If he has ceased to love her, he slights her, if he still loves her, he slanders he

duke. "I will write you. I

is t

what I

you were to fly from the danger in question, I

ight. At the most, a ca

other, he had wounded Rosas even in adopting the flippant tone of the lounger, without any malice, and the Spaniard with his somewhat mo

house. His servant was waiting for him. He

for monsie

o having learned of Rosas's return, sent him a pressing invitation. If he did not hasten to Par

er the lamp. He was, like most travellers, superstitious. Perhaps this despatch

hat f

n again, to experience that voluptuous impression, that dream that had penetrated his heart. A danger, Lissac had said. The feline eyes of Marianne ha

Kayser, to inhale the atmosphere, to enjo

ang

ch remains immature, like a blossom in spring that never becomes a fruit.

few days in London, and losing the burning of th

necessary to speak to Lissac. It was also necessary to speak to

ang

's lover, but that Marianne had had other lovers. Others? What did Lissac know of this? A species of jealous frenzy was blended with the feverish desire that Marianne's kiss had injected into Rosas's veins

Lord Lindsay is r

his mail a brief note, sealed with the arms

him as he was

iend and if I ever recount my voyages there, it will only be to the serious-minded members of the G

r fr

DE

mé! Marianne Kayser has had a firm and sure tooth this time!-We shall see!-" he added, as he broke th