el." Her voice trembled. "I got into my
carriage. My God! how cruel I was! To-night he--my father--has told me
that he tried to kill himself with my mother's dagger, there on the
pavement. I had driven him to suicide."

She stopped. "Do you blame me?" she murmured.

"I do not blame you," I said. "But he is dead, and death ends all
things."

"You are right," she said. "And he loved me at the last. I know that.
And he saved my life--you and he. He has atoned--atoned for his
conduct to my poor mother. He died with my kiss on his lips."

And now the tears came into my eyes.

"Ah!" she exclaimed, and the pathos of her ringing tones was
intolerable to me. "You may well weep for me." Then with abrupt change
she laughed. "Don't you agree that I am cursed? Am I not cursed? Say
it! say it!"

"I will not say it," I answered. "Why should you be cursed? What do
you mean?"

"I do not know what I mean, but I know what I feel. Look back at my
life. My mother died, deserted. My father has died, killed by a mad
woman. My dear friend Alresca died--who knows how? Clarenceux--he too
died."

"Stay!" I almost shouted, springing up, and the suddenness of my
excitement intimidated her. "How do you know that Lord Clarenceux is
dead?"

I stood before her, trembling with apprehension for the effect of the
disclosure I was about to make. She was puzzled and alarmed by the
violent change in me, but she controlled herself.

"How do I know?" she repeated with strange mildness.

"Yes, how do you know? Did you see him die?"

I had a wild desire to glance over my shoulder at the portrait.

"No, my friend. But I saw him after he was dead. He died suddenly in
Vienna. Don't let us talk about that."

"Aha!" I laughed incredulously, and then, swiftly driven forward by an
overpowering impulse, I dropped on my knees and seized her hands with
a convulsive grasp. "Rosa! Rosa!"--my voice nearly broke--"you must
know that I love you. Say that you love me--that you would love me
whether Clarenceux were dead or alive."

An infinite tenderness shone in her face. She put out her hand, and to
calm me stroked my hair.

"Carl!" she whispered.

It was enough. I got up. I did not kiss her.

A servant entered, and said that some one from the theatre had called
to see mademoiselle on urgent business. Excusing herself, Rosa went
out. I held open the door for her, and closed it slowly with a sigh of
incredible relief. Then I turned back into the room. I