her hearty joy of her stolen pleasure, and were only
surprised--since no one doubted her fondness for dancing--that she did
not at once join her companion in a waltz, instead of drawing her cowl
still lower over her eyes and walking slowly past the different groups,
examining the costumes with a searching glance.

In this fashion the couple had already passed down the whole length of
the hall, when this puzzling woman suddenly stood still and dropped her
companion's arm. Her movement was so violent that Rosenbusch gazed at
her in amazement. He saw that her eyes were fixed intently upon the
seats near the window, where Jansen and Julie, and some of the others
who did not care to dance, had again taken their places. But the dance
had just come to an end, and those who had been seated had risen in
order to mingle with the crowd. The blue eyes under the white eyebrows
followed them eagerly, and seemed to take no notice of anything else
that passed around them. So much so, at all events, that the efforts of
the tall Englishman, who wished the decapitated martyr to introduce him
to the new monk, might just as well have been addressed to a statue.

"What is the matter, madame?" whispered Rosenbusch. "You have grown
very pale; I can see that notwithstanding your cowl. I will lead you to
the chairs--you must rest a moment. That noble Venetian over there is
my friend Jansen, a splendid sculptor, and the beautiful woman on his
arm--"

But she was not listening. Without taking his arm again, she had
stepped forward to the empty seat and sunk into a chair.

Rosenbusch stood before her in great embarrassment. He knew less and
less what to make of this extraordinary creature.

He was just thinking that he would try and give a humorous turn to the
affair, by reminding her that she was in Paradise and not in a convent,
when he saw her leap up as if she were set on springs.

She had been frightened by the sound of a deep, angry growl. She
turned, trembling from head to foot, and beheld the old dog, who had
been sleeping behind the chair, as his custom was, but who now raised
himself up, and, wagging his shaggy tail back and forth, fixed a pair
of glowing eyes upon the guest.

"Take me away!--take me away!" she whispered to Rosenbusch, and seized
his arm. "That furious beast--don't you see how he glares at me? Good
Heavens, how frightened I am!"

"Don't be at all alarmed, dear madame; it is only old Homo. Here, in
Paradise, wher