r eyes and she rose and left the room. Still, I put no
constraint on my feelings, but, without actually saying anything to
her, I allowed her to see the affection which fettered me to her. She
appeared to like me better every day, and to be much gratified with my
homage, which took the form of a thousand little attentions calculated
to please her.'

"'Never,' cried Marzell, interrupting Alexander in his story 'never
should I have believed that this inexperienced, uncouth sort of a
fellow would have been capable of all that. He's a spirit-seer and a
lover _a la mode_ rolled into one. But now that he tells us about it, I
believe it, and see him pervading all the shops to get some piece of
head gear the young lady had a fancy for, or rushing into Bouche's, out
of breath, to buy the finest roses and carnations----'

"To the devil with these damnable flowers!' cried Severin.

"Alexander went on with his story:

"'Don't suppose I made her any valuable presents; I knew better. That
wasn't the sort of thing to go down in that house, I soon saw. What I
did was to associate apparently unimportant civilities and attentions
with myself, personally. I never appeared without bringing some pattern
she had wanted, or a new song, or some book which she hadn't seen, or
something of the kind. If I didn't call every forenoon for half an hour
or so, I was missed. In short, why should I bother you with tiresome
details? My relations with her passed into that pleasant phase of
confidential intimacy which leads to love-avowal, and to marriage. But
I wished to get rid of the very shadow of the last remaining cloud,
and, therefore, in a pleasant hour I spoke, straight out, of my
foregone conclusion that she either then liked somebody else, or had
done so previously; and I mentioned all the circumstances which led me
to this conclusion, speaking particularly of the young gentleman, the
mention of whom had brought tears to her eyes.

"'"I must confess to you," she said, "that longer intercourse with that
gentleman--whom a mere chance brought to the house, as a perfect
stranger might have been dangerous to my peace of mind, and, indeed, I
did feel a strong regard for him growing in me; and that is why I am
always so sorry, when I think of the terrible misfortune which parted
us, that I can't help crying."

"'"The terrible misfortune which parted you?" I inquired.

"'"Yes," she said; "I never knew any man whose conversation, and
intellect, a