ween
her small white teeth, and with a cruel smile upon her lips:

"What a pity that those days are past! If I were in the place of my
ancestor I would order you to have iron goads driven under your
nails."

At this formidable threat Ivan burst out laughing. After a minute
Angela followed his example and laughed also.

It was rather a bold experiment to meet the young beauty's wrath with
a burst of laughter, but it was a good answer to her foolish speech.
The countess felt now that she had given cause for laughter; but she
was offended, nevertheless, and with a haughty look at the offender
she seated herself.

Ivan did not move from her side. A cotillon, even though it be the
"Hungarian," has its uses. One partner cannot leave the other if they
wish to separate.

In the meantime a young man, one of the stupid persons of society,
came to Ivan and whispered in his ear that Edmund sent him to say he
should return to his game; the luck had changed, and the heap of gold
Ivan had left was lost.

"Tell him he has done well," returned Ivan; and he took his
pocket-book from his breast-pocket and handed it to the messenger.
"Tell him to make use of what is in this," he said, "and lose it, if
necessary." And he remained where he was.

Angela never turned her head to him again. The cotillon lasted a long
time; Count Geza, who led it, wished to show that the Hungarian
presented as many opportunities for new figures as the German
cotillon, and the demonstration lasted two hours. Ivan remained to the
end, although Angela preserved her cold silence. When they had to join
in the waltz circle she leaned on his shoulder, her fingers pressed
his, her breath touched his face; when she returned to her place she
resumed her coldness, and kept her head steadily averted.

When the cotillon was over Edmund brought Ivan the news that this long
dance had cost him a thousand gulden. Ivan shrugged his shoulders, as
if the loss didn't concern him.

"Wonderful man!" thought Edmund. Presently he said to his cousin:

"It seems that you kept Ritter Magnet all to yourself, my pretty
cousin."

Angela raised her white shoulder to him, while she said, angrily:

"This man has bored me for a long time."

From the moment that these words were spoken by the queen of fashion a
marked change took place in the opinion of the world as to Ivan's
merits. He was no longer considered a capital fellow, but was looked
upon as a pushing _parvenu_. Angela