better men submitted to that inevitable lot? Yes, she
will deceive you; and then will smile upon you, and you will believe her
word, and be again deceived. But you will have only yourself to blame
for it. I have warned you in advance.'

CHAPTER XV.

As the shouts of laughter elicited by the host's remark rang through the
hall, drowning the muttered response of the comedian, Leta glided softly
and rapidly from behind the screen of tapestry which veiled the open
doorway. There, crouching out of sight, she had remained concealed for
the last hour--watching the revellers through a crevice in the
needlework, and vainly hoping, either in the words or face of Sergius,
to detect some tone or expression indicative of regretful thought or
recollection of herself. When at last her name had been mentioned, for a
moment she had eagerly held her breath, lest she might lose one syllable
from which an augury of her fate could be drawn. Then, repressing, with
a violent effort, the cry of despair which rose to her lips, upon
hearing herself thus coolly and disdainfully surrendered as the stake of
a game of dice, and with less apparent regret than would have been felt
for the loss of a single gold piece, she drew the folds of her dress
closely about her and passed out.

Out through the antechamber--down the stairway--and into the central
court; no other purpose guiding her footsteps than that of finding some
place where she could reflect, without disturbance, upon the fate before
her. In that heated hall she must have died; but it might be that in the
cool, open air, she could conquer the delirium which threatened to
overwhelm her, and could thus regain her self-control. If only for five
minutes, it might be well. With her quick energy and power of decision,
even five minutes of cool, deliberate counsel with herself might suffice
to shape and direct her whole future life.

Hardly realizing how she had come there, she found herself sitting upon
the coping of the courtyard fountain. The night was dark, for thick
clouds shut out the gleam of moon and stars. No one could see her, nor
was it an hour when any one was likely to be near. From one end to the
other the court was deserted, except by herself. No light, other than
the faint glow from the windows of the banquet hall upon the story above
her. No sound beyond the sullen splash of the water falling into the
marble basin of the fountain. There was now but little to interfere with
de