nderness, but always only to torture him with reproaches and demands
inspired by her jealousy, suspicion, and wounded pride.

Yet her beauty, and the strong power of resistance which she offered to
his wooing, exerted so bewitching a thrall over him that he had been led
into conceding far too much, and making vows which he could not and did
not desire to fulfil.

Love had usually been to him a richly flowing well-spring of gay
delight, but this bond had plunged him from one vexation into another,
one anxiety to another, and now that he had almost reached the goal of
his wishes, he could not help fearing that he had transformed Ledscha's
love to hate.

Daphne was dear to him. He esteemed her highly, and owed her a great
debt of gratitude. Yet in this hour he anathematized her unexpected
journey to Tennis; for without it he would have obtained from Ledscha
that very day what he desired, and could have returned to Alexandria
with the certainty of finding her ready later to pose as the model for
his Arachne.

Never could he find anywhere a more fitting one.

He had devoted himself with passionate love to his art, and even his
enemies numbered him among its most promising disciples. Yet hither to
he had not succeeded in obtaining a great and undisputed success. On
the other hand, he had experienced what were termed failures in abundant
measure.

The art to which he had gained entrance by so severe a struggle, and on
whose soil he had laboured diligently enough, proved, so far as outward
recognition was concerned, cruel to the enthusiastic disciple. Yet even
now he would not have abandoned it at any price; the joy of creation
compensated him richly for suffering and disappointment. Confidence in
his own powers and the final triumph of his conviction had deserted him
only occasionally, and for a few brief hours.

He was born for conflicts. What ill-success, what antagonism and
difficulties he had encountered! Some day the laurel which had so long
adorned the brow of Myrtilus must also grow green for him and the
great talent whose possession he felt. With the Arachne--he was sure of
this--he would compel even his opponents to accord him the recognition
for which hitherto he had striven in vain.

While pacing restlessly up and down the spacious apartment, stopping
from time to time before his work to fix his eyes angrily upon it, he
thought of his friend's Demeter, whose head also had Daphne's features,
who also bore i