d seemed in that indistinct, indescribable way to
have yielded her whole self, her whole soul to him, would flash across
his mind, and at once his reason was silenced, and he would say:

"She could not have done that if she were false. She loves me, but
there is something that I do not understand which makes her treat me so.
She told me so, and said that when she could tell it to me, I should not
mind. Well, I must be patient and wait. I must trust her; she must be,
she is, true!" And then gradually all the old doubts would creep over
him again, and the suffering would be as poignant as before.

It was about a month after the conversation related, when a somewhat
similar one occurred between the same young lady and Mr. Thauret. He had
called one afternoon, when Dora was alone, and so had the field to
himself. He spoke to her of all those things which he had found most
interesting to her, and she was enjoying his society very much, when
suddenly, as twilight approached and the room grew slightly darkened, he
began to touch upon a more tender theme. He spoke of himself, of the
wandering life that he had led, of the fact that he was alone in the
world, without a living relative. He mentioned, as though it were of no
importance, that he was of noble blood. Then he drew a touching picture
of a man who, whilst really of a most affectionate nature, was compelled
to live a loveless life, because there was none to whom he could turn
for that sort of comfort. Then he asked her gently, very gently, whether
she had ever thought upon the subject herself, and whether she had felt
a yearning for the companionship of one who would be all in all to her.
His pleading was very pretty to listen to, and she heard him as though
much impressed but her reply was not exactly what he evidently hoped it
would have been.

"Oh, yes," said she, "I have thought of all that in a vague sort of way.
But, you see, I have been in love with my beautiful Queen, for so long
that I cannot imagine a life without her. And yet"--there was a tremor
in her voice--"I am going to lose her soon. She will go away for awhile,
and then I fancy I shall feel that loneliness of which you speak. So, if
you want to hear my real ideas upon that subject you must wait till
after the wedding." She said this last with a tone of deep meaning, and
Mr. Thauret seemed to accept her remark as a hint, for he changed the
subject. Shortly afterwards he went away. As he walked down the a