rom that, but rather from my learning
the truth and purity and nobleness of her nature; and this knowledge
did not require the pleasure of the eyes. I thought no harm of all this;
I took the joy as part of all the new world that was so bright about me;
if voices spoke low within me, telling of the other life overseas, which
was my own, while this was but a fairy dream,--I would not listen, or
bade my heart speak louder and drown them. My mind had little, or say
rather, my reason had little to do in those days; till it woke with a
start, if I may say so, one night. It was a July night, hot and close.
We were all sitting on the stone terrace for coolness, though there was
little enough anywhere. I had been playing, and we had all three sung,
as we loved to do. There was a song of a maiden who fell asleep by the
wayside, and three knights came riding by,--a pretty song it was, and
sung in three parts, the treble carrying the air, the tenor high above
it, and the bass making the accompaniment.

"Le premier qui passa,-- The first who rode along,--
'Voila une endormie!' "Behold! a sleeping maid."

"Le deuxieme qui passa,-- The next who rode along,--
'Elle est encore jolie!' "She's fair enough!" he said.

"Le troisieme qui passa, The third who rode along,--
'Elle sera ma mie!' "My sweetheart she shall be!"

"La prit et l'emporta, He's borne her far away,
Sur son cheval d'Hongrie." On his steed of Hungary.

I was thinking, I remember, how fine it would be to be a knight on a
horse of Hungary (though I am not aware that the horses of that country
are finer than elsewhere, except in songs), and to stoop down beside the
road and catch up the sleeping maiden,--and I knew how she would be
looking as she slept,--and ride away with her no one could tell where,
into some land of gold and flowers.

I was thinking this in a cloudy sort of way, while Yvon had run into the
house to bring something,--some piece of music that I must study, out of
the stores of ancient music they had. There was a small table standing
on the terrace, near where we were sitting, and on it a silver
candlestick, with candles lighted.

Mlle. Valerie was standing near this, and I again near her, both
admiring the moon, which was extraordinary bright and clear in a light
blue sky. The light flooded the terrace so, I thi