r that surrounded her whole being, exalted as she
was by the universal admiration that was tendered her. But, as the
charms of the Princess took firmer hold upon his mind, those of Amanda
waned; he did not even feel quite certain that she was not a little
round-shouldered; at any rate, he was able calmly to speculate upon the
point. Those who have contrived to make us ridiculous in our own and
other people's eyes are not always gainers by their efforts. So it
happened that Mansana, having come to the conclusion that Amanda's
figure was clumsy, her face and conversation insignificant, her voice
monotonous, her hair extravagantly dressed, and her wheedling manner
foolish and silly, began to ask himself if, after all, he would not be
making himself still more ludicrous by trying to force such a person to
become the Signora Mansana. Even more ridiculous did it seem that he
should be willing to sacrifice himself on her account. What, then, was
he to do? Return to the Princess? The road to her lay blocked--blocked
a hundred thousand times, by his own pride! Break with Amanda and speed
further afield, perhaps to the Spanish civil war? This would be the
life of an adventurer, mere folly; he might almost as well commit
suicide quietly at home. Should he retrace his steps and let things be
as they were before? The Princess lost to him, the envy and admiration
of his comrades foregone, his confidence in himself destroyed? There
was no means of retreat open to him, except and only through the much
despised Amanda, the cause of all his trouble. As her patron and
protector, he might at least pose as a victorious hero, and even
though the price that he must pay for such a position were a life of
unhappiness--well, if it must be so, it must! His honour would at any
rate be saved, and no one would ever be able to penetrate the true
secret of his heart. It would surely redound to his credit that he
had rejected a rich princess for the daughter of an impoverished
pensioner--that he had won her in open combat, in combat even against
her own desire. But he had no sooner come to this conclusion than his
mind grew disturbed at the thought of all the falsehoods which must be
involved in the preservation of this show of honour to the world. He
jumped up from his seat in the _coupe_, but there were others in the
carriage with him, and he seated himself again. The train was carrying
him nearer and nearer to his goal; and what a goal! The certain ru