ep and her movements generally were light, not to
say furtive, as of one who is in the habit of attending upon invalids
or of executing secret orders.

'This way, Signor Conte.'

She preceded Andrea though the long flight of dimly-lighted rooms, the
thick soft carpets deadening every sound; and even through the almost
uncontrollable tumult of his soul, the young man was conscious of an
instinctive feeling of repulsion against her, without being able to
assign an adequate reason for it.

Arrived in front of a door concealed by two pieces of tapestry of the
Medicean period, bordered with deep red velvet, she stopped.

'I will go first and announce you. Please to wait here.'

A voice from within, which he recognised as Elena's, called,
'Christina!'

At the sound of her voice coming thus unexpectedly, Andrea began to
tremble so violently that he thought to himself--'I am sure I am going
to faint.' He had a dim presentiment of some more than mortal happiness
in store for him which should exceed his utmost expectations, his
wildest dreams--almost beyond his powers to support. She was there--on
the other side of that door. All perception of reality deserted him. It
seemed to him that he had already imagined--in some picture, some
poem--a similar adventure, under the self-same circumstances, with these
identical surroundings and enveloped in the same mystery, but of which
_another_--some fiction of his own brain--was the hero. And now, by some
strange trick of the imagination, the fictitious was confounded with the
real, causing him an indescribable sense of confusion and bewilderment.
On each of the pieces of tapestry was a large symbolical figure--Silence
and Slumber--two Genii, tall and slender, which might have been designed
by Primaticcio of Bologna, guarding the door. And he--he himself--stood
before the door waiting, and on the other side of it was his divine
lady. He almost thought he could hear her breathe.

At last Mademoiselle returned. Holding back the heavy draperies she
smiled, and in a low voice said:

'Please go in.'

She effaced herself, and Andrea entered the room.

He noticed first of all that the air was very hot, almost stifling, and
that there was a strong odour of chloroform. Then, through the
semi-darkness, he became aware of something red--the crimson of the wall
paper and the curtains of the bed--and then he heard Elena's languid
voice murmuring, 'Thank you so much for coming, Andrea--I fee