ardly
more to me than evil dreams. At your side I breathe an atmosphere of
happiness, and I am pure. Be with me always," he added, pressing her
solemnly to his beating heart.

"Death may come when it will," said Pauline in ecstasy; "I have lived!"

Happy he who shall divine their joy, for he must have experienced it.

"I wish that no one might enter this dear garret again, my Raphael,"
said Pauline, after two hours of silence.

"We must have the door walled up, put bars across the window, and buy
the house," the Marquis answered.

"Yes, we will," she said. Then a moment later she added: "Our search for
your manuscripts has been a little lost sight of," and they both laughed
like children.

"Pshaw! I don't care a jot for the whole circle of the sciences,"
Raphael answered.

"Ah, sir, and how about glory?"

"I glory in you alone."

"You used to be very miserable as you made these little scratches and
scrawls," she said, turning the papers over.

"My Pauline----"

"Oh yes, I am your Pauline--and what then?"

"Where are you living now?"

"In the Rue Saint Lazare. And you?"

"In the Rue de Varenne."

"What a long way apart we shall be until----" She stopped, and looked at
her lover with a mischievous and coquettish expression.

"But at the most we need only be separated for a fortnight," Raphael
answered.

"Really! we are to be married in a fortnight?" and she jumped for joy
like a child.

"I am an unnatural daughter!" she went on. "I give no more thought to my
father or my mother, or to anything in the world. Poor love, you don't
know that my father is very ill? He returned from the Indies in very
bad health. He nearly died at Havre, where we went to find him. Good
heavens!" she cried, looking at her watch; "it is three o'clock already!
I ought to be back again when he wakes at four. I am mistress of the
house at home; my mother does everything that I wish, and my father
worships me; but I will not abuse their kindness, that would be wrong.
My poor father! He would have me go to the Italiens yesterday. You will
come to see him to-morrow, will you not?"

"Will Madame la Marquise de Valentin honor me by taking my arm?"

"I am going to take the key of this room away with me," she said. "Isn't
our treasure-house a palace?"

"One more kiss, Pauline."

"A thousand, _mon Dieu_!" she said, looking at Raphael. "Will it always
be like this? I feel as if I were dreaming."

They went slowly down the stai