t permit it!--until my mission is
accomplished. Why was I chosen--I, with a woman's heart and a woman's
pride. I--I hate you!'

"'I love you,' I said, slowly.

"She paled and looked away.

"'Answer me,' I said.

"Her wide, blue eyes turned back again, and I held them with mine. At
last she slowly drew a long-stemmed rose from the bunch at her belt,
turned, and mounted the shadowy staircase. For a moment I thought I
saw her pause on the landing above, but the moonlight was uncertain.
After waiting for a long time in vain, I moved away, and in going
raised my hand to my face, but I stopped short, and my heart stopped
too, for a moment. In my hand I held a long-stemmed rose.

"With my brain in a whirl I crept across the court and mounted the
stairs to my room. Hour after hour I walked the floor, slowly at
first, then more rapidly, but it brought no calm to the fierce tumult
of my thoughts, and at last I dropped into a chair before the empty
fireplace, burying my head in my hands.

"Uncertain, shocked, and deadly weary, I tried to think--I strove to
bring order out of the chaos in my brain, but I only sat staring at
the long-stemmed rose. Slowly I began to take a vague pleasure in its
heavy perfume, and once I crushed a leaf between my palms, and,
bending over, drank in the fragrance.

"Twice my lamp flickered and went out, and twice, treading softly, I
crossed the room to relight it. Twice I threw open the door, thinking
that I heard some sound without. How close the air was!--how heavy and
hot! And what was that strange, subtle odor which had insensibly
filled the room? It grew stronger and more penetrating, and I began
to dislike it, and to escape it I buried my nose in the half-opened
rose. Horror! The odor came from the rose--and the rose itself was no
longer a rose--not even a flower now--it was only a bunch of catnip;
and I dashed it to the floor and ground it under my heel.

"'Mountebank!' I cried, in a rage. My anger grew cold--and I shivered,
drawn perforce to the curtained window. Something was there, outside.
I could not hear it, for it made no sound, but I knew it was there,
watching me. What was it? The damp hair stirred on my head. I touched
the heavy curtains. Whatever was outside them sprang up, tore at the
window, and then rushed away.

"Feeling very shaky, I crept to the window, opened it, and leaned out.
The night was calm. I heard the fountain splashing in the moonlight
and the sea-winds sou