ent of vows
and protestations, that I really didn't know whether to laugh at or to
pity him."

"Toinette! And you allowed him the hope--"

"I? If you think that you don't know me! When I found the torrent of
words continued, all desire either to laugh or pity vanished, and I
very positively and curtly declared that I had not the slightest
inclination to become his wife, that if this would cause him
unhappiness, I was very sorry, but that I could not accept the
proposals of the first eccentric man I met, at the expense of my whole
life. This was my final answer."

"And he still has the effrontery to annoy you? And you were yielding
enough--"

"Unfortunately, my friend, I'm much more kind-hearted than you suppose.
The first time he returned after this, as I thought, final dismissal,
you could not have helped laughing yourself at the penitent manner, in
which he sneaked into the room after little Jean. I received him only
on the condition that not a word should be said about admiration, love,
or marriage. As for the rest why should I, a ci-devant duchess, deny
myself so cheap a pleasure as keeping a count for my court fool? I was
so lonely, so out of spirits. And as I said before, you can't imagine
anything more comical than his face and manner. He actually has no face
at all; when he's not here, it's impossible to remember how he really
looks, his countenance is exactly like those on the tailor's fashion
plates, his nose straight up and down, his month straight across, and
his whiskers just such as grow on the faces of I don't know how many
young noblemen. But now imagine this commonplace physiognomy beautified
by perpetual lines of grief, or rather by the attempt to look utterly
miserable, and you must perceive that there could be no more amusing
contrast. I abuse him as much as I can, say the most impertinent
things, refuse to even allow him to kiss the tip of my slipper, but
have never succeeded in rousing him from his devout submission and
adoration, I shouldn't be the daughter of a poor ballet-dancer and a
vain, idle, tolerably desperate creature, if such an aristocratic slave
didn't divert me."

"And how long do you propose to continue this delightful game?" asked
Edwin, in a somewhat irritated tone.

Instead of answering, Toinette opened a box and took out several large
photographs. "These are views of his castle," said she. "Here, as it
appears on the heights above the forests; here's the courtyard, with