m
bewitchingly with her deliciously red lips; her cheeks dimpling and her
brown eyes sparkling, and her heaving breasts but thinly hidden from his
gaze.

"Willingly! And be glad to leave it in my darling's custody!" And his
lips hovered caressingly around her just-disclosed shoulder.

"Very well, I will accept the pledge," said she.

He was beginning again to kiss her fondlingly.

"You are a man of honour, are you not?" asked she; showing her even
white teeth, and dimpling her rose-leaf cheeks temptingly.

"Certainly. I hope so."

"Then let me have your soul."

"But that would mean death for me! Do you desire me to die, my love?"
And a look of questioning wonder crept into his eyes.

"By no means! I have not been reared by a philosopher for nothing. This
crystal ball"--and she held out to him a tiny globe of crystal--"put
your lips to it and pawn your soul to its keeping. I will warrant you,
it will hold it as safely as I could."

He glanced at the tiny globe distrustfully.

"Are you afraid? Do you wish to withdraw from your word?"

"By no means."

"Then breathe against it, my love." And she held the crystal ball
temptingly towards him. "You can imagine it is my lips you are
touching," added she, with a light, coquettish laugh, leaning
provocatively close to him.

He took the crystal reluctantly, and breathed against it as she wished.

"Oh!" cried he suddenly, drawing back his lips.

She took the crystal globe from him and peered into it anxiously. Then
cried, in a tone of triumph, "Look! there it is."

He was aware of something cloudy--vague and light as smoke--floating, as
it were, in the core of the crystal. And suddenly he felt a sense of
want within himself.

She put the crystal in her bosom, and let it lie between her breasts.

"It is warm and pleasant there: you will never let it grow cold, will
you?"

"Never!" And she laughed; dimpling rosily in her mirth. "Now you can set
off on your journey," said the maiden.

"I have no wish now to leave your side," he whispered meekly.

"This rose, that I have been wearing, you were wishing for just now.
See! I toss it yonder! Fetch and keep it!" cried the maiden.

He ran after it; groping for it where it had fallen in the grass.

"Cuckoo! cuckoo!" sounded all around him. It was as if the wood had
suddenly grown vocal with cuckoos.

He turned his head quickly. The maiden had disappeared.

"Why did I trust my soul to her keeping?" he wailed dre