the corners of her mouth quite distracting; but he
perceived both cause and result, and both the anger and the hunger in
his gaze deepened as he looked, apparently in a blacker humor than ever.

"Why should you cry?" he said again, after a minute; "you are in a
beautiful spot, listening to most excellent music, and you had with you
(before I come) a friend very agreeable. Why should you cry?"

She clasped her hands hard and fast together.

"Oh," she exclaimed, "I--I hardly know how to speak in the noise and the
crowd! I feel quite crazy! I don't know what I am saying--" she stopped
short.

He leaned a little towards her.

"Let us walk outside a minute," he said. "Monsieur will surely know that
we are not far. In the air it is better,--yes?"

"But what will he think?"

"_Mon Dieu_, let him think what he will! I also have had thinking this
night. Let him think a little."

He rose as he spoke, and she rose too. Already the anger in his eyes was
fading fast before the sight of her so genuine emotion. They went out
into the garden, and there she took up her explanation again.

"You thought I stayed here because of that man, didn't you?"

"_Donnerwetter!_" he cried violently; "here he returns already again!"

It was indeed the American, approaching as fast as the crowd would let
him. His face bore a curious expression. One might have gathered from it
that he was much more clever, or much more stupid, than the vast
majority gave him credit for being. The instant that he was near enough
to speak, he began in out-of-breath accents:

"I've just met some people that I haven't seen in years, and they want
me to drive with them up by the University and see the town by
moonlight, and I wondered if I could find you here in three-quarters of
an hour--"

Rosina looked at him helplessly, divining that he supposed a degree of
friendship between herself and Von Ibn which would cause his proposition
to be most warmly welcome.

But Von Ibn spoke at once, coldly, but politely.

"Perhaps madame will permit me to escort her to her hotel this evening.
If she will do so, I shall be most happy."

The American looked eagerly at Rosina.

"I am going very soon," she said; "perhaps that will be best."

He appeared puzzled.

"If you'd rather I stayed--" he suggested.

"No," said Von Ibn sharply, "it is better that you go!" then he added,
in a somewhat milder tone, "it is very fine, the moonlight from the
University."

When th