ords, in some tongue unknown both to Leander and the chemist,
forced its way through lips that smiled still, though they were freezing
fast.

Then, with a strange hoarse cry of baffled desire and revenge, she
succeeded, by a violent effort, in turning, and bore down with
tremendous force upon the cowering hairdresser, who gave himself up at
once for lost.

But the marble was already incapable of obeying her will. Within a few
paces from him the statue stopped for the last time, with an abruptness
that left it quivering and rocking. A greyish hue came over the face,
causing the borrowed tints to stand forth, crude and glaring; the arms
waved wildly and impotently once or twice, and then grew still for ever,
in the attitude conceived long since by the Grecian sculptor!

Leander was free! His hazardous experiment had succeeded. As it was the
ring which had brought the passionate, imperious goddess into her marble
counterfeit, so--the ring once withdrawn--her power was instantly at an
end, and the spell which had enabled her to assume a form of stone was
broken.

He had hoped for this, had counted upon it, but even yet hardly dared to
believe in his deliverance.

He had not done with it yet, however; for he would have to get the
statue out of that shop, and abandon it in some manner which would not
compromise himself, and it is by no means an easy matter to mislay a
life-size and invaluable antique without attracting an inconvenient
amount of attention.

The chemist, who had been staring meanwhile in blank astonishment, now
looked inquiringly at Leander, who looked helplessly at him.

At last the latter, unable to be silent any longer, said, "The lady
seems unwell, sir."

"Why," Leander admitted, "she does appear a little out of sorts."

"Has she had these attacks before, do you happen to know?"

"She's more often like this than not," said Leander.

"Dear me, sir; but that's very serious. Is there nothing that gives
relief?--a little sal volatile, now? Does the lady carry smelling salts?
If not, I could----" And the chemist made an offer to come from behind
his counter to examine the strange patient.

"No," said Leander, hastily. "Don't you trouble--you leave her to me. I
know how to manage her. When she's rigid like this, she can't bear to be
taken notice of."

He was wondering all the time how he was to get away with her, until the
chemist, who seemed at least as anxious for her departure, suggested the
a