ry uneasy about that woman at
'Solitude,' and I never saw him manifest so much anxiety about any
one. By the by, Salome, tell me something concerning her."

"I have already told you all I know of her."

"Wherein consists her attractiveness?"

"Who said she was attractive? She is handsome, and there is something
peculiar and startling about her, but she is by no means a beauty. I
have heard Dr. Grey say that she possessed remarkable talent, but I
have been favored with no exhibition of it. Why do you not question
your brother? Doubtless it would afford him much pleasure to furnish
an inventory of her charms and accomplishments, and dilate upon them
_ad libitum_."

"What makes you so savage?"

"Simply because there happens to be a touch of the wild beast in my
nature, and I have not a doubt that if the doctrine of metempsychosis
be true, I was a tawny dappled leopardess or a green-eyed cougar in the
last stage of my existence. Miss Jane, sometimes I feel as if it
would be a luxury--a relief--to crunch and strangle something or
somebody,--which is not an approved trait of orthodox Christian
character, to say nothing of meek gentility and lady-like refinement."

She laughed with a degree of indescribable scorn and bitterness that
was pitiable indeed in one so young.

"There is an evil fit on Saul."

"Yes; and you are neither my harp nor my David."

"Does my little girl expect to find a 'cunning player,' who will charm
away all the barbarous notions that occasionally lead her astray, and
tempt her to wickedness?"

"Verily,--no. The son of Jesse has forsaken his own household, and
made unto himself an idol elsewhere; and I--Saul--surrender to
Asmodeus."

Miss Jane laid her hand on the girl's arm, and said, in a hesitating,
troubled manner,--

"Has Ulpian told you?"

"Why should he tell me? My eyes sometimes take pity on my ears,--and
seeing very distinctly, save the necessity of hearing. My vision is
quite as keen now as when in my anterior existence, I crouched in
jungles, watching for my prey. Oh, Miss Jane! if you could look here,
and know all that I have suffered during the past three weeks, you
would not wonder that the tiger element within me swallows up every
other feeling."

She struck her hand heavily upon her heart, and the old lady was
frightened and distressed by the glitter of the eyes and the dilation
of the slender nostrils.

"When I came in, I knew from your countenance that you had heard