at stupid Gondremark, who keeps me running like a courier.
Do I look like one, Herr Gordon?' And she planted her eyes in him.

'You look like an angel, ma'am,' returned the Governor, with a great air
of finished gallantry.

The Countess laughed. 'An angel on horseback!' she said. 'Quick work.'

'You came, you saw, you conquered,' flourished Gordon, in high good
humour with his own wit and grace. 'We toasted you, madam, in the
carriage, in an excellent good glass of wine; toasted you fathom deep;
the finest woman, with, begad, the finest eyes in Grunewald. I never saw
the like of them but once, in my own country, when I was a young fool at
College: Thomasina Haig her name was. I give you my word of honour, she
was as like you as two peas.'

'And so you were merry in the carriage?' asked the Countess, gracefully
dissembling a yawn.

'We were; we had a very pleasant conversation; but we took perhaps a
glass more than that fine fellow of a Prince has been accustomed to,'
said the Governor; 'and I observe this morning that he seems a little off
his mettle. We'll get him mellow again ere bedtime. This is his door.'

'Well,' she whispered, 'let me get my breath. No, no; wait. Have the
door ready to open.' And the Countess, standing like one inspired, shook
out her fine voice in 'Lascia ch'io pianga'; and when she had reached the
proper point, and lyrically uttered forth her sighings after liberty, the
door, at a sign, was flung wide open, and she swam into the Prince's
sight, bright-eyed, and with her colour somewhat freshened by the
exercise of singing. It was a great dramatic entrance, and to the
somewhat doleful prisoner within the sight was sunshine.

'Ah, madam,' he cried, running to her--'you here!'

She looked meaningly at Gordon; and as soon as the door was closed she
fell on Otto's neck. 'To see you here!' she moaned and clung to him.

But the Prince stood somewhat stiffly in that enviable situation, and the
Countess instantly recovered from her outburst.

'Poor child,' she said, 'poor child! Sit down beside me here, and tell
me all about it. My heart really bleeds to see you. How does time go?'

'Madam,' replied the Prince, sitting down beside her, his gallantry
recovered, 'the time will now go all too quickly till you leave. But I
must ask you for the news. I have most bitterly condemned myself for my
inertia of last night. You wisely counselled me; it was my duty to
resist. You wisely