That is a man who has been through a great deal," she thought to
herself; and she remembered the men's tales about women that she had
heard in the servants' hall. "What does he think of me?" Hot tears rose
to her eyes. She took a step forward, and tried to speak, but found no
words. "I know ..." she said, and could get no further.

"What do you know, child? What should a pretty child like you
know?"

She grew deadly pale. "Oh, speak to me as you spoke to the young
men! Speak to me as if I were a human being!" There was something
beseeching in her voice, and something shy and awkward. She went on
hurriedly, like one who has much to say and condenses a great deal into
a few words, "Give me your hand, and say quite simply, 'It is good of
you to want to keep me here.'"

"Queer little thing!" said the stranger as if to himself, with a cool
smile. "What?" His eyes took on a bolder expression.

The girl questioned him in deep excitement: "Have you never met a kind,
simple woman, or a girl ...?"

He broke in: "Kind ones there are a-plenty, fair lady."

"No," she said, more calmly now, "I mean a woman who said to you,
'Speak to me as to a human being--tell me what you know and what you
think. I need something for my soul to live on!'"

"No," he said, "I have never met one like that. When I have talked to
one as to a human being, she always began to yawn."

"Really?" said the girl sadly. "Or is it that it happened two or three
times as you say, and then you frightened all the rest?"

"It may be. But it's not a question of much importance."

"Why not!" she asked excitedly.

"Because the most that could come out of it would be a silly
love-story, Mamsell--the same old silly story."

"That is sad," said the girl. "God looks into my heart," she went on
simply. "Yes, I wanted to keep you here because I felt that you could
say some living words to me. I wanted to hear you say them. But now you
are not the sort of man I thought ... Do you think that the men you saw
here tonight are cleverer than I am? And do you suppose that a single
one of them understood what you were saying? I could see in their faces
that they thought you were half crazy. Good night!" she said quietly,
turning from him and going through the door.

"The devil!" he thought. "A clever little bluestocking--and good
looking! Well, we'll see ... Even a few miles from his Excellency
wonderful specimens are growing."

When the Raven-mother had conducted him