. At the same instant the figure, lying deathly still but for
the gentle heaving of her bosom, began to struggle wildly. The sound had
won through the gates of her sleep also. With a swift, gliding motion
she slipped from the bed to the floor, saying in a fierce whisper as she
pulled herself up to her full height:

"Let me out! I must go! I must go!"

By this time I was fully awake, and the whole position of things came to
me in an instant which I shall never--can never--forget: the dim light of
the candle, now nearly burned down to the socket, all the dimmer from the
fact that the first grey gleam of morning was stealing in round the edges
of the heavy curtain; the tall, slim figure in the brown dressing-gown
whose over-length trailed on the floor, the black hair showing glossy in
the light, and increasing by contrast the marble whiteness of the face,
in which the black eyes sent through their stars fiery gleams. She
appeared quite in a frenzy of haste; her eagerness was simply
irresistible.

I was so stupefied with amazement, as well as with sleep, that I did not
attempt to stop her, but began instinctively to help her by furthering
her wishes. As she ran behind the screen, and, as far as sound could
inform me,--began frantically to disrobe herself of the warm
dressing-gown and to don again the ice-cold wet shroud, I pulled back the
curtain from the window, and drew the bolt of the glass door. As I did
so she was already behind me, shivering. As I threw open the door she
glided out with a swift silent movement, but trembling in an agonized
way. As she passed me, she murmured in a low voice, which was almost
lost in the chattering of her teeth:

"Oh, thank you--thank you a thousand times! But I must go. I _must_! I
_must_! I shall come again, and try to show my gratitude. Do not
condemn me as ungrateful--till then." And she was gone.

I watched her pass the length of the white path, flitting from shrub to
shrub or statue as she had come. In the cold grey light of the
undeveloped dawn she seemed even more ghostly than she had done in the
black shadow of the night.

When she disappeared from sight in the shadow of the wood, I stood on the
terrace for a long time watching, in case I should be afforded another
glimpse of her, for there was now no doubt in my mind that she had for me
some strange attraction. I felt even then that the look in those
glorious starry eyes would be with me always so long