r's night long ago, when the angels
chanted together, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and
good-will to Man!"

CHAPTER IX.

AN ELECTRIC SHOCK.

Prince Ivan Petroffsky was a constant visitor at the Hotel Mars, and I
began to take a certain interest in him, not unmingled with pity, for
it was evident that he was hopelessly in love with my beautiful friend
Zara. She received him always with courtesy and kindness; but her
behaviour to him was marked by a somewhat cold dignity, which, like a
barrier of ice, repelled the warmth of his admiration and attention.
Once or twice, remembering what he had said to me, I endeavoured to
speak to her concerning him and his devotion; but she so instantly and
decisively turned the conversation that I saw I should displease her if
I persisted in it. Heliobas appeared to be really attached to the
Prince, at which I secretly wondered; the worldly and frivolous young
nobleman was of so entirely different a temperament to that of the
thoughtful and studious Chaldean philosopher. Yet there was evidently
some mysterious attraction between them--the Prince appeared to be
profoundly interested in electric theories and experiments, and
Heliobas never wearied of expounding them to so attentive a listener.
The wonderful capabilities of the dog Leo also were brought into
constant requisition for Prince Ivan's benefit, and without doubt they
were most remarkable. This animal, commanded--or, I should say,
brain-electrified--by Heliobas, would fetch anything that was named to
him through his master's force, providing it was light enough for him
to carry; and he would go into the conservatory and pluck off with his
teeth any rare or common flower within his reach that was described to
him by the same means. Spoken to or commanded by others, he was simply
a good-natured intelligent Newfoundland; but under the authority of
Heliobas, he became more than human in ready wit and quick obedience,
and would have brought in a golden harvest to any great circus or
menagerie.

He was a never-failing source of wonder and interest to me, and even
more so to the Prince, who made him the subject of many an abstruse and
difficult discussion with his friend Casimir. I noticed that Zara
seemed to regret the frequent companionship of Ivan Petroffsky and her
brother, and a shade of sorrow or vexation often crossed her fair face
when she saw them together absorbed in conversation or argument.

O