-were employed for her
undoing.

And Theodora sat as one in a dream.

At last she felt she _must_ wake--must realize that she was not a happy
princess, but Theodora, who must live her dull life--and this--and
this--where was it leading her to?

So she clasped her hands together suddenly, and she said:

"But do you know we have grown serious, and I asked you to amuse me,
Lord Bracondale!"

"I cannot amuse you," he said, lazily, "but shall I tell you about my
home, which I should like to show you some day?" And again he began to
caress the farthest edge of her dress with his wild flower. Just the
smallest movement of smoothing it up and down that no one could resent,
but which was disturbing to Theodora. She did not wish him to stop, on
the contrary--and yet--

"Yes, I would like to hear of that," she said. "Is it an old, old
house?"

"Oh, moderately so, and it has nooks and corners and views that might
appeal to you. I believe I should find them all endowed with fresh charm
myself, if I could see them with you"--and he made the turning-point of
his flower a few inches nearer her hand.

Theodora said nothing; but she took courage and peeped at him again. And
she thought how powerful he looked, and how beautifully shaped; and she
liked the fineness of the silk of his socks and his shirt, and the cut
of his clothes, and the wave of his hair--and last of all, his brown,
strong, well-shaped hands.

And then she fell to wondering what the general scheme of things could
be that made husbands possess none of these charms; when, if they did,
it could all be so good and so delicious, instead of a terribly irksome
duty to live with them and be their wives.

"You are not listening to a word I am saying!" said Hector. "Where were
your thoughts, cruel lady?"

She was confused a little, and laughed gently. "They were away in a land
where you can never come," she said.

He raised himself on his elbow, and supported his head on his hand,
while he answered, eagerly:

"But I must come! I want to know them, all your thoughts. Do you know
that since we met on Monday you have never been for one instant out of
my consciousness. And you would not listen then to what I told you of
friendship when it is born of instantaneous sympathy--it is because in
some other life two souls have been very near and dear. And that is our
case, and I want to make you feel it so, as I do. Tell me that you
do--?"

"I do not know what I do feel,"