sitively
entertaining. Conscious that he was talking well, he talked better. He
recited poetry; he was even witty, or seemed so. With the magnetism of
cordial sympathy, I called out from his memory treasures new and old. He
became not only animated, but devoted.

All this time the figure at the window sat calm and composed. It was
intensely, madly provoking. He was so very sure of me, it appeared, he
would not take the trouble to enter the lists to shiver a lance with
this elegant young man with the beautiful name, the beautiful lips, and
with, for the last half-hour at least, the beautiful tongue. He would
not trouble himself to entertain his future wife. He would not trouble
himself even to speak. Very well! Very well indeed! Did the Lieutenant
like music? If "he" did not care a jot for me, perhaps others did. My
heart beat very fast now; my cheeks burned, and my lips were parched. A
glass of water restored me to calmness, and I sat at the piano. Herbert
turned over the music, while I rattled off whatever came to my fingers'
ends,--I did not mind or know what. It was very fine, I dare say. He
whispered that it was "so beautiful!"--and I answered nothing, but kept
on playing, playing, playing, as the little girl in the Danish story
keeps on dancing, dancing, dancing, with the fairy red shoes on. Should
I play on forever? In the church,--out of it,--up the street,--down the
street,--out in the fields,--under the trees,--by the wood,--by the
water,--in cathedrals,--I heard something murmuring,--something softly,
softly in my ear. Still I played on and on, and still something murmured
softly, softly in my ear. I looked at the window. The head was leaned
down, and resting on both arms. Fast asleep, probably. Then I played
louder, and faster, and wilder.

Then, for the first time, as deaf persons are said to hear well in
the noise of a crowded street, or in a rail-car, so did I hear in the
musical tumult, for the first time, the words of Herbert. They had been
whispered, and I had heard, but not perceived them, till this moment.

I turned towards him, looked him full in the face, and dropped both
hands into my lap. Well might I be astonished! He started and blushed
violently, but said nothing. As for me, I was never more calm in my
life. In the face of a real mistake, all imaginary ones fell to the
ground, motionless as so many men of straw. With an instinct that went
before thought, and was born of my complete love and p