e the beauties of the classics
in his own language; and I learnt from him most assiduously that
which Dr. Darkins never could have taught me----"

"And so well, that you fell in love with each other!" I interrupted,
giving way to a movement of anger.

"Not exactly; but if you interrupt in that way I shall lose the thread
of my narrative. It is at your desire I recount to you the story of
my past life; and how much wiser would you be if I were to compress
it into a sentence like this for instance: 'Lord William came to our
house in the autumn, and left us the following spring'?"

"Without having become your fiance?" I said in agony.

"Without having become my fiance," she answered in a dry, cold tone.

I was angry with myself. I had only too plainly shown that I was
jealous of the praise lavished on this stranger. And what right had
I to be jealous?

She was the first to break the silence which ensued.

"Leopold," she said, "I perceive that this account of the events of
my youth is anything but agreeable to you. If you had left us as I
wished you to do this morning, I should not now be wearying you with
my recollections of the past."

"Believe me, Francis, I have remained on purpose to listen to them;
I promise not to interrupt you again if you will continue."

"Well then, now I will confess to you that I loved Lord William with
all the strength of a first love, and with all that innocency of a
young heart which does not yet even know that the passion which sways
it is love. I soon found that Lord William was dearer to me than all
the world beside, and that my chief delight was to obey him in all
things, to consult him on all occasions, and to accompany him when and
wherever it was possible. I even found means to interest myself in his
archaeological researches. I translated for him Dutch documents which
formerly I would not have taken the trouble to read. Besides, finding
that, like most men, he was fond of a good dinner, I took care to have
such dishes prepared as I knew to be to his liking. I began to pay
attention to my dress, because he himself, without going to extremes
or exceeding the bounds of good taste, was always well dressed. He
introduced me into the society of our small town, and I felt vexed
every time he paid the least attention to another lady, though I took
care not to let him see it. We also gave dinners and received company,
and the ladies were greatly astonished at the manner in which Majo