ly, "in the poem the knight is described
as a man capable of living up to an ideal all his life. That sort of
thing is not to be found every day among the men of our times. In the
poem it is not stated exactly what the ideal was, but it was evidently
some vision, some revelation of pure Beauty, and the knight wore round
his neck, instead of a scarf, a rosary. A device--A. N. B.--the meaning
of which is not explained, was inscribed on his shield--"

"No, A. N. D.," corrected Colia.

"I say A. N. B., and so it shall be!" cried Aglaya, irritably. "Anyway,
the 'poor knight' did not care what his lady was, or what she did. He
had chosen his ideal, and he was bound to serve her, and break lances
for her, and acknowledge her as the ideal of pure Beauty, whatever she
might say or do afterwards. If she had taken to stealing, he would have
championed her just the same. I think the poet desired to embody in this
one picture the whole spirit of medieval chivalry and the platonic love
of a pure and high-souled knight. Of course it's all an ideal, and in
the 'poor knight' that spirit reached the utmost limit of asceticism. He
is a Don Quixote, only serious and not comical. I used not to understand
him, and laughed at him, but now I love the 'poor knight,' and respect
his actions."

So ended Aglaya; and, to look at her, it was difficult, indeed, to judge
whether she was joking or in earnest.

"Pooh! he was a fool, and his actions were the actions of a fool," said
Mrs. Epanchin; "and as for you, young woman, you ought to know better.
At all events, you are not to talk like that again. What poem is it?
Recite it! I want to hear this poem! I have hated poetry all my life.
Prince, you must excuse this nonsense. We neither of us like this sort
of thing! Be patient!"

They certainly were put out, both of them.

The prince tried to say something, but he was too confused, and could
not get his words out. Aglaya, who had taken such liberties in her
little speech, was the only person present, perhaps, who was not in the
least embarrassed. She seemed, in fact, quite pleased.

She now rose solemnly from her seat, walked to the centre of the
terrace, and stood in front of the prince's chair. All looked on with
some surprise, and Prince S. and her sisters with feelings of decided
alarm, to see what new frolic she was up to; it had gone quite far
enough already, they thought. But Aglaya evidently thoroughly enjoyed
the affectation and ceremo