e
in those days was far too healthy to allow me to be sentimental at the
expense of my stomach. Now I have little enough and believe I could
live upon bread and fruits."

As she said all this with a mixture of innocent gayety and womanly
consciousness, while her manner toward her guest was one of the most
perfect ease--he became more and more doubtful what to think of this
mysterious creature. He had had very little intercourse with ladies who
had seemed particularly worthy of notice. Face to face with this
problem, which even experienced connoisseurs of women had given up, all
his psychological wisdom was of no avail. But some secret feeling,
which would not be stifled, told him that whatever perverted, noxious,
or dangerous things there might be in this girl's character or fate,
the depths of her nature were pure and true, and even the open coquetry
with which she had entered into the role of a fairy among her enchanted
princes in the cage, had a tinge of innocent fancy, and suited her as
well as the ribbons and spangles of the child, who in play decks itself
to represent a princess.

"You have grown so quiet," she said, paring a peach and placing half of
it on his plate, "that I see there is something about me of which you
do not approve,--perhaps the frankness with which I treat you like an
old acquaintance. Say so openly; true, I shall not be able to change my
manner, but I don't wish to impose any constraint upon you."

"I am reflecting," said he, "upon the strange chance which has brought
me to this place. Is it not really like a fairy tale, that I am here in
your society, while you do not even know my name, and I nothing more of
you than yours?"

She raised the silver fruit knife she held in her hand, and with a
roguish, mysterious expression, pressed it to her laughing lips. "Let
that pass," said she, "it has all come about by natural means, without
any magic or sorcery. But for that very reason, it is better to enjoy
it so long as it lasts, and not spoil it by reflections and
investigations."

"Will it last?" he asked gravely.

"A little longer, a few weeks perhaps, who knows? Afterwards--what will
come afterwards nobody can tell. But if it seems like a fairy tale, be
kind and wise enough to let it remain so, do not seek to penetrate any
farther into my life, so that I shall be forced to explain the
connection. There's nothing very remarkable concealed in it, at least
nothing particularly pleasant or c