eyes are constellations; the face sketched in shadows -- a sketch, you might say, by passion. Otto became consoled for his defeat; he began to take an interest. `No,' he said, `I am no ingrate.'

`You promised me fun,' she returned, with a laugh. `I have given you as good. We have had a stormy scena.'

He laughed in his turn, and the sound of the laughter, in either case, was hardly reassuring.

`Come, what are you going to give me in exchange,' she continued, `for my excellent declamation?'

`What you will,' he said.

`Whatever I will? Upon your honour? Suppose I asked the crown?' She was flashing upon him, beautiful in triumph.

`Upon my honour,' he replied.

`Shall I ask the crown?' she continued. `Nay; what should I do with it? Grünewald is but a petty state; my ambition swells above it. I shall ask -- I find I want nothing,' she concluded. `I will give you something instead. I will give you leave to kiss me -- once.'

Otto drew near, and she put up her face; they were both smiling, both on the brink of laughter, all was so innocent and playful; and the Prince, when their lips encountered, was dumbfoundered by the sudden convulsion of his being. Both drew instantly apart, and for an appreciable time sat tongue-tied. Otto was indistinctly conscious of a peril in the silence, but could find no words to utter. Suddenly the Countess seemed to awake. `As for your wife --' she began in a clear and steady voice.

The word recalled Otto, with a shudder, from his trance. `I will hear nothing against my wife,' he cried wildly; and then, recovering himself and in a kindlier tone, `I will tell you my one secret,' he added. `I love my wife.'

`You should have let me finish,' she returned, smiling. `Do you suppose I did not mention her on purpose? You know you had lost your head. Well, so had I. Come now, do not be abashed by words,' she added somewhat sharply. `It is the one thing I despise. If you are not a fool, you will see that I am building fortresses about your virtue. And at any rate, I choose that you shall understand that I am not dying of love for you. It is a very smiling business; no tragedy for me! And now here is what I have to say about your wife; she is not and she never has been Gondremark's mistress. Be sure he would have boasted if she had. Good-night!'

And in a moment she was gone down the alley, and Otto was alone with the bag of money and the flying god.