he furore of two continents--the eyes of Lola
Montez. She was dressed in white; her rich dark hair was held in place
with combs of gold; her girdle was of gold, and so also were the massive
bracelets on her arms, which--so perfect was their symmetry--might well
have been fashioned by a sculptor.

Monsieur Paul Nicholas, with the air of a prince, escorted her to the
dining-room; and over champagne, coffee, and liqueurs their friendship
grew apace. Some hours later, when ensconced together in a cosy retreat
on the terrace, and the fast disappearing lights in the hotel windows
warned them it would soon be prudent to retire, Mlle de Nurrez exclaimed
with a sigh:--

"You have told me so much about yourself, whilst I--I have told you
nothing in return. Alas! I have a history. My parents are dead--my
mother died when I was a baby, and my father, who was a very wealthy
man--having accumulated his money in the business of a cork merchant
which he carried on for years in Portugal--died just six months ago. He
was on a voyage for his health in the Mediterranean, when he formed an
acquaintance with a young Hindu, Prince Dajarah who soon acquired
unbounded influence over him. My father died on this voyage, and--God
forgive my suspicions!--but his death was strange and sudden. On opening
his will, it was found that all his property was left to me--but only on
the condition that I married Prince Dajarah."

"Marry a black man! Mon Dieu, how terrible!" Paul Nicholas cried.

"You are right. It was terrible!" Mlle de Nurrez went on. "And if I
refused to marry Prince Dajarah, he, according to the will, would
inherit everything. Well, Prince Dajarah was persistent; he declared
that it was my duty to marry him, to fulfil my father's dying wish. It
was in vain that I implored his mercy--that I told him I could never
return his affections. And at last, finding that upon Prince Dajarah
neither remonstrance nor reproach had any effect, I fled to a town some
ten miles distant from this hotel, taking with me what money and
jewellery I possessed.

"Alas! he soon discovered my whereabouts, and with the sole object of
continuing his persecution of me, speedily established himself in the
house--which, unfortunately for me, happened to be vacant--next to mine.
My money is nearly exhausted, I have no resources, and unless some one
intervenes, some one brave and fearless, some one who really loves me, I
shall undoubtedly be forced into a marriage wi