of despair and rage, and fled
from the room. Kondje-Gul was all of a tremble.

"What has happened, then?" I asked her.

"I will tell you all about it," she answered, in a voice still quivering
with emotion. "I am going home with my mother. Come after us as soon as
we are off."

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XVII.

Half an hour later I joined Kondje-Gul again at her house. She had sent
Fanny out of the room, and was waiting for me. When she saw me, she
threw her arm round my neck, and the long pent-up tears seemed to start
from her eyes like a fountain.

"Good heavens!" I exclaimed, "what is it, then?"

And taking her on my knees like a child, I held her in my arms; but she
soon recovered her energy.

"Listen, dear," she said in a firm voice, "you must forgive me for what
I have just done: you must forgive me for having concealed my thoughts
and my troubles from you, even at the risk of distressing you."

"I forgive you, everything," I answered immediately, "go on, tell me
quickly."

"Well, then! For a whole week I have been deceiving you," she continued,
"by telling you that I had no troubles, and that I did not know the
cause of that sadness which I could not conceal from you. I was afraid
of making you angry with my mother, by confessing to you that it was she
who was tormenting me."

"Your mother!" I exclaimed: "and what had she to say to you, then?"

"You shall hear all," she said, with animation, "for I must justify
myself for having kept a secret from you. I daresay you remember," she
continued, "that a fortnight ago she spoke to me about your marriage,
telling me that you were going to leave me."

"Yes, yes, I understand," I said. "What then?"

"My mother had made me promise to keep this revelation a secret, because
it was necessary, so she said, that Count Kiusko should not suspect that
we loved each other. She said that he had expressly attributed my
refusal to become his wife to some hope which I doubtless entertained of
marrying you."

"Well, go on; tell me what has occurred since."

"You know the state of trouble you found me in that night. I could not
hold back my tears, and you commanded me to tell you all. At last you
reassured me with so much warmth of feeling, that after that I did not
believe anyone but you. Quite happy at the thought of sacrificing myself
to your will, and to your peace of mind, I left off thinking about my
alarms, and regretted them as an ins