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 GODDESSES THREE
 
 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 a novel 
 
 D. HUGH PRYCE 
 
 IN TWO VOLUMES 
 VOL. 1. 
 
 LONDON 
 RICHARD BENTLEY AND SON 
 
 ^ublisihers in Orbinarg tff ^er M^jtst^ the (SJttwn 
 1896 
 
 [ A II rights reserved ]
 
 03 
 
 i' '':P 
 
 ^ CONTENTS OF VOL. I. 
 
 CHAPTER PAGE 
 
 PROLOGUE - - - - - I 
 
 I. EVANGELA - - - - "14 
 
 II. A STRANGE STORY - - - - 40 
 
 III. THE HOUSE OF THE TWO-HEADED EAGLE - 59 
 
 IV. THROUGH THE MIST - - - "67 
 
 V. 'das ewig weibliche' - - - 87 
 
 VI. GODDESSES THREE - - - - 104 
 
 VII. A STRICKEN BUTTERFLY - - - 122 
 
 VIII. AN AFTERNOON CALL - - - " I36 
 
 IX. THE SOUL OF THE SON - - - 143 
 
 X. GOATS VERSUS SHEEP - - - - 161 
 
 XI. SCHLOSS GREIFENBURG- - - - 184 
 
 XII. A VOICE FROM THE GRAVE - - - 1 98 
 
 XIII. DAMENWAHL - - - - - 2l6 
 
 XIV. A MERE SUSPICION - - - . 235 
 
 XV. THE ROTHENFELS BATTUE - - -254 
 
 i XVI. THE lady's LEAP - - - -277 
 
 XVII. THE HUNT-DANCE - - - -295 
 
 XVIII. THE QUEEN OF THE COTILLON - " 3IO
 
 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 PROLOGUE. 
 
 It was close upon midnight. The moon was 
 sailing high in the cloudless sky, and the 
 mountains were bathed in a flood of light. 
 Down in the ravine, where the dark pine- 
 forests grew, and climbed the rocky walls of 
 the hills on either side, the shadows were 
 intensely black ; but on a precipitous rock that 
 jutted out at the head of the valley, the Castle 
 of Adlofstein stood clear of the woods, its mas- 
 sive towers sharply defined in the bright moon- 
 light. 
 
 The summer night was perfectly still ; not a 
 breath of air was stirring in the pine-branches, 
 and the silence was absolute ; but it was broken 
 suddenly — suddenly and terribly. From the 
 castle on the height there came the sound of a 
 
 VOL. I. I
 
 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 shot — the short, sharp crack of a pistol-shot — 
 and the instant afterwards, a window high 
 up in one of the turrets was thrown open, a 
 Hght shone out, and a woman's agonized cry 
 pierced far into the dead silence of the night. 
 
 That cry was the keynote of a tragedy ; and 
 no one could have heard it without realizing its 
 significance. 
 
 The hour was so late that the inmates of the 
 house had, most of them, long been sunk in 
 sleep, and the moonlight shone on the blank 
 panes of the windows, from which all the lights 
 had died out ; but in an oriel corresponding to 
 the one from which the alarm had come, the 
 yellow glow of artificial light was yet to be 
 seen, and within this room a student sat reading 
 by a shaded lamp. The young man, who was 
 powerfully built, and of proportions so immense 
 as to be almost Titanesque, was bending over 
 a heavy, ancient-looking volume of dry-as-dust 
 appearance, and he was completely absorbed in 
 it — so completely as to have become entirely 
 oblivious of the flight of time, and the waning 
 light of the lamp in which the oil was getting 
 low ; but at the sound of the pistol-shot he 
 looked up with a start, and as the cry which 
 succeeded it fell upon his ear, he sprang to his 
 feet.
 
 PROLOGUE 
 
 ' Great Scott ! what was that ?' he exclaimed 
 in the EngHsh language. ' Something has 
 happened !' 
 
 He paused, listening intendy ; and through 
 the window, the lattice of which was pardy open, 
 there came again that terrible cry — the heart- 
 rending shriek of a woman calling for help. It 
 came again and again, apparently from outside ; 
 but as it rose higher and higher, a dreadful 
 thought flashed suddenly into the listener's 
 mind. He dashed out of the room, and down 
 the spiral stairs, then up again by another 
 winding flight, and he did not stop until he 
 reached the room from which the screams came. 
 A gray-haired man-servant was before him, and 
 was standing at the door, which he vainly tried 
 to open. 
 
 ' It is locked, Herr Baron,' said the old man, 
 in a shaking voice. ' We cannot get in, and 
 the Baroness is screaming so that she does not 
 seem to hear. What can have happened .^' 
 
 The younger man flung himself against the 
 door with all the force of his immense size and 
 strength. 
 
 ' Unlock this door, or else I burst it open !' 
 he called out in tones of command ; and he was 
 about to hurl himself for a second time against 
 the straining oak, when the screams ceased
 
 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 suddenly, and the key turned in the lock with 
 a click. 
 
 The door was flung open, and the two men 
 rushed in ; but the sight which met their eyes 
 as soon as they got in was one which caused 
 them to fall back mute with horror. 
 
 A woman, in loose white draperies, and with 
 fair hair streaming wildly all about her, had 
 opened the door ; and as they entered she 
 stood, with madness in her eyes, pointing to 
 the helpless figure of a man seated before a 
 writing-table, with his arms resting upon a heap 
 of papers, and his head fallen forward. A 
 pistol, still smoking, lay on the table before 
 him, and from his right temple trickled a thin 
 red stream, that was slowly dropping on to 
 the parqueted floor and forming a dark pool 
 there. 
 
 * Look at him — look at him ! See what he 
 has done !' the unhappy woman cried, pointing 
 shudderingly at the lifeless figure. ' Oh, help — 
 help !' and, flying back to the open window, she 
 continued to pour out her distracted shrieks for 
 aid. 
 
 ' Gof^ in Hiinmel f ejaculated the old ser- 
 vant, 'the Herr Baron has shot himself, and 
 the gracious lady has gone mad with grief and 
 horror !'
 
 PROLOGUE 
 
 It seemed to be the case. Baron Adlofsteln 
 was dead, and the young wife who had been 
 the witness of the tragedy was utterly incapable 
 of giving any explanation of it. For the time 
 being, at any rate, she was evidently bereft of 
 her senses, and her stepson signed to one of 
 the panic-stricken domestics who had collected 
 at the door to take her out of the room. 
 
 When she was gone, he turned to the other 
 servants : 
 
 ' Go !' he said sternly. ' Don't stand staring 
 and groaning here, where you can do no good, 
 but go and search every corner of the house. 
 Search the gardens, and go down the valley, 
 and spread the alarm, so that if a murderer has 
 been here there may be no chance of escape 
 for him. Go quickly ! A thousand gulden to 
 the man who finds him !' 
 
 The servants hurried away, all but one — the 
 gray-haired old Kutscher, who had spent all his 
 life in the service of Adlofstein. 
 
 ' Herr Baron,' he said, 'this is not murder — 
 the door was locked ' 
 
 * Yes — by the Baroness, after his escape. 
 Why else should she have been so much afraid 
 of opening the door 1 And there is the other 
 door.' 
 
 The old retainer shook his head. The only
 
 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 other entrance into the room was a door lead- 
 ine into the bedroom whence the Baroness had 
 evidently rushed in the middle of her undress- 
 ing ; and the door into the corridor beyond was 
 locked on the inside. He had gone into this 
 inner room to ascertain that no one was there, 
 and now he moved to the window. It was 
 fifty feet at least from the ground, and under- 
 neath was a spiked railing running round a 
 deep bastion — impossible that anyone could 
 have escaped by the window\ 
 
 ' The gracious Lady Baroness may be able to 
 tell us if an enemy has been here, when she 
 comes to herself ; but, ah ! that will not be the 
 explanation.' 
 
 ' Then what is it ? What do you suppose?' 
 
 The Baron, who had so suddenly and 
 tragically become the head of the house of 
 Adlofstein, stood by the side of his dead father 
 — a tragic figure himself, with the impress of 
 horror on his frowning brows, and a look of 
 deep despair in his eyes. He looked at the 
 man almost menacingly as he asked the ques- 
 tion ; but old Rudolf had known him from his 
 boyhood, and he answered with the freedom 
 of a privileged person. 
 
 ' Pardon me, Herr Baron. It can only be 
 one thing,' he said in an agitated but respectful
 
 PROLOGUE 
 
 voice. ' The blow has fallen — the blow which 
 falls always on the third generation. I hoped 
 that it might have been averted ; but for a long 
 time now I have noticed how melancholy the 
 Baron has become, and I have feared — oh, I 
 have feared ! All this time that you have been 
 away in England, Baron Louis — oh, my master 
 — my master — that it should have ended thus !' 
 
 He broke down suddenly, his sorrow^ and 
 emotion completely getting the better of him ; 
 but the young Baron stood over him with anger 
 and indignation blazing in his eyes. 
 
 ' You think that your master had become 
 insane, and that he took his own life not know^- 
 ing what he did — you dare to stand here and 
 say that ? I tell you that it is a lie ! There 
 was no man in Silesia more absolutely sane 
 than my father.' 
 
 ' But the curse, Herr Baron — the curse of 
 Adlofstein — that shows itself always in the third 
 and fourth generation ' 
 
 'It is a miserable superstition !' thundered 
 the Baron. ' Let me never hear you mention 
 it again. There is nothing in it ; it has died 
 out long ago. As for my father, if ever you 
 dare to say that this happened because his 
 mind had given way, you will have me to 
 reckon with. I shall be master here now, and
 
 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 I 
 
 you know I will stand no trifling. I will permit 
 no man to say that my father had fallen under 
 that horrible curse.' 
 
 Rudolf was silenced. He knew well how 
 potent were the reasons that led the young 
 Baron to reject this explanation, but in his own 
 mind there was no room for doubt, and he was 
 filled with a horror to which the horror of the 
 Baron's sudden death was as nothing. 
 
 ' You will be saying next that I am mad, 
 I suppose ?' said the young man bitterly. 
 
 Rudolf looked at him with the tears rushinor 
 into his old eyes. He loved the son only less 
 than the father, and his devotion to the family 
 had been faithful and long- tried. 
 
 ' Oh, Baron Louis ! if it could be anything 
 else— if it only could ' 
 
 ' I tell you that it is ! There is an explana- 
 tion — there must be. If my father took his 
 own life, he must have had a reason. He was 
 not mad — he was as sane as you or I — but it is 
 true that he has been melancholy for years. 
 For six years he has had some horror hanging 
 over him, and now the end has come. It is an 
 American duel !' 
 
 ' Ac/i Gott I an American duel !' said the old 
 man, murmuring the dread words under his 
 breath — ' an American duel !'
 
 PROLOGUE 
 
 ' An American duel. That accounts for 
 everything, and it is the explanation. There 
 is none other.' 
 
 ' But what enemy was there with whom the 
 Freiherr could have had so awful a quarrel ?' 
 
 ' I do not know. But I can find out ; and 
 when I do find out, the man who fought in the 
 dark with the father shall fight in the open day 
 with the son. I swear that ! Here, by the 
 dead body of my father, I swear it. Now go, 
 Rudolf — go and see if anything has been dis- 
 covered. It is not likely, but we must omit 
 no precaution. And if Karl has come back, 
 let him saddle Satanella, and ride as fast as he 
 can to Lindenthal to summon the police.' 
 
 Rudolf lingered a moment before obeying 
 the order. 
 
 ' Will you not come away, Baron Louis ?' he 
 said falteringly. 'It is so terrible for you to 
 remain here. Will you not go downstairs to 
 wait until the police come T 
 
 ' No ; I wish to be alone with my father. 
 Leave me.' 
 
 The old servant dared not remonstrate, and 
 he went out, closing the door behind him. 
 
 Left alone in the chamber of death, the new 
 Lord of Adlofstein stood motionless for some 
 seconds by the side of the dead Baron.
 
 lo GODDESSES THREE 
 
 His stern gaze was fixed upon the objects on 
 the table — the candles still burning, the open 
 inkstand, and the watch and chain propped up 
 against it. A sheet of paper, with the well- 
 known handwriting scarcely dry upon it, showed 
 that the Baron had been about to write a letter ; 
 but he had orot no further than the address and 
 the date, and the words ' My dear,' and for 
 whom the letter had been intended, or what it 
 would have revealed, the son could now never 
 know. He thought, as he looked at it, that it 
 was possible enough that a farewell message to 
 himself might have been in his father's mind ; 
 that he had sat down to write it before the 
 hour of doom was reached in which he was 
 bound to destroy himself, but that he had left it 
 till too late. 
 
 It was almost exactly at midnight that the 
 household had been roused by the fatal shot, 
 and Adlofstein pictured to himself his father 
 looking up from the letter which he found 
 impossible to write, and seeing the fingers of 
 the watch pointing to the inexorable moment, 
 then dropping the pen to take up the pistol. 
 The pen was close to the letter, but the pistol 
 lay at some distance from it, and Adlofstein's 
 first impression had been that its being so far 
 away was evidence which precluded the theory
 
 PROLOGUE II 
 
 of self-destruction ; but now he thought that it 
 might have fallen or rolled from the failing 
 clasp of the nerveless right hand to the place, 
 a few inches to the left, where it lay. There 
 was no longer any doubt in his mind as to the 
 fact that it had been his father's own hand 
 which had done the deed. 
 
 ' It must have been so — it must have been 
 so !' he said aloud with quivering lips ; ' but 
 there must have been some reason — there 
 must ! I will never believe that the shameful 
 scourge that has been buried for so long could 
 break out in him — never, never ! Oh, my 
 father !' 
 
 The emotion which he had sternly suppressed 
 in the presence of onlookers broke through its 
 bounds, and surged over him at last in over- 
 whelminor strenofth. As he looked at the wreck 
 
 o o 
 
 of the strong man who had been his father, and 
 realized how inexorable and how irremediable 
 was the stroke, the blank horror which had 
 at first paralyzed every other sensation gave 
 way to passionate grief, and the young man 
 was shaken by an agony that could find no 
 relief in tears. 
 
 ' Oh, my father — my poor, poor father !' he 
 groaned, the words wrung out of him by the 
 extremest anguish. ' What you must have
 
 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 suffered all these years, knowing that this in- 
 exorable fate was hanging over you ! This, 
 then, was the reason of that cloud of ofloom and 
 reserve which shadowed your spirit for so long, 
 and I — I, who ought to have brightened your 
 life, did but darken it more. I refused to 
 forgive you for your second marriage, and I 
 left you to go back to England. And now you 
 lie there dead, and you will never know that all 
 the time I loved you.' 
 
 The bitterest thought that can stab a loving 
 heart was torturing Adlofstein then. The dis- 
 sensions that had sprung up between him and 
 his father had not been able to loosen the ties 
 of an affection unusually close and strong ; but 
 they had caused an estrangement which had 
 spoilt their old relations, and had never been 
 entirely removed ; and now it was too late. 
 Too late ! Are there any words sadder than 
 those, when death has stepped in, and made 
 blind and deaf to our heart's agonized cry the 
 eyes and ears that we might have gladdened — 
 and did not ? 
 
 To Adlofstein it seemed that the only thing 
 left for him to do for his father now was to 
 clear his memory from the stain that would rest 
 upon it, if it could be said that he had taken his 
 life without reason. The only means of doing
 
 PROLOGUE 13 
 
 this would be by proving that it had been an 
 American duel, and this, monstrous as it may 
 seem, would be no blot in the eyes of Austrian 
 society. The difficulty would be to discover a 
 clue. Adlofstein had none ; and the quarrel 
 might have had Its origin years back in the 
 past. A duel decided by a throw of the dice 
 or the colour of a billiard-ball, and involving 
 self-destruction to the loser, a year, two years, 
 five years, sometimes even seven years later — 
 this is the American duel as It is known in 
 Austria, and it Is a form of murder which is 
 calculated to elude justice and vengeance alike ; 
 yet sometimes the truth comes out, and then 
 retribution follows. 
 
 Adlofstein, mad with grief and indignation, 
 knelt by the side of his dead father, and re- 
 peated the vow that he had made before : 
 
 * If I find out — If I can only find out — I will 
 repay !'
 
 [ M ] 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 EVANGELA. 
 
 Major and Mrs. Dabley were philanthropists 
 in the modern and accepted sense of the term, 
 which in some people's minds is spelt with a 
 big P. — in others with a big F ; for where 
 philanthropy appears in unmistakably clear 
 characters to some eyes, others can only see 
 faddism written big. 
 
 Whether the Dableys were philanthropists or 
 faddists is open to question ; perhaps they were 
 both ; but that they were most excellent, kind, 
 and well-meaning people is undeniable. They 
 toiled at the task of filling bottomless buckets, 
 and they flung themselves with ardour into the 
 mania of the day for cutting down good trees 
 in order to prop up rotten ones ; and they had 
 the reward of good consciences, and lives full 
 of occupation and interest. It is the philan- 
 thropist who flourishes like the green bay-tree
 
 EVAN GEL A 
 
 15 
 
 in the present generation, and if he chooses to 
 exhaust all the goodness of the soil in order 
 to afford an artificial shelter to the crop of 
 puny weeds that grows under his shadow, who 
 shall dare to say him nay ? Certainly not the 
 Ministers of a paternal Government. 
 
 The Dableys were philanthropists ; but they 
 were In a state of perpetual warfare with their 
 neighbours, and they had quarrelled with all 
 their relations. All, that Is, except one. and 
 he was a cousin, living in Wales, whom they 
 had not seen for more than twenty years. 
 They were reminded of him at last by an 
 announcement that one day appeared in the 
 papers. 
 
 ' My dear,' said the Major, laying down the 
 Radical and Socialistic sheet that was for the 
 time being his totem and guiding light, ' Henry 
 Wynne Is dead !' 
 
 ' Henry Wynne .'^' Mrs. Dabley repeated in- 
 terrogatively. 
 
 ' Don't you remember Henry Wynne ? Oh, 
 surely you do ! That clever, brilliant cousin of 
 mine. He took a high degree at Cambridge — 
 Senior Wrangler — or was it Senior Optime ? — 
 I really can't remember quite what it was ; but 
 I know everyone expected great things of him, 
 and, after all, he did nothlno-. He married
 
 1 6 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 a foreign lady whom he met abroad, and settled 
 down in a quiet country living in Wales.' 
 
 ' Oh, I know now whom you mean,' said 
 Mrs. Dabley. ' He went abroad as tutor to 
 young Lord Deyncourt, and he fell in love with 
 a beautiful Austrian girl — Countess something 
 or other, wasn't she? They hadn't any busi- 
 ness to marry, though, for neither of them 
 had any money. I always thought it was a 
 great mistake.' 
 
 ' Well, I don't know. He waited until he 
 had got the living, and five-and-twenty years 
 ago that living was a good one. Now that 
 tithes have fallen to three-fourths of what they 
 were — and are generally not paid at all — of 
 course the value of Welsh livings is considerably 
 altered. I wonder if poor Henry has left any 
 provision for his daughter ? The wife died 
 some years ago, I know ; but he had a daughter 
 — do you remember, you were struck by the 
 child's name ? What was it ? Oh, I know — 
 Evangela it was ; and we wondered if it was a 
 Continental form, or merely a fancy of Henry's. 
 That girl must be nineteen or twenty now. I 
 wonder what will become of her ?' 
 
 * I will write and find out,' said Mrs. Dabley, 
 and, acting on the kindly impulse, she wrote 
 that same day.
 
 EVANGEL A 17 
 
 The letter she received in reply was one that 
 stirred all the real womanly kindness and com- 
 passion that was in her. 
 
 ' Listen to me, Philip,' she said, after she 
 had read to her husband the pathetic little note. 
 * This poor child is left an orphan, and quite 
 alone in the world, with no means of support ; 
 and it is quite unfit for her to go out and earn 
 her own living, as she talks of doing. Why 
 shouldn't I have her here to cheer me up while 
 you are all day at your meetings, or in your 
 study ? A little cheerful companionship would 
 be good for us both, I am sure ; and we should 
 be able to offer a young girl many advantages. 
 Yes, I know ! We have had young girls before, 
 and they turned out minxes, every one, and I 
 said I would never have another ; but with a 
 relation it would be different. This seems 
 really almost a duty.' 
 
 When Mrs. Dabley put something she wanted 
 very much in the light of a duty, it meant nail- 
 ing her colours to the mast ; and the Major 
 knew better than to oppose. He raised no 
 objections now, and a letter was despatched 
 inviting Evangela Wynne to come and make 
 her home w^ith her cousins in London. 
 
 Evangela came ; and Mrs. Dabley fell in love 
 with her at first sight. She was charmed with 
 
 VOL. I. 2 
 
 ^
 
 1 8 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 her appearance, her manners, and her conversa- 
 tion. All that she did and said was exactly 
 right, and she praised her to all her friends and 
 acquaintances as an absolutely perfect character. 
 Nothing was too good for her, and she was the 
 most important person in the house. This lasted 
 for four months, and then the inevitable reaction 
 began to set in. The process of disenchant- 
 ment had begun, and Mrs. Dabley became 
 aware of some flaws in her paragon. She dis- 
 covered that Evangela had an exceedingly 
 strong will, and certain decided opinions of her 
 own w^hich did not in the least coincide with the 
 code of the Dabley household. Also that she 
 had a talent for argument, and an annoying 
 habit of proving her point. She had received 
 an unusual education for a girl, having been 
 brought up to share the interests of an intellec- 
 tual and highly cultivated man. From her 
 mother she had learnt French and German so 
 as to be able to speak and write both languages 
 with ease and fluency, and with her father she 
 had read Virgil and Horace, Thucydides and 
 Plato, besides all the books on history and 
 political economy, and the essays and reviews 
 in which he was interested. The effect of all 
 this was to make Evangela unusually thoughtful 
 and well-read for her age, and though she had
 
 EVANGEL A 19 
 
 no ' views,' and was singularly free from con- 
 ceit, her mind had received a stamp from her 
 readings of Herbert Spencer and the Saturday 
 Review, which was the occasion of deep dis- 
 tress and concern to Major and Mrs. Dabley. 
 Aunt Anastasia, as Evangela was told to call 
 Mrs. Dabley, was no match for her in argu- 
 ment, and she was usually driven to wind 
 up a discussion with some such remark as 
 this : 
 
 ' Well, my dear, you think so now, but 
 perhaps when you are older you w411 know 
 better.' 
 
 Mrs. Dabley had a very dignified way of 
 shutting up people who did not agree with her, 
 but though Evangela was too well-bred and 
 sweet-tempered to make the obvious retort 
 which suggested itself, a twinkle would come 
 into her eyes on these occasions, which had as 
 much power to annoy her aunt ; and for the 
 whole day afterwards Mrs. Dabley would put 
 a restraint upon herself to mete out strict 
 justice and politeness to the offender. M there 
 was one thing upon the possession of which 
 Mrs. Dabley particularly prided herself, it was 
 a conscientious sense of justice, and a firm con- 
 trol of temper ; but it was precisely this that 
 made her displeasure the dreadful thing that it
 
 20 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 was, and Evangela, who was both proud and 
 sensitive, suffered considerably under it. 
 
 One afternoon in August a climax came. It 
 had been an intolerably hot day, and both Mrs. 
 Dabley and Evangela were worn out after a 
 long day's shopping. When they came in for 
 tea, Mrs. Dabley found fault with the vigorous 
 manner in which Evangela stirred her tea. 
 It was an unlady-Iike habit, she said ; and upon 
 this text she took occasion to preach her young- 
 cousin a sermon which relieved her feelings not 
 a little. Evangela listened resignedly, surprised 
 that anyone should attach importance to such 
 trifles, but not thinking it worth while to enter 
 into a dispute. Mrs. Dabley liked to hear the 
 sound of her own voice, and there was nothing 
 she enjoyed more than making out a case. 
 Unfortunately, as sometimes happens with 
 orators in other and wider arenas, she was 
 carried away by her own eloquence to say a good 
 deal more than she either felt or meant, and she 
 was soon drawing up a sort of bill of attainder 
 against Evangela. She mentioned every point 
 of difference that had arisen between them from 
 the very beginning, even including a dis- 
 similarity of opinion as to the becomingness of 
 a ribbon which had been bought that afternoon. 
 She enumerated all the little tiny grievances
 
 EVANGEL A 21 
 
 that had annoyed her, such as Evangela's way 
 of doing her hair, and the length of time she 
 took in going to bed ; and then she dwelt on 
 the sacrifices and inconveniences that she and 
 the Major had incurred in order to offer her a 
 home — ' As we were very glad to do, my dear,' 
 she added, ' and should have done had there 
 been twice as many difficulties in the way.' 
 
 She was really a kind-hearted woman, and 
 had no intention of wounding the feelings of 
 the young girl who was dependent upon her 
 generosity ; but she could not resist the tempta- 
 tion of telling her that but a few days ago she 
 had heard of a paragon of a young lady who 
 understood the mysteries of dress-cutting, and 
 was strongly recommended by the Honourable 
 Mrs. Pomeroy ; but of course, she said, she 
 had never dreamt of entertaining the idea for 
 an instant, and had not given the matter a 
 second thought, even though it might have 
 saved her half of her dressmaker's bills, and 
 Madame Delaine was getting most outrageously 
 dear, besides being utterly unsatisfactory in 
 every other respect. 
 
 Evangela listened without a word while Mrs. 
 Dabley ran oit, setting forth all that she and 
 her husband had done for her, and implying 
 that she did not show the gratitude that she
 
 2 2 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 owed. The girl made no answer, but she had 
 inherited pride from both sides of her family, 
 and her heart seemed on fire. It was only a 
 few months since she had been driven, as 
 though by a flaming sword, out of a home 
 which seemed to her now like a lost Paradise, 
 and the trouble of the moment brought back 
 all her pain with sharper stings than ever. She 
 had idolized her father, and now that she had 
 lost him, she felt all alone and desolate in a 
 world where there was no place for her. She 
 was not so unreasonable as to forget all the 
 kindness that her cousins had lavished upon her 
 because of a few inconsiderate words, but she 
 felt instinctively that it was no home for her, 
 and that nothing but irritation and disappoint- 
 ment could come of her staying on. From the 
 Divine Right of Kings to the Divine Right of 
 imposing total abstinence ; from the reasonings 
 of Sir Henry Maine to the theories of the anti- 
 opiumists — it was an impossible transition, and 
 Evanorela felt that even if she were to determine 
 to hold her peace and suffocate, she would still 
 fail to satisfy her cousins. 
 
 * I must go !' she said half aloud — ' but 
 where ?' 
 
 She had made her escape from the drawing- 
 room into the little strip of blackened London
 
 EV ANGELA 
 
 23 
 
 garden at the back of the house, and her eyes 
 were full of tears. They were pretty eyes — 
 large and soft and very dark, with long curling 
 lashes of jetty black — and when they smiled 
 they brimmed over w^th fun ; but now their 
 brightness was clouded. 
 
 ' Where shall I go .•^' she repeated. ' What 
 is to become of me ?' 
 
 The sound-waves, caused by her softly-uttered 
 words, floated out amonof the witherinof roses 
 in the smoky garden, and were lost. There 
 came no answer to her question ; but, all un- 
 known to her, a solution of her difficulties was 
 
 at hand, and it was wineinof its wav to her from 
 ' 00.' 
 
 an unexpected and distant source. It arrived 
 the next morning in a perfectly prosaic way — 
 by post. 
 
 An unusual thing happened on that par- 
 ticular morning — two unusual things, indeed — 
 for Evangela was not down to prayers, and 
 there were no letters for the Major. Since his 
 enforced retirement from the army, Major 
 Dabley had found occupation for an unusually 
 active mind in constituting himself secretary 
 and pamphleteer to all sorts of strange societies, 
 and he was, in consequence, inundated with 
 correspondence as a rule; but on this particular 
 morning there were only two letters handed in
 
 24 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 — one for Mrs. Dabley, and the other for 
 Evangela ; for the Major there was nothing. 
 
 Mrs. Dabley opened and read her letter as 
 soon as family prayers were over ; but Evangela 
 had not yet come down, and her letter lay on 
 the breakfast-table by the side of her plate. It 
 was a foreign letter, and it was rather remark- 
 able in appearance — the address being written 
 in violet ink in a large, sloping handwriting, 
 while on the flap of the envelope was stamped 
 a gilt coronet with seven points. 
 
 The Major's mind, abhorring a vacuum, im- 
 mediately began to occupy itself with surmises 
 as to the history and contents of this unusual- 
 looking missive, and he would have liked to 
 have aired his opinions on the point ; but an 
 instinct, begotten of sad experience in the past, 
 warned him that to do so would be to court a 
 little set speech from his wife on the folly and 
 unprofitableness of idle speculation, and he re- 
 frained. 
 
 Mrs. Dabley was absorbed in her own letter, 
 which was from the honourable patroness of the 
 dress-cutting young lady. It consisted of many 
 sheets setting forth the virtues and accomplish- 
 ments of this paragon, and it informed dear 
 Mrs. Dabley, in case there should now be a 
 vacancy in her happy home - circle, that the
 
 EVANGEL A 
 
 25 
 
 young lady was still available. Mrs. Dabley 
 sighed a little as she put the epistle down ; but 
 she made a noble resolve that she would keep 
 her own counsel in the matter, and felt sus- 
 tained by the consciousness of her own virtue. 
 
 ' Evangela is late,' observed the Major, still 
 eyeing the foreign letter curiously through his 
 glasses as he took his place at the bottom of 
 the table. ' I hope and trust, my dear, that 
 she will not get into a habit of it. She must 
 be made to understand that in a busy house 
 like this, punctuality is a necessary virtue.' 
 
 'Yes, dear,' replied Mrs. Dabley, with com- 
 posure. ' This is the first time in the whole 
 six months that Evangela has been with us 
 that she has come down late, and if it occurs 
 as seldom as that I don't think you will have 
 much cause for complaint. The marvel to me 
 is that she should be able to get up at all in the 
 morning, considering how late she is in going to 
 rest. She burns out her candle every night, 
 and is seldom in bed until one or two o'clock.' 
 
 Mrs. Dabley, who was stout and fair, and a 
 great contrast to her dark, lanky husband in 
 personal appearance, had a staid, deliberate 
 manner, that seemed like the effect of habitual 
 repression in herself of the traits that she ob- 
 served in the Major ; and she always spoke in
 
 26 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 a low, measured voice, getting over the dis- 
 advantage of breathlessness from which she 
 suffered by running off her long, impressive 
 utterances with extreme precision and emphasis. 
 
 ' My dear Anastasia !' ejaculated the Major, 
 raising his eyebrows until they were almost lost 
 in the wrinkles of his forehead. ' My dear 
 Anastasia ! That Is a shocking habit ! I hope 
 you will put a stop to It.' 
 
 ' What can I do ?' Inquired Mrs. Dabley 
 calmly. ' Of course, I don't approve of It any 
 more than you do, and I spoke to Evangela 
 about It as soon as I discovered it ; but she 
 only smiled, and said very sweetly that she 
 knew It was a bad habit, but that she could not 
 help It. Again and again I have remonstrated, 
 but, though she is quite good-tempered about it, 
 she does not pretend to think that there can be 
 any possibility of amendment.' 
 
 ' Why don't you tell her that with the price 
 of the candles she wastes some unemployed 
 workman mieht be assisted to maintain his 
 starving family ?' demanded the Philanthropist. 
 
 • I did ; and then she said that if she used 
 less candles she would be contributing to throw 
 out of work those men who are employed in 
 making candles, and that It was better to spend 
 your money In paying for work done than to
 
 EVANGEL A 27 
 
 scatter it in indiscriminate charity that could only 
 have a pauperizing effect. She said something 
 about the inevitableness of unproductive labour 
 in a highly-civilized and over-populated com- 
 munity — I forget how she put it, but I know- 
 that she somehow made out that she was doino- 
 a highly creditable and benevolent action in 
 burning out her candles.' 
 
 ' Ah, those inhuman principles of political 
 economy !' said the Major, with a sigh ; ' how 
 has she become imbued with them ? I must 
 give her Henry George to read — he will soon 
 convince her ! What does she do that keeps her 
 up so late at night, do you suppose, Anastasia ? 
 Does she read ?' 
 
 * I fancy so. I know she keeps Greek and 
 Latin books in her room, and I don't know 
 what other time she can have for studying 
 them. I am afraid, you know, my dear Philip, 
 that we have not been ^7nU so fortunate in 
 Evangela as we thought at first.' 
 
 ' My dea?^ Anastasia I' exclaimed the Major 
 in dismay, ' you were so delighted with her ; 
 you said she was so superior — don't you re- 
 member ? You are surely not turning against 
 her ?' 
 
 ' Certainly not. Philip !' replied his wife, with 
 severe dignity. ' When have you ever known
 
 28 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 me turn against anybody — as you put it — except 
 for good and sufficient reason ? I have no 
 complaint to make about Evangela — at any 
 rate, I make none. I say nothing, but — well, 
 we shall see ! I hope you will remain as con- 
 tent with her as you are at present — that's all !' 
 
 It was enough. Mrs. Dabley was the real 
 ruler In that household, and sooner or later the 
 Major was sure to give In to her views. The 
 breath of her favour had set strongly In one 
 direction for six months ; but now the wind had 
 shifted, and, true to the Instincts of a weather- 
 cock, the Major began to veer. 
 
 ' I was certainly surprised that Evangela 
 should not have taken more Interest In my 
 booklet upon the horrors of the opium traffic,' 
 he remarked thoughtfully after a pause ; ' I 
 don't believe that she read It through.' 
 
 ' I don't know, I am sure,' answered Mrs. 
 Dabley, to whom this offence — one of the most 
 grievous that can be committed against an 
 author — did not appear In such a very serious 
 light ; ' I dare say she didn't. It's pretty long, 
 and the last part, where It goes to the influenza 
 arising from the consumption of opium In China, 
 and coming on to us as a justly-merited scourge, 
 Is a little difficult to understand ' 
 
 ' Why, that Is the most powerful part of It
 
 EVANGELA 29 
 
 all !' exclaimed the author, justly aggrieved. 
 ' Now, I'll just explain to you ' And, lay- 
 ing down his knife and fork, he walked to the 
 hearth-rug, though there was no fire burning 
 on that hot August morning, and placed him- 
 self in lecturing position — his legs wide apart, 
 his head thrown back, one hand behind his 
 coat-tails, the other extended, with the fore and 
 middle finger sticking out prong-wise to point 
 the moral. 
 
 'Oh, I know — I know,' Interrupted Mrs. 
 Dabley hastily. ' My dear Philip, you've ex- 
 plained It to me a hundred times, and if I don't 
 understand it now, I never shall. But I was 
 telling you about Evangela — did you hear what 
 she said about vivisection ? She said that If 
 experiments tried upon human beings In the 
 theatre of a hospital were not called vivisection, 
 she did not see why experiments upon animals 
 should be, and she wouldn't mind the destruc- 
 tion of a hundred rabbits if it would save risk 
 to one human life that she cared about. Now, 
 I call that a shocking sentiment to proceed 
 from a young girl's mouth.' 
 
 ' Did she really say that ?' said the Major, In 
 a sorrowful tone of voice. * Then, I must have 
 a talk with her about it. I think w^hen the 
 thing is put clearly and fairly before her, the
 
 30 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 iniquity of it will not fail to strike her young 
 and tender heart.' 
 
 ' I doubt it,' remarked Mrs. Dabley calmly. 
 ' There Is no harm in your trying, of course. 
 You can try ; but I shall be very much sur- 
 prised if you succeed in convincing her. When 
 you want to Impress a thing upon Evangela, 
 she takes to arguing, and then, before you 
 know w^here you are, you will find that she has 
 got you in a corner. It Is a very unpleasing 
 trait in a young- lady, I consider, this passion 
 for arguing. I suppose she gets it from her 
 father. I have noticed that it amounts almost 
 to a vice in many of your people.' 
 
 ' Poor Henry !' said the Major. * I don't 
 know that he was specially addicted to arguing. 
 There was a good deal of quiet humour about 
 him, though ; and Evangela's way of putting 
 things often reminds me of him. She isn't like 
 him in appearance, though.' 
 
 * No. I should imagine she took more after 
 her mother. Her very dark eyes and hair give 
 her a foreign look, and many people have asked 
 me what nationality she Is.' 
 
 * I see that letter Is from Austria,' remarked 
 the Major, seizing the favourable opening ; 
 ' and I suppose It must be from some of her 
 relations over there.'
 
 EVANGEL A 31 
 
 ' I didn't know that any connection had been 
 kept up,' began Mrs. Dabley, but she broke off 
 short as a rapid footstep was heard outside, and 
 Evangela came into the room. 
 
 She came peeping round the door — a slender 
 figure in a closely-fitting black dress ; a small, 
 very fair face, with great dark eyes and 
 delicate features. Under her eyes were dark 
 circles for which her nightly readings were 
 responsible, and the prettiness of her face was 
 eclipsed as much by the intellect and character 
 of its expression as by its wanness and pallor, 
 but just now it was lighted up with a smile 
 of deprecation and penitence so sweet and 
 winning that it might have disarmed the 
 severest critic. 
 
 ' This is shocking — atrocious, isn't it ? Dear 
 Aunt Anastasia, do scold me, and then perhaps 
 I shall feel better. I'll never, never do it again 
 — till next time ! Oh, who ca7i this be from ?' 
 
 She had taken up her letter, which was 
 covered all over with postmarks and re-direc- 
 tions, and was turning it over and over in her 
 hands. 
 
 ' You will save time if you open it, and look 
 at the signature,' remarked Mrs. Dabley, in her 
 impressive tone of superior common-sense. ' It 
 is probably from one of your relations abroad.
 
 32 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 Your uncle and I were just wondering how 
 they could have found you out.' 
 
 Evangela opened her letter, and hastily 
 glanced through it. 
 
 ' It is signed Melanie de Bertemllian,' she 
 said wonderingly. ' I never heard of her 
 before ; but she says her mother was a cousin 
 of mamma's. She writes very kindly and 
 warmly, and she asks me to go and stay with 
 them. But you had better read the letter. It 
 is partly in French and partly in English. 
 Will you read it, Aunt Anastasia, or shall I 
 read it aloud to you ?' 
 
 ' Oh, read it out, by all means,' said the 
 Major. ' And you may as well translate the 
 French part as you go along, for my benefit, if 
 not for your aunt's. I expect both of us have 
 got rather rusty in our French/ 
 
 In compliance with this appeal, Evangela 
 read aloud : 
 
 ' Lindenthal, 
 
 ' Oestereichische Schlesien. 
 
 ' " My dear Cousin Yangela !" (Such an 
 immense note of admiration !' commented 
 Evangela). 
 
 ' But why does she call you \^angela ?' asked
 
 EVANGEL A 33 
 
 Mrs. Dabley, Interrupting. ' You said Vangela, 
 didn't you ?' 
 
 ' Yes,' answered E vangela, in a suddenly 
 softened tone. ' Mamma used always to call 
 me Vangela, so it sounds familiar to me ; but 
 I don't know how this lady has got hold of it.' 
 
 ' Well, go on,' said the Major, and E vangela 
 continued : 
 
 * '' The sorrowful tidings of your dear father's 
 death, which have come to reach me, have 
 caused to me a profound sadness and sympathy 
 for you, and I empress myself to write to you 
 to offer my sincere condolence. Ah ! it is a 
 terrible thing to lose a parent. I, who write, 
 know it well, for there is only a year that our 
 dear mamma Is taken from us, and we are still 
 desolated. 
 
 ' '' But you will without doubt ask yourself, 
 Who is this who writes me ? Well, then, my 
 dear, I must Introduce myself. I am Melanle 
 de Bertemllian, and my mother was a Mero- 
 dynska, and a cousin through the Polish side 
 to your dear mother. So, you see, we are 
 parents !" ' 
 
 ' Parents ?' interrupted Major Dabley. 
 'Relations she means,' said E vangela, smiling,, 
 and she went on reading : 
 
 VOL. I. 3
 
 34 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 ' " We have heard of you from our friend. 
 Therese de Potorska, who comes to return 
 from England, and brings us your news. She 
 heard by chance a mention of your name, which 
 is the same as our mother's grandmother, our 
 great-grandmother, who came from Venice, and 
 then she inquired, and found out all. And 
 now, my dear, it is time that I make the suppli- 
 cation of which I write you. Will you come 
 and make us a visit for a year ? My sister 
 Thekla and I are very anxious to improve in 
 our Enorlish, which is now the lano^uaoe the 
 most c/iic that one speaks at Court. We have 
 learnt a little from our Hanoverian governess, 
 but very little, and bad, as you see. 
 
 ' " Now, if you would desire to perfect your- 
 self in German or French, Thekla and I will 
 gladly give you instructions in return of English 
 lessons. We live very retired here, and see 
 verv little world ; but we will welcome you as a 
 sister, and make you every pleasure and ad- 
 vantage we can, that you may enjoy your visit, 
 and profit of it. Now, my dear, think well, 
 and do not refuse my proposal. It will be so 
 charming if you will come ! Thekla and I long 
 to have your acquaintance, and to introduce 
 you to our friends. My father begs me to 
 present his compliments, and to say hov/ happy
 
 EVANGEL A 35 
 
 he would be to see you ; and he begs that you 
 will allow him to lay at your feet all expenses of 
 travelling, etc. My sister Thekla also begs me 
 to send you heart's greeting, and, assuring you 
 of my perfect consideration, 
 ' '' I am, your devoted 
 
 ' '' Melanie de Bertemilian." ' 
 
 Evangela's eyes were dancing when she 
 finished. 
 
 ' Isn't It a pretty letter ?' she said. ' So 
 quaintly expressed, and yet so gracefully and 
 kindly — she must be a warm-hearted girl ;' and 
 she looked up to see what impression had been 
 made upon her uncle and aunt. 
 
 The Major was not remarkable for quickness 
 of perception, and he looked utterly blank ; but 
 Mrs. Dabley had all a woman's faculty for 
 arriving instantly at a conclusion, and she saw 
 at once that, if she wanted her lessons in dress- 
 cutting, here was her opj)ortunity. She paused 
 a moment for consideration, and then she took 
 breath for a weighty speech. 
 
 'It is a pretty letter,' she said graciously. 
 ' You are right there, Evangela ; and it is 
 possible that the proposal may be worth your 
 acceptance. Of course, we must do nothing 
 without due consideration and inquiry ; but if
 
 36 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 you fancy it, a year abroad might be a pleasant 
 experience for you, and it will be an advantage 
 to you to improve yourself in French and 
 German. However well you know a language, 
 it is always well to be able to say that it has 
 been acquired abroad. It sounds so well in an 
 advertisement. We must talk it over.' 
 
 Not much breakfast was taken by Evangela 
 that day — nor, indeed, much luncheon or dinner ; 
 but of talking over, there was enough. All day 
 long the subject was discussed, and the next 
 day and the next, until Evangela's patience was 
 quite worn out. She had come to her decision, 
 and had made up her mind to carry it out, 
 before she had got to the end of the second 
 reading of the letter ; but she found that it 
 would be expedient to smother her own en- 
 thusiasm if she wished to gain her end without 
 opposition. 
 
 ' Of course,' said Mrs. Dabley, ' we shall 
 miss you very much, and it is a little hard on us 
 to lose you just when you have got into our 
 ways, and we have got so much attached to 
 you ; but, of course, we should not like to stand 
 in the light of your best interests, and if these 
 Bertemilians prove to be satisfactory sort of 
 people, I think there can be no doubt that it 
 would be right for you to accept their offer.
 
 EVAN GEL A 37 
 
 Your uncle must write to the British Embassy 
 at Vienna, and find out all about them.' 
 
 Evangela could not be so unkind as to 
 deprive her uncle of so keenly appreciated an 
 opportunity of exerting his energies as this, 
 and the letter was written and despatched ; 
 but she was in no doubt as to the course that 
 she intended her answer to take, and long 
 before the Consul's reply had arrived she had 
 written her letter of acceptance, and set about 
 her preparations. 
 
 The report from Vienna, when it came, 
 proved satisfactory. It was nothing more than 
 a short official statement that Baron Berte- 
 milian was a man of good family and position ; 
 but this was all that Major and Mrs. Dabley 
 could require, and the matter was settled. In 
 a week's time Evangela received a letter from 
 her cousin, answering her questions as to what 
 necessary things she ought to bring, and within 
 six weeks from the day when the invitation 
 had reached her, Evangela had left England, 
 and was tossing on the night-boat between 
 Oueensborough and Flushing, on her way to 
 her unknown friends. 
 
 Major Dabley had suggested the propriety 
 of his accompanying her to escort her on her 
 journey ; but this would have involved the
 
 ^S GODDESSES THREE 
 
 sacrifice of two tickets for a musical festival 
 that Mrs. Dabley had taken, and, seeing her 
 aunt's annoyance at this prospect, Evangela 
 assured them that she could perfectly well go 
 alone. Mrs. Dabley applauded this decision 
 with much energy and determination. 
 
 ' It is quite right,' she said decisively — ' ^7n/e 
 right that a girl in Evangela's position, who 
 will have, to a certain extent, to make her own 
 way in the w^orld, should be independent of 
 escorts, and all that sort of thing. To gain 
 self-reliance and practical capability, there is 
 nothing like being obliged to judge and act for 
 yourself from the beginning.' 
 
 The Major had therefore to content himself 
 with seeing Evangela off from the docks, and 
 this he did with much fuss and zeal. It was 
 past midnight before he reached home, but he 
 found his wife still up, and eager to talk over 
 the departed guest. 
 
 ' Did she seem at all upset when you said 
 good-bye to her ?' asked Mrs. Dabley. ' She 
 did not cry ?' 
 
 ' Oh no !' replied the Major, who was a 
 somewhat superficial observer ; ' she didn't 
 show the least inclination to cry. I thought 
 she was wonderfully bright and cheerful.' 
 
 ' H— m !' said Mrs. Dabley; 'she didn't 
 shed a tear when she parted from me, either.
 
 EVANGEL A 39 
 
 I am sure I cried like anything, and for half an 
 hour afterwards, too ; but, then, I always had a 
 tender heart. As for Evangela, I declare to 
 you that I have never once seen a tear in her 
 eyes during the whole time she has been here. 
 I suppose the fact is that she has not got any 
 to shed. She is a curious girl, and I don't 
 profess to understand her, I think she is 
 rather hard — oh, I don't mean that she is 
 ungrateful ! She thanked us prettily enough 
 for the furs and things that we gave her, and I 
 know she meant what she said, every word ; 
 but she is hard to please ; she is critical of 
 everything and everybody, and she is inclined 
 to judge too severely. Now, Philip, of course 
 she is a very good,* sweet girl — did I ever say 
 she was not ? She is also very sensible, and 
 clever, and accomplished, and all that, but she 
 is not like other girls ; that is what I complain 
 of. She is somehow or other conspicuous — not 
 to say odd — and I must say that I think that a 
 drawback. A girl should never be conspicuous.' 
 In that respect Miss Mills was likely to 
 prove a refreshing change after Evangela. 
 She arrived the next day, and her personality 
 was unexceptionably commonplace. She agreed 
 with everything that everybody said, and Mrs. 
 Dabley was delighted. She said she had not 
 known what real rest and peace was for months.
 
 40 J 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 A STRANGE STORY. 
 
 The afternoon sunshine of the autumn day was 
 flooding with a mellow light that grew every 
 moment more golden a fertile, far-reaching 
 plain ; and Evangela, speeding to a point 
 where a distant chain of mountains rose on the 
 horizon, was approaching the end of her long 
 railway journey. 
 
 For two days and nights she bad been 
 travelling steadily eastward (only stopping for 
 those few hours that were absolutely necessary 
 for rest and refreshment) through the wide 
 plains of Belgium, where the red-tiled farm- 
 houses and an occasional avenue of trees are 
 the highest points that break the dead level of 
 cultivated land ; on Into Germany, where plots 
 of fertile ground, laid out with as much care as 
 in a garden, alternate with long reaches of 
 barren sand ; on through Interminable stretches
 
 A STRANGE STORY 
 
 of pine-plantations, acres and acres of baby 
 pines no bigger than cabbages, succeeded by 
 acres and acres of small trees ; these again by 
 gloomy forests intersected by straight avenues 
 that stretch away to vanishing-point ; then 
 through deserts of sand and stubbed-up roots, 
 on, on, into the fertile plain of Prussian Silesia, 
 which Frederick the Great filched from Austria 
 in the hour of Maria Theresa's necessity. And 
 now at last the mountains which form Austria's 
 boundary on the north were rising into sight 
 through the golden haze on the southern limit 
 of the plain, and Evangela neared her destina- 
 tion. 
 
 She was desperately weary, and her natural 
 pallor was so much increased by fatigue that 
 the contrast between her dark hair and eyes 
 and the waxen whiteness of her face was almost 
 startling ; but her eyes were alight with ex- 
 pectation, and she was too much excited to feel 
 fatigue. The last station was passed ; at the 
 next stoppage she would see — whom ? what ? 
 She sprang up from her seat, too restless to sit 
 still, and paced from side to side of the rock- 
 ing carriage, in the most intense excitement 
 and expectation. 
 
 ' Whatever it may be like, I must be content 
 to make the best of it,' she said to herself. ' I
 
 42 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 must not fail again. Aunt Anastasia and Uncle 
 Philip were very kind, but I was a failure in 
 their house, and though the fault must have 
 been chiefly mine, I can never, never go back 
 to live with them again. If I fail to satisfy 
 these people, what home is there in the world 
 for me ? It will show that there is some fault 
 in me that makes me unable to get on with 
 strangers. Oh, father, father ! those old happy 
 times are gone for ever, and your little daughter 
 feels very lonely and forsaken in this cold, hard 
 world of strangers.' 
 
 The train slackened speed, and amongst two 
 or three people standing on the platform of the 
 little roadside station that they steamed slowly 
 into, Evangela singled out at once a young lady 
 whose look of distinction and dress of simple 
 elegance made her noticeable. She was gazing 
 expectantly Into the carriage windows as the 
 train came in, and her eyes met Evangela's. 
 When Evangela got out, the young lady came 
 straight up to her. 
 
 * I am Melanie de Bertemilian, and I think 
 you must be my cousin Vangela,' she said in 
 French with a charming smile ; and as she 
 looked into the brown eyes beaming with 
 friendliness and kindness, Evangela experienced 
 a reassuring sense of relief and thankfulness.
 
 A STRANGE STORY 43 
 
 ' What a fascinating face !' she thought, ' and 
 how pretty ! That fair hair with those large, 
 bright, brown eyes, that clear olive skin, and 
 full red lips ; then that perfect Grecian line of 
 nose and forehead. Why, she is beautiful !' 
 
 Evangela had leisure for making observations 
 while the subject of them was looking after her 
 baggage at the Custom-house, The young lady 
 spoke to the German officials there with hauteur 
 and stateliness, and she was evidently annoyed 
 by the inexorableness of the inspection. She 
 stood by chafing, while they rummaged in the 
 boxes with ruthless hands, and the contempt 
 and dislike with which she spoke of ' the 
 Prussian pigs,' as she drove with Evangela 
 out of the station, was to the English girl the 
 first indication of that bitterness of feeling 
 between Austrians and Prussians which is 
 especially noticeable on the straitened frontier of 
 Silesia. The station of Zeltenweg was on the 
 German side of the border, and as Evangela 
 saw that her cousin considered herself in the 
 enemy's country, she thought with a thrill of 
 patriotic satisfaction of the waves upon waves 
 of blue water which were such a sure wall of 
 defence to her own country. 
 
 'Look,' said Melanie ; 'see there, my dear, 
 where those poles mark the frontier line. Now
 
 44 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 you are in Germany, but now — ah, now ! — you 
 are in Austria !' 
 
 The horses were gallantly breasting a rocky 
 ascent, and at the side of the road at the top 
 were two tall poles placed side by side, and 
 painted with spirally winding stripes : the one 
 on the German side black and white, the other 
 black and yellow. 
 
 It was a desolate, treeless spot ; but the view 
 that it commanded was simply glorious. High 
 snow mountains and pine-fringed peaks, dark 
 forests and sunny valleys, were all irradiated 
 with the golden light of the setting sun ; and 
 the snow peaks in the south were glowing rose 
 in the reflection of the magnificent fires in the 
 western sky. 
 
 ' Ah !' said Evangela, drawing a long breath. 
 ' This, then, is Austria. It seems to me an 
 enchanted land. You have got the beauty on 
 your side, Melanie !' 
 
 She withdrew her dazzled gaze from the 
 panorama before her to look at the softly- 
 rounded face at her side. That, too, was pink- 
 flushed in the sunset glow ; but it was lighted 
 up as well by a glow from within — a fire of 
 enthusiasm and vivacity more intense than 
 Evangela had ever seen in any face before. 
 The brown eyes were shining and sparkling.
 
 A STRANGE STORY 
 
 45 
 
 the red lips parted In a smile that showed an 
 absolutely perfect set of teeth — the whole face 
 animated into almost startling brilliancy. 
 
 'Yes, my dear,' she cried, putting out both 
 her hands, and taking Evangela's in a warm 
 clasp. * Yes, you have left Germany and 
 dulness and ugliness behind you, and nov/ you 
 are in our beautiful Austria, your mother's 
 country. I am so glad that you like it !' 
 
 The irritation which she had evinced at the 
 station had passed away almost as soon as it had 
 arisen, and she gave herself up with childlike 
 enthusiasm to the delight of welcoming this 
 new-found cousin and friend to the country of 
 her adoption. 
 
 * Oh, my dear,' she said, pressing Evangela's 
 hand, ' I cannot tell you how Thekla and I have 
 looked forward to this day ! We have talked 
 of nothing else since the plan was proposed, 
 and last night neither of us could sleep a single 
 wink. Poor Thekla made herself quite ill with 
 anticipation, and that is why she does not come 
 to meet you. It is always the way with her 
 before every pleasure, every party. She thinks 
 so much of it beforehand that she is quite sick 
 when the time comes ! But now you are come 
 and we shall be so happy. We have been so 
 lonely and sad, poor Thekla and I. There
 
 46 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 have been so many troubles since poor mamma 
 died. I must tell you all. Oh, my dear, how 
 much I have to tell you !' 
 
 This was true indeed ; and when Melanie 
 had once begun, she went on with the eloquence 
 of a true raconteitse. It was ten miles from 
 Zeltenweof to the town of Lindenthal — ten miles 
 of such scenery as Evangela had never been 
 through, even in her dreams, before — and 
 during the long drive Melanie took the oppor- 
 tunity of enlightening her cousin as to many 
 thinofs that were strano^e and new to her. 
 
 The moon climbed up the eastern sky, 
 shining brighter and brighter, as the sunset 
 faded out of the west, and in its cold and 
 silvery light the pine-forest through which the 
 carriage passed had an almost weird picturesque- 
 ness. The carriage-road, broad and well kept 
 as any highroad in England, differed from 
 Enelish roads in havinor no wall or fence on 
 either side, and PIvangela had a vague romantic 
 sense of delight in the perception that, without 
 any real danger of an adventure, here was the 
 fit settino- for some romantic incident. Here, 
 at a sharp corner of the road, was a huge 
 buttress of rock towering out of the hanging 
 woods, and from its barren crest sprang a tall, 
 straight-stemmed young pine-tree, which was a
 
 A STRANGE STORY 47 
 
 marvel of grace and beauty. A little further 
 on, a few stumpy white posts marked a spot 
 where a precipice fell steeply away from the 
 road ; and down in a gorge, at least a hundred 
 feet below, a little stream tossed and tumbled, 
 the foaming water glittering like silver in the 
 moonlight. There was the mouth of a deep 
 ravine, black as night in the forest ; there a 
 sharp mountain ridge, fringed to the top with 
 feathery pines, that stood out dark and distinct 
 against the clear evening sky. 
 
 It was all new and strange and wonderful 
 to Evangela, and not less new and wonderful 
 was the conversation of the fascinating com- 
 panion who sat by her side. Evangela, with a 
 reticence which was a part of her character, 
 had not said a word about herself, and the open- 
 hearted cordialitv and undoubtinor confidence 
 with which Melanie came to meet her, puzzled 
 and surprised her at first ; but she could not 
 help being pleased, then touched, then alto- 
 gether charmed ; and as she looked at the 
 brilliant face in the dark setting of the moonlit 
 woods, she felt strangely drawn towards her. 
 
 They had reached the wildest and most 
 beautiful depths of the woods, and a ray of 
 moonlight falling through the pine-trees had 
 revealed in Melanie's face a sudden change of
 
 48 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 expression that was even more attractive than 
 the glow of sparkhng Hfe that had animated it 
 before. She had been talking delightedly of all 
 the pleasures and amusements to which she and 
 Thekla meant to introduce Evangela, when all 
 at once, as she was speaking of the society 
 about Lindenthal, her voice faltered, and she 
 broke off short. 
 
 ' Are you very fond of society and gaiety, 
 Vangela ?' she asked wistfully. 
 
 ' I don't know^' answered E vangela in sur- 
 prise. ' No ; I don't think so. At least, I 
 know I can do very well without it. I am not 
 accustomed to it.' 
 
 ' Not in London i^' asked Melanie incredu- 
 lously. 
 
 ' Well, I didn't go out so very much in 
 London ; and I was only in London for nine 
 months. Before that I had lived all my life in 
 a quiet country parish in Wales, and there was 
 no society at all there.' 
 
 * Ah, then perhaps you will not mind so 
 much — I hope you will not mind — but, still, I 
 think you ought to have been told. Dear 
 Vangela !' she said appealingly, and E vangela 
 saw that there were tears shining in her great 
 brown eyes, ' there is one thing that I think 
 you ought to know before entering our family,
 
 A STRANGE STORY 49 
 
 and I wish to tell you at once, so that you may 
 be able to understand our position. It is a 
 great trouble which hangs over us like a cloud, 
 and I felt I ought to have told you about it in 
 my first letter ; but my father would not hear 
 of it, and he is so sensitive about this matter 
 that I could not bear to press it ; also he had 
 reason when he said that from a letter you 
 could never understand. But now I will tell 
 you, and I know your kind heart will sym- 
 pathize, and you will be sorry for us.' 
 
 Evangela took the little gloved hand that was 
 held out to her, and pressed it warmly. What 
 was this that she was oroinof to hear ? 
 
 ' Two years ago,' said Melanie, ' we were all 
 so happy — ah, so happy ! — and we were all 
 together. Our dear mamma was still with us, 
 and there was no thought of trouble. We had 
 lived here all our lives, and we loved the place. 
 We had so many friends and acquaintances, 
 and we paid many visits. Also at Vienna papa 
 had a large circle, and we went there in the 
 winter and had much pleasure. Thekla was 
 too young, but I went out with mamma ; and, 
 ah, how delightful it was ! But it ended too 
 soon. One day, after we had returned home 
 from the Carnival at Vienna, and my father 
 had renewed his duties in his Bezirk, a quarrel 
 
 VOL. I. 4
 
 50 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 arose between him and the Baron Adlofstein, 
 who is a neighbour of ours, and who lives in 
 his old castle about half an hour from Linden- 
 thai. Lent was over, and it was already the 
 beginning of summer, and so hot that it was 
 necessary to enforce the order for muzzling all 
 dogs ; but the Baron Adlofstein took no notice 
 of the order, and appeared all the days walking 
 on the Platz with his two little white Spitz dogs 
 — very snappy little beasts — unmuzzled. Papa 
 was obliged, in pursuance of his duty, to send 
 a notice to the Baron, that if he continued to 
 disregard the order he would be fined ; and to 
 this he returned only an insolent answer. In 
 the end he was fined, and, when he met my 
 father at the Casino afterwards, he said all dis- 
 agreeable and insulting things he could think 
 of; and when my father resented it, he sent 
 him a challenge. Ah, my dear, you smile ! 
 but it is no smiling matter in this country. If 
 a man fights a duel, he must lose his position 
 in the army and the Civil Service — it is the 
 Emperor's will ; so whether he lives or dies, it 
 is certain ruin. Yet if he refuses, and that is 
 publicly known, that is ruin, too — ruin to his 
 reputation. Never, never shall I forget the 
 misery of those days ! We cried, mamma and 
 I, until we were nearly blind. Papa was in an
 
 A STRANGE STORY 
 
 agony. If he fought, he must lose all, and 
 bring us to beggary ; if he refused, he would be 
 giving all men the right to insult him, and call 
 him coward. He was nearly mad, but in the 
 end mamma's tears prevailed, and he sent a 
 refusal. Then — ah, then, my dear Evangela ! 
 — I cannot tell you how dreadful was what 
 followed ! That Adlofstein publicly branded 
 my father as a coward, and took every possible 
 occasion of insulting and persecuting him. Our 
 friends turned away from us ; no one any 
 longer asked us to their houses, no one came 
 to see us — oh, it was miserable, miserable !' 
 
 ' But what an atrocious thing !' cried Evangela 
 indignantly. ' Do you mean to say that any- 
 one would care what a man like that might say 
 or do ? Why, he must be a madman !' 
 
 ' I don't think he is mad — at least, not yet ; 
 but he may become so, for there is certainly 
 madness in his family. Only a few months 
 before this quarrel occurred the old Baron 
 Adlofstein died by his own hand. He had 
 suffered from melancholia for years, and though 
 there was some mystery about it — and of course 
 it could never be an absolute certainty — nobody 
 has any doubt that it was a case of suicide. 
 On that night the Baroness became mad, raving 
 mad ; and though she has partially recovered, 
 
 LIBKARY 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
 
 52 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 she is ver)^ strange still, and no one dares to 
 speak to her of her husband's death. Now the 
 son grows gloomier and gloomier every year, 
 and it is very likely that he will end like his 
 father.' 
 
 * And yet a man like that could have power 
 to spoil your father's life ! It seems incredible !' 
 exclaimed Evangela. 
 
 Melanie sighed, and her lips quivered. 
 
 ' He has spoilt all our lives,' she said. * You 
 do not know what misery we have had to 
 endure because of him. My poor mother ! — 
 never shall I forget her face when she said : 
 ** Thank Gc)d that we have no sons !" If we 
 had had brothers, and they had been in the 
 army, it is too terrible to think what would have 
 happened.' 
 
 * Perhaps then,' said Evangela quietly, * this 
 man would never have dared to act as he did. 
 Bullies are generally cowards.' 
 
 * Adlofstein is not a coward,' said ^lelanie. 
 ' He is a splendid swordsman and an unerring 
 shot, and all the world is afraid of him. He 
 knows that, and he has used his power to cut 
 us off from all our friends. Some few stood by 
 us still, and braved public opinion by asso- 
 ciating with us in spite of what had occurred ; 
 but thev received notice from Adlofstein that
 
 A STRANGE STORY 53 
 
 if they continued intimate with us they would 
 incur his enmity. He threatened to send a 
 challenge to more than one person who con- 
 tinued to visit at our house ; and as we knew 
 that he was quite capable of doing it, and we 
 could not wish others Involved In the same 
 trouble as ourselves, we were compelled to let 
 our friends go. For a year we lived like 
 hermits, never going out except Into the forest, 
 and receiving no one. It killed poor mamma. 
 She would never go out at all ; and she drooped 
 and drooped, until In about a year after the 
 quarrel began she died. Since then we have 
 been In mourning. So you see, dear Evangela, 
 it is true what I said, that we live very quiedy, 
 and see little of the world. Therefore it will 
 be such a happiness to Thekla and me, who 
 have been so lonely, to have a friend. You 
 will not regret that you have come ?' 
 
 ' Indeed I do not,' answered Evangela, turn- 
 ing to her, and kissing her with a sudden warm 
 impulse. ' That you have need of me makes 
 me the more glad that I have come. I will 
 try to be a true and loyal friend to you, dear 
 Melanle.' 
 
 Melanie clung to her, unable to repress a 
 sob. 
 
 ' Since my mother died,' she said In a shaking
 
 54 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 voice, ' I have had no one to turn to. Thekla 
 is much younger than I, and I have had to 
 stand alone. I have scarcely realized how much 
 I have felt that.' 
 
 The two orifls were silent for a moment or 
 two, and Evangela, realizing how extraordinary 
 it was that she, who, of all things, hated gush 
 and sentimentality, should, upon so short an 
 acquaintance, be taking an absolute stranger to 
 her heart, felt a moment of shyness and dis- 
 comfort ; but Melanie subdued her agitation 
 almost immediately, and reverted to her subject 
 with a frank simplicity that precluded embar- 
 rassment. 
 
 ' I am so thankful that you do not reproach 
 me,' she said ; ' but papa said he did not think 
 you would. In England, he says, one thinks 
 differently of these matters.' 
 
 ' I should think we do !' cried Evangela. 
 'Why, In England one never hears of duels, 
 and one almost forgets that such things can 
 exist outside a story-book. If a man were to 
 send a challenge to another in England, he 
 would simply be laughed at ! It would be 
 regarded as a joke.' 
 
 * A joke !' ejaculated Melanie. ' Mon Dieti ! 
 I wish we had that custom here.' 
 
 ' It seems so extraordinary for such a serious
 
 A STRANGE STORY 
 
 55 
 
 quarrel to arise out of such a trifling matter,' 
 said Evangela wonderingly. ' If your father 
 had muzzled the Baron himself, one could 
 have understood the grievance. He seems a 
 dangerous character to be at large — more 
 dangerous than his dogs, I should think ! But 
 it was only the dogs— it seems such a small 
 cause !' 
 
 * Ah, that was not the cause,' said Melanle ; 
 ' that was only the excuse. Adlofstein wanted 
 to quarrel with my father, and he took the first 
 excuse that came in his way. He thinks he 
 has cause — but that is his madness. He thinks 
 that his father did not shoot himself because he 
 was mad, but because he was bound by the 
 terms of an American duel — and he suspects 
 my father. Ah, you do not know what an 
 American duel is, perhaps ?' 
 
 ' No. What does it mean ?' 
 
 ' It means dice-boxes or billiard-balls for two, 
 and a pistol-shot for one. The man who loses 
 the throw or draws the black ball is bound to 
 destroy himself at some time agreed upon. So 
 the other escapes suspicion and forfeiture. Yes, 
 it is horrible, wicked, is it not ? and the laws 
 are strict against it. Yet people do it, and 
 over and over again it happens, and no one 
 knows who is the adversary.'
 
 56 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 ' But why should the Baron suspect your 
 father ?' 
 
 ' Because of the Baroness. This horrid wicked 
 woman ! She is the old Baron's second wife, and 
 she has always delighted to make mischief. She 
 used to come to the balls here, and she was 
 young, and she had the beaiite du diable. All the 
 world admired her and made court to her ; but 
 mamma could never bear her. She was a great 
 coquette, and she made all men her slaves. 
 My father paid her attention — not more than 
 the rest, you understand — but she saw that it 
 vexed mamma, and so she made the most of it. 
 There was a quarrel between my father and the 
 late Baron Adlofstein, who was then already 
 paying court to her, and even after her marriage 
 there always continued a coolness. It is doubt- 
 less on this that Adlofstein bases his suspicion, 
 and perhaps the Baroness may have said some- 
 thing — I don't know — but that Adlofstein has 
 some deep grudge against us is certain, and 
 from what the Baron Stillenheim says, my father 
 thinks that must be it.' 
 
 ' Who is Baron Stillenheim ?' 
 
 ' He is a retired military officer, who lives with 
 his family at Lindenthal : the Stillenheims, the 
 Adlofsteins, and ourselves — that used to be our 
 little society ; but now it is all spoilt, and we
 
 A STRANGE STORY 57 
 
 see only the botti^geoisie — the Schmits, the 
 Werners, the Kleins- excellent, worthy people, 
 who are kind to us, whom they have known 
 from our babyhood, but, still, not the sort ot 
 society in which one finds most pleasure. I 
 am grieved for Thekla, who is growing up 
 satisfied with the standard of these people, and 
 losing the advantages and refinements that 
 she ought to have. And you, too, my poor 
 Evangela — you will find all the small interests 
 and coffee-chatter dull, I fear.' 
 
 ' Oh no ; it will all be so new to me, you see. 
 Is this the town ?' 
 
 ' Yes. We are here already — how short the 
 drive has seemed ! This is the Hohle Gasse, 
 and there in the trees you see the church. 
 Now we come into the Platz — that building in 
 the middle is the town-hall. That is the Stillen- 
 heims' house — that white one at the side, with 
 a yellow one on each side of it. The brown 
 one at the end of the square is the Casino. 
 Now we turn out of the Platz into the Land- 
 strasse. Here we pass the Freiheit, where the 
 music plays in summer, and all the world comes 
 to promenade ; and there you see our house — 
 that big one, with many windows and the 
 double-headed eagle over the archway — can 
 you see it ? Thekla and papa will be looking
 
 58 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 out — ah, my dear, my dear ! how delighted I 
 am to be bringing you home !' 
 
 She was • pressing Evangela's hand with 
 warm enthusiasm, her eyes were shining, her 
 face beaming with smiles, and the weight of the 
 troubles of which she had been speaking seemed 
 as much forgotten as if they had never been.
 
 [ 59 J 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 THE HOUSE OF THE TWO-HEADED EAGLE. 
 
 The carriage stopped before a large square 
 house that rose high above all the others in the 
 street, and was further distinguished by the 
 arms of Austria, and a great vestibule which 
 occupied most of the ground-fioor. From this 
 hall Melanie took Evangela up a broad flight 
 of stone steps that led to the dwelling-rooms 
 above, and in the ante-room at the top they 
 were met by Baron Bertemilian and his younger 
 daughter. 
 
 ' Permit me to offer you a heartfelt welcome 
 to the country of your mother, and to my house 
 in the same, Fraulein Wynne,' said the Baron 
 in German, with ceremonious courtesy, and he 
 bowed low as he took her hand. 
 
 He was a tall man, with a slight and elegant 
 figure, and a thoroughly Austrian type of face, 
 with high cheek-bones and deep-set eyes ; but
 
 6o GODDESSES THREE 
 
 it was the distinction of his manner and appear- 
 ance that especially struck Evangela, and she 
 at once perceived that he was a gentleman in 
 the most aristocratic sense of the term. 
 
 Thekla was like her father — a tall, slender, 
 and graceful figure, with small head, dark hair, 
 and deeply-set blue eyes. Her features were 
 not as regular as her sister's, and her eyes were 
 rather small ; but they were as exquisite in 
 colour as sapphires of the purest water, and she 
 had a lovely wild-rose complexion, which gave 
 her a beauty of a particularly irresistible kind. 
 She came forward shyly to meet Evangela, and 
 she repeated a greeting in English that had 
 evidently been well studied beforehand : 
 
 'Heartiest greeting to my new sister!' she 
 said, with the prettiest grace in the world ; and 
 Evangela felt that she could not have hoped for 
 a kinder or warmer reception. 
 
 They passed through the folding-doors into a 
 suite of rooms leading one into the other. 
 They had all polished floors of light-coloured 
 wood, and in the corner of each was a large 
 white-tiled stove. In the dining-room a round 
 table was laid for supper, and after Melanie and 
 Thekla had conducted Evangela to her room to 
 take off her things, they all sat down to table. 
 The supper, which was really a little dinner
 
 THE HOUSE OF THE TWO-HEADED EAGLE 6i 
 
 d la Riisse, was a gay and dainty meal. The 
 dishes were French rather than German, and 
 they were excellent. There were no atrocities 
 in the way of kraut, either sweet or sour, and 
 uncooked ham, sausages and fish were con- 
 spicuous by their absence. Tomas, the butler, 
 whose beady black eyes and yellow, Sclavonic 
 face betokened his pure Polish blood, waited 
 with sly deftness upon every want, and busied 
 himself with a bubbling samovar which sang 
 from the sideboard the comfortable promise of 
 the cup of Russian tea which was to follow the 
 meal. At the table a gay conversation was 
 kept up with unflagging interest, and the Baron 
 laughed a great deal. Evangela, after her usual 
 habit when with strangers, was more inclined 
 to listen and observe than to talk ; but the few 
 remarks that she let fall about the foreign ways 
 that had most struck her on her journey were 
 productive of immense amusement. 
 
 ' But how, then, do they manage in England?' 
 inquired the Baron, when Evangela remarked 
 upon the custom of penning passengers up in 
 the waiting-rooms as something peculiar. ' One 
 supposes, if the passengers were allowed to be 
 on the platform, that some of them would surely 
 mount into the wrong train.' 
 
 'If they did, that would be their own business,
 
 62 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 said Evangela serenely, ' and experience would 
 teach them to be more careful another time. 
 Englishmen prefer to be free to make mistakes 
 if they like.' 
 
 The Baron laughed again. 
 
 ' You are a very strange people, you English,' 
 he said with much amusement, ' and certainly 
 very independent — especially the ladies ! It is 
 admirable — ah, most admirable ! — but extra- 
 ordinary. A cousin of mine married an 
 English lady, and an excellent wife she was 
 to him, a charming woman — a very charming 
 woman indeed ! — but she would not suffer him 
 to be master in his own house. She sat at the 
 head of the table always, and carved the meat 
 — those immense pieces of meat that she would 
 always have plainly roasted — and she had a 
 cheque-book of her own, and decided all matters 
 connected with the household and servants 
 without any reference to her husband. She 
 managed well, that I will say, and she made 
 him very comfortable ; but it was terrible how 
 independent she was. I suppose in England, 
 now, all that would not be unusual ?' 
 
 ' Not at all,' said Evangela, smiling. ' And, 
 after all, does it not seem natural ? A man 
 ought to be spared all trouble and worry as 
 much as possible. It is enough that he should
 
 THE HOUSE OF THE TWO-HEADED EAGLE 63 
 
 have the cares of his profession or his business 
 on his mind.' 
 
 'That is putting it in a new Hght,' said the 
 Baron, with his gay laugh. ' You are very 
 ingenious, Fraulein, but you do not convince 
 me. And what do you say of the English 
 and American ladies who enter the professions 
 of men — the doctoresses, the journalist ladies, 
 and so on ? Do you approve of them, too ?' 
 
 ' Why not ?' asked Evangelain surprise. ' If 
 they have a gift for that work, and there are no 
 other claims on them, why should they not 
 use their talent ? For them to do ordinary 
 women's work would be like putting tools to a 
 wrong use. The work is not well done, and 
 the instruments, w^hich would have done some- 
 thing else beautifully, are wasted. That would 
 be a pity, wouldn't it ?' 
 
 The Baron glanced uneasily at his daughters. 
 He himself was edified and amused, and he 
 would have liked to continue the discussion ; 
 but it would have been highly inconvenient to 
 him to have his daughters infected by ideas 
 about the emancipation of women, and he did 
 not want the excellent principles of subordina- 
 tion in which they had been brought up to be 
 subverted. He began to feel alarmed lest he 
 should have imported a dangerous element into
 
 64 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 his carefully guarded fold, and he looked 
 anxiously to see what effect these startling 
 enunciations would have upon them. But he 
 need not have feared. IMelanie was gazing at 
 their exponent with an expression of astonished 
 amusement and incredulity, while Thekla re- 
 ceived them with unmitigated repugnance. 
 
 ' Women to do the work of doctors !' cried 
 she. ' How terrible ! But it is impossible ! 
 Who would have any confidence in a woman 
 as a doctor ? Why, it is against nature ; she 
 would faint at the sight of blood.' 
 
 Evangela could not restrain a smile, but she 
 felt that it was not a case for argument, and she 
 turned the subject. 
 
 'It is astonishino- how little idea one has 
 of what it is possible for one to do until one 
 begins to experiment,' she said brightly. 'Now, 
 my uncle, Major Dabley, thought it was quite 
 impossible for me to come here by myself, yet 
 here I am, quite safe, without the smallest 
 adventure or inconvenience by the way. I 
 can scarcely realize it yet, though,' she added 
 with a smile ; ' I feel very much as if I were in 
 a dream, and as if I should wake to find myself 
 back in England.' 
 
 * We will soon show you that it is not a 
 dream,' said IMelanie joyously. ' To-morrow
 
 THE HOUSE OF THE TWO-HEADED EAGLE 65 
 
 we will begin to show you about, and we must 
 explain to you our ways. Now, do you know 
 that it is the custom with us to shake hands all 
 round after dinner and supper ?' 
 
 Evangela did not know this, and it seemed 
 very funny to her when, a few minutes after- 
 wards, they rose from the table and went 
 through the ceremony. They returned to the 
 sitting-room, and Evangela, glancing round, 
 while Melanie and Thekla discussed where 
 they should take her for her first walk, had 
 leisure for observing its arrangements. At 
 first sight it had very much the effect of a room 
 cleared out for dancing. There was very little 
 furniture in it, and what there was, was arranged 
 squarely along the walls ; but in one corner was 
 a new grand piano, at the sight of which 
 Evangela's eyes brightened. 
 
 ' You care for music T she said, turning 
 eagerly to the girls. 
 
 ' Ah, yes ; we love it !' they both answered 
 — Melanie with genuine enthusiasm, Thekla in 
 more stereotyped fashion. 
 
 The Baron, too, declared himself a votary of 
 music, and in evidence thereof produced a flute, 
 with which, he said, he sometimes beguiled his 
 hours of leisure. 
 
 'We will not have any music to-night,' said 
 
 VOL. I. 5
 
 66 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 Melanie rather hastily. ' It is getting late, and 
 Vangela must be tired out after all she has 
 been through. Are you not very tired, dear 
 Vangela ?' 
 
 Evangela was tired ; she was tired out, and 
 she was glad to find herself alone in her room ; 
 yet, when Melanie left her, she did not imme- 
 diately go to bed. Through the long, narrow 
 windows she could see the garden, on which 
 the moon was shining with a brightness that 
 made it as light as day, and the air was filled 
 with the rippling murmur of the river w^hich 
 swept swiftly under the willows at the bottom. 
 She stood gazing at the mountain ridge crowned 
 with pines, which cut the sky high up with an 
 undulating feathery line, and she pondered long 
 on the strange history that Melanie had told 
 her. Then suddenly a cloud, passing over the 
 disc of the moon, threw a wing-like shadow 
 over the house and garden, and an icy breath 
 blew in from the river. Evangela gave an 
 involuntary shiver, and, hastily closing the 
 double windows, went to rest in preparation for 
 the unknown life that was to begin for her on 
 the morrow.
 
 [67 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THROUGH THE MIST. 
 
 The next morning, after an eight-o'clock break- 
 fast of creamy coffee and fresh Vienna rolls, 
 Evangela found herself installed in the post of 
 honour behind the sofa-table in the sitting- 
 room ; and Melanie, nestling confidentially by 
 her side, sketched out plans for the disposal of 
 their time. She had drawn out a table of hours 
 for English and German lessons, and Evangela 
 signified her complete approval of its model 
 apportionment of every hour of the day ; but a 
 doubt which arose in her mind whether it 
 would be possible to carry it out regularly 
 was confirmed by a cynical assurance from 
 Thekla. 
 
 ' There is Melanie again with her hours and 
 her tables ! One would suppose that we were 
 black slaves ! But you may be quite tranquil 
 dear Vangela. Something always occurs to'
 
 68 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 disturb Melanie's calculations, and in the end 
 we shall not perish from hard work.' 
 
 ' Naturally there must be holidays and inter- 
 ruptions,' cried Melanie in self-defence. ' For 
 example, to-day : it is such a lovely morning, 
 and we w^ant to take Vangela into the woods ; 
 it would be absurd to stay in poking over our 
 books. One can talk English out of doors just 
 as well as within. Now, my dear,' she added, 
 with a roguish smile, ' the Parliament is 
 finished. We go to promenade ourselves in 
 the forest.' 
 
 ' It's /^^r/iament, not Parliament,' observed 
 Evangela, smiling, as she pushed aside the half- 
 written time-table. 
 
 ' /^^r/iament ? Dear me, how very curious ! 
 Our Hanoverian oroverness did alwavs teach us 
 
 o ^ 
 
 to say Parliament. It does sound more naitural 
 so.' 
 
 'We say natural, not naitural,' remarked 
 Evangela, laughing now. 
 
 ' Mo?i Dieii ! then it is natcher, not naitcher, 
 as she said ? I fear she has instructed us all 
 false. ' 
 
 ' No ; that was right ; we do say nature ; 
 and why we should change the sound in the 
 adjective is more than I can tell you. But 
 there is neither rhyme nor reason in English
 
 THROUGH THE MIST 69 
 
 pronunciation. I am afraid it will seem puzzling- 
 to you at first.' 
 
 ' Alas, yes ! It is a terrible language, and 
 there do seem to be no rules. But never 
 mind ; we will not trouble ourselves with it 
 to-day. It is the first day ; let us be happy, 
 and speak French comfortably. To-day, my 
 dear, we shall take you to see the forest of the 
 Schaarberg.' 
 
 They crossed the river by the primitive 
 wooden bridge at the bottom of the garden, 
 and, following a steep little path that climbed 
 the hill, were soon in the shadow of the forest. 
 The philological discussion was dropped for an 
 exciting race up the hill to the Grosse Quelle, 
 a spot where a little spring welled into a stone 
 basin, and a rustic seat was placed so as to 
 command a view of the town in the valley 
 below. Here, where the sunshine glinted 
 through the branches, and the brown needles 
 made a soft carpet under foot, the three girls 
 sat down to rest. 
 
 ' Ah, how delicious it is '' cried Evangela. 
 ' I should like to come here every day.' 
 
 But the girls cried out both together that 
 there were other still prettier walks that they 
 would take her to. 
 
 ' See,' said Melanie ; 'the forest extends on
 
 70 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 every side. Over there, on the other side of 
 the valley, is the Schwarzenberg, where the 
 visitors come in the summer for the water-cure. 
 Down there are the Anlagen, where we skate 
 in winter and promenade in summer — very 
 charming when the band plays. And higher 
 up on this side is the Rauschenbach ravine, 
 where Adlofstein's castle is. We must take you 
 there some day. Those woods are very wild 
 and beautiful.' 
 
 The beginning of Evangela's new experience 
 was very promising, and the time seemed to 
 go by as if on wings. In the course of the 
 pleasant morning readings, and the merry 
 rambles over the hills and through the woods, 
 which filled up the days, Evangela soon got 
 to feel as much at home with the girls as if 
 she had known them all her life ; and their 
 affectionate appreciation and naive simplicity 
 made an atmosphere in which she could breathe 
 freely, as she had not done since she had left 
 the home of her childhood. 
 
 The first month was a time of lovely autumn 
 weather ; and since Evangela expressed a 
 strong preference for the woods, the girls were 
 willing to forego the attractions of the town in 
 order to gratify her. Up to the last days of 
 October the sunshine seemed to have lost nothing
 
 THROUGH THE MIST 71 
 
 of Its summer glory ; but November came In 
 with a sudden change of weather. 
 
 Evangela woke up one morning to find a 
 dense white curtain of mist drawn so close 
 against the windows as to shut out from view 
 every glimpse of the hills beyond the river ; 
 and at breakfast Thekla observed, not without 
 some touch of satisfaction in her tone : 
 
 * No walk in the woods to-day. If we go 
 out this afternoon, we must be content with the 
 Platz. There we can walk round and round 
 on the dry pavement, and hear how the world 
 goes. Heri' Je ! It seems ages since I have 
 heard any news ! Half the people in the town 
 might be dead and buried, for all I know.' 
 
 Evangela had had occasion to observe before 
 this that Thekla took a more lively interest in 
 persons than in places and things, and the sub- 
 stitution of forest rambles for her accustomed 
 promenades round and round the Platz, where 
 she could exchange greetings with her acquaint- 
 ances, and pick up litde bits of gossip, had 
 evidently been a considerable trial to her 
 patience. 
 
 The three girls started out in the afternoon, 
 and though her face was turned townwards, 
 Evangela felt a strange exhilaration of spirit as 
 she walked brisklv throuQrh the cvold damp air.
 
 72 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 The skies were leaden orrav ; but the mists, 
 which rolled down the hills and shrouded the 
 woods in mystery, were in the softest tones of 
 gray and white, from the filmiest white smoke 
 wreaths to the most impenetrable veils of dark- 
 ness, and the mountains, which loomed gigantic 
 through the ever-shifting breaths of cloud, rose 
 high on either side like enormous walls shutting 
 in the valley. 
 
 ' There is certainly something: fascinatinof 
 in a day like this,' remarked Melanie, echo- 
 ing, with a sympathy which was like a power 
 of divination in her, Evangela's unspoken 
 impressions. ' There is a strangeness, a 
 mystery about it — something like the effect of 
 moonlight, don't you think ? Everything 
 appears so large, so unreal ; and one has the 
 sensation that it would not be surprising if at 
 any moment the veil were to be drawn aside 
 to disclose something wonderful and excitino-. 
 The mountains, now — might one not imagine 
 them a barrier many thousand feet high ?' 
 
 * Ah, 7;ion Dieu, iMelanie ! how wearisome 
 is this perpetual Schiu'drnierei! Do come along !' 
 cried Thekla, ruthlessly cutting short Melanle's 
 eloquence. ' I see Clothilde Mtiller in front, 
 and I want to speak with her.' 
 
 Thus adjured, Melanie quickly dropped to
 
 THROUGH THE MIST 
 
 73 
 
 earth again, and while Thekla exchanged con- 
 fidences with her friend, she pointed out to 
 Evangela, with keen interest and great anima- 
 tion, all the notorieties of the town who chanced 
 to be in the Platz. The little stout Pfarrer, 
 Pater Pfeifer, and his tall, lean assistant, Pater 
 Bauer, Dr. Hempel, and others whom they 
 met, she introduced to her cousin, and Evangela 
 was highly amused by the sweeping and cere- 
 monious bows, and the grandiloquent compli- 
 ments of these gentlemen. 
 
 The romance of the day, however, seemed 
 as if it were to be confined to the mist and the 
 imagination, and nothing could well have been 
 more prosaic and matter-of-fact than the faces 
 and speeches of these worthy Lindenthalers. 
 They were interesting from their novelty. But 
 Evangela was beginning to weary of the per- 
 petual round, and the constant cross-fire of 
 greetings and exclamations, when she saw ad- 
 vancing towards them through the mist the 
 cloaked figure of a man of immense stature. 
 
 * Dear me, Melanie, what a tremendously tall 
 man ? Who is he ?' 
 
 Melanie grasped her arm tight, and held 
 on to her as if she had received a sudden 
 shock. 
 
 * It is Adlofstein !' she whispered under
 
 74 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 her breath. ' It is Baron Adlofstein himself; 
 and there are his two little white dogs — the 
 brutes !' 
 
 The towering figure, which looked even 
 taller than it was through the mist, came 
 nearer, and Evangela observed that following 
 close at his heels were a couple of diminutive 
 white Spitz dogs — beautiful little animals, with 
 long, fluffy hair, sharply-pointed black noses, 
 and tails cocked up and curled over their backs 
 like the plumes of pride. They strutted along 
 as if the w^hole Platz belonged to them, and 
 everybody else were there only on sufferance, 
 and there was something so supremely gentle- 
 manly and aristocratic in their appearance, that 
 their assumption did not seem altogether un- 
 warrantable. 
 
 Evangela, however, was too much interested 
 in the master to have more than a glance to 
 spare for the dogs. She could not see much of 
 his face, for he wore a broad-leaved felt hat, 
 which w^as drawn down so low as to conceal his 
 brow, and the voluminous three-quarter cape, 
 which fell in heavy folds about his massive 
 figure, had the collar pulled up high ; but as he 
 passed by, she caught a glimpse of a grim and 
 rugged face, with a heavy brown moustache, 
 and fierce gray eyes that scowled darkly on the
 
 THROUGH THE MIST 75 
 
 three girls ; and she received an impression 
 that chilled, and yet fascinated her. 
 
 ' What an ogre of a man !' she ejaculated, 
 with an involuntary reaction against this feeling 
 the moment he had gone past. ' He looked at 
 us as if he would like to eat us !' 
 
 ' Ach, Vangela !' — and catching her by the 
 arm, Melanie dragged her on at double speed 
 for a few steps. Then she let go, and turned 
 towards her a face that brimmed over with 
 amusement and delight, and yet expressed 
 some consternation. 
 
 ' My dear Vangela, your voice is so very 
 clear — and you spoke just as he went past ! 
 He must certainly have heard !' 
 
 ' What does it matter? It was in English, 
 and he would not understand.' 
 
 ' But he does understand English ! He 
 understands it perfecdy ! Did we not tell you ? 
 The first Baroness Adlofstein was an English- 
 woman, and she Sent her son to England to be 
 educated. He has spent much time in England, 
 and I believe he speaks English as well as 
 German, or better. Oh, my dear, if he 
 heard !' 
 
 ' I am sure I hope he did,' said Thekla. ' It 
 would be good for him to learn what an im- 
 pression he makes upon strangers, with that
 
 76 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 ugly, scowling face that he wears, and his 
 hunched-up shoulders.' 
 
 ' I suppose he won't send me a challenge to a 
 duel a outrance, or lie in wait for me in some 
 dark passage and murder me ?' Evangela in- 
 quired in pretended apprehension ; and Thekla, 
 who always took everything quite literally, felt 
 it necessary to reassure her. 
 
 ' Where is he going to ?' said Melanie, who 
 was looking back to follow the enemy with her 
 eyes. ' Ah, to the Stillenheims' ! Then that 
 friendship is on again. I thought that he had 
 left off going there, and that it w^as broken off' 
 
 ' He has been ill,' said Thekla. ' Clothilde 
 Muller was telling me just now that he has 
 been very ill for some weeks past. That, of 
 course, is the reason why we have seen nothing 
 of him for so long, for he generally passes our 
 house at least once in the day with one of his 
 impertinent little dogs.' 
 
 ' I liked the dogs better than the man,' 
 remarked Evangela. ' The dogs are orna- 
 mental, which is certainly more than you can 
 say of their master.' 
 
 ' Clothilde heard it from the Hempel, with 
 whom she seems to be great friends now,' said 
 Thekla, continuing her account. ' She was 
 there to goilter yesterday afternoon, and the
 
 THROUGH THE MIST 77 
 
 Hempel told her that the doctor was called up 
 very suddenly to Schloss Adlofstein one night 
 to attend upon the Baron. It was a very 
 strange Illness, and Dr. Hempel could not 
 understand what could have caused it. It 
 seemed to him almost like the effect of poison, 
 his wife said ; but of course that was only 
 conjecture, and she did not wish it to be 
 repeated.' 
 
 ' So she repeated it to Clothilde, and Clothilde 
 repeated it to you,' said Melanie. ' Pooh ! 
 that is nothing but foolish gossip — and I dare 
 say Clothilde exaggerated. But he has been 
 ill, no doubt, and I suppose that w^as why he 
 was so tremendously wrapped up.' 
 
 ' No doubt. Frau Hempel said that her 
 husband had forbidden him to stir out ; but of 
 course that would be enough to make him go 
 out straight. Ah, look, he is coming out now, 
 and Auguste is w^ith him ; Stephanie also ! 
 They are going for a walk.' 
 
 Three figures came out of the square white 
 house which Melanie had before pointed out as 
 the Stillenheims', and through the dense white 
 mist, which was gathering thicker and denser 
 every moment, Evangela saw Stephanie von 
 Stillenheim, who was walking next to the tower- 
 ingly tall Baron. She had a thin, plain face, with
 
 78 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 features of a Mongolian type, small, restless 
 brown eyes, and a forced and anxious smile. 
 She was youthfully dressed in a jaunty, close- 
 fitting costume, but she did not look young. 
 Her short, stumpy figure was flat and angular^ 
 and there was no vestige of youthful bloom left 
 in her sallow unattractive face. Evangela 
 looked at her, and felt a sudden pang of regret 
 that a woman should ever look so plain ; yet 
 pity would evidently have been wasted upon 
 her, for she seemed quite satisfied with herself, 
 and she was talking and laughing gaily as she 
 looked up into Baron Adlofstein's face. 
 
 She passed the Bertemilians and their friend 
 without seeming to be aware of their presence, 
 and as soon as the party were out of earshot, 
 Thekla turned to her sister with a scornful 
 curl of her pretty lips. 
 
 ' She can see us when he is not there. She 
 nodded to me the other day when I passed her, 
 but of course everything is second to his good 
 opinion, and she would not raise her little finger 
 to save us from perdition if she thought she 
 would be risking that.' 
 
 * We can do without Stephanie Stillenheim,' 
 said Melanie proudly — ' little mischief-maker 
 that she is ! I consider that we are much 
 better without her friendship.'
 
 THROUGH THE MIST 79 
 
 ' Yes, indeed,' said Thekla. ' And, 7?ion 
 Dieul how passd she has become! It is 
 terrible how old she looks !' 
 
 ' How old is she ?' asked Evangela. ' She 
 looks somewhere about thirty.' 
 
 ' Oh, she can hardly be that 1 She says she 
 is four-and-twenty only, but she has been four- 
 and-twenty for a long time. She must be at 
 least seven or eight and twenty now.' 
 
 ' Shall we go home, Vangela ?' said Melanie 
 suddenly. ' Thekla, I am sure you have had 
 enough of trotting backwards and forwards on 
 this dirty Platz for one day, and it is getting 
 late. We need not go up to the top again — let 
 us turn down by the church, and go home 
 through the Anlagen.' 
 
 It was a roundabout way of getting home 
 that Melanie proposed ; but it was evidently 
 suggested by her desire to avoid a second 
 encounter with Adlofstein and his friends. 
 She had not expressed so much anger and 
 scorn as Thekla, but Evangela saw in her face 
 the evidence that she had felt the humiliation 
 and mortification not less deeply. 
 
 ' That Stephanie !' said Thekla : ' she always 
 hated us, though she tried to hide it before. 
 Did you hear the bad trick she played on 
 Melanie for her first ball, Vangela ? Well, I
 
 8o GODDESSES THREE 
 
 will tell you. First she goes to Troppau, and 
 spreads all about the report that Melanie is a 
 great beauty and wit, and will eclipse all the 
 girls when she comes out ; and then she comes 
 and tells Melanie that the women are all green 
 with jealousy, and the men on the tiptoe of 
 expectation. Imagine only what a reception 
 that was likely to prepare for Melanie !' 
 
 ' It nearly spoilt all my pleasure,' said 
 Melanie. ' I had been so happy in looking 
 forward to my first ball, and I had such a 
 lovely dress. It was white tulle, clouds and 
 clouds of tulle over ivory satin — the dresses 
 were worn so full then — and it was exquisitely 
 trimmed with marguerites which had diamond 
 dewdrops on their petals ; but when I came 
 down I was as pale as death with fright, and 
 papa looked me over and said: "You look 
 just like a fly drowning in a can of milk !" 
 That did not help to reassure me, you may 
 suppose, and when I entered the ballroom I 
 felt ready to sink through the floor. Nobody 
 welcomed us, nobody spoke to us, and on 
 every side I saw nothing but hostile or curious 
 eyes. I longed to rush home and tear off my 
 things, that I might creep into bed and hide 
 myself ; but as I could not do that, I took my 
 courage in my two hands, and marched up the
 
 THROUGH THE MIST 8i 
 
 room with mamma. We found a place by our 
 friend the Countess Rothenfels, and presently- 
 some friends of papa's came up to be introduced. 
 Soon I had my card full, and I danced every 
 dance, and had heaps of bouquets in the cotillion ; 
 so I enjoyed myself immensely — but it was 
 no fault of Stephanie Stillenheim's that I did. 
 Several of my partners told me that the belles 
 of Troppau were furious, and they had made 
 their admirers promise beforehand that they 
 would not dance with me. Was it not shameful ? 
 
 * Wait, Melanie. Let us walk more slowly,' 
 said Thekla suddenly. 
 
 While Melanie had been speaking-, Thekla, 
 whose sharp eyes nothing ever escaped, had 
 observed that the party they were anxious to 
 avoid had also left the Platz, and now she 
 pointed them out as they issued from a by- 
 street just ahead of them. 
 
 ' They have taken the short-cut past Pollok's,' 
 exclaimed Melanie, instantly slackening her 
 steps. ' Where can they be going T 
 
 ' They are going — yes, they actually are — to 
 the Greifenburg ! Adlofstein is taking them in 
 — Stephanie and her brother. They are going 
 to look over it. Melanie, that means some- 
 thing!' said Thekla, turning to her sister with 
 eyes wide open w^ith dismay. 
 
 VOL. I. ' 6
 
 82 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 ' It means that Adlofstein is greater friends 
 than ever with the Stillenheims,' said Melanie. 
 ' Perhaps it means that Stephanie will have the 
 desire of her heart gratified at last, and that she 
 will be married. Well, there will be few who 
 w^ill envy her.' 
 
 ' Surely she w^ould never marry such a man !' 
 exclaimed Evangela. ' Would she be so mad 
 as to think of it ?' 
 
 ' Stephanie has thought of it for a long time,' 
 said Thekla, with a laugh. ' She is mad to get 
 a husband of some kind ; but Adlofstein will be 
 a fool if he marries her. His home must be 
 uncomfortable enough already with that mad 
 stepmother of his, and with a dec like 
 Stephanie added to the manage as a wife — 
 pfui tetifel ! I should not imagine that any 
 one would envy him f 
 
 ' Does this place belong to Baron Adlofstein ?' 
 asked Evangela, looking up at the building 
 they were passing. 
 
 It was a massive pile of gray stone ; square, 
 with round turrets at each corner ; and it 
 showed signs of having been a fortress of some 
 strength. In one place a cannon-ball was still 
 sticking in the masonry, and it was surrounded 
 by a wide and deep moat. The drawbridge 
 had been replaced by a permanent way,
 
 THROUGH THE MIST 83 
 
 and Adlofsteln and his friends had passed in 
 over it. 
 
 ' I thought,' said Evangela, who had followed 
 their disappearing figures with a gaze full of 
 interest — ' I thought you told me that his castle 
 was higher up in the mountains ? You know 
 you said you would take me there some day.' 
 
 * Yes,' said Melanie. ' That is Schloss 
 Adlofstein, the old place that belongs to the 
 family. This is the Greifenburg, which used 
 to be the Archbishop's palace, but the Adlof- 
 steins bought it a long time ago. It was 
 at the beginning of the century, I think, that it 
 passed into their hands, and until the last few 
 years — until the late Baron's death indeed — 
 the family used to come here to live in the 
 winter-time. It is very wild and desolate up 
 in the mountains where Schloss Adlofstein is, 
 and they sometimes get snowed up ; but this 
 man is a regular hermit, and I believe he 
 likes the isolation. I wonder what his reason 
 for visiting this place with the Stillenheims can 
 possibly be ? Can he mean to live in it again ?' 
 
 ' If Stephanie has an interest in the game, 
 she would naturally prefer to live in the town,' 
 observed Thekla significantly. ' She would 
 willingly leave Schloss Adlofstein to the mad 
 Baroness to be quit of her, but she may not find
 
 84 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 it easy to manage that so cheaply. The Baroness 
 is cunning enough, and sane enough on most 
 points — so sane, that it would not be easy to 
 get her shut up even if Adlofstein wished it, 
 Dr. Hempel says; but Adlofstein does not 
 wish it. Since his father's death he has 
 humoured his stepmother in every respect — out 
 of remorse for the quarrels which embittered 
 the last years of the old Baron, one supposes ; 
 but Hempel says also out of a feeling of com- 
 passion for her condition.' 
 
 ' It was caused by the horror of the Baron's 
 death, you see,' said Melanie. ' What horror 
 one does not exactly know, but it must have 
 been something very dreadful to have upset the 
 reason of a heartless woman like that, and it 
 seems probable that she was a witness of the 
 tragedy, whatever it was.' 
 
 ' Bah ! It could only have been one thing,' 
 said Thekla contemptuously. ' As for the 
 notion of an American duel, nobody but Adlof- 
 stein thinks it. The Stillenheims may pretend 
 that they do, but it is only because they want 
 to keep up the feud with us. I should not be 
 in the least surprised if it were that little viper 
 Stephanie who suggested the idea in order to 
 make a break between us and Adlofstein. She 
 was desperately afraid of you at one time,
 
 THROUGH THE MIST 85 
 
 Melanie. You know, we used to see a good 
 deal of him — at the time when his cousin was 
 staying with him, you remember ?' 
 
 ' Vancrela — dear Vancrela,' said Melanie 
 hurriedly, ' you will not mention to papa what 
 has happened to-day, will you ? We always 
 try to keep the remembrance of Adlofstein out 
 of his thoughts as much as possible, and we 
 never mention it when we have seen him. It 
 is a bitter subject to us all, but most of all to 
 him.' 
 
 They had reached the door at the bottom 
 of their garden, which the path through the 
 Anlagen and along the river led to, and it 
 might have been from a fear lest they should 
 meet the Baron before she had time to utter a 
 warning that Melanie interrupted Thekla's 
 reminiscences so hastily and abruptly ; but 
 Evangela was struck by her agitation, and she 
 wondered whether there were more cause for it 
 than appeared on the surface. Was it possible, 
 she asked herself, as she thought over the story 
 and the incidents of the afternoon — could it 
 possibly be — that Melanie cared for Baron 
 Adlofstein ? She recalled one or two points 
 that seemed to give colour to this supposition, 
 and she remembered the stricken look in her 
 face as Adlofstein had gone past them ; but
 
 86 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 that might very well mean no more than the 
 natural mortification which a proud and sensitive 
 nature w^ould feel in such a painful position. 
 No ; it was a most unlikely thing, and there 
 was no real ground for the theory. Evangela 
 dismissed the idea from her mind.
 
 [87 ] 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 ' DAS EWIG WEIBLICHE.' 
 
 For some days after the encounter with Adlof- 
 stein in the town, Melanie was far from well. 
 She said that the mist had affected her throat, 
 and she sat listless all day long, complaining 
 alternately of heat and cold, with a flush in her 
 cheeks and a lustre in her eyes that made 
 Evangela feel anxious about her. But when 
 Evangela urged her to stay in bed and keep 
 quiet, she only opened her great eyes very wide 
 and laughed. 
 
 ' My dear, what an idea ! I couldn't possibly! 
 There is nothing that papa hates more than 
 illness, and I think that nothing but the necessity 
 of dying can justify it in his opinion. I don't 
 wish to die, and I know he would never forgive 
 me if I didn't, so I am bound to keep up. 
 Papa has never been ill himself, you see, so he 
 cannot understand why anybody else should be.'
 
 88 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 All that Evangela could do was to prevent 
 her from going out ; and that she might not feel 
 lonely, she herself stayed in too. 
 
 Thekla went out by herself, and would come 
 in with blooming cheeks and long, animated 
 stories of the doings and sayings of the town. 
 She came in one dull afternoon, about a week 
 after the mists and storms of November had 
 begun, with a face even more glowing than 
 usual, and unwonted excitement making her 
 eyes shine like stars. 
 
 ' Children !' she said in German, as she 
 appeared in the doorway of the sitting-room 
 where Melanie and Evangela were bending 
 over an English novel together — ' children, I 
 have news — great news ! Guess what it is !' 
 
 It was clear from her voice and look that the 
 news must be of an agreeable nature, and 
 Melanie's face brightened. 
 
 'What is it?' she asked impatiently. ' It is 
 absurd to make us guess when we have not an 
 idea. Perhaps Clothilde Mliller is going to be 
 married — you would think that great news, I 
 suppose ?' 
 
 'P/ui/ Clothilde Mtiller!' said Thekla con- 
 temptuously. * It is something much more 
 interesting than that. Well, I will give you 
 a clue. It is an explanation of the visit to the
 
 'DAS E WIG WEIBLICHE' 89 
 
 Grelfenburg which we witnessed the other 
 day.' 
 
 ' Then perhaps it is really a question of 
 marriage- bells for poor Baroness Stephanie ?' 
 said Evangela, as Melanie did not speak. 
 
 ' No ; s/ie is not to be the new inmate of the 
 Schloss ; it is someone much more delightful 
 and interesting.' 
 
 ' Then Adlofstein is going to marry, after all !' 
 cried Melanie breathlessly. 
 
 'No, no ! It is not a lady at all who is 
 coming. It is a gentleman — and such a gentle- 
 man ! Someone we know. Come now, Melanie, 
 it is someone you met at yoilr first ball.' 
 
 ' The Marquis de St. Evremonde !' Melanie 
 exclaimed instantly. ' No, you don't really 
 mean to say ' 
 
 'I do !' said Thekla joyously, and, catching 
 Evangela round the waist, she waltzed round 
 the room with her. ' He is actually here, and, 
 what is more, I have already seen him ! He 
 has got some Government work on hand that 
 brings him for some time to this part of the 
 world, and, as Adlofstein has placed the old 
 Burg at his disposal, he intends to make 
 Lindenthal his headquarters. Frau Kutscher, 
 whose daughter Hedwig is in charge of the 
 Schloss, told me all about it. It was a visit of
 
 90 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 inspection that Adlofstein was making that day 
 to see that all was complete, and Stephanie 
 went with him to put in her word — meddle- 
 some busybody that she is. Hedwig Kutscher 
 detests her, and so does everyone else in the 
 town.' 
 
 Melanie was plainly very much interested. 
 The colour had returned to her cheeks, and the 
 light to her eyes. She gazed intently before 
 her with an expression that varied with her 
 changing thoughts, and her lips parted in a 
 smile. Then suddenly a depressing idea 
 occurred to her, and her face fell. 
 
 ' What difference does it make to us ?' she 
 asked mournfully. ' You know, nobody ever 
 comes near us now. Even the officers passing 
 through the town avoid us as if we were lepers, 
 and St. Evremonde is Adlofstein's friend.' 
 
 * And therefore dares to take more liberties 
 with him than anyone else would. You wait 
 till you hear all, my dear,' said Thekla trium- 
 phantly. ' I told you that I saw St. Evre- 
 monde. He was coming out of Pollok's with 
 Auguste Stillenheim, and I recognized him 
 directly. I don't think that he knew me at 
 once, for I saw him turn to Auguste and ask 
 some question. I am convinced that it was to 
 ask who I was, because as soon as he had been
 
 'DAS E IV IG WEIBLICHE ' 9 1 
 
 answered he looked again at me, and made me 
 a bow — mon Dieu ! such a bow !' 
 
 ' It seems so odd that the men should bow 
 first as they do here,' remarked Evangela ; ' I 
 should think it must be inconvenient some- 
 times.' 
 
 'It saves one much trouble,' said Thekla ; 
 ' I would not like it the other way at all. Do 
 the ladies bow first in England .^ Ach Hiinmel! 
 how tiresome that must be ! One would have 
 to be for ever on the watch to avoid giving 
 otlence. Now, to-day I should not have known 
 what to do — whether to bow or not. Oh, 
 Vangela, you must see him ! You are sure to 
 admire him. He is considered one of the 
 handsomest men in Vienna — and he is so 
 charming and witty !' 
 
 'He is awfully handsome, my dear,' said 
 Melanie in English, ' but, oh, such a lady- 
 killer ! Half the girls in Vienna, they say, are 
 in love with him, and it is a marvel that he 
 has not been married by main force by now. 
 But he is not well off. He has nothing but 
 what he gets from his office, and no doubt he 
 would not take a wife who did not bring him a 
 good large d^t! 
 
 Evangela's little nose wrinkled itself up ex- 
 pressively, and her lips took a downward curve.
 
 92 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 'Is this Adonis a Frenchman?' she asked 
 disdainfully. 
 
 *Oh no I At least, the family was French 
 originally, of course. We have no marquisate 
 in Austria, and he bears the title of an ancestor 
 who came to this country at the time of the 
 French Revolution. But they have married 
 into Austrian families ever since, so they are 
 much more Austrian than French now. Oh, 
 Vangela, I am so very curious to know what 
 you will think of him ! I hope we shall meet 
 him before long.' 
 
 Evangela could not help smiling to herself at 
 this illustration of * the eternal feminine,' as she 
 sat down to her translation of Goethe. Melanie 
 and Thekla could think and talk of nothing else 
 but the new-comer, and it was evident that 
 they meant to waste no possible opportunity of 
 renewing the acquaintance. 
 
 Melanie's indisposition cleared away like 
 magic, and the next day, though the afternoon 
 was far from inviting, she and Thekla put on 
 their best hats, and called upon Evangela to 
 accompany them to the town. Evangela 
 appeared dressed in the oldest and shabbiest 
 apparel that she possessed. 
 
 ' It is such a bad day,' she replied, in answer 
 to the lively remonstrances of the girls ; and she
 
 DAS EWIG WEIBLICHE' 
 
 93 
 
 had decidedly the best of it, as a heavy down- 
 pour of rain came on, and they had to return 
 home without having had even a gHmpse of the 
 interesting stranger. 
 
 For several days they continued to visit the 
 town and perambulate the Platz in the hope of 
 seeing the Marquis, but without result. They 
 heard a good deal about him from Baron Berte- 
 milian, and other people who saw and met him 
 at the Casino, but they never chanced to come 
 across him ; and Evangela, who looked upon 
 the tramp round and round the Platz as an 
 exercise little better than the treadmill, was 
 heartily wearied, and she began to wish him at 
 Jericho, or any other distant spot. 
 
 She broke into open mutiny at last, and one 
 fine day — the first they had had for weeks- - 
 she insisted upon the fulfilment of the long- 
 standing promise that she should betaken to 
 see the woods of the Rauschenbach. 
 
 A wild north wind was blowing down the 
 Landstrasse, and the clouds were scudding 
 swiftly across the sky ; but the sun was shining 
 gloriously, and the river, swollen by the rains, 
 sang a song of triumph as it rushed along 
 down the valley. At a point where one of 
 the innumerable sawmills turned by the water 
 was filling the air with busy sound, the girls
 
 94 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 took a turn to the left, where the tributary 
 stream of the Rauschenbach joined the river, 
 and they followed its windings through the 
 meadows until they entered the deep ravine 
 from which it issued. This was the Rauschen- 
 bach gorge, at the head of which rose the 
 towers of Schloss Adlofstein, and so precipitous 
 and thickly wooded were the hills on either 
 side that scarcely a breath of wind w^as to be 
 felt in the valley. 
 
 The rocks and woods were here more wild 
 and beautiful than any that Evangela had seen 
 before, and she uttered exclamations of delight 
 at every turn of the fern-fringed lane that 
 wound alongside the babbling brook. The 
 brilliant sunshine was streaming down the glen 
 from the west, shining through aisle upon aisle 
 of the pillared pines, touching with gold and 
 crimson their ruddy stems, and transmuting 
 into glory the natural forest fane. At a turn of 
 the road where the towers of Adlofstein came 
 into sight, the girls stopped, and Evangela 
 gazed with admiration at the rocky height 
 which seemed like the gate of the gorge, with 
 the stately castle that crowned it standing out 
 against the western sky. 
 
 ' How beautiful !' exclaimed Evangela, with 
 kindling eyes. ' Those massive towers seem
 
 DAS EWIG W EI B LI CHE 
 
 95 
 
 to be keeping guard over the valley. And 
 what a haven of peace and beauty it is — so 
 quiet and sheltered, while the storm is raging 
 all the time outside. I should like to stay here 
 for ever.' 
 
 ' It is pretty, isn't it ?' said Melanie. ' But 
 you should see it in the spring, when the fresh 
 green of the other trees shines in among the 
 pines, and the apple and pear trees are all in 
 blossom. The meadows at the bottom of the 
 valley are like a sea of white flowers then — 
 much prettier than the gloomy black pines up 
 here.' 
 
 ' I suppose it all belongs to Baron Adlof- 
 stein T Evangela asked abruptly, as they sat 
 down to rest on a felled pine-tree that lay prone 
 among its fellows in the wood a little higher up 
 than the road. 
 
 'Yes, all,' said Thekla, 'and he is so dis- 
 agreeable to strangers that hardly anyone from 
 Lindenthal ever ventures to come near. You 
 know, Melanie, that papa does not at all like 
 us to walk here, and we ought not really to 
 have come.' 
 
 Thekla had been disappointed of the walk in 
 the town, which offered so many more possi- 
 bilities to her than the solitudes of the woods, 
 and she was a little cross and perverse in
 
 96 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 consequence. She sat at one end of the fir- 
 trunk, ploughing up the brown needles with 
 the toe of her slender, well-shod foot, and 
 listening discontentedly to the remarks of the 
 other tw^o. She was thinking regretfully of 
 the Platz, where the Marquis de St. Evremonde, 
 if he appeared, would have no one but the 
 Stillenheims to turn to, when she raised her 
 eyes, and suddenly caught sight of the very 
 person who was occupying her thoughts. 
 
 * Look, Melanie ! look, Vangela !' she ex- 
 claimed in a rapid whisper. ' There he is — 
 the Marquis — coming down the lane. Don't 
 you see him ? He has been up at Schloss 
 Adlofstein, without doubt.' 
 
 Melanie jumped up from her seat, and, 
 following the direction of Thekla's eyes, saw 
 a slight figure in an irreproachable suit of light 
 gray walking rapidly down the lane just below 
 them, not thirty yards away. 
 
 ' He will pass without seeing us — how 
 maddening !' she said in a regretful whisper. 
 ' Shall we walk quickly down ?' 
 
 ' A/'o f said E vangela, with a decision that 
 took both girls by surprise. ' No, Melanie, we 
 can hardly do that.' 
 
 Thekla darted an angry glance at her, and 
 then burst suddenly into a little peal of laughter.
 
 'DAS EWIG WEIBLICHE' 97 
 
 ' Oh, Vangela, Vangela, how funny you are ! 
 But we really cannot stay here all night.' 
 
 Her clear, ringing tones attracted the atten- 
 tion of the Marquis, as she had intended that 
 they should, and he looked up in surprise. He 
 stood hesitating for a moment ; then, smiling 
 and raising his hat, he turned aside from the 
 road, and walked swiftly up the hill into the 
 wood. 
 
 ' I thought I could not be mistaken,' he said, 
 bowing very low as he came near. ' I looked 
 up at the sound of what seemed like fairy 
 laughter, and for a moment imagined that I 
 was the victim of some hallucination ; but it is 
 the Baronesses Bertemilian that I have the 
 honour of addressing.' 
 
 Evangela retained her seat on the fallen 
 pine-tree, and while the girls responded to this 
 salutation, she was critically observing the 
 Adonis of whom she had heard so much. That 
 he was remarkably handsome there was no dis- 
 puting. His features were as nobly cut as those 
 of any Greek statue, and his dark blue eyes, 
 with lashes as black as his hair, were marvel- 
 lously large and beautiful. His face, indeed, 
 was quite perfect — much too perfect for a man, 
 Evangela thought ; and it would have been 
 open to the charge of effeminacy but for the 
 
 VOL. I. 7
 
 98 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 massive strength of the chin and brow, and a 
 certain keen glint in the eyes. One defect, 
 indeed, Evangela found in him, and that was 
 that he was short. His figure was shght, 
 certainly, and it was so symmetrical as to com- 
 bine strength with grace in a remarkable degree ; 
 but, still, it was very decidedly below the middle 
 height. Evangela was noting this redeeming 
 deficiency with a certain satisfaction, when she 
 woke up with a start to the consciousness that 
 Melanie was introducing her. 
 
 ' The Marquis de St. Evremonde, my dear 
 Vangela. Monsieur de St. Evremonde, let me 
 present you to our cousin and friend, Miss 
 Vangela Wynne. She is English ; so here is 
 an opportunity of improving yourself. Do you 
 speak that language ?' 
 
 *A few words only,' answered St. Evre- 
 monde w^ith a gay laugh, as he turned and 
 bowed to Evangela. ' Oil raight ! Do I say 
 it correctly, mademoiselle ? It is what I hear 
 most frequently from those English gentlemen 
 with whom I am acquainted. It seems to me 
 that they are always saying " Oil raight !" ' 
 
 He spoke in French — such French as even 
 Melanie and Thekla did not speak, and the 
 perfection and refinement of his accent was 
 somehow enhanced by his droll mispronuncia-
 
 'DAS EWIG WEI B Lie HE 
 
 99 
 
 tion of the two English words. Evangela felt 
 that there was something peculiarly engaging 
 in his manner of addressing her, and she could 
 not help smiling. 
 
 ' And what conclusion do you draw from it, 
 monsieur? That we English are an easy-going 
 nation ?' 
 
 ' Yes, mademoiselle — so long as you have 
 your own way ; if you didn't, then, sapristi ! 
 it would not be oil raight any more. And so I 
 conclude that the English are accustomed to 
 carry all before them. The English ladies I 
 know do.' 
 
 His manner more than his words implied a 
 compliment — a compliment so easy and im- 
 personal that it seemed only a graceful figure 
 of speech, and Evangela smiled again. 
 
 They lingered a few moments in the wood — 
 a picturesque group in the intensely golden 
 gleams that came in long glowing shafts of 
 light between the red pine-stems ; and as 
 Evangela listened, she began to understand 
 the strong personal fascination which, more 
 than any advantages of appearance, had made 
 Melanie and Thekla speak of St. Evremonde 
 as being so irresistible. As his way home took 
 him past their house, he begged to have the 
 honour of escorting them, and the two girls
 
 loo GODDESSES THREE 
 
 were much too delighted to think of offering 
 any objection. He walked by Melanie's side, 
 therefore, talking with sparkling animation of 
 Vienna, and of the mutual acquaintances that 
 they had there, and the way seemed extra- 
 ordinarily short. To his cousin, Baron Adlof- 
 stein, and his residence as the Baron's guest at 
 the old Schloss, he contrived with some adroit- 
 ness to avoid all allusion for some time ; but 
 when they had turned out of the Rauschenbach 
 ravine, and were approaching Baron Berte- 
 milian's house in the Landstrasse, he Introduced 
 the subject. 
 
 * I had been up to Schloss Adlofstein this 
 afternoon to see my cousin, who has been ill,' 
 he said smoothly. ' He has had a recurrence 
 of the strange attack of illness from which he 
 suffered some weeks ago. He looks a perfect 
 wreck, poor fellow !' 
 
 Melanie sighed ; but it did not seem to 
 Evangela that it was out of sympathy for 
 Baron Adlofstein. 
 
 ' You are staying at his house in Lindenthal, 
 are you not ?' she said, in rather a melancholy 
 voice. 
 
 ' Yes,' he answered. ' I shall be there some 
 time, as I have a good deal of the business of 
 the province to look into. I hope, therefore,
 
 'DAS EWIG WEIBLICHE' loi 
 
 that I may have the pleasure of seeing some- 
 thing of Baron Bertemilian and of you.' 
 
 The cloud did not clear from Melanie's face. 
 She glanced quickly at Thekla, and hesitated 
 for a moment ; then she said hastily : 
 
 ' I fear that you will not find that possible. 
 It is very kind of you to wish it, and it would 
 be very pleasant for us. I am sure my father 
 would be delighted. He sees scarcely anyone, 
 and our lives are very lonely. But you are 
 Baron Adolfstein's friend, and you must know 
 of his enmity towards us. He carries his 
 hostility so far as to include every one who 
 continues to show us any friendliness, and he 
 has succeeded in cutting us off from all associa- 
 tion with our neighbours of our own class. 
 How can you, then, who are his friend and 
 guest ' 
 
 ' It is precisely because I am his friend,' said 
 the Marquis, with a curious smile. ' It is just 
 because of that circumstance that I can do 
 what anyone else might not be able to do. 
 Adlofstein has never yet been able to prevent 
 me from doing anything that I had a mind 
 to, and he will certainly not do it in this 
 instance.' 
 
 * If only we do not involve you in the same 
 trouble as our own — that would be so terrible !'
 
 I02 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 said Thekla timidly, and she lifted her pretty- 
 eyes with an appealing gaze which few men 
 would have been proof against. 
 
 St. Evremonde's appreciation was clearly dis- 
 cernible in his glance, and his resolution not 
 to be cheated out of the pleasant intercourse 
 which opened before him was so much 
 strengthened, that when he took leave of the 
 girls at their door he expressed his intention 
 of calling upon Baron Bertemilian at the earliest 
 opportunity. 
 
 ' He is away now, I think you told me ?' he 
 said, as he shook hands with Melanie. 
 
 * Yes. He has been on circuit in his district 
 for the last few days, but he returns to-morrow,' 
 answered Melanie, with sparkling eyes. 
 
 ' Then I shall do myself the honour of wait- 
 ing upon him on the day after,' said St. Evre- 
 monde, and, lifting his hat with an air and grace 
 which was quite different from the manner of 
 the Lindenthalers, he walked on to the town. 
 
 Melanie and Thekla immediately turned to 
 Evangela with a burst of delighted exclama- 
 tions and questions. They were eager to know 
 her opinion of their paragon ; but Evangela did 
 not feel inclined to commit herself, and she 
 parried their inquiries by turning their thoughts 
 in another direction.
 
 ^DASEWIG WEIBLICHE' 103 
 
 ' Alas, alas ! my dear girls,' she said seriously. 
 ' You have forgotten one thing.' 
 
 ' What is it }' they both cried, instantly 
 sobered by her manner. 
 
 ' You will know when you look in your 
 looking-glass,' she answered pityingly. 
 
 ' O/i, Sancta Maida in Himrnel f screamed 
 Melanie in a fright. ' What on earth is the 
 matter ? Surely it cannot be that my face is 
 dirty ?' 
 
 'Oh, it is not quite so bad as that,' replied 
 Evangela reassuringly ; ' but you don't seem to 
 have realized, either of you, that you have seen 
 and talked to the Marquis in your everyday 
 hats f 
 
 The diversion was instantaneous and com- 
 plete.
 
 [ I04 ] 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 GODDESSES THREE. 
 
 When Baron Bertemilian returned home, he 
 was greatly interested and excited by the 
 account that Melanie had to give him. The 
 flush on his high cheekbone, and the Hght in 
 his eyes as he inquired eagerly into every detail 
 of what had passed, showed how much im- 
 portance he attached to the incident ; and from 
 the exultation with which he looked forward to 
 the promised visit, Evangela gained some idea 
 of the martyrdom which his long ostracism must 
 have been. With the prospect of relief from the 
 ban, his spirits rose until they ran away with 
 his discretion, and he indulged in jokes of a 
 sort that Evangela was not used to. 
 
 ' Which of you is it whose bright eyes have 
 been the attraction ?' he inquired, mischievously 
 glancing from one to the other of the girls ; 
 and then, as he saw Evangela's expression, he
 
 GODDESSES THREE 105 
 
 burst out laughing again. ' But seriously,' he 
 said, ' you must look after your hearts, all of 
 you ! St. Evremonde is all very well as a 
 pleasant acquaintance, but he has the name of 
 being a most inveterate flirt, and all the 
 mammas in Vienna are afraid of him. You 
 must take care !' 
 
 The sisters laughed light-heartedly at this 
 warning ; but it made Evangela grave, and it 
 recurred uncomfortably to her mind the next 
 day, when the Marquis came to pay the promised 
 visit. 
 
 The sunshine streamed through the long 
 narrow windows on to the parqueted floor of 
 the big salon that was so seldom used, bringing 
 out the colour and scent of the flowers which 
 Thekla had spent the morning in arranging, 
 and it shone on Melanie's soft fair hair, and 
 intensified the wonderful amber lights in her 
 great brown eyes, as she laughed and talked. 
 Melanie understood to perfection the art of 
 entertaining — it was a gift born in her — and 
 Evangela observed that St. Evremonde, who 
 sat next to her, w^as wholly charmed. He did 
 not stay very long, as he said he had to go on 
 to Adlofstein to see his cousin ; but it was a 
 very pleasant, gay little visit. Evangela was 
 rather silent, and from her place on the other
 
 io6 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 side of Melanie, she thought she might venture 
 to indulge in her critical propensities without 
 fear of remark ; but she was startled in the 
 midst of her meditations to meet St. Evre- 
 monde's blue eyes fixed upon her with a gaze 
 which seemed to divine her thoughts. 
 
 ' Mademoiselle is a student, and an observer 
 of character among other things, I am sure,' 
 he remarked smilingly as he rose to go. 
 
 ' She is a student indeed !' said the Baron 
 good-naturedly. ' You would say so. indeed, if 
 you knew all her attainments. Latin and 
 Greek I believe she knows as well as her own 
 language. She actually reads the classics for 
 pleasure. Now, Fraulein, you know that you 
 do ! Have I not often caught you at it ?' 
 
 ' Oh, she is terribly clever !' said Melanie, 
 smiling at Evangela's look of perturbation. ' I 
 am awe-struck when I look into the books that 
 she pores over, and I am so thankful that in 
 this country ladies are not expected to learn all 
 these things. But Vanorela is not a blue-stock- 
 ing ; she loves the woods and an out-door life, 
 and she is looking forward to the ice-pleasures 
 of the winter as much as any of us.' 
 
 ' Ah, you have an excellent Eis-platz here, 
 have you not ?' said St. Evremonde. ' I 
 anticipate much enjoyment on the ice during
 
 GODDESSES THREE 107 
 
 my stay here, and I hope we may have many 
 pleasant meetings there.' 
 
 * Oh, Vangela !' cried Melanie, turning to 
 her cousin with flushed cheeks and shining eyes 
 as soon as the Marquis was gone, ' you heard 
 what he said about the ice? He evidently 
 does mean to keep up our friendship in spite 
 of Adlofstein. Is he not charming — is he not 
 chivalrous ?' 
 
 ' He is delightful !' sighed Thekla ; ' so hand- 
 some, such an elegant figfure — and his clothes 
 fit him so well !' 
 
 Evangela suddenly began to laugh. 
 
 ' You girls are too funny !' she said ; ' but he 
 certainly does dress well. He dresses like an 
 Englishman !' 
 
 * Ah, you observed that,' said Thekla, much 
 struck. ' Well, I will tell you ! He has 
 an English tailor — he gets everything from 
 London, so naturally his dress is like an 
 Englishman's.' 
 
 ' How do you know that, Thekla ?' demanded 
 Melanie. 
 
 ' Oh, the Kutscher told me ! Her daughter is 
 housekeeper at the Greifenburg, you know, and 
 she hears everything from St. Evremonde's 
 valet. He is a Frenchman, very smart and 
 good-looking, and he tells the most amusing
 
 io8 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 stories you ever heard ; Marie told me 
 one ' 
 
 ' Thekla, you should not gossip with these 
 people !' exclaimed Melanie vehemently. ' It is 
 not right! You should not listen to their 
 stories, and talk with them as if you were one 
 of themselves, and if you do it any more I shall 
 tell papa of it.' 
 
 Thekla pouted, and her pretty face looked 
 extremely cross ; but the return of Baron 
 Bertemilian, who had attended his guest to the 
 door, caused her to refrain from a dispute. He 
 came back smiling and looking well pleased. 
 
 * Well, well !' he said. ' You have made an 
 impression on M. de St. Evremonde indeed ! 
 What do you think he said about you ?' 
 
 ' What, what ?' cried both his daughters 
 together. ' Oh, do tell us !' 
 
 'He said that when he came upon you in the 
 forest, he saw a perfect illustration of the three 
 goddesses on Mount Ida— a most charming 
 picture, he said. I felt much inclined to 
 inquire which of the three he considered the 
 Venus ; but I thought of Fraulein Vangela,' 
 glancing at her mischievously, ' and preserved 
 my discretion.' 
 
 Evangela looked at Thekla, so tall and 
 straight and graceful, with her little dark head,
 
 GODDESSES THREE 109 
 
 her sapphire eyes, and wild-rose complexion. 
 She was certainly the most like Venus ; and 
 yet when she turned from her to Melanie's 
 richer colouring and more mature beauty, she 
 thought to herself that in this case it might 
 very well be Juno to whom most men would be 
 inclined to award the palm. 
 
 ' He evidently supposes you to be a Minerva 
 inpoint of learning, Vangela,' observed Melanie, 
 smiling. 
 
 ' Does he elect himself to the part of Paris ?' 
 inquired Evangela, with a disdainful little curl 
 of her lip. ' He had better not come trying to 
 sow discord here !' 
 
 Meanwhile St. Evremonde, on his way to 
 Schloss Adlofstein, was recalling the scene 
 which he had witnessed in the w^oods ; and as 
 he passed the place, he made up his mind that 
 he would broach the subject to his cousin, and 
 have it out with him that very day. 
 
 The room which Adlofstein chiefly used was 
 a large octagonal one high up in the western 
 turret, which had always been his especial den, 
 and here St. Evremonde found him shivering 
 over an enormous fire of pine-logs that was 
 blazing on the hearth. The Englishes Kainin, 
 or open fireplace, was an innovation due to 
 tastes acquired in England, and there were
 
 no GODDESSES THREE 
 
 Other signs of his foreign education, in the 
 EngHsh and French books that were scattered 
 all about. The room was lined with books, and 
 a little table near the fire was piled so high 
 with heavy volumes that it could hold no more, 
 and the overflow formed a good-sized stack 
 upon the floor. The only place that was not 
 invaded by books w^as a large armchair that 
 was drawn up in front of the fire, and this was 
 occupied by a small ball of white fluff, out of 
 which peered a sharp black nose and two 
 brilliant black eyes which kept jealous watch 
 upon another ball of white fluff reposing on the 
 rug. 
 
 Both dogs growled slightly as St. Evremonde 
 entered the room ; for, bitter as was the envy 
 and animosity that raged between them, they 
 would always combine to attack strangers, and 
 the Marquis, having never taken any trouble 
 to disguise his bad opinion of them, was an 
 especially obnoxious foe. 
 
 ' Get out, you little beast !' he said, apostro- 
 phizing the gentleman in the chair, almost as 
 soon as he came in. ' Really, Louis, how 
 you can permit these little wretches to take 
 possession of the only comfortable seat in the 
 room, and cover it all over with their disgusting 
 white hairs, is extraordinary to me ! However,
 
 GODDESSES THREE in 
 
 I chase him now. Off with you !' and poor 
 Spitz found himself unceremoniously ejected. 
 
 He retired, growling and showing his teeth, 
 to the shelter of his master's legs, and Blitz 
 followed after him with a gleam of satisfaction 
 in his eyes. 
 
 ' Ha !' he said in dog-language, ' you got the 
 chair to-day ; but you have been turned out 
 ignominiously ; the little man kicked you — I 
 saw him — and you hadn't even the spirit to 
 bite him. Bah, what a poltroon you are !' 
 
 Blitz looked quite innocent while he was 
 snuffing round his brother saying this ; and 
 when Spitz turned upon him, swearing and 
 biting, it appeared as if he were committing an 
 unprovoked assault. A fiendish row ensued, 
 and it ended in Spitz being turned out of the 
 room neck and crop, while Blitz, who played the 
 injured innocent, was allowed to remain. 
 
 ' Brute !' ejaculated St. Evremonde, referring 
 to the disgraced Spitz. ' He was angry with 
 me for turning him out of his chair, so he must 
 needs vent his spleen upon his brother. But 
 they are both equally bad-tempered, and they 
 are useless little brutes besides. I wonder that 
 you should keep them, Louis. It is not the sort 
 of dog that 1 should have thought you would 
 have chosen.'
 
 112 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 ' I did not choose them,' replied Adlofstein, 
 ' They were a present that my father made to 
 his wife not long before his death ; and she 
 kept them for a time. But they are ill- 
 tempered, as you justly observe, and she is not 
 the person to stand that ! After they had 
 bitten holes through every pair of slippers that 
 she possessed, they found the life in the 
 drawing-room too hot for them, and they 
 decided to attach themselves to me. I don't 
 particularly care for their society, but they 
 know which side of their bread is buttered, just 
 as well as if they were human beings, and 
 they stick to me as pertinaciously as leeches 
 wherever I go. They are a great nuisance 
 sometimes.' 
 
 * They are indeed,' said St. Evremonde, 
 thinking of the feud that they had been made 
 the occasion for. ' Louis,' he added abruptly, 
 ' I should like to know the rights of your 
 quarrel with the Bertemilians. What is your 
 real grudge against them ?' 
 
 Adlofstein glanced up in surprise at the un- 
 expected question. He was looking frightfully 
 ill and haggard, and he was leaning forward on 
 the sofa, with a fur-lined pelisse huddled round 
 his huge frame ; but upon the introduction of 
 this topic, he pulled himself up suddenly, and
 
 GODDESSES THREE 113 
 
 his brows drew together in a straight Hne till 
 they almost met. 
 
 ' The quarrel was about my dogs,' he said 
 briefly. ' Bertemilian conceived it to be his 
 duty to pester me in his capacity of Jack in 
 office, and he went too far. I cannot tell you the 
 whole story,' he said languidly. ' The details 
 are wearisome. I thought you knew them.' 
 
 ' Of course I know them. Everybody knows 
 them, but everybody knows also that that affair 
 was a mere excuse for forcing a quarrel upon 
 Bertemilian. A man like you does not mistake 
 molehills for mountains, and get up a serious 
 quarrel out of a petty matter of that sort with- 
 out some reason at the back of it. What is the 
 real cause of offence ? — that is what I want to 
 know.' 
 
 Adlofstein raised his eyebrows, and his grim 
 face assumed an expression of absolute im- 
 penetrability. 
 
 ' If you want to know that, you want to know 
 more than I propose to tell you, my dear fellow,' 
 he said coldly. ' What is your object in enter- 
 ing upon this subject ? Are you desirous of 
 scoring a few marks for yourself in the world 
 to come, by assuming the office of peacemaker ? 
 because if that is your idea, I warn you that 
 your pains will be wasted.' 
 
 VOL. I. 8
 
 114 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 ' I am sorry to hear you say so,' said St. 
 Evremonde. ' It is not so much for my own 
 sake that I should like to see that quarrel made 
 up as for yours. You live the life of a hermit 
 up here, and with no companion but the poor 
 Baroness, w^ho is so full of quips and cranks, I 
 wonder that you do not go melancholy mad 
 yourself. And all the time there is close at 
 hand a pleasant house where you might visit 
 — three charming girls as good-looking and 
 well-bred as you could find if you were to 
 search through Vienna ' 
 
 ' Aha !' said Adlofstein grimly, ' now we 
 come to the kernel of the nut ; I see what you 
 are driving at. You have been lookinor out for 
 some amusement with which to beguile the 
 tedium of the time you are condemned to spend 
 away from Vienna, and you have discovered 
 that the two Bertemilians are the prettiest girls 
 in the neighbourhood. I see. So you want 
 to make their acquaintance, do you ?' 
 
 ' I have made it already,' replied St. Evre- 
 monde. ' I met the Baroness Melanie three 
 years ago, when she came out at Troppau, and 
 when I saw her the other day in these woods, of 
 course I recalled myself to her remembrance.' 
 
 * In these woods ?' exclaimed xAdlofstein, start- 
 ing up from his seat — ' up here in this valley ?'
 
 GODDESSES THREE 115 
 
 ' Yes ; not half a mile away from this spot ! 
 The prettiest picture that your gloomy old woods 
 have ever seen, I should imagine ! I was on 
 my way down from seeing you, when I heard 
 the sound of voices — raised, I shrewdly suspect, 
 for my benefit — and when I looked up, there I 
 saw them in the wood just above — a group for 
 a painter's canvas. Which was the most fasci- 
 nating it would have been hard to say — the 
 youngest Bertemilian, with her starry blue eyes ; 
 or the elder, with her golden hair and immense 
 brown eyes, so full of light and fire ; or the 
 English girl, sitting impassive on the log behind 
 them. The two Bertemilians are perhaps more 
 brilliant, but the other has a remarkably in- 
 teresting face, and she looked marvellously 
 picturesque, with her pale face and great dark 
 eyes under a big black hat. But you know 
 them all three, of course — which do you con- 
 sider the prettiest ?' 
 
 ' I really have not given the matter the 
 attention- that it deserves !' replied Adlofstein 
 sardonically, ' and I could hardly give an 
 opinion. I have seen the Bertemilians walking 
 about the town, certainly ; but I have only 
 remarked that they were very flighty, ill-bred 
 hussies — stopping to chatter and gossip with 
 every other of the townsfolk they met. As for
 
 ii6 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 the English girl, the only time that I ever saw 
 her I heard her call me an ogre as I went past, 
 so I have not a very favourable opinion of her 
 powers of discrimination.' 
 
 St. Evremonde looked at his tall muscular 
 cousin for a moment, and then went off into 
 fits of laughter. 
 
 Adlofstein smiled grimly. 
 
 ' You seem much tickled by the application 
 of that name to me, my friend,' he observed. 
 ' I suppose you see the force of it ?' 
 
 ' Excuse me,' said St. Evremonde, recover- 
 ing himself at last, but shaking with laughter 
 still. ' It was the expression of your face that 
 set me off You unconsciously assumed such 
 an ogreish air just at that moment. But how 
 can you wonder that those girls should look 
 upon you in that light after the way in which 
 you have behaved to them ? You have cut 
 them off from all the society and amusement 
 natural to their age ; and it is, of course, a cruel 
 deprivation to them. Your quarrel, whatever 
 it may be, is with the father, not with the girls 
 — but it is the girls whom you persecute and 
 cause to suffer.' 
 
 'They are silly, giddy creatures, and they 
 find plenty of amusement in gossiping with 
 the tradespeople. They associate with them
 
 GODDESSES THREE 117 
 
 on perfectly equal terms, the Stillenheims tell 
 me, and such society is probably more congenial 
 to them than any other would be.' 
 
 'Oh, the Stillenheims!' exclaimed St. Evre- 
 monde in deep disgust. ' If you believe all 
 they say ! That Stephanie Stillenheim is the 
 most ill-natured little cat that ever breathed — 
 and she is so infamously old and ugly ! I 
 wonder that you can stand her for a single 
 instant, with her faded face and withered 
 figure- ' 
 
 ' You need not run her down because of her 
 looks,' growled Adlofstein. ' She can't help 
 them, or her age either. Age and ugliness are 
 apt to overtake most people some time or other, 
 and they are not crimes,' 
 
 * I don't know about that ! I consider that 
 they are crimes — almost the worst crimes in a 
 woman. At all events, they are misfortunes, 
 and the woman who is old and ugly should 
 retire into the background and efface herself as 
 much as possible — not flaunt in juvenile attire 
 in the face of day, like Stephanie von Stillen- 
 heim. It is really pitiable ! And how you can 
 choose to associate with such a poor creature as 
 that when you could have society so much 
 pleasanter is perfectly incomprehensible to me.' 
 
 * I dare say. Our tastes in that respect were
 
 ii8 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 never much alike, I think. But that is enough 
 about the Baroness Stephanie. You may talk 
 about something else now.' 
 
 ' About the Bertemilians, then ; they are 
 certainly better worth consideration. I called 
 on them this afternoon,' said St. Evremonde, 
 with cool insouciance, 'and I found my agree- 
 able anticipations more than realized. I hope 
 to see a good deal of them while I am here, 
 and I shall certainly lose no opportunity of 
 cultivating their acquaintance. I have no quarrel 
 with them, if you have.' 
 
 St. Evremonde had long ago discovered that 
 it did not do to show any fear of offending his 
 cousin, and it was the cynical frankness and 
 perfect fearlessness of his attitude towards him 
 that was the secret of his influence and friend- 
 ship with him. He had proved the efficacy of 
 this course over and over again, and his calcula- 
 tions did not fail him now. Adlofstein received 
 this declaration of independence in silence. He 
 sat gazing quietly into the fire, with knitted 
 brows, for some minutes ; then he looked up, 
 and said mockingly : 
 
 ' I should be doing Bertemilian a service 
 that he has not deserved from my hands in 
 preventing the introduction of a wolf into his 
 fold. You may go and play havoc as much as
 
 GODDESSES THREE 119 
 
 you like, so far as I am concerned. I shall 
 offer no opposition. On the contrary, you have 
 my blessing !' 
 
 St. Evremonde grinned — if a smile which 
 showed such a perfect set of teeth as his could 
 be called a grin. He evidently did not at all 
 object to the imputation, and he said, with a 
 complacent glance at a tall mirror that reflected 
 the view out of the window : 
 
 ' At all events, you will admit that I am a 
 wolf in sheep's clothing ?' 
 
 ' Oh, certainly ; or an ass in a lion's skin, if 
 you prefer — oh, don't feel insulted — a lion in 
 an ass's skin was what I meant, I suppose. 
 What ! that does not please you, either ? Ah, 
 well, you must not look for compliments from a 
 bear, you see.' 
 
 St. Evremonde's expression had changed 
 more than once during this speech, but at the 
 concluding words he glanced from the graceful 
 figure that interrupted the reflections of mountain 
 and sky and feathery pines to the hard-featured 
 giant frowning into the fire, and he smiled again. 
 
 ' On the contrary, you are too complimentary,' 
 he said amicably. ' However, I shall endeavour 
 to deserve your good opinion. And now, 
 having obtained your gracious sanction, I think 
 I must take my leave.'
 
 I20 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 * Won't you stay and see the Baroness ? She 
 usually takes her goilter about this hour, and 
 she would dispense coffee or chocolate to you 
 with much pleasure, I have no doubt.' 
 
 But this invitation St. Evremonde declined. 
 His refusal was very polite and graceful, but he 
 did not escape without a brutal exposure of the 
 reasons which actuated it. 
 
 ' Ah !' said Adlofstein dryly, ' I forgot your 
 objections to age and ugliness. I suppose 
 infirmities of mind or body count equally as 
 crimes with you ? Well, good-bye.' 
 
 When his cousin was gone, Adlofstein, left 
 to his solitude once more, stood without moving 
 for some moments where he was before the 
 hearth, and in every line of his powerful figure 
 weariness and dejection were plainly expressed. 
 His eyes were resting on a portrait which hung 
 over the mantelpiece of carved oak — a young, 
 charming English girl's face, that seemed to 
 smile as the rays of the setting sun shone in 
 through the window and lighted up the clear 
 gray eyes and firm, sweet mouth. 
 
 'She remains always beautiful,' he thought, 
 ' and had she lived to grow old, she would always 
 have kept her charm ; but the other — how 
 different ! My poor father ! how could he have 
 been so deluded .^ Yet, poor thing ! she is
 
 GODDESSES THREE 121 
 
 greatly to be pitied. She is as solitary as I am, 
 and she rebels against it as I do not. I will go 
 to her this afternoon. I am better to-day, and 
 it will be a kindness to let her exercise her 
 tongue, even if it is only in railing at me.' 
 
 And gathering more closely round him the 
 fur wrap which his illness compelled him still 
 to wear, he sallied forth to join his stepmother 
 at h^Y goilter, or afternoon tea.
 
 [ 122 ] 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 A STRICKEN BUTTERFLY. 
 
 The Baroness von Adlofstein did not look 
 much like the madwoman that Thekla Berte- 
 milian had so uncompromisingly called her, 
 and • no one, judging from her appearance, 
 would have supposed that she was anything 
 more than eccentric. She was a little woman, 
 who had once been pretty, with that fairness 
 and roundness which is called beautd de diable 
 and is the most perishable of charms, and there 
 were still the remains of elegance in her small 
 features and trim figure. She was little older 
 than her stepson, and the care with which she 
 oiled and dyed her auburn tresses and rouged 
 her thin cheeks seemed to indicate that she had 
 by no means ceased to attach importance to her 
 personal attractions. She always dressed in 
 bright blue, which was the colour in which she
 
 A STRICKEN BUTTERFLY 123 
 
 had achieved her greatest successes at the balls 
 to which she had gone as a girl, and it had 
 been impossible to induce her to assume a 
 widow's dress even in the first months of 
 mourning after her husband's death. Indeed, 
 the matter had excited her into such a state 
 of wildness that it had been found necessary 
 to avoid all reference to it from the first, 
 and Adlofstein, whose dislike seemed to 
 have changed into compassion for her de- 
 plorable state, had given orders that all her 
 whims should be humoured as far as was 
 possible. 
 
 He found her sitting in solitary state in a 
 brilliant blue silk dress that showed up the 
 fadedness of her complexion in terrible relief, 
 before a tea-table covered with shining silver 
 and delicate china. The suite of rooms given 
 up to her use was on the first-floor, and they 
 were more spacious and more luxuriously 
 furnished than any in the Castle. They had, 
 indeed, been fitted up in the English manner 
 by the dead Baron for his first wife, and there 
 were soft rugs and carpets upon the parqueted 
 floor, mirrors and pictures on the walls, and an 
 open fireplace, in which a cheerful fire of pine- 
 logs was burning. 
 
 The Baroness looked up with a strange
 
 124 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 gleam in her red-brown eyes as her tall stepson 
 entered the room. 
 
 * I have come for a cup of coffee, if you will 
 give it me, Baroness,' he said cheerfully. ' One 
 gets tired of sitting alone all day.' 
 
 ' I was expecting you ; I thought you would 
 come to-day,' she said quickly. ' But you had 
 a visitor. Where is he ?' and she shifted her 
 position on her chair and looked beyond him, 
 as if she were expecting someone else to appear 
 in the doorway. 
 
 'He is gone. It was only St. Evre- 
 monde ' 
 
 ' St. Evremonde !' she exclaimed, in an 
 accent of intense vexation and disappointment. 
 ' Why could you not have asked him to look in 
 and see me ?' 
 
 ' I did ; but he said that he could not 
 stay.' 
 
 ' You did not invite him civilly enough. I 
 know your disagreeable, bearish ways, and it is 
 a marvel to me that a gentleman like St. Evre- 
 monde should be able to endure your company 
 for a moment ! I would not unless I were 
 forced to. Oh, you can help yourself to cream 
 if you want to ! I have poured out your coffee, 
 and I am not your slave that I should wait 
 upon you. Oh, it is terrible, the life I lead
 
 A STRICKEN BUTTERFLY 125 
 
 here, seeing nobody and going nowhere! It 
 drives me mad !' 
 
 ' Why do you go nowhere ?' inquired Adlof- 
 stein in a conciliatory tone, as he stooped to 
 add cream and sugar to the cup of chilly coffee 
 that the Baroness had given him. ' There is 
 the barouche with the English horses at your 
 service, and you have only to give orders to 
 drive in any direction that you like. Why 
 should you not take some drives while the 
 weather permits it ?' 
 
 ' While you permit it, you mean !' she re- 
 torted bitterly. ' It is very kind of you, I am 
 sure ; but since you have cut me off from all 
 my friends by spreading abroad false reports — 
 you and your doctors — I have no object in 
 going out, and I do not care to risk my health 
 in this cold weather for nothing. It would suit 
 you well enough if I were to catch cold and die. 
 It would be a very convenient consequence of 
 your kind permission, no doubt ; but do not 
 flatter yourself: I do not intend to die, and I 
 may outlive you yet !' 
 
 To this speech xA^dlofstein did not deign to 
 make any reply. He was quite accustomed 
 to such attacks, and he had learnt to listen 
 to them with an unmoved countenance. He 
 had nearly finished his coffee, and was sipping
 
 126 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 the last drops of it in somewhat critical 
 fashion. 
 
 ' What a curious flavour this coffee has, 
 Baroness !' he said. ' I am afraid you are not 
 well served ; it ought not to have this bitter 
 taste.' 
 
 ' It is the best Mocha,' said the Baroness 
 resentfully, ' and I have no fault to find with it. 
 I do not perceive anything wrong with the 
 flavour myself, and if you do, it is probably 
 your own unhealthy state that is to blame. 
 Will you have another cup ?' 
 
 ' No, thank you,' said Adlofstein, setting his 
 cup down, and going to the window. 
 
 He stood for a few minutes drumming on the 
 pane, and looking abstractedly out on to the 
 lawns and terraces of the garden all flooded 
 with sunset light. 
 
 ' Do not make that noise with your fingers, 
 pray ; it drives me mad !' exclaimed the 
 Baroness irritably. Adlofstein stopped at 
 once, but she went on with her grievances. 
 ' I suppose that is what you would like above 
 all things, and it is what you and your doctors 
 are aiming at. You think that, if you could 
 only get me out of the way, you would be rid 
 of a troublesome burden, and you would then 
 have your house free to bring a wife into. But
 
 A STRICKEN BUTTERFLY 127 
 
 let me tell you, if you are thinking of marry- 
 ing ' 
 
 ' Baroness, do not disturb yourself!' said 
 Adlofstein, turning upon her with a stern gaze, 
 under which she quailed. ' Marriage is the 
 last thing that I think of, and in all probability 
 the race of Adlofstein will die out with me.' 
 
 ' It would be a good thing if it did, I am 
 sure!' she said spitefully. 'If you married, 
 you would most likely only bring on some 
 unfortunate woman the misery that your father 
 did on me. Oh, what a fool I was to marry 
 him! And when I might have done so much 
 better, too ! Baron Bertemilian did warn me, 
 but I w^as a fool, and I would not listen !' 
 
 ' What warning did Bertemilian give you ?' 
 asked Adlofstein, with a contraction of the 
 brows which showed how deeply her random 
 words affected him. 
 
 ' What business is that of yours ? I shall 
 not tell you,' she answered. ' It would do no 
 good if I did, for your house is doomed, and 
 no one of your blood can come to a good end.' 
 Adlofstein turned away, knowing the utter 
 uselessness of reply or remonstrance, and 
 wondering to himself how it was that one who 
 was scarcely responsible for her words should 
 have the power of inflicting such exquisite pain.
 
 128 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 It seemed as if some instinct told her how to 
 say the things that hurt him most ; and, school 
 himself as he would, he was unable to endure 
 it with equanimity. He was not one of those 
 people who seek to spare themselves pain and 
 shrink from unpleasantness, however, and he 
 came from the window and stood by the fire, 
 looking down at her, and listening quietly to 
 the abuse she heaped upon him. 
 
 ' Now, Baroness,' he said, when she had at 
 last exhausted herself, ' what is the good of 
 going on in this way ? I assure you that I 
 have no desire to make your life miserable, 
 and that I entertain no spite or grudge against 
 you. I hated you once, certainly ; but that is 
 all over now. It is wiped out by the calamity 
 which has befallen us both.' 
 
 ' Both — both !' she broke in scathingly. ' You 
 call it a calamity that has befallen yoii, to have 
 become master in this house, and to have 
 inherited the whole fortune that your father 
 left ? A great calamity, truly, and one which 
 gives you cause to mourn ! I — / have cause, 
 if you like, and I do mourn him — base, wicked 
 scoundrel that he was to leave me dependent 
 upon an unnatural son like you !' 
 
 Adlofstein's eyes flashed dangerously at the 
 epithets that she applied to his father.
 
 A STRICKEN BUTTERFLY 129 
 
 ' You may abuse me as much as you please, 
 Baroness, but in my presence you must refrain 
 from saying anything against my father. It is 
 mere raving, I know ; but I will not stand it. 
 You will please not mention his name before 
 me. Remember that.' 
 
 She was cowed for a moment, and she shrank 
 in a heap in her chair, not daring to say a word. 
 She had never roused him to such anger before, 
 and the tone of his voice seemed to strike her 
 like a blow. 
 
 ' Now, listen to me,' he went on, still holding 
 her in check by the stern glance of his terrible 
 gray eyes. ' It is useless to argue or reason 
 with you, I know, and I don't often do it ; but 
 now, once for all, I ask you, what is your 
 grievance? Make but one reasonable, straight- 
 forward request, and if it is in my power to 
 gratify it, I will.' 
 
 ' I want back what I have lost by taking your 
 hateful name !' she said passionately. ' Give 
 me back my youth, my beauty, my reputation, 
 and my happiness — give it all back, if you can ! 
 Then, and not till then, will your father's debt 
 be paid.' 
 
 'You know that you are not speaking reason- 
 ably now. It was your own choice to enter 
 this family, and I had no part or share in it. I 
 
 VOL. I. 9
 
 13© 
 
 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 opposed it to the uttermost, and I can do 
 nothing to undo the consequences of your own 
 act. But if this place is full of painful memories 
 and associations for you, there is no reason 
 why you should stay here. You shall go 
 away ' 
 
 ' No, no, no ! — and again no !' the Baroness 
 almost screamed. ' I will not go away ! You 
 shall not drive me from here ! That is what 
 you want, and are always aiming at, I know ; 
 but you shall not do it ! I will go to every 
 house in Lindenthal, if you do, and tell of your 
 cruelty and heartlessness. I have borne it long, 
 but even the worm will turn at last.' 
 
 ' There is no occasion for the worm to trouble 
 itself in this instance,' remarked Adlofstein, with 
 a cynical smile. ' You are w'elcome to stay in 
 this house as long as you please, for the sake 
 of my father who loved you. I have not the 
 slightest wish to turn you out, if you would 
 only believe it. I was only going to suggest 
 that a change to Wiesbaden, or some other 
 watering-place you might fancy — the expenses 
 of which I would, of course, defray — might do 
 you good.' 
 
 ' I will not stir from here,' said the Baroness 
 obstinately. ' I know better ! When you had 
 once got me away, I might not find it so easy
 
 A STRICKEN BUTTERFLY 
 
 131 
 
 to come back. No ; I am not to be got rid of 
 so easily, thank you !' 
 
 ' Then, would you like someone to come and 
 stay with you here ? It is clear to me that my 
 society only irritates you, and that the greatest 
 kindness I can do you is to keep out of your 
 way as much as possible ; but it is, as you say, 
 a very melancholy life that you live all alone. 
 Shall I seek out some lady who might be 
 willing to come and live with you as a com- 
 panion ' 
 
 ' To be a spy upon all my actions ! No, no ; 
 I will not have her. You are very cunning, 
 Louis, but you don't deceive me. I am up to 
 all vour dodoes. This is a new one — to eet a 
 spy, or a keeper to guard me ; but I see through 
 it. x\nd, I tell you, it is no use your getting 
 such a creature. If she comes, she wnll not 
 stay for a single day. I shall make her life un- 
 bearable to her. I shall know how to chase 
 her away !' 
 
 It was quite hopeless, Adlofstein saw, and, 
 losing patience at last, he said coldly : 
 
 ' Well, I see that there is nothing to be done 
 for you — by me, at any rate. And since you 
 regard every one of my proposals as a scheme 
 against you, and repel my offers of kindness 
 with insult and contumely, I have no other
 
 132 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 course left but to let you alone. I will not 
 trouble you with any more visits. Good- 
 night.' 
 
 He moved away, but the Baroness's mood 
 changed suddenly, and she called to him to 
 come back before he had reached the door. 
 
 ' Wait, Louis, wait ; there is something I 
 want to ask of you,' she said in wheedling 
 tones. ' Wait one moment till I ask it. You 
 promised that if it was a reasonable request you 
 would grant it.' 
 
 ' What is it ?' he asked briefly. 
 
 * I don't want you to give up your visits to 
 me. I want you to come and see me at this 
 time of the afternoon, and take your coffee with 
 me every day that you are well enough.' 
 
 ' And will you always entertain me as 
 pleasantly as you have done to-day ?' inquired 
 Adlofstein cynically. ' In that case, I think 
 that, for your sake as well as my own, I 
 should have to refuse, for it cannot be good 
 for you to have such passions excited every 
 day.' 
 
 ' The passions are there always — always !' 
 said the Baroness, clasping her hands tightly 
 to her breast. ' And it is a relief to me to let 
 them come out sometimes. You must bear 
 with me, Louis — for your father's sake you
 
 A STRICKEN BUTTERFLY 133 
 
 might ; and you know my moods are not 
 always like this.' 
 
 ' No ; not always. This has been a climax, 
 certainly ! But if I exercise such an irritating 
 effect upon your nerves, it must be better that 
 I should keep away.' 
 
 ' No, no ; I should die if I saw no one but 
 my servants. You must come. I feel better 
 after you have been here. I am better now. I 
 must have some vent for my feelings.' 
 
 Adlofstein smiled sardonically, but he said 
 nothing. 
 
 ' You will come ?' she said, with a o-leam of 
 triumph in her eyes. ' You don't want to, I see, 
 but you will do it.' 
 
 'Yes, I will come, since you wish it,' he said, 
 not too graciously ; and then, bidding her good- 
 night with a formal bow, he left the room. 
 
 ' Is it madness, or is it badness ?' he asked 
 himself, as he re-ascended the winding stair 
 that led to his rooms in the turret. ' I suppose 
 that is a question on which even a specialist 
 would be puzzled to decide, and in all proba- 
 bility it is a mixture of both. In these cases of 
 unstable nervous equilibrium, when the patient 
 gets thrown off his balance, it is impossible to 
 know how far he is responsible for what he 
 says or does. Sometimes I am ready to doubt
 
 134 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 whether her behaviour is in any way connected 
 with the disease of her mind ; and yet — yet,, 
 who can tell how far-reaching might not be the 
 effects of that sudden enormous expenditure of 
 nerve- force ?' 
 
 It was this belief — the conviction that the 
 Baroness's deplorable condition had been 
 brought about by the shock of having witnessed 
 his father's sudden death — that was the secret 
 of the forbearance and compassion with which 
 Adlofstein regarded her. His patience had 
 been severely tried by this last interview, and 
 he looked forward to the continuance of such 
 scenes with anything but agreeable anticipa- 
 tions. Yet when he gave the required promise, 
 he did it with the full intention of keeping it. 
 
 ' Poor thing ! she cannot help herself,' he 
 thought, as he took up the book that he had 
 been reading. ' It is not fair that she should 
 be shunned and despised because the worst of 
 all human misfortunes has overtaken her. She 
 was but a butterfly, and perhaps if she had not 
 married into this ill-fated house she might be 
 in possession of all her faculties still' 
 
 He sighed heavily once or twice, and then 
 tried to forget his cares in the study of a 
 subject which had a deep and personal interest 
 for him. But he found that he was unable to
 
 A STRICKEN BUTTERFLY 135 
 
 concentrate his thoughts. A strange restless- 
 ness and excitement came over him, which 
 made it impossible to fix his attention on the 
 page before him. He was oppressed with a 
 vague sense of impending evil that he could 
 not shake off, and presently he became con- 
 scious of an inability to control his nerves that 
 he had never experienced before. 
 
 ' Am I, too, going mad ?' he asked himself 
 with a horrible stricken sensation of the heart. 
 * Has it come already ?' and as he felt all power 
 of motion going from him, he reached out for 
 the bell and rang violently for his servant. 
 
 The man came in less than two minutes ; 
 but when he entered the room he found his 
 master lying on the floor, twisted up in agony 
 and incapable of speech or motion. 
 
 All that night Adlofstein was battling for his 
 life, and the doctor, who was summoned in 
 haste, could give him no relief. For many 
 days his life was despaired of, and the Baroness 
 had to drink her coffee in solitude.
 
 36 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 AN AFTERNOON CALL. 
 
 ' Now, Melanle, this is a good opportunity of 
 doing some work. Now that the snow is 
 coming down, we can be getting on with our 
 lessons, for afterwards I know you will want to 
 be out skating and sledging all day.' 
 
 November had come, with the snow and frost 
 so eagerly anticipated by the Bertemilians, and 
 one snowy afternoon, when the well-heated, 
 double-windowed rooms seemed particularly 
 cosy and comfortable in contrast with the in- 
 clemency of the weather outside, Evangela was 
 improving the unshining hour by drilling the 
 luckless Melanie in the pronunciation of all the 
 English words which she could not master. 
 
 'Your ''th" is your weak point,' she said, 
 * but I have thought of a capital exercise which 
 will soon teach you. You must learn it,' and 
 she repeated rapidly :
 
 AN AFTERNOON CALL 137 
 
 ' I thrust my thick thumb through thirty-three thousand 
 
 thick thorny thistles ; 
 Through thirty- three thousand thick thorny thistles I thrust 
 
 my thick thumb ; 
 If 1 thrust my thick thumb through thirty-three thousand 
 
 thick thorny thistles, 
 Where are the thirty-three thousand thick thorny thistles I 
 
 thrust my thick thumb through ?' 
 
 ' Oh je f said Melanie ; but she began hope- 
 fully : ' " I dust my dick dumb trough dirty-tree 
 tousand dick dorny distles !" ' Then, as a peal 
 of laughter from Evangela interrupted her, she 
 began again with anxious pains : ' " I zust my 
 zick zumb zoo zirty-free zousand zick zorny 
 fistles." ' 
 
 This was no better, and try as hard as she 
 would, she could not get over the difficulty. 
 Evangela went into convulsions of unsympa- 
 thetic mirth, and Melanie, declaring that the 
 exercise was a diabolical invention, which would 
 certainly send her mad in the end, was beginning 
 to lose patience, when Thekla, from her favourite 
 post at the window, created a sudden diversion. 
 
 * Oh, ah, oh ! Children, come quick ! Here 
 is St. Evremonde coming up the street.' 
 
 Both the girls flew^ to the window to verify 
 this interesting fact, and their excitement was 
 increased by the perception that the Marquis 
 was coming to their house. 
 
 '^Oh, my dear children,' cried Melanie, ' he is
 
 138 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 really coming In, and I must fly to the kitchen 
 and tell Lina to prepare a nice little goiUer^ and 
 bring it in before he goes. I will not be long, 
 and you two can entertain him till I come.' 
 
 She flew off ; but Thekla would not stay with- 
 out her. She declared that she must arrange 
 her hair and 'make toilette.' and so Evangela 
 was left to receive the Marquis by herself. 
 
 She was still standing by the window when 
 he was shown in, and he came up to her with a 
 smile. 
 
 ' I thought I saw one of you as I came up 
 the road,' he said, after his first polite greeting. 
 ' You have a view of all the traffic that goes on 
 between the country and the town from here, 
 have you not ?' 
 
 ' Yes,' said Evangela, ' and I find it very 
 amusing to watch the peasants. They are so 
 unlike the poor people of our country. They 
 are more picturesque ; but I should think they 
 must be much poorer, and lead far harder lives. 
 It is shocking to see how old and worn-out the 
 women get to look ; at thirty they appear like 
 ancient hags, all bent and withered.' 
 
 ' It is the hard out-of-door work that they 
 are compelled to slave at. In order to make their 
 little plots of ground pay. I have heard my 
 cousin Adlofsteln say how much better the
 
 AN AFTERNOON CALL 139 
 
 condition of affairs is in England. It is a 
 subject that he raves about. But in England 
 the Jews are not so rampant as they are here. 
 They flourish everywhere in this country at the 
 expense of the peasants.' 
 
 'Whose fault is that .'^' asked Evangela, 
 looking at him with her thoughtful dark eyes, 
 which seemed always seeking for information. 
 ' Do you think it is the fault of the Jews, or of 
 the peasants ?' 
 
 St. Evremonde laughed lightly. 
 
 ' I don't know,' he said. ' Most people don't 
 stop to ask whose fault it is — they merely abuse 
 the Jews.' 
 
 'Yes, I have noticed that,' said Evangela. 
 ' It is an easy way of disposing of the question. 
 I am sorry for the peasants ; but I think I am 
 still more sorry for the Jews. It must be so 
 terrible for a proud people like them to be 
 treated as they are in this country, as if they 
 were pariahs, utterly beyond the pale of sym- 
 pathy. Fancy ! if you were a Jew, what would 
 you feel to find yourself so shunned and scorned 
 that, in the grand chain of the quadrille a la 
 cour, the ladies, who dance with everybody 
 else, would refuse to touch your hand ?' 
 
 ' Mon DieUy mademoiselle ! I could not 
 imagine such a thing ! But you are like my
 
 I40 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 cousin of Adlofstein. He is quite a champion 
 of the Jews, and he is for ever crusading on 
 their behalf. I suppose it must be an English 
 characteristic. But as for the difficulties of the 
 peasants, it is this new land-system that he 
 blames ; and though it is scarcely my interest 
 to do so, I am obliged to acknowledge that 
 he makes out a black case against us. Still, 
 there is something to be said on our side, 
 too, and we have hot arguments about it very 
 often.' 
 
 'How is Baron Adlofstein now ?' asked 
 Evangela, with sudden interest. ' We heard 
 that he had had a relapse, and was terribly ill 
 again.' 
 
 ' He was indeed ! It came on quite suddenly 
 one evening after I had been with him in the 
 afternoon. He seemed so much better, I 
 thought, and he thought so himself; but 
 towards evening there came on new and 
 alarming symptoms, and he had an attack in 
 the night which was worse than anything that 
 he had ever had before. They did not think 
 he would live ; but he has enormous strength, 
 and a constitution of iron, and he struggled 
 through. He is recovering now, and unless 
 another attack comes on, he will soon be able 
 to go out, I imagine. He sent to ask me to
 
 AN AFTERNOON CALL 141 
 
 come and see him this afternoon, and I am, in 
 fact, on my way to him now.' 
 
 ' Have you seen him since this last illness ?' 
 
 * Once, for a few minutes, yes ; and he does 
 not look so much shattered as I should have 
 expected from Hempel's account. I have been 
 advising- him to send for a doctor from Vienna, 
 for I don't believe this man understands his 
 case. It seems to be a very extraordinary 
 one, and the symptoms of this attack were so 
 different from the last, that Hempel confesses 
 himself at fault. What was the long name he 
 called it ? Oh, tetanus idiopathictcs, I think it 
 was. In French we call it trisme' 
 
 ' Lock-jaw ?' said Evangela, with a startled 
 glance. ' I did not know that could happen 
 without some wound or injury to bring it on.' 
 
 ' It is very rare, but it does sometimes 
 happen, Hempel says ; and in a case like this, 
 where the family history is what it is — but 
 these are melancholy details to be troubling 
 you with,' said Evremonde, arresting himself 
 suddenly, as he realized the unexpected direc- 
 tion in which the conversation was drifting. 
 
 Melanie and Thekla came in at this point, 
 and, over the dainty little refection which was 
 brought in afterwards, the talk was very light and 
 gay and amusing. The almond cakes, meringues,
 
 142 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 and coffee were excellent ; the two pretty girls, 
 smiling and sparkling in their naive desire to 
 please, were charming, and St. Evremonde 
 spent an exceedingly agreeable half-hour ; yet 
 w^hen later on in the afternoon he went on his 
 way to Schloss Adlofstein, it was not the 
 piquant and flattering little attentions of Melanie 
 and Thekla that lingered in his mind, but the 
 conversation which he had had before with the 
 English cousin. What an intensity of feeling 
 there was in her pale and serious face ! what a 
 olow of interest had flashed out of her dark 
 eyes when he had been speaking of his cousin ! 
 She had not looked impassive then. Was she 
 interested in Adlofstein ? But no ; that was 
 not likely. It was probably only that she 
 looked upon him as a sort of ogre, and was 
 interested in hearing about him on that account. 
 St. Evremonde recalled the epithet that Adlof- 
 stein had repeated to him, and, as he thought 
 of it, he laughed again at the recollection.
 
 [ 143] 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 THE SOUL OF THE SON. 
 
 Adlofsteix had not, as his cousin half ex- 
 pected to find, had a relapse ; but he was look- 
 ing desperately ill as he lay with his great 
 length extended on a sofa drawn up to the fire, 
 and the smile and feverish flush on his face 
 could not hide the havoc that had been wrought 
 there by the consuming mental and bodily 
 anguish he had been through. 
 
 ' No, I am not worse,' he said, in answer to 
 St. Evremonde's exclamation of concern, as he 
 raised himself painfully from his recumbent 
 position, and extended a gaunt and burning 
 hand. ' Indeed, Hempel says that I am 
 astonishingly better, and on the high road to 
 recovery — but I don't know. It is as well to 
 be prepared for the worst, and I have been 
 taking certain steps this morning. I wanted 
 to consult you, and I have been expecting you
 
 144 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 all the afternoon. You couldn't come earlier, I 
 suppose ?' 
 
 ' I didn't know that there was any hurry, and 
 I turned in to see the Bertemilians on my way,' 
 said St. Evremonde apologetically. 
 
 'Ah!' said Adlofstein, his brows meeting in 
 a heavy frown. ' Well, never mind the Berte- 
 milians now. It is on a matter of business that 
 I want to speak to you, Victor. I have had 
 the notary here this morning, and I have made 
 my will.' 
 
 ' Your will !' ejaculated St. Evremonde in 
 surprise. ' But, my dear Louis, there can be 
 no necessity — you surely cannot think ' 
 
 ' Pooh !' said Adlofstein. ' Everybody must 
 die some time, and I shall not die any the sooner 
 for having made my will, I suppose.^ It is 
 always better to make all arrangements of that 
 sort in good time ; and in my case especially — 
 
 even if I live, I may not always be able 
 
 I suppose,' he said, interrupting himself sud- 
 denly, ' you will admit that I am in full posses- 
 sion of my faculties now ?' 
 
 ' My dear fellow,' said St. Evremonde in 
 shocked surprise, ' of course you are ! As 
 much so as any man I know,' 
 
 * Well, it is just as well for you that I am, 
 since by the will that I made this morning you
 
 THE SOUL OF THE SON 145 
 
 will be the chief person to benefit. Stop, stop ! 
 Let me explain. Then you will see that there 
 is not so very much to be grateful for. You 
 know that I am the last of my line. There is 
 no one to come after me of my name, and I 
 am free to leave my property as I choose. 1 
 choose to leave it to you, for reasons that I 
 will make clear to you. You are not a very 
 near relation, but still, through your grand- 
 mother you have our blood in your veins ; and, 
 except that gambler, Graf Brandenberg, whom 
 I detest, there is no one nearer that I know of. 
 You have undoubted talents, which only need 
 the aid of wealth and standing to raise you to 
 the high position that you covet ; and you 
 have health and strength with which to found 
 a new branch of the family on the ruins of this 
 one.' 
 
 ' Louis,' stammered St. Evremonde, ' why do 
 you talk like this ? You are young, and you 
 may marry ' 
 
 'No,' said Adlofstein, almost sternly ; ' I shall 
 not. You know that I shall not. My race will 
 end with me. And since Adlofstein and Greifen- 
 burg must pass out of our family, I would 
 rather they went to you than to anyone else. 
 There will not be much besides, however. The 
 Baroness has to be provided for ; and there are 
 
 VOL. I. 10
 
 146 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 Other legacies which I wish to leave which will 
 swallow up the greater part of my invested 
 fortune. You will have the estates and the 
 houses, with all the plate, jewels, and furniture — 
 and I have made you residuary legatee, so that 
 there will probably be something for you to 
 have in hand, but all the rest goes in legacies. 
 Here is the rough draft that the notary left, if 
 you care to look over it.' 
 
 St. Evremonde took the paper that his cousin 
 handed him ; but his senses were so dazzled 
 and confused that he could hardly take in the 
 words. This calmly-made announcement took 
 him completely by surprise, and he could 
 with difficulty control the agitation which he 
 felt. 
 
 The friendship between the cousins — they 
 were second cousins only — was one of long 
 standing, and the generosity with which the 
 richer man had always been ready to assist the 
 wants of the other had probably had something 
 to do with its continuance. St. Evremonde, 
 who was a younger son, and had nothing to 
 hope from his elder brother, the possessor of 
 the family estates down in Southern Hungary, 
 had always appreciated this solid factor in their 
 friendship at its full worth ; but such an out- 
 come as this he had not anticipated. He had
 
 THE SOUL OF THE SON 147 
 
 not known that Adlofsteln had the power to 
 appoint his heir ; and that he should be chosen 
 had never entered into his wildest dreams. 
 He was genuinely taken by surprise, and the 
 sincerity of his emotion gave a grace to his 
 expressions of gratitude against which even 
 Adlofstein's cynicism could not be altogether 
 proof. Adlofstein was moved ; but he could 
 not endure any display of emotion. 
 
 ' Pray don't overwhelm me with gratitude,' 
 he said, with characteristic britsquerie. ' There 
 is really no special occasion, for it costs me no 
 more to put dowm your name than that of any 
 other person. Well, have you read that paper ? 
 You see what I wish to be done for the 
 Baroness and for Stephanie Stillenheim ?' 
 
 ' Yes,' said St. Evremonde, who had indeed 
 seen their names among the other legatees, 
 though he had scarcely realized any provisions, 
 except that one astounding one which con- 
 cerned himself 
 
 ' You will see that my wishes are carried out, 
 won't you ? And, Victor, when I am gone, 
 there will be no one to look after the poor 
 Baroness, and you know her pitiable condition. 
 Would it be too much of a burden to you to 
 look after her a little — to see that she is happily 
 placed, and not ill treated in any way '
 
 148 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 'Of course — of course," said St. Evrenioiide 
 hastily ; ' anything that I can do — you may 
 depend upon me. But, my dear Louis, I really 
 cannot bear to hear you talking in this funereal 
 way — as if you were not likely to live for years 
 after the Baroness and me, too ! You have a 
 magnificent physique, and a constitution of iron 
 — old Hempel says so — and you will soon get 
 over this little attack. You should not let your 
 mind dwell on these gloomy thoughts.' 
 
 ' There are more gloomy possibilities than 
 death,' said Adlofstein calmly ; ' but I assure 
 you I have no morbid ideas on the subject, only 
 I think it advisable to make provision for a 
 contingency which is, after all, not so very far 
 away from any of us ; and then, if death or 
 disaster should come, I should be able to face 
 it with a quiet mind.' 
 
 'Of course, life is very uncertain for us all' 
 St. Evremonde said, uttering the well-worn 
 aphorism, as men do, without the slightest 
 personal application. The perception of this 
 brought a gleam of amusement into Adlofstein's 
 keen gray eyes, and the corners of his mouth 
 betrayed an inclination to smile as he looked at 
 him ; but he said gravely enough : 
 
 ' Yes, and there is no greater certainty than 
 Death, though he often comes last to those who
 
 THE SOUL OF THE SON 149 
 
 would welcome him most, and first to those 
 who dread him. There seems a strange fatality 
 about that sometimes.' 
 
 St. Evremonde shuddered. 
 
 ' I detest this talk about death !' he said im- 
 patiently, ' and I am sure, my friend, that it is 
 not good for you. Let us speak of something 
 more cheerful. Have you heard about this ice- 
 carnival which the townspeople are going to 
 get up ? They say that the ice holds already, 
 and as soon as the snow clears aw^ay there will 
 be excellent skating. You will be able to get 
 out soon, and you will be surprised to find what 
 a difference fresh air and exercise will make to 
 your spirits.' 
 
 Adlofstein lauohed at the tanorent at which 
 St. Evremonde had gone off in his eagerness 
 to get away from a gloomy subject ; but he was 
 very weary, and he had said as much as he 
 wished to, so he listened resignedly. He tried 
 to find a more comfortable position on his sofa, 
 and to shift the cushions so as to lean back and 
 obtain a little ease ; but his efforts were plainly 
 unsuccessful, and at last St. Evremonde jumped 
 up and came to his aid. 
 
 ' Hadn't you better lie down ?' he asked, with 
 unwonted consideration. ' I don't believe that 
 you ought to have been sitting up all this
 
 I50 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 time. You look tired to death. O/i je ! how 
 desperately heavy you are !' 
 
 St. Evremonde was under difficulties in act- 
 ing nurse to his big cousin ; and when he tried 
 to support him, his arm gave way suddenly 
 under the immense weight. He let him slip 
 with a jerk on to the sofa, and, jarred through 
 every nerve, Adlofstein lay helpless, with beads 
 of perspiration breaking out on his forehead. 
 
 * It does not matter,' he gasped, in answer to 
 St. Evremonde's expressions of regret. ' I 
 ought to have told you to ring for Rudolf — but 
 there is no harm done. Now, if you would put 
 some of those cushions under my head — thank 
 you.' 
 
 St. Evremonde poked and prodded at the 
 cushions with more goodwill than science ; and 
 then he busied himself in propping his cousin 
 up with a solicitude and concern which sat' very 
 oddly upon him. Adlofstein, if he had not 
 been in such pain, would have received with 
 derision the little pats and pokes all over him 
 which St. Evremonde appeared to think would 
 be consoling and reassuring ; but the Marquis 
 was rather proud of himself in his new role, and 
 he had been so much touched by Adlofstein's 
 selection of him as his heir that it was a relief 
 to him to find some vent for his feelings. He
 
 THE SOUL OF THE SON 151 
 
 pressed Adlofsteln's hand affectionately, and he 
 would have liked to have embraced him ; but, 
 fortunately for Adlofstein, the remembrance of 
 the cynical views and idiosyncrasies that came 
 from his English descent and education occurred 
 to him in time to stop him, and he desisted. 
 
 ' If you only had some amusing books to 
 read !' he said, drawing the little table heaped 
 up with books within reach of the sofa. ' These 
 are such terribly dull volumes that you have got 
 here : Schopenhauer, Kant, Weismann, and a 
 lot of English books — desperately learned all 
 of them, I have no doubt. One would really 
 suppose that you were working up for an 
 examination ! These plays of Ibsen's are the 
 only readable things in the whole collection, 
 and I am sure they are dull enough ! Now, if 
 you had some French romances to distract 
 your mind a little — I have got some of Zola's 
 and De Maupassant's with me : shall I send 
 them ?' 
 
 ' No, thank you ; it isn't the sort of literature 
 that appeals to me,' said Adlofstein, smiling 
 faintly. ' Thank you — thank you. Never 
 mind those cushions — you have really done as 
 much as you can for me now. If you would 
 not mind ringing for Rudolf! Shall I tell him 
 to bring up any refreshment for you ?
 
 152 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 * Thank you, no. They will have got dinner 
 for me at Greifenburg, and I think I ought not 
 to stay with you any longer. You seem tired.' 
 
 Adlofstein was tired, and he did not press 
 his cousin to stay ; but as St. Evremonde was 
 going he detained him for a moment. 
 
 ' There is one more thing that I wished to 
 say to you,' he said. ' Before we leave this 
 subject that we have been speaking of to-night, 
 I want one assurance from you. Of course, 
 you will take over my name in addition to your 
 own when the estates of Adlofstein come to 
 you, and with the name you will take the motto 
 and crest. You know what that is ?' 
 
 ' Of course — " I hold fast mine honour." ' 
 
 ' Yes ; and will you do it ? Promise me that 
 you will always act up to that.' 
 
 ' Of course I will ; I can safely promise you 
 that,' said St. Evremonde in a tone almost of 
 offence ' Can you doubt it ?' 
 
 ' If I did, do you think that I should have 
 placed the trust in you that i have done ?' 
 asked Adlofstein. * But promise, all the same 
 — and promise me, too, that you will regard as 
 your own the interests of the country-people 
 and dependents who will come under you ;' and 
 in his gray eyes, as they looked into St. Evre- 
 monde's, there was a searching intensity which
 
 THE SOUL OF THE SON 153 
 
 seemed able to see straight into the most secret 
 depths of the other's soul. 
 
 ' I promise,' said St. Evremonde, with his 
 hand in Adlofstein's burning grasp ; but as he 
 gave the promise he felt a sudden overwhelm- 
 ing sense of discomfort and annoyance, and he 
 scarcely knew how to endure that searching 
 gaze. 
 
 It was a relief to him to get away. He 
 hurried down the stairs, and it was not until he 
 was well outside the Castle that he felt able to 
 indulge in the glad exultation of pleasant 
 anticipation that possessed his soul. As he 
 looked forth upon the fair domain that belonged 
 to Adlofstein, and thought of the many miles of 
 helds and forests that stretched away over the 
 mountains, the knowledge of the probability — 
 nay, the certainty almost — that the time would 
 come when it would be all his, was like a 
 draught of strong wine warming his heart and 
 making his brain whirl. Of course, when he 
 came to think of it, it was not so very much 
 that Adlofstein had done for him. He had to 
 leave this splendid inheritance to somebody, 
 and why not to his only friend ? It was only 
 an intention that he had to be grateful for ; but 
 still he was grateful, and the approbation of his 
 conscience on that score, together with the
 
 154 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 exhilaration of having such a glorious prospect 
 to look to in the future, lifted him up to the 
 seventh heaven of blissful satisfaction. To the 
 position of the man whose clouded hopes and 
 shortened chances of life were the occasion of 
 his expectations, it did not occur to him to give 
 much thought ; but it is so common a thing in 
 this world for one man's gain to spring from 
 another man's loss that this was scarcely strange. 
 St. Evremonde went his way rejoicing through 
 the woods that he knew were one day to be 
 his own, and Adlofstein was left to spend the 
 long winter evening in solitude and pain of 
 mind and body. 
 
 Rudolf, the old butler, who was the only atten- 
 dant whom Adlofstein would tolerate as a sick- 
 nurse, came up in answer to the summons of St. 
 Evremonde's ring, carrying a cup of beef-tea 
 which it was time for his master to take. But, 
 exhausted though he was, Adlofstein would not 
 touch it, and he motioned it away in impatience 
 and irritation. All the entreaties and remon- 
 strances of the old man were unavailing, and 
 all he could do was to set the tray on one side, 
 hoping that the Baron would take something of 
 his own accord in his own time. He made up 
 the fire, drew the curtains, and lighted the 
 lamps ; and then, having settled the sick man
 
 THE SOUL OF THE SON 155 
 
 in a more comfortable position than that in 
 which St. Evremonde had left him, he prepared 
 to withdraw. 
 
 ' The Herr Baron would not care to have 
 Johann come up to read the paper to him for 
 half an hour ?' he said tentatively from the 
 door. 
 
 He had observed the expression of his 
 master's face, and the heartache that he felt at 
 having to leave him to his lonely wretchedness 
 emboldened him to suggest the only distraction 
 that he could think of. Johann was the head- 
 forester, and he enjoyed the proud distinction 
 in the Castle household of being able to read ; 
 but his reading was a lame and stumbling per- 
 formance, and Adlofstein smiled grimly at the 
 thought of it. 
 
 ' No,' he said uncompromisingly ; ' I want 
 no one. 1 only wish to be left in peace.' 
 
 But peace was far from him that night. It 
 had been far from him for many a day ; but in 
 the full enjoyment of perfect physical health and 
 strength he had been able hitherto to hold at 
 bay that haunting dread which hung like a 
 heavy cloud over his mental horizon. He had 
 instinctively felt that constant occupation was 
 his best safeguard against it, and he had exerted 
 himself to read, to write, and to look after the
 
 156 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 business of his estate with untiring energy. 
 Even then he could not entirely secure 
 himself against the intrusion of depressing 
 and embittering thoughts ; and now, in the 
 weakness and illness that had come from his 
 physical breakdown, he was their helpless 
 prey. 
 
 He had made a great effort to overcome the 
 selfish indifference as to what should happen 
 after his death that had been inspired by his 
 misery, and he had forced himself against his 
 inclination to consider the interests of others, 
 and to make the best disposition of his property 
 that seemed possible ; but now that this was 
 done, the chilly mist seemed to rise about his 
 heart again, and with his indifference, his hope- 
 lessness, and his gloom, there mingled a poison- 
 ing element of anger, rebellion, and envy. 
 
 Why should he be called upon to suffer like 
 this, when other men, whose deserts were 
 certainly not more, were allowed to go scot- 
 free ? Why, without his own consent, without 
 any power of helping himself, and without hope 
 of relief, should he have been placed in the 
 world to bear a load of misery which was the 
 punishment of other men's sins ? The world- 
 old questions, under which tormented human 
 souls have writhed in impotent rebellion from
 
 THE SOUL OF THE SON 157 
 
 century to century, were torturing him now, 
 and he could find no gleam of hope or 
 comfort. 
 
 As he lay solitary and motionless on his sofa 
 throuo^h the long- hours of the evenincr In a 
 deadly sickness of soul that made reading or any 
 other employment Impossible, there came Into 
 his mind, with strange vividness and persistency, 
 some of the teaching of his English mother, 
 who had been dead for so many years. Under 
 the breath of science, and the hard personal 
 experiences of his later years, these early beliefs 
 had gradually and imperceptibly faded, till they 
 had become like myths that he reverenced only 
 for the sake of their associations. But the 
 faith planted in childhood is apt to die hard ; 
 and disgusted philosophers have questioned 
 whether it is possible ever to eradicate entirely 
 from the mind those impressions made upon the 
 plastic material in infancy and childhood, through 
 the baleful influence of religious mothers and 
 nurses. Those early-sown seeds, after lying 
 dormant for half a lifetime, have the power of 
 springing to the light and bearing fruit when 
 we least expect ; and now, in the darkness of a 
 gloom which philosophy could not lighten and 
 science could not alleviate, there came to Adlof- 
 stein, with the strange faint fragrance of some
 
 158 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 living thing, the remembrance of the simple 
 trustino- beliefs that had seemed so all-sufficient 
 
 o 
 
 in his far-back childhood. 
 
 Among the English books which lined the 
 walls of the room was a little old Engrlish Bible 
 which had been brought to Adlofstein by Adlof- 
 stein's mother when she had come there as a 
 bride. It had been out of that well-worn little 
 black book that she had taught her little boy ; 
 and seized with a sudden impulse to look into 
 it once again, Adlofstein dragged himself pain- 
 fully across the room, and took it out of its 
 place. On the first page was a faded inscription 
 in delicate sloping characters, and he stood with 
 the book in his hand, and paused long over the 
 pathetic record of personalities that had for ever 
 passed away ; then, as bodily pain and w^eak- 
 ness asserted themselves, he returned to his 
 sofa, and, opening the book in the middle, 
 began to read here and there in desultory 
 fashion. 
 
 For a lone time there was no sound in the 
 room but the crackling of the wood-fire and the 
 rustling of the pages, as Adlofstein turned them 
 quickly over ; but at last his attention was 
 arrested by a passage in Ezekiel, and his eyes 
 devoured the words : 
 
 ' Behold, all souls are Mine ; as the soul of
 
 THE SOUL OF THE SON 159 
 
 the father, so also the soul of the son Is Mine ; 
 the soul that sinneth, it shall die. But if a 
 man be just, and do that which is lawful and 
 right ... he shall not die for the iniquity of 
 his father ; he shall surely live. . . . The soul 
 that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not 
 bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall 
 the father bear the iniquity of the son ; the 
 righteousness of the righteous shall be upon 
 him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be 
 upon him.' 
 
 * Ah, If It were so — If It only were so !' said 
 Adlofsteln, a cry of Intense bitterness and 
 distress breakinof from him. ' But It is not. 
 and cannot be. There Is no escape from the 
 pitiless and inexorable natural laws, and It Is 
 the other verdict that they endorse : " The 
 fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's 
 teeth are set on edge." The Iniquity of the 
 father is visited In the bosom of the son ; It 
 goes on into the third and fourth generation — 
 yes, and further. How many generations ago 
 is it that that curse was brought down upon our 
 house } It hangs like a sword over my head 
 now, and it may descend at any moment ; 
 perhaps this agony of horror and revolt means 
 that It Is descending even now. Oh, my God ! 
 mv brain reels ; w^hat will the end be ?'
 
 i6o GODDESSES THREE 
 
 He reached out for the bell that Rudolf had 
 put near him, and rang it violently. 
 
 ' Give me the morphia, Rudolf,' he said, 
 when the old man, breathless and anxious, 
 made his appearance, ' and give me the full 
 dose. I must sleep to-night, or I shall go 
 mad !'
 
 [ i6i ] 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 GOATS VERSUS SHEEP. 
 
 Winter had fairly settled down upon Lln- 
 denthal ; the snow lay three feet deep upon 
 the ground, and the sun shone brightly every 
 day from the clear skies on the dazzling land- 
 scape. The Eis-platz, a lake artificially formed 
 in the pleasure-grounds by the river, was re- 
 flooded every night ; and every morning the 
 Bertemilians had all to themselves the great 
 sheet of glassy, untouched ice that lay under 
 the trees. In the afternoons it was the resort 
 of the whole town, and it was especially 
 crowded on Wednesdays and Saturdays, when 
 the band played in the little wooden pavilion in 
 the trees ; but the most festive occasions of all 
 were when the leading spirits of the town got 
 up an Eisfest, or evening fete, upon the ice. 
 This would only occur once or twice in the 
 season ; and when Melanie and Thekla heard 
 
 VOL. I. II
 
 i62 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 that a Kostiimirtes Eisfest on an especially grand 
 scale was in prospect, they became wild with 
 anxiety to go to it. 
 
 ' Ah ! if you only knew what the fete was 
 like, with the music, and the illuminations, and 
 all the charming costumes !' sighed Thekla, one 
 sunny morning when they were skating by 
 themselves, and Evangela had been expressing 
 her delight in the sense of swift motion. ' This 
 is tame, and flat, and stupid in comparison, and 
 you would never be contented with it again.' 
 
 ' In that case I had better remain satisfied in 
 a state of ignorance which is bliss,' laughed 
 Evangela ; ' but I don't suppose that I should 
 enjoy it so very much, after all. You see, I 
 am only a beginner, and I like to have more 
 elbow-room than one would be likely to get 
 with the music playing and everyone here.' 
 
 ' Oh, but, Vangela, you are getting on 
 beautifully ! Everyone says it is really 
 astonishing, considering that you have only 
 begun this winter. Think only, you skate 
 quite as well as papa now, and he has been 
 skating for six years. St. Evremonde was 
 remarking yesterday upon the progress that 
 you had made, and he said that it was another 
 illustration of English pluck.' 
 
 ' M. de St. Evremonde can pour out compli-
 
 GOATS VERSUS SHEEP 163 
 
 ments as easily as you can blow bubbles out of 
 soapy water, and they are worth about as 
 much !' said Evangela, with some disdain. 
 ' They are beautiful, but empty !' 
 
 ' You are so terribly severe upon poor St. 
 Evremonde ; and, indeed, it appears to me, 
 upon all men,' remonstrated Melanie. ' I assure 
 you, he was really struck by your fearlessness, 
 and you know everyone else says the same. 
 You are now quite enough at home on your 
 skates to be able to skate round with anybody, 
 and I know that you would immensely enjoy 
 this Eisfest. It is such a pity that papa will 
 never come. He used always to take us before 
 this wretched quarrel with Adlofstein arose.' 
 
 ' If you would only drop a hint, Vangela, 
 that you would like to see an Eisfest, I believe 
 it would be enough,' said Thekla. ' He attends 
 to what you say, and I believe he would come 
 if you were to ask him.' 
 
 Evangela was willing enough, and she prof- 
 fered her request that same day at luncheon, 
 with a result that completely justified Thekla's 
 diplomacy. The Baron looked at her for a 
 moment with contracted eyebrows and a 
 twinkle in the blue eyes underneath them, 
 and then inquired when the Eisfest was to take 
 place.
 
 i64 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 'On Wednesday, next week,' the quaking 
 Thekla put in promptly ; and when her father 
 signified an amiable consent, she could scarcely 
 contain her joy. 
 
 From that time up to the day of the fete, 
 the girls were hard at work upon the Polish 
 costumes that they decided upon wearing. They 
 were all three dressed alike — Melanie insisted 
 on that — and when they appeared in the quaint 
 three-cornered black velvet caps, or Con/ede- 
 ratkas, trimmed with fur and jewelled aigrettes, 
 and their close-fitting, heavily-braided costumes, 
 the effect was so good that Melanie confidently 
 predicted that there would be no one to eclipse 
 them. 
 
 The night of the fete was fine — a lovely 
 moonlight night, without a cloud in the sky or 
 a breath of wind in the air, and at seven o'clock 
 the delighted girls, escorted by the Baron, were 
 making their way through the sparkling snow 
 to the Eis-platz. 
 
 When they reached the Anlagen, the scene 
 that met their eyes was one of bewildering 
 strangeness and prettiness. The lake was 
 transformed into an al-fresco ballroom, and 
 the inspiriting music, the gay laughter, and the 
 brilliant effects of light, were all intensified in 
 effect by the keen freshness of the bracing night
 
 GOATS VERSUS SHEEP 165 
 
 air. Coloured lights were shining in every 
 branch and twig of the trees ; the pavilion was 
 outlined with blue and ereen, and all round the 
 banks of the lake were burning great bonfires, 
 whose lurid light contrasted strangely with the 
 pale ethereal radiance of the moonlit woods 
 beyond, and threw into strong relief the 
 fantastic figures flitting past. 
 
 There were a great many people on the ice, 
 and after Melanie and Evangela had skated 
 round once together, they stood still for a few 
 minutes at the top of the lake, trying to make 
 out who was present whom they knew. 
 
 ' St. Evremonde is here,' said Thekla, circling 
 gracefully up to them. ' I thought he would be, 
 for I saw him in the town this afternoon, and 
 told him we were coming. Look ! there he is, 
 skating with the Stillenheim. Isn't she a fright 
 in that awful old jacket that she has tacked a few 
 bits of braid on to form a Hussaren-Kosti'mi ! It 
 gives her no figure whatever ; and, then, she 
 skates so ungracefully — all on the inside edge, 
 and with that hideous little kick-out every time.' 
 
 ' Oh, Thekla, have mercy !' cried Evangela, 
 laughing. ' It is not everybody who can master 
 the outside edge as you do.' 
 
 ' Oh, I am not such a shining light,' said 
 Thekla, with some complacency, however, for
 
 i66 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 she knew that her performance, so far as it 
 went, was the perfection of grace. ' If you 
 want to see good skating, you should look at 
 St. Evremonde ; he is really worth watching.' 
 
 ' He is not the best here to-night, though,' 
 said Melanie, who had been gazing intently 
 into the w^hirling crowd. ' Who is that tall, 
 heavy man doing the spiral circles over there ? 
 The Marquis could not do that ; don't you 
 remember, he was trying the other day, and he 
 could not manage it at all ? Look, he is coming 
 this way ! Oh, Thekla, it is Adlofstein ! I did 
 not know he was out again. I never thought 
 he would be here : I wish he were not !' 
 
 ' I don't care a bit,' said Thekla defiantly, 
 ' so long as his presence does not prevent St. 
 Evremonde from coming with us, and I don't 
 believe it will. Ah, no ; here he comes ! I 
 thought he would soon give up Mdlle. de 
 Stillenheim when he found out that we were 
 here.' 
 
 St. Evremonde came up out of the crowd — a 
 most graceful apparition — and smilingly engaged 
 Melanie to skate with him. Thekla went off 
 with one of her girl friends from the town ; and, 
 wishing to practise her paces in peace, Evangela 
 looked about for a quiet corner where she could 
 see the gay scene without danger of being
 
 GOATS VERSUS SHEEP 167 
 
 knocked down by the crowd. She had learnt 
 enough by this time to be able to go straight 
 ahead with plenty of confidence and dash ; and 
 St. Evremonde had several times asked her to 
 skate with him ; but she had a horror of spoil- 
 ing anyone's fun, and she generally managed 
 to avoid him on the ice. 
 
 From her dark nook, under the shelter of the 
 trees, she saw St. Evremonde skim past with 
 Melanie, and a smile crossed her face as she 
 watched them. 
 
 ' How bright Melanie's eyes are !' she thought, 
 * and how well they go together ! I really must 
 try that outside circle ; I expect it only wants a 
 little confidence ;' and she was about to essay 
 her experiment, when she saw a tall, heavy man, 
 wrapped up to the eyes in furs, come lunging 
 down at full speed in her direction. She re- 
 cognized Adlofstein, and thought she would 
 wait until he had gone past ; but in a moment 
 she saw that he was dashing right down upon 
 her. She tried to get out of his way ; but 
 before she could decide which way to move, he 
 was upon her, and had sent her crashing down. 
 She fell on her back, and with such force that 
 she went spinning along the ice until the bushes 
 stopped her, and then she lay for a moment or 
 two half stunned.
 
 i68 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 When she opened her eyes, she saw that 
 Adlofsteln was bending over her, and trying to 
 lift her up. He inquired anxiously in German 
 if she were hurt ; but she rejected his proffered 
 aid, and scrambled to her feet with more speed 
 than grace. 
 
 ' No, I am not hurt,' she said, with a flash of 
 indignation in her eyes. ' No, thank you, I do 
 not need your help ; I can stand alone quite 
 well' 
 
 She believed that he had knocked her over 
 on purpose, and she felt so angry that she could 
 hardly speak. But one of her skates had been 
 loosened in the fall, and she was so shaken 
 that she was very unsteady on her feet, and 
 Adlofstein did not relax his grasp upon her 
 arm. 
 
 ' You must sit down and rest,' he said im- 
 peratively. ' There is a bench close by here ; 
 allow me to help you to it ;' and holding her 
 arm above the elbow by one hand, he placed 
 his arm behind her back, and swept her forward 
 with a force that she could not resist. 
 
 ' Oh, stop, stop !' she cried imploringly. 
 ' My skate is coming off ; I shall fall again !' 
 and she would have been down, if it had 
 not been for the supporting arm of the ogre 
 Baron.
 
 GOATS VERSUS SHEEP 169 
 
 ' Never mind your skate. Just put your two 
 feet together, and go where I drive you,' he 
 said ; and the next moment he had deposited 
 her in safety on a bench at the edge of the lake 
 under the trees. 
 
 Evangela was so shaken and bewildered by 
 the fall and the extraordinary situation, that she 
 felt as if she must be in a bad dream, and she 
 scarcely took in the apologies that Adlofstein 
 was making. 
 
 ' What made you do it ?' she asked, looklng 
 up at last w^Ith a flash of resentment in her eyes 
 as her first Impression recurred to her. 
 
 ' What made me do it ?' he repeated blankly ; 
 and then, as he realized the accusation implied, 
 he said vehemently : ' Good heavens, Fraulein ! 
 don't you hear me explain that it was that 1 
 did not see you ? My eyes w^ere dazzled by the 
 lights, and you were in the dark. Do you 
 suppose that I would knock any woman down 
 on purpose ?' 
 
 A fierce ray of light from a bonfire shining 
 redly through the pale moonlight Illuminated 
 Adlofsteln's countenance as he spoke, and in the 
 gray depths of the stern eyes looking straight 
 into hers there was a steely light that was very 
 alarming. Evangela realized that she had 
 wronged him, and she suddenly felt hot all over.
 
 lyo GODDESSES THREE 
 
 ' I beg your pardon,' she said hurriedly. ' If 
 it was an accident, it does not matter. I am 
 not hurt at all.' 
 
 To prove her words, and cut short an inter- 
 view which made her feel exceedingly uncom- 
 fortable, she rose, and tried to skate away ; but 
 at the first step she stumbled, and she was 
 obliged to turn and subside again upon the 
 bench. She had forgotten that one of her 
 skates was loose. It had now come right off, 
 and, as she sat down again, it fell with a jingle 
 on to the ice. 
 
 'If you will allow me, I will fasten on your 
 skate again,' said Adlofstein quietly, and, before 
 she could prevent him, he had picked it up, 
 and was kneelinor on the ice with her foot in 
 his hand. 
 
 'Please don't take the trouble,' said Evangela, 
 in a sort of desperation. ' My friends will be 
 coming round directly, and I am in no sort of 
 hurry to go on skating. I wish you would not 
 do it.' 
 
 ' The skate is small, but it is not small 
 enough for your foot, apparently,' said 
 Adlofstein, choosing to disregard these very 
 plain hints. ' Have you got your key with 
 you ?' 
 
 ' Yes, I have ; but it does not matter. I do
 
 GOATS VERSUS SHEEP 171 
 
 not think I shall care to skate much more,' 
 answered Evangela. 
 
 ' Perhaps I can manage with mine,' he said 
 coolly, as she showed no inclination to produce 
 the necessary implement. ' Yes ; it happens 
 to fit fairly well,' and with a single turn of the 
 wrist he had rearranged the screw, which it 
 usually cost Evangela an immensity of labour 
 and time to get satisfactorily fixed. 
 
 ' Now, I think, you will not find that it will 
 come off again, even if you do get knocked 
 down by an ogre,' said Adlofstein, possessing 
 himself again of her foot, and clasping the 
 skate firmly on to it. ' How do you come to 
 be pottering about in this dark hole all by your- 
 self ? Have you no one to take you round ?' 
 
 Evangela's cheeks, already flushed with agi- 
 tation, burnt yet more hotly at the disquieting 
 allusion to her uncomplimentary remark about 
 him ; but she judged it best to take no notice of 
 it, and she replied, with as much dignity as she 
 could muster : 
 
 * I am only just learning to skate. I have 
 been up and down with my friends ; but I 
 prefer to practise by myself until I can get 
 along better.' 
 
 ' But you will learn much quicker if you have 
 someone to guide you and pull you along.
 
 172 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 When you have once felt the knack of It, you 
 have learnt the secret, and you can feel it much 
 more quickly through someone else.' 
 
 ' I don't suppose there Is a royal road to 
 learning anything,' Evangela said obstinately ; 
 ' and even If there were, I would rather not 
 try it, if it involved dependence on other 
 people. My friends are willing enough to 
 skate with me ; but It can't be much pleasure 
 to them until I am more experienced, and I do 
 not choose to be a drawback to them.' 
 
 ' I see,' said Adlofstein, smiling grimly, 'that 
 the Fraulein has also her share of original sin, 
 and that it takes the form of an outraoreous 
 pride. Now, are you too proud to accept my 
 guidance, and go round with me to test the 
 firmness of that skate which I have fastened on 
 for you ?' 
 
 The suddenness of this proposal so entirely 
 took Evangela's breath away that she could 
 not find a word to say, and she gazed at him 
 with startled eyes. Her first instinct was to 
 reply with a hasty refusal ; but as she hesitated, 
 Adlofsteln's brow darkened visibly, and an 
 ominous light flashed into his eyes. She saw 
 the proud and haughty resentment of his ex- 
 pression, and, with the recollection of the feud 
 and all the misery it involved, there flashed
 
 GOATS VERSUS SHEEP 173 
 
 into her mind a thought which brought her to 
 an instantaneous decision. If this accident 
 offered a chance of reconciliation, it was better 
 to run the risk of Baron Bertemilian's dis- 
 pleasure, than to let slip an opportunity which 
 would probably never occur again. 
 
 ' You know who I am ?' she asked, looking 
 him straight in the face. 
 
 She asked the question in German, which 
 was the language they had been speaking 
 throughout ; but he answered her now in 
 English, and in perfect English. 
 
 ' Yes,' he said, with quiet deliberation. ' You 
 are Miss Wynne, the English friend of the 
 Bertemilians. You know my name, I think ?' 
 
 The sound of the close-clipped English 
 words, with the even accent that somehow 
 seemed strangely refined and pleasant to the 
 ear after the very different modulations of 
 German voices, had a strange effect upon 
 Evangela. Her heart leaped up, betraying to 
 itself a sense of home-sickness which had been 
 asleep for months, and she felt the sudden sym- 
 pathy which draws one fellow-countryman to 
 another She rose from the bench, and signified 
 her assent by crossing her hands, and silently 
 holding them out for him to take ; and in a 
 moment he had swept her into the crowd. Her
 
 174 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 hands trembled a little in his grasp, and, sup- 
 posing that she was afraid of falling, Adlofstein 
 took her slowly and gently at first ; but as he 
 found that she kept up without difficulty, he 
 put on more speed. 
 
 ' You see, you can manage it quite well,' he 
 said, still in English, as he guided her in long 
 half-circles in and out of the swiftly-moving 
 figures all over the lake. ' You can hang well 
 enough on the edge of your skate when you 
 are pulled over on to it ; and when you have 
 got used to the feel of it, you will be able to do 
 it by yourself.' 
 
 ' You are so strong,' said Evangela, almost 
 too breathless to speak, ' I go in spite of 
 myself. But, oh, please stop now ! I must 
 rest for a moment.' 
 
 He checked their course in an instant, and 
 piloted her into the shelter of the bank out of 
 the way of the whirling crowd. They stood 
 there for a few minutes in silence, watching the 
 movements of the skaters in the glare of the 
 coloured lights, and Evangela looked about 
 rather nervously for Baron Bertemilian, but 
 she did not see him or either of the girls. 
 
 ' You speak English like an Englishman,' 
 she said, with an inquiring glance at her tall 
 companion.
 
 GOATS VERSUS SHEEP 175 
 
 ' Yes ; I have spent a good deal of time in 
 England,' he answered. ' And I am, besides, 
 half English by birth. I sometimes feel as if I 
 were more than half English here — all foreign, 
 indeed — though when I was in England I felt 
 German enough.' 
 
 ' Ah, I know that feeling !' said Evangela 
 quickly. ' I have had it myself, for I am half 
 Austrian ; and in England it used often to make 
 me feel rather outside of Enorlish feelin^rs and 
 prejudices. And yet here I feel so entirely 
 Enoflish.' 
 
 'Indeed!' he said. 'You are really partly 
 Austrian ? I did not know that. I thought 
 you were entirely English ; and I wondered — 
 but I beg your pardon ; it's no concern of mine, 
 of course,' he said, breaking off abruptly. ' Shall 
 we go on skating ?* 
 
 The Eis-fest was at its height. The mag- 
 nesian lights that were being burnt paled the 
 bonfires on the banks, and threw long shafts of 
 vivid colour across the ice ; the swiftly-gliding 
 figures showed out black against the brilliance. 
 There was a hum of confused talk and laughter 
 mingling with the ring of the skates and the 
 whirring of the ice ; and through it all, echoing 
 deliciously in the evening air, rose sweet and 
 clear and stirring the notes of the violins, led
 
 176 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 by the soldierly Kapell-meister. The skaters 
 kept time to the waltz-music, one glide to each 
 bar ; and they swayed in w^ide curves, passing 
 out of the deep glow of a crimson light into the 
 most vivid green, and then into a radiance of 
 an intense blue that tinged the trees, the snowy 
 banks, and the moving figures with an ethereal 
 effect transcending the moonlight. The sense 
 of swift movement without fatigue the music 
 with its ever varying expression and swing, 
 the changing lights and colours, and the in- 
 tensely fresh and bracing air, combined to give 
 a charm to the place that could have been 
 found in no ballroom, and Evangela had never 
 before experienced enjoyment in so keen a 
 form. Her eyes were shining and her face 
 glowing with pleasure, and she felt as if she 
 would like to go on silently for ever. Adlof- 
 stein kept time to the music exactly, and he 
 held her hands in a strong and steady grasp 
 that inspired confidence, guiding her as if by 
 magic through the thickest groups of the 
 crowd ; but he scarcely spoke a word. 
 
 'You must say when you are tired,' he said 
 at last ; but she answered breathlessly, ' Not 
 yet — not yet !' and they went on until the final 
 strains of the waltz. 
 
 Then Adlofstein slackened speed, and steered
 
 GOATS VERSUS SHEEP 177 
 
 for the seat from which they had started. Evan- 
 gela sank down upon it, and gave that Httle 
 involuntary sigh that is the fullest tribute that 
 can be paid to a moment of enjoyment just 
 past. She had forgotten all about Baron Berte- 
 milian, and the possible consequences of this 
 escapade had so completely gone out of her 
 mind that she started when Adlofstein men- 
 tioned his name. 
 
 ' You are a relation of the Bertemilians, 
 then ?' he said, reverting rather abruptly to the 
 subject of their last connected conversation. 
 
 'Yes. My mother was a cousin of the late 
 Baroness.' 
 
 ' I see. I had not understood that,' he said 
 stiffly. ' I supposed that you were wholly an 
 Englishwoman.' 
 
 ' I think that I am really wholly English,' 
 said Evangela. ' I was brought up so, and 
 one is what one is brought up and trained to 
 be — don't you think so ?' 
 
 ' No !' he said, with startling emphasis. ' I 
 do not think so. I think, on the contrary, that 
 we are what we are born to be, and that we 
 can no more escape the fate mapped out for us 
 by our inherited tendencies, than we can alter 
 the colour of our eyes or the shape of our 
 heads. Men may be roughly divided into two 
 
 VOL. 1. 12
 
 178 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 classes — the sheep and the goats. They are 
 born so, and they cannot change their natures. 
 It is rather hard on the goats, who are saddled 
 with the burden of sin, and had no choice in 
 their destiny ; but so it is, and so it will be to 
 the end of time, no doubt.' 
 
 Adlofstein was standing up by the side of 
 the bench, a towering, giant figure, and he was 
 looking away across the ice. He spoke quietly, 
 but with intense bitterness, and Evangela, 
 looking up at him with startled eyes, saw that 
 the subject was one on which he could not 
 speak indifferently. She felt a strong and 
 strangely stirring thrill of interest, and all the 
 impressions and convictions received and 
 nourished in silence through her young, inno- 
 cent life were roused into a new streno;th. In 
 ordinary circumstances they would never have 
 found voice, and she would have been far too 
 shy to say a word about them to an absolute 
 stranger. But the circumstances were not 
 ordinary, and Evangela was not in any 
 ordinary mood. Her eyes kindled, and there 
 was a ringing clearness in her voice as she 
 said fearlessly : 
 
 ' I don't in the least agree with you ! There 
 is that point of view, of course ; but it does not 
 seem to me to be the right one. Personally,
 
 GOATS VERSUS SHEEP 179 
 
 I think that the goat is a very much more 
 picturesque animal than the sheep, and I am 
 sure that his capacity for the interests and 
 enjoyments of Hfe must be much greater. I 
 don't see why he should want to change. Of 
 course, some of us are born with more intract- 
 able natures than others, and with inherited 
 tendencies which are hard to overcome ; but 
 the struggle necessary for that should be an in- 
 valuable means of deepening and strengthening 
 character. I will never believe that we are 
 nothing but the slaves of circumstance and 
 the playthings of fate. That is a miserable 
 creed !' 
 
 * It is a miserable creed, certainly,' Adlofstein 
 assented calmly ; ' but its being miserable does 
 not prove that it is not true. There are, unfor- 
 tunately, many things in existence in this world 
 which are intensely miserable and sad, and yet 
 they are none the less facts for that.' 
 
 ' I do not believe that there are many 
 miseries which are not capable of bringing us 
 some good or blessing, if we only knew it. 
 Happiness and misery are like the lights and 
 shadows in an artist's picture, and no life can 
 be perfect without both ; but it is often in the 
 most splendid pictures that one sees the deepest 
 shadows, and it seems to me that the noblest
 
 i8o GODDESSES THREE 
 
 characters are those which have had the most 
 to contend with.' 
 
 ' You may contend ; but when the struggle 
 is against circumstance and inherited tendency, 
 the result is a foregone conclusion. Heredity, 
 environment, and blind chance — those are the 
 three determining factors of a man's fate.' 
 
 ' I don't believe it! At any rate, I would 
 not believe it until I had tried and was beaten ; 
 and I would not be too ready to know when I 
 was beaten,' said Evangela with sudden fire. 
 ' I believe that resolution can bear down cir- 
 cumstance, and that character is stronger than 
 fate. It is a fight in which suffering has to be 
 faced ; but it has been done over and over 
 again, and with the most splendid results. I 
 know that there are some people to whom it 
 seems natural to be good ; their lives are all 
 sunshine, and they go right as if by instinct 
 from their cradles. But is that all gain ? 
 Yellow ochre is all very well, but it is not 
 worth as much as the gold that has been 
 refined through the fire. You surely cannot 
 think that the advantage is all on their side ?' 
 
 ' Not all, perhaps. Yet there are very few 
 people who would think as you do.' 
 
 Adlofstein had listened to her with surprise 
 and bewilderment, and when she stopped speak-
 
 GOATS VERSUS SHEEP i8i 
 
 ing, he turned and gazed at her, as if in con- 
 sideration of some problem that was difficult of 
 solution. 
 
 ' It seems to me that with the stronger faults 
 the stronger virtues are to be found, and the 
 most splendid possibilities are not to be attained 
 except through suffering and self-conquest. I 
 think ' 
 
 She broke off" short, suddenly becoming aware 
 of the intensity of the keen gaze fixed upon 
 her, and, realizing the frankness with which 
 she had been expressing herself, she blushed 
 body. 
 
 ' Yes ? What were you going to say ?' asked 
 Adlofstein. 
 
 * I — I — I don't know !' Evangela stammered. 
 * I don't know why I should have said so 
 much ' 
 
 ' Go on — go on, pray,' said Adlofstein, with 
 imperious impatience. * For Heaven's sake don't 
 stop me with the dead wall of conventional 
 considerations. I want to hear your view, and 
 it does not matter in the least what you say to 
 me. We shall probably never meet again, 
 except in the street.' 
 
 This was true, Evangela felt ; and yet the 
 assurance somehow lent her no additional confi- 
 dence. She could not get over the shyness that
 
 i82 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 had suddenly come over her, and she answered 
 almost timidly : 
 
 ' I am afraid that I may be speaking about 
 what I do not understand. It all seems so 
 simple and clear to me ; and perhaps it is that 
 I am ignorant and short-sighted, and therefore 
 Can only see shallows where depths exist. The 
 philanthropy and Socialism of which one hears 
 so much in London now, and the teaching of 
 many of the new books about the irony of 
 fate and the irresponsibility of the individual, 
 appear to me simply foolish and ruinous. But 
 these ideas have taken strong hold of the public 
 mind, and the cleverest men seem to lend them- 
 selves to them. You see the effect in the legis- 
 lation which is moving in every direction to 
 take away individual responsibility and private 
 judgment, and I think sometimes that I must 
 be two hundred years behind the age. The 
 ideas of the seventeenth century seem to me 
 so much more rational and sound. I shall 
 learn to see the error of my views, and get 
 educated up to the new code in course of time, 
 I suppose.' 
 
 ' I hope you won't !' Adlofstein said, with 
 sudden and almost startling emphasis. ' Don't 
 ever give up the old-fashioned notions that you 
 hold now. They may be fallacious, but they
 
 GOATS VERSUS SHEEP 183 
 
 are noble and beautiful and womanly ; and if 
 they make you happy, what more can you 
 want ? They are, at least, better than the 
 modern muddle.' 
 
 Evangela was silent, wondering more and 
 more at the turn that this strange conversation 
 had taken ; and Adlofstein stood for a few 
 minutes looking, as if in an abstraction of 
 thought, into the misty moonlight on the 
 mountains ; then he turned, and said abruptly : 
 
 ' Good-night, Miss Wynne. I like the frank- 
 ness and simplicity with which you have spoken 
 out your real thoughts to me. I may never see 
 you again except in the distance ; but, all the 
 same, I am glad I have met you to-night, and I 
 thank you for what you have said. Good-bye.' 
 
 He bowed — the slight English salute that 
 was familiar to Evangela — and, raising his hat, 
 shot away into the crimson mist. In a moment 
 he had vanished in the crowd, and Evangela, 
 left alone in the shadow of the trees, sat as if in 
 a dream, gazing at the black figures flitting in 
 and out of the coloured lights.
 
 [ 184] 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 SCHLOSS GREIFENBURG. 
 
 EvANGELA had not been long by herself, when 
 she saw Melanie's pretty little figure shape 
 itself out of the enchanted mist, and bear swiftly 
 down upon her. 
 
 ' Vangela,' she said in rather scared tones, 
 * where have you been all this time ? We had 
 quite lost you.' 
 
 From her face and manner, Evangela was 
 instantly aware that INIelanie knew who had 
 been her companion, and as she rose to join 
 her, she said : 
 
 ' You know that I have been skating with 
 Baron Adlofstein ?' 
 
 ' Yes, my dear ; and papa knows it also ! 
 My dear, what made you ? I fear we shall 
 have a terrible scene when we get home.' 
 
 'Is Baron Bertemilian angry .'^' asked Evan- 
 gela.
 
 SCHLOSS GREIFENBURG 185 
 
 ' I am afraid he is indeed. He would be 
 with one of us. I don't know what he will say 
 to you. How could it have happened, Vangela } 
 You know that on the ice Damenwahl is the 
 rule to protect us from inconvenient impor- 
 tunities. It is the lady who invites the partner 
 — not the other way ; and how could Adlof- 
 stein, who has never been introduced to 
 you ' 
 
 * There is a sufficient explanation,' said 
 Evangela ; and she told her something of what 
 had occurred. 
 
 Melanie was easily satisfied ; but Evangela 
 did not feel sure that the Baron would not take 
 a different view, and she longed for the fete to 
 come to an end that she might know the worst. 
 
 Twelve o'clock came at last, and people began 
 to depart. Adlofstein was staying the night at 
 the Greifenburg with his cousin, and he had 
 left the ice almost immediately after he had 
 parted with Evangela ; but St. Evremonde 
 stayed on till the last. He walked most of the 
 way home with the Bertemilians, keeping up 
 an incessant flow of talk and laughter with 
 the two girls, and in his presence Baron 
 Bertemilian made no reference to Evangela's 
 misdemeanour. Even when the Marquis had 
 parted from them, and they walked on past the
 
 i86 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 shuttered shops of the town by themselves, he 
 kept a constrained silence, and it was Evangela 
 who at last introduced the subject. 
 
 * I did not have any skating with you to-night, 
 Baron, 'she said, turning to him with frank fear- 
 lessness as soon as they entered the house. 
 
 * No,' he said severely. ' You were otherwise 
 occupied. You chose to take a partner with 
 whom you could hardly expect me to enter into 
 competition.' 
 
 The Baron's brow was clouded, and his eyes 
 had an angry light in them ; but he had been 
 surprised into saying something different to 
 what he intended, and this was what Evangela 
 had wished. The two girls, who stood by 
 listening in silence, were evidently aghast at 
 the temerity of her demeanour. 
 
 ' Yes,' she said quietly. ' I was skating with 
 Baron Adlofstein ; but I do not think you will 
 consider that I did wrong when you know how 
 it happened.' 
 
 ' How could it happen ?' demanded Baron 
 Bertemilian stormlly. ' Who introduced the 
 fellow to you ?' 
 
 ' He introduced himself — he knocked me 
 down.' 
 
 * Knocked you down !' ejaculated Melanie. 
 
 ' Yes. Let me tell you how it came about ;'
 
 SCHLOSS GREIFENBURG 187 
 
 and she gave a full account of all that had 
 taken place. ' My first impulse was to decline,' 
 she said ; ' but then I considered that if I 
 did it might aggravate the mischief which 
 has already been done, and I decided that it 
 would be wiser to be civil. Was it a mistake ? 
 I am very sorry if it was.' 
 
 ' H-m-m ! I don't know ' said the Baron, 
 
 a little shaken. 
 
 ' I really and truly only wished to act for the 
 best, and if I have done wrong, I will do what 
 I can to repair it. If Baron Adlofstein ever 
 speaks to me again, I can tell him that you do 
 not wish me to have anything to do with him. 
 
 'No, no !' said the Baron hastily. ' I should 
 not wish you to do that exactly : it was an awk- 
 ward position, certainly, and I don't quite see 
 how you could extricate yourself ; but still — 
 still ' 
 
 ' I hoped that good might come out of it,' 
 said Evangela, and she saw that the same idea 
 had also occurred to him. 
 
 His wrath had evaporated and his brow had 
 cleared, and before they parted for the night he 
 was completely restored to good-humour. 
 
 ' So, so, Fraulein Vangela, I see now why 
 you were so anxious to attend the Eisfest f he 
 remarked jestingly. ' A fine advantage it was
 
 i88 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 to make of my complaisance, to go and receive 
 the attentions of my mortal enemy !' 
 
 ' Vangela, you are a witch !' Melanie said 
 afterwards. ' How you do manage papa ! 
 Either of us would have been in disgrace for a 
 month, however excellent our intentions might 
 have been ; but with you he is better pleased 
 than ever — I know it by that joke he made — in 
 his heart he is delighted. And oh, my dear ! 
 I hope you may be right, and that good may 
 indeed come out of it. It does seem as if the 
 cloud were lifting. Did you observe how St. 
 Evremonde skated nearly all the time with 
 either Thekla or me, and did not care at all 
 that his cousin was there ? I wonder what he 
 thought of Adlofstein's wonderful politeness to 
 you ? He must have observed it.' 
 
 St. Evremonde had indeed observed his 
 cousin's unusual action. He was a man whose 
 notice nothing ever escaped, and as he walked 
 back to the Greifenburg after parting with the 
 Bertemilians, he was asking himself what it 
 meant. That Adlofstein should evince an in- 
 clination for feminine society was a new, and at 
 this particular moment a peculiarly inappro- 
 priate, thing ; but remembering the stern 
 decision with which his cousin had said that he 
 would never marry, he felt that there was no
 
 SCHLOSS GREIFENBURG 189 
 
 cause for uneasiness. Adlofstein was a man 
 who never went back from his word, and St. 
 Evremonde knew that he might count upon the 
 inheritance of Adlofstein and Greifenbure as an 
 absolute certainty. 
 
 He stood in the waning moonlight, lost in 
 thought, as he looked at the massive pile of the 
 old fortress cutting high into the night sky, and 
 he observed with a new interest, and a strange 
 swelling exultation of heart, the grim outlines 
 of the towers and turrets, and the cannon-balls 
 lodged in the masonry ; but suddenly he felt a 
 hand laid upon his shoulder, and he gave a 
 violent start as he realized that Adlofstein was 
 standing on the bridge by his side. 
 
 ' I thought you had gone in,' he said hastily, 
 all the blood receding from his face at the 
 thought that his friend might have guessed what 
 was going on in his mind. It was an incon- 
 venient trick that Adlofstein had, and he some- 
 times came out with surmises which were brutally 
 near the truth ; but to-night, if any awkward 
 perceptions were in his mind, he had the grace 
 to keep them to himself 
 
 ' I stayed out for a smoke,' Adlofstein said 
 laconically, and he replaced between his lips 
 the lighted cigarette that he held between his 
 fingers.
 
 190 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 ' Let us go in,' said St. Evremonde hurriedly ; 
 ' it is getting very late, and I am dead tired.' 
 
 * Yet you could stop to admire the effect of 
 an old building in the moonlight !' observed 
 Adlofstein as they passed into the shadow of 
 the deeply-arched entrance ; ' but you have an 
 artistic soul.' 
 
 To this St. Evremonde made no reply, and 
 he hastened to change the current of his com- 
 panion's ideas by introducing another subject. 
 
 ' I think I know someone else who has an 
 artistic soul,' he said with a light laugh. ' How 
 about the pretty girls that you spoke so con- 
 temptuously of the other day, Adlofstein ? You 
 were attentive enough to one of them to-night. 
 I did not imagine that it was in you to play the 
 pretix chevaliei' to such perfection !' 
 
 They had mounted the short, wide flight of 
 shallow stone stairs which led to the dwelling- 
 rooms of the house, and were entering the com- 
 fortably-furnished room which St. Evremonde 
 chiefly used. It had been the private sitting- 
 room of the late Baron, and Adlofstein's brow- 
 contracted with a momentary expression of 
 annoyance as he saw St. Evremonde throw 
 himself into the familiar chair by the writing- 
 table. He himself walked to the window, which 
 looked out upon the church and the priest's
 
 SCHLOSS GREIFENBURG 191 
 
 house beyond, and he took no notice of his 
 cousin's jesting remark. 
 
 * Seriously, though,' persisted St. Evremonde, 
 ' do you think the little English girl's discrimi- 
 nation so much in fault as you did? It ap- 
 peared to me that she was very decidedly 
 enjoying your company ! By the way, how did 
 you manage to get introduced ?' 
 
 ' I introduced myself,' replied Adlofstein 
 briefly. 
 
 St. Evremonde laughed — a little chuckle of 
 intense amusement. 
 
 * Well,' he said, ' I can only say that I should 
 not have thought it of you ! Talk of wolves in 
 the fold ! I should like to know what Berte- 
 milian thinks of you. If you had seen his face 
 when he became aware that you had got one 
 of his flock in your clutches !' 
 
 ' Bertemilian — he saw, did he }' 
 
 ' Of course he saw — everyone saw ! You are 
 not such an insignificant figure, my dear fellow, 
 that you can escape notice. It is to be hoped 
 that the young lady did enjoy her pleasure, 
 for she will certainly have to pay for it.' 
 
 ' In what way ? — what do you mean .'^' asked 
 Adlofstein, turning sharp round. 
 
 ' I mean that she will get a tremendous row- 
 ing from Bertemilian. I could see that his
 
 ,92 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 nerves were all on edge when I walked with 
 them, and I expect it was only my presence that 
 saved her then. I am sure there was a bad 
 half-hour before her, and I think she will be 
 lucky If she gets off with a scolding. He 
 might pack her off home for her escapade.' 
 
 ' Escapade ! Good heavens, St. Evremonde ! 
 what are you talking about ? There was no 
 escapade. She could not help it If I asked her 
 to skate with me. She could not have declined 
 without an exhibition of incivility that there was 
 no call for.' 
 
 * You asked her, did you ? Well, you know 
 Danienwahl is supposed to be in force with 
 strangers, and it might have been assumed that 
 she had asked you.' 
 
 ' Absurd ! Besides, she would explain how It 
 occurred. It was very simple and natural, really, 
 and I cannot believe that even Bertemlllan would 
 be such a fool as not to see. You don't think 
 that he would turn her out, or do anything 
 brutal ? If he does ' 
 
 ' You would come out as her champion, per- 
 haps ?' suggested St. Evremonde, choking with 
 laughter ; but he checked himself suddenly, as 
 he met the flash of his friend's glance. ' Pooh, 
 no ! Bertemlllan will do nothing desperate — 
 he Is not that sort of man. Don't disturb your-
 
 SCHLOSS GREIFENBURG 193 
 
 self. He may storm and rage, and scold and 
 lecture, but it will all end in words, and words 
 don't lead to breaking of bones in the case of 
 women ; on the contrary, the more you slang 
 them, the more peace you are likely to have.' 
 
 ' I don't hold the same views that you do 
 about women, as you very well know,' said 
 Adlofstein with a touch of disdain. 
 
 ' So much the worse for you, my friend ; you 
 don't know what you lose !' said St. Evremonde 
 lightly. ' I know that it is in vain to dispute 
 with such a veritable Hippolytus, but after to- 
 night I confess I have hopes of you. At any 
 rate, you do not object to my cultivating the 
 acquaintance of the Bertemilians ?' 
 
 ' Not in the least. Which of them do you 
 intend to make miserable ?' 
 
 'Happy, you mean! Well, I really don't 
 know. Both are so charming in different ways, 
 and perhaps that is as well, since it is a safe- 
 guard. I like sisters — one can go so much 
 further, without compromising one's self, you 
 see. If I were rich — but you see I am not, so 
 what is the use of thinking about it ?' 
 
 ' You may be better off some day. And that 
 reminds me, St. Evremonde. I think I may 
 as well give the will that I made the other day 
 into your keeping. You are the person chiefly 
 
 VOL. I. I 2
 
 194 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 interested, so you will be sure to see that it comes 
 into effect. I have brought it with me. Here 
 it is. You had better put it in some safe place.' 
 
 St. Evremonde took the packet which Adlof- 
 stein handed to him with a sudden flush rising 
 to his cheeks, and an irrepressible gleam of 
 eagerness in his eyes. 
 
 ' It is exceedingly good of you, Louis, and I 
 really don't know how to thank you,' he said 
 rather nervously. ' Of course the chances are 
 that it will never come into effect. You are 
 almost the same age as I am, and are just as 
 likely to live — I am sure I sincerely hope you 
 will — but still that does not alter your kindness 
 in thinking of me, when I had not the slightest 
 claim ' 
 
 * Oh, as to that,' said Adlofstein dryly, ' I have 
 no intention of putting you into possession of 
 my property a moment before I need, and, as 
 you justly remark, I may live as long as you do, 
 so you don't owe me any very particular thanks. 
 If one could take one's goods with one beyond 
 the grave, one would, I dare say.' 
 
 ' It seems a great shame that one cannot,' 
 laughed St. Evremonde. ' What ! you are 
 not going without any supper ? Won't you take 
 at least a cup of coffee ?' 
 
 ' No, thank you. I never touch coffee now ;
 
 SCHLOSS GREIFENBURG 195 
 
 I seem to have taken a dislike to it since that 
 last attack of illness that came on after taking 
 it. I will have some soup sent up to my room, 
 please,' he said to a servant who was bringing 
 in a tray set out with game, sweets, wine and 
 hot coffee. ' You must excuse me to-nio^ht, 
 Victor ; I am still something of an invalid as 
 regards diet and late hours, and Hempel would 
 be solemnly horrified if he knew what I have 
 done to-night. Good-night.' 
 
 St. Evremonde wrung his hand warmly. He 
 saw that his cousin's face was haggard and 
 deathly pale, and the icy coldness of his hand 
 was absolutely startling. 
 
 ' Is he going to have another attack to-night, 
 I wonder T he thought, as he gazed after the 
 giant figure leaving the room. ' Good heavens! 
 if he should, and it were to prove fatal !' He 
 sat down to his solitary supper, and taking the 
 will out of the unsealed envelope in which it was 
 contained, opened it, and slowly read over the 
 provisions that he had been too much confused 
 to take in thoroughly when Adlofstein had told 
 him of them. It was rich sauce to the meal, and 
 yet when St. Evremonde rose from the table, 
 and folded up the paper, having thoroughly 
 mastered its contents, there was a cloud upon 
 his brow.
 
 196 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 ' Sixty thousand florins to the Baroness — it is 
 a great sum !' he said regretfully. ' I should 
 have thought that thirty would have been 
 enough. And, then, thirty thousand to Ste- 
 phanie Stillenheim. It will make a terrible hole 
 in the estate, and the Stillenheim has no sort 
 of claim. I wonder if he ever thought of 
 marrying her ? Can he possibly have cared 
 anything about such an ugly, wizened, cross- 
 grained creature ? No ! it is not likely. It is 
 because he is sorry for her. He knows that 
 she is a hopeless old maid, and that there is no 
 provision for her ; and it is just like his quixot- 
 ism to take it upon himself. Then the legacies 
 to the servants, and five thousand to the priest 
 — bah ! I should have thought that Adlofstein 
 would have had more sense than to fritter away 
 the property in these foolish legacies. The 
 estate won't bear it, and this precious docu- 
 ment won't be worth so very much to me, after 
 all.' 
 
 In spite of this conclusion, however, St. 
 Evremonde folded up the will with considerable 
 care, and began to consider where he should 
 place it for present safety. As he glanced round 
 the room, his eye was caught by a small inlaid 
 cabinet near the writing-table, that had keys in 
 some of the drawers ; and going up to it, he
 
 SCHLOSS GREIFENBURG 197 
 
 opened one of the drawers, and looked through 
 its contents. There was nothing in it but 
 rubbish — bits of sealing-wax and paper, and one 
 or two old business letters addressed to Baron 
 Adlofstein. It had evidently been used by the 
 late Baron as a receptacle for odds and ends, 
 and St. Evremonde felt no compunction in look- 
 ing through all the drawers. The locks were 
 loose and ramshackly, and the keys of the 
 poorest and simplest description ; but in the top 
 drawer, lying by the side of a large bunch of 
 curious old seals in gold and silver, was a key 
 of a different description — a key that evidently 
 belonged to a lock of some superior kind. 
 
 ' Now, what does this key belong to ?' said 
 St. Evremonde, looking observantly round the 
 room. ' Ah ! I wonder if it opens that drawer 
 in the writine-table that I found was locked ?' 
 
 He tried it, and after a little difficulty, owing 
 to the rustiness of the key, it went round in the 
 lock, and the drawer came open. There were 
 a quantity of papers in it, and on the top of 
 them all was a small sealed packet, bearing an 
 address in a large and legible handwriting. St. 
 Evremonde took it up, and read : 
 
 ' For my son, Louis Wilderich, Freiherr von 
 Adlofstein. To be opened in the case of my 
 sudden or violent death only.'
 
 [ 198] 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 A VOICE FROM THE GRAVE. 
 
 The Marquis stood silent and motionless, gazing 
 fixedly at the inscription on the packet which he 
 held in his hand. What did this mean ? What 
 could it mean but one thing ? It was an expla- 
 nation of the mystery which had surrounded the 
 death of the late Baron — it must be that — but 
 what explanation and what effect would it have 
 upon Adlofstein ? The unsealed packet, whose 
 contents St. Evremonde knew, lay on the 
 writing-table where he had dropped it in his 
 search for a safe resting-place, and he took it up 
 and weighed it against the other packet — the 
 sealed packet, whose contents he did not know. 
 What was the possible relation of those two 
 packets to each other ? That was the point 
 which St. Evremonde was debating in his own 
 mind. He had a code of honour which was in 
 its way strict and punctilious enough, and in
 
 A VOICE FROM THE GRAVE 199 
 
 ordinary circumstances he would not have hesi- 
 tated for a moment as to the proper course to 
 take. He would have scorned to open another 
 man's letters or pry into his secrets, and he had 
 never yet betrayed the faith and confidence of 
 any male friend, however many of the opposite 
 sex he had played fast and loose with. But 
 now — now — might not Adlofstein's whole point 
 of view be altered by the contents of this 
 packet, and his consequent action be altogether 
 different ? Let him change his mind about the 
 disposition of his property, and the will that it 
 had seemed so important to secure would become 
 merely so much waste-paper. It was a matter 
 of close personal concern to St. Evremonde, 
 and his life had not been one that fitted him to 
 meet the tremendous temptation which suddenly 
 assailed him. 
 
 The wax candles in the silver sconces on the 
 writing-table had burnt down nearly to their 
 sockets, and one of them, which had guttered, 
 flickered and died out. Through the windows 
 there came a dull, pale light, that seemed like 
 the herald of a sickly dawn, but it was really only 
 the lingering radiance of the moon, which had 
 sunk behind the mountains. St. Evremonde 
 had lost all count of time ; but he was roused 
 by the sound of the church clock striking two.
 
 200 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 He looked up with a start, and moving hastily 
 to the door, he locked and bolted it. 
 
 ' I must see it first,' he said with the delibera- 
 tion of a man who has come to a carefully con- 
 sidered determination ; and taking up the packet, 
 he inspected the seals closely. There were 
 three of them, and the impression was that of 
 the Adlofstein crest — a drawn sword and an 
 eagle on a rock. When he put down the packet 
 again, he w^ent to the drawer in which he had 
 found the key, and, taking out the bunch of seals 
 he had seen there, he compared the impres- 
 sions. 
 
 ' I thought so,' he said, as one of the seals 
 fitted exactly, ' and here is the same sealing-wax 
 if it should be necessary to seal it up again ;' and 
 without further hesitation he broke the seals 
 and opened the packet. 
 
 He had scarcely done so, and he had not had 
 time to read more than the first words, ' My 
 dear boy,' with which the letter began, when 
 the second candle flared up and went out, and 
 he was left in darkness. In the dim moonlight 
 the furniture of the room was not distinguish- 
 able, and St. Evremonde muttered a curse as he 
 stumbled over a chair in his gropings after a 
 light. He found a candle at last, and lighting 
 it with a match from the little gold box — a
 
 A VOICE FROM THE GRAVE 201 
 
 lady's present — that he always carried in his 
 pocket, he went back to the letter which had 
 fallen into his hands, and read the message from 
 the dead. 
 
 ' My dear Boy, 
 
 'When these lines meet your eyes I shall 
 be dead and gone, and my voice will never again 
 sound in your ears. I know that, in spite of 
 the unhappy quarrels and dissensions that have 
 come between us, you have never really wavered 
 from the strong affection which has alw^ays ex- 
 isted in our hearts, any more than I have, and I 
 know that this letter, vv^hich will seem to you 
 like a voice from the grave, will be in your eyes 
 the most precious of all the papers that you will 
 find. But, Louis — my dear, dear Louis — if I 
 have died in a natural way, not with mysterious 
 suddenness or violence, I ask you to go no 
 further, but to thrust this letter unread into the 
 fire. I know that I can trust you to do this, 
 and I hope and pray that you will be able to do 
 it. In case, however, that should happen which 
 I hope will not, but which I dread, I think that 
 you ought to be put on your guard against a 
 danger which might afterward threaten yourself 
 or others. That danger is the Baroness, my 
 wife. It is with the deepest pain and reluctance
 
 202 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 that I write it (but I know that you will respect 
 my secret) : my poor wife is subject to fits of 
 insanity, during which she has shown homicidal 
 tendencies. She has twice attempted to destroy 
 my life : once by stabbing me, and once by 
 introducing burning charcoal into my room when 
 I was asleep. I believe that the relation of her 
 disease to these acts is obscure, and rather than 
 expose her to the miseries that might befall her 
 if the thing became known, I have chosen to 
 face the risk and keep it secret. Since it is 
 only my own safety that is threatened, I con- 
 sider that I have a right to adopt this course — 
 privately taking every precaution that I can — 
 but in case these precautions should fail, and I 
 should perish without having time to give any 
 explanation or warning, I feel it my duty to leave 
 behind some testimony for your enlightenment. 
 For in the last instance, when I was nearly 
 suffocated by the charcoal, it occurred to me 
 that in the absence of all evidence against my 
 wife, suspicion might fall upon an innocent per- 
 son, or I might be thought to have taken my 
 own life in a fit of insanity. This last supposi- 
 tion I especially wish to guard against, as I 
 know it would bring a cloud over your whole 
 life. From words that you have let fall in my 
 hearing I know the horror you have of the taint
 
 A VOICE FROM THE GRA VE 203 
 
 of insanity which has in far-back times been a 
 curse in our family ; and if you thought that it 
 had been revived in me, I fear that, with your 
 strong will and unyielding conscience, the wreck 
 of your happiness might be the result. I thank 
 God daily, Louis, that I have no children from 
 this marriage, and that, with the splendid 
 physique and the pure and healthy blood that 
 you inherit from your English mother, you are 
 safe from the curse, and will be able to regene- 
 rate our House. 
 
 * It was not until after my marriage, when 
 circumstances occurred that caused me to make 
 inquiries, that I found out that the family of 
 my second wife had this taint — was, indeed, 
 saturated with insanity. Perhaps if I had dis- 
 covered it before, I should not have married 
 her — but I don't know ! I have not your in- 
 exorable strength of will and determination, 
 and I was infatuated. I made a mistake. I 
 know it now, and I fear I have ruined her life 
 as well as my own. She never loved me as I 
 loved her — I knew that from the beginning ; 
 but I hoped that the strength of my affection 
 for her might win her. It has not done so, 
 and I fear that the strain of an uncongenial 
 marriage tie may have had its effect in throwing 
 her mind off its balance. It has been an awful
 
 204 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 mistake ; but as the responsibility of it is mine, 
 I feel that the burden ought also to be borne 
 by me. For two years my life has been 
 darkened by this trouble ; you have become 
 estranged from me, and in order to protect my 
 wife against herself, I have been obliged to 
 shut out all society from my house. You will 
 understand now w^hat the cloud has been, and 
 you will forgive my shortcomings towards you. 
 I know your warm and generous heart, and I 
 think you will already have done so without 
 this explanation. But oh, Louis ! if the worst 
 should happen, and you should read this, be 
 warned by my fate ! Do not marry a woman 
 who has not given her whole heart to you, and 
 choose your wife rather for the qualities of 
 her mind and heart than for mere beauty or 
 outward charm. The latter will fade, and you 
 become so accustomed to the features of a face 
 that Is always near you, that it is beauty of 
 expression alone that matters In the end. Your 
 mother was not beautiful ; but I was perfectly 
 happy with her, and it is the remembrance of 
 that time which alone sustains me now. I 
 trust that you may find the like happiness with 
 a woman who is worthy of you. 
 
 ' And now, my dear son, I think I have said 
 all that is necessary, except to beg you not to
 
 A VOICE FROM THE GRA VE 205 
 
 be hard upon my poor wife. I hope that she 
 is not really mad, and that it is only a passing 
 weakness that has had this terrible effect upon 
 her nerves ; but, however that may be, I know 
 that for my sake you will be pitiful to her ; and 
 if restraint should become necessary, you will 
 take care that it is of a mild kind. For I love 
 her still, Louis, in spite of all that has happened. 
 You, with your true and constant nature, can 
 understand how that should be, and I can trust 
 you to do all that I should wish. My last 
 prayer to you is that you should forgive her 
 and me, and that you should suffer no rankling 
 remembrances of the past to cloud your life 
 and poison your happiness. 
 
 ' Adieu, my dear, dear son, and believe that 
 I am now, as I have always been, 
 
 * Your deeply devoted and loving father, 
 ' WiLDERicH Franz Lothar von Adlofstein.' 
 
 By the light of the single candle which flared 
 on the writing-table, St. Evremonde read the 
 letter through to the end ; and when he had 
 got to the bottom of the last page, he turned 
 to the first, and deliberately read it through 
 again. He was not a man to do anything by 
 halves, and though he could not stifle a twinge 
 of compunction as he read the pathetic opening
 
 2o6 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 out of the father's heart that was Intended for 
 the eyes of his son alone, he would not allow 
 his scruples to influence his action in a matter 
 that so deeply affected his interests. After he 
 had thoroughly mastered the contents of the 
 letter, he let it fall upon the table, and set 
 himself to consider the matter carefully in all 
 its bearings. It did not take him long to 
 arrive at a conclusion, and before he had got to 
 the end of the second reading of the letter, the 
 whole case lay before him as clearly as if it 
 were set forth in the columns of a newspaper 
 report. 
 
 ' She killed him !' he said — ' that she-devil ! 
 My God ! and he suffered her to do it — what a 
 man ! She is a homicidal maniac, and she has 
 tried to kill Louis, too ! Those illnesses of his 
 — of course they have been the effect of poison 
 administered by her. After taking a cup of 
 coffee, he said — God in heaven ! she nearly did 
 it that time, and if she tries again she will 
 succeed. She will try again unless I ' 
 
 He broke off suddenly, his mind recoiling 
 from an aspect of the situation that presented 
 itself all at once, and a strange convulsion 
 passed over his features. 
 
 ' These attacks have been the result of no 
 inherent defect in his constitution — he is as
 
 A VOICE FROM THE GRA VE 207 
 
 Strong and as sane as anyone ; and the curse 
 that he imagines throws its shadow over him, 
 stands far away from him. It Is nearly a 
 hundred years since the taint broke out before, 
 and I am descended from that blood as much 
 as he. His father was as free from it as I, 
 and the melancholy that came over him in the 
 last years of his life was simply the result 
 of domestic unhappiness. When Adlofstein 
 learns all this, what influence will it have 
 upon him — what effect will it have upon his 
 actions, upon his disposition of his property ? 
 Why, of course, his whole point of view 
 will be altered ; he will marry ; he will have 
 a family, and this will that he has made in my 
 favour ' 
 
 St Evremonde broke into a bitter little 
 laugh. 
 
 ' It was certainly a peculiarly ironical turn of 
 fate that should make me the discoverer of this 
 packet, and on this night of all others ! If only 
 I had not had this cursed idea of hunting for a 
 safe place in this room — if I had not lost the 
 key of my despatch-box — if the lock of my 
 portmanteau had not been broken — if that 
 confounded valet of mine were not such a 
 prying scoundrel — if it were not for the com- 
 bination of all these little chances, that key
 
 2o8 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 might have reposed where it was for another 
 ten years, and the packet would have lain 
 undisturbed until mine had become the rightful 
 hand to open it. Adlofstein would long have 
 been dead, I should have been his heir, and I 
 would have cleared his father's memory with 
 no stains on my conscience. Now ' 
 
 There was another long pause, in which his 
 thoughts became too concentrated to be for- 
 mulated. 
 
 ' If only I had not found it !' he muttered. 
 ' If I could forget that I had found it ! But that, 
 unfortunately, is impossible.' 
 
 The clock outside struck three, and he started 
 violently at the sound. ' Good heavens ! how 
 late it is ! I must decide upon something. I 
 have got to go off early to-morrow. Well, it 
 will do no harm to leave it where it is for the 
 present. I will close it up, and then I can 
 make up my mind afterwards whether I will 
 give it him or not.' 
 
 He began cracking off the seals with his 
 knife, intending to replace them with fresh 
 ones ; but the task was more difficult than he 
 had foreseen ; his hand was not very steady, 
 and he found that he was cutting the paper. 
 He thought that it might be more easily done 
 by holding the seals above the flame of the
 
 A VOICE FROM THE GRA VE 209 
 
 candle until the wax should be sufficiently 
 heated to take a fresh impression ; and he tried 
 that plan, but it succeeded even worse than the 
 other. At the end of half an hour he had 
 completed his operations, but he was thoroughly 
 dissatisfied with the result — and, indeed, the 
 paper, cut, smoked, and even burned in one 
 place, showed signs of having been tampered 
 with that w^ould have been patent to the least 
 critical observer. St. Evremonde was angry 
 with himself for such clumsiness. 
 
 ' I can't give it him as it is now^ — that is very 
 certain,' he reflected. ' Well, what if I were to 
 leave it where I found it, and let it take its 
 chance of being discovered ? Then, when it is 
 found — if ever it is — even though he should 
 see that it had been tampered with, he would 
 never dream of connecting it with me. I might 
 even give it to him now, saying that I had 
 found it as it is. I don't see why he should 
 suspect me — and yet — no, no ! I cannot do 
 that ! He would know that I had a motive ; 
 he would make awkw^ard remarks ; and I might 
 betray myself by a look, if not by a word. He 
 is very keen, and he has a most detestable 
 habit of reading one's thoughts. I cannot do 
 it — and, besides, it is too much to expect that I 
 should with my own hands pull down the corner- 
 
 VOL. I. 14
 
 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 stone of my fortunes. I will warn him against 
 the Baroness. That is as much as can be 
 expected of me, and I will lock this paper up 
 again to take its chance.' 
 
 He put the packet back underneath all the 
 other papers, and closed the drawer. He had 
 had some difficulty in unlocking it, but now 
 the key turned easily enough, and for safety he 
 put it into his pocket with the will, which he 
 resolved to take upstairs. Somehow the idea 
 of leaving those two papers together, even 
 though they were safe from discovery, was re- 
 pugnant to him, and the safeguarding of the 
 will from the inquisitive eyes of his valet seemed 
 a comparatively unimportant matter now. 
 
 He drank off a small wineglassful of absinthe 
 before he left the room, and then, taking up the 
 candle, which had dwindled down into a very 
 small piece, he passed out into the wide corri- 
 dor that all the rooms opened into. The tall 
 windows of the corridor looked out on to the 
 square court in the centre of the Castle ; but 
 there was no light from outside now. It was 
 pitch dark in the gallery, and the faint light 
 that St. Evremonde carried flickered and 
 waned in the draughts, bringing out ghostly 
 shadows in all directions. He walked very 
 cautiously and quietly ; but in the dead silence
 
 A VOICE FROM THE GRA VE 
 
 of the night the boards creaked horribly, and 
 he felt a nervousness and a sense of guilt and 
 fear which were strange to him as he made his 
 way round the hollow square to the opposite 
 wing, and approached the room which he knew 
 was occupied by Adlofstein. He had to pass it 
 to reach his own, and he stopped to listen for a 
 few seconds at the door. I'here was no sound 
 from within, and St. Evremonde passed on. 
 
 * He is all right to-night, at all events,' he 
 thought. ' I am sure 1 am glad of that ;' but in 
 his inmost heart he knew that the reflection was 
 rather the expression of what he ought to feel 
 than of what he actually did. 
 
 He closed his door softly behind him, and 
 ten minutes later the light shining from under 
 it went out. The church-clock was striking 
 four as it disappeared, and it was echoed by the 
 town-hall clock and all the other clocks in the 
 town. The chimes died away, and then the 
 most perfect stillness reigned in the Castle, and 
 the great corridor looked out with blank, un- 
 seeing eyes into the court below\ 
 . Suddenly out of the silence there came a 
 sound. What was it } A creak of the old 
 oak boards — a soft footstep — yes, and a dark 
 figure stealing furtively past St. Evremonde's 
 door. It was St. Evremonde's man, Alphonse
 
 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 Laroche, and having satisfied himself that his 
 master's light was extinguished, he made his 
 way noiselessly to the room that the Marquis 
 had just quitted. When he reached it, he 
 pushed aside the slide of a dark lantern that he 
 carried, and as he flashed the light on to the 
 wTiting-table, he had much the appearance of 
 a buroflar in the act of his nefarious business. 
 It was not felony, however, that he meditated, 
 but merely the satisfaction of an intensely 
 prying and scheming nature, which knew the 
 full value of the advantages that might be 
 gained from a knowledge of other men's affairs, 
 and particularly from those of his master. 
 
 ' What was he doing all that time ?' he ques- 
 tioned. ' He was sitting here ; that I know by 
 the sound he made when he got up to fetch a 
 fresh candle. It must have been something 
 interesting to keep him up till this time of 
 night. He was not writing, for the ink has 
 not been touched, and the pens are dry. He 
 was not readinor — at least not a book. Aha 1 
 
 o 
 
 what have we here ?' 
 
 The Frenchman had a sharply-cut, black- 
 avised face with intensely keen black eyes, and 
 they brightened suddenly as their glance fell 
 upon the floor. There was a little fall of dust 
 upon the polished parquet, and Laroche saw in
 
 A VOICE FROM THE GRAVE 213 
 
 a moment that it had been caused by the 
 opening of the locked drawer that had been a 
 trouble to him before this. He pulled softly 
 at the handles ; perhaps the Marquis had left 
 it unlocked ; but no, it was fast, it would not 
 come open. 
 
 ' Bah !' he said, with a look of supreme dis- 
 gust. ' He has locked it again, and put the 
 key in his pocket. That is the one place that 
 I cannot get into, and he will go off with it 
 to-morrow. What is the good of having lost 
 the key of his despatch-box and broken the 
 lock of his portmanteau, if I am to be circum- 
 vented in this sort of way ? Mille tonnerres P 
 
 The last ejaculation was one of surprise. In 
 his impatience and disgust he had given a 
 sharp pull to the handles of the drawer, and 
 with a little click it had come open. The lock 
 was a peculiar one, and the ease with which 
 the Marquis had fastened it had been delusive ; 
 it had not properly caught the bolt. A grin of 
 satisfaction and delight spread over Laroche's 
 face as he realized this, and, plunging his hands 
 in amongst the papers, he lifted out the whole 
 heap. He turned the bundle upside down 
 upon the table, in order that he might replace 
 them in the order in which he found them, and 
 thus the sealed packet that the Marquis had so
 
 2T4 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 carefully hidden under the others was the first 
 that met Laroche's eye. 
 
 He took it up in his hand and inspected it 
 narrowly. He noted the torn edge of the 
 paper and the burned spot, and he applied his 
 sharp nose to the sealing-wax. Then, carefully 
 examining the leathern surface of the table by 
 the light of his lantern, he placed his finger 
 upon a little pinky-red spot that was near the 
 centre. It was the merest dot, but it was red, 
 and it was sealing-wax. It was, moreover, an 
 unusual shade of colour, and it was the same as 
 that on the packet. 
 
 ' Br-r-r-r ! I think that will do !' the man 
 said to himself ; ' but it may be as well to 
 glance through the whole lot, to make sure.' 
 
 He looked through the remaining papers ; 
 but a very cursory examination satisfied him 
 that they were of no interest, and he replaced 
 them in their order in the drawer. The prize 
 which he had discovered he did not put back. 
 An instant's reflection convinced him that, if 
 the Marquis discovered the loss of it, he would 
 never dare to set on foot open inquiries for a 
 packet so compromising ; and he slipped it into 
 his pocket with an exultant smile on his dark, 
 diplomatic face. 
 
 'Aha, M. le Marquis! if ever a time of
 
 A VOICE FROM THE GRAVE 215 
 
 reckoning should come between you and me, 
 this may prove a trump card in my hand ! I 
 will keep it for that.' And making his way 
 down to his little bedroom on the ground-floor, 
 he slept the sleep of the just until it was time 
 to take up his master's chocolate and hot water 
 in the morning.
 
 [ 216 ] 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 DAMENWAHL. 
 
 St. Evr^monde was away, and Adlofstein, who 
 had gone back to his Castle in the mountains, 
 came no more to the ice. Evangela was glad. 
 She had been looking forward with consider- 
 able apprehension to the awkwardness that 
 might arise from meeting him ; and his absence 
 was to her a source of unmitigated relief and 
 thanksgiving. For a week after the Eisfest 
 she did not see him ; but one afternoon, when 
 the three girls, all warm and glowing from the 
 exercise of skating, were returning home, they 
 met the redoubtable Baron in the Platz. He 
 was on his way from the Stillenheims' to the 
 Greifenburg, and a brilliant colour flashed into 
 Evangela's face as she saw him approaching. 
 Ought she to give any sign of recognition ? 
 would he bow } she asked herself hurriedly. 
 At any rate, the failure in civility, if failure
 
 DAMENWAHL 217 
 
 there was to be, should not be on her side — on 
 that point she was resolved ; and she looked at 
 him with a half-smile in her eyes. She fully 
 expected him to go by without a glance ; but 
 he did not. He saw the recognition in her 
 face as he came up, and whatever his previous 
 intention might have been, his instincts as a 
 gentleman asserted themselves at the moment, 
 and he bowed and raised his hat as he went 
 past. 
 
 Melanie and Thekla were wildly excited by 
 this wonderful exhibition of civility on Adlof- 
 stein's part, and they could talk of nothing 
 but the rencontre until they reached home. 
 Evangela was a little annoyed by some of 
 Thekla's remarks, and she was glad when the 
 post came in bringing letters which formed a 
 distraction. 
 
 There was a letter for Evanoela from Mrs. 
 Dabley, and it contained a long and detailed 
 account of a most extraordinary and objection- 
 able development in the character of Miss 
 Mills. This young lady, it seemed, had an un- 
 principled habit of agreeing with every opinion 
 that was advanced, whatever her own views 
 might be ; and as Mrs. Dabley and the Major 
 very often held different opinions, they had 
 speedily found her out, and were disgusted with
 
 2i8 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 her duplicity. She had agreed with the Major 
 that blue was the best possible colour for a 
 drawing-room carpet, and had aided and 
 abetted him in the choice of a regular Reckitt's 
 Blue shade, and then, when the new carpet had 
 come, and Mrs. Dabley was horrified at it, 
 Miss Mills had sympathized with her, and had 
 said that no one but a Yahoo could ever have 
 chosen such a colour. Mrs. Dabley did not 
 know whether she was an Anarchist in dis- 
 guise, or what ; but she felt very uneasy, for 
 what possible oSjec^ could a young woman have 
 for such gratuitous deception ? The only ex- 
 planation that she (Mrs. Dabley) could think of 
 was that a long course of training in duplicity 
 had so w^arped her mind as to make her in- 
 capable of expressing herself with honesty and 
 straightforwardness ; but at whatever cost or 
 risk to herself, Mrs. Dabley had made up her 
 mind to keep on the girl, in the hope of 
 REFORMING her (trebly underlined). 
 
 Evangela, sitting toasting her feet at the 
 open door of the stove in her room, was 
 smiling to herself over this account of Miss 
 Mills' enormities, when she was startled by 
 a scream from the outer room, and the next 
 moment the two girls came bursting in. 
 
 ' Oh, Vangela, Vangela ! What do you
 
 DAMENWAHL 219 
 
 think ? We are all invited to a grande chasse 
 after Christmas ! The Countess Rothenfels 
 has written to invite us, and she hopes we will 
 stay for a week. Is it not perfectly delightful ?' 
 
 ' Of course you must come too,' said Melanie, 
 seeing a doubtful expression on Evangela's 
 face ; ' we would not go without you ; and 
 you are sure to enjoy it. We shall meet such 
 nice people ; and it will be such a new experi- 
 ence for you to see one of our great hunts.' 
 
 ' I should not be surprised if M. de St. Evre- 
 monde were to be there,' said Thekla. ' That 
 French valet of his— Alphonse Laroche, I think 
 his name is — told Marie Kutscher ' 
 
 She stopped short, catching herself up rather 
 suddenly. 
 
 ' Go on,' said Melanie eagerly. ' You have 
 been talking again with that Kutscher girl, I 
 see ; but never mind, I will forgive you this 
 time. What did she say ?' 
 
 ' Well, she said that she had heard from 
 Laroche that the Marquis was going on a visit 
 somewhere in Moravia, after Christmas, and it 
 might very likely be to the Rothenfels. They 
 are friends of his, I know. And oh, Melanie — 
 it just occurs to me — isn't it possible that he 
 may have suggested to the Countess to ask us T 
 
 ' It might be !' said Melanie, with a beaming
 
 2 20 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 face ; ' I should not be so very much surprised. 
 I do hope he will be there. That would be 
 delightful indeed. And now — oh, my dear 
 girls, how busy we shall be till we go ! There 
 are all the Christmas preparations to attend to : 
 we must have a Christ-child's tree for Vangela ; 
 oh yes, indeed we must. As for the English 
 ones that she says she has seen, I know they 
 must have been absurdities ! Then we must 
 prepare toilettes for Rothenfels. You must 
 make up that lovely rose-coloured silk that you 
 have brought with you, Vangela ; you will look 
 so charming in that dress, and I have set my 
 heart on seeing you in it. Marie shall help 
 you, and so will I. Oh, we will all of us work 
 like bees !' 
 
 That was a strange Christmastide for Evan- 
 o-ela, and it was fortunate for her that there 
 should be so much novelty and interest in her 
 surroundings to distract her mind from recollec- 
 tions and associations that were cruelly sad and 
 bitter. i\s it was, she found It impossible to 
 keep bright on Christmas Day. It was a 
 bitterly cold day, with a freezing wind blowing 
 from the north, and sweeping down the snowy 
 streets, and Melanie and Thekla donned with 
 great satisfaction the new furs that had been 
 the Baron's present to them. They all three
 
 DAMENWAHL 22. 
 
 went to high Mass in the morning, and all the 
 time, even during the service, there went on in 
 the heads of the two girls a gay little tune with 
 a Leit-motif of pink silk dresses, new furs, 
 embroidered handkerchiefs, and all the other 
 presents that had made them happy. In their 
 innocent vanity, they kept on their furs all 
 through the long service ; but it was at the 
 cost of a good deal of personal inconvenience, 
 for their faces soon became crimson with heat. 
 The church had been crowded ever since an 
 early hour in the morning, and it was now full 
 to overflowing with peasants who had come in 
 from all the villages round about. The women 
 sat in the pews, but the men had to stand in 
 the open space before the altar, and in the 
 middle aisle ; and the privilege of occupying 
 the front seat, which the Bertemilians, as the 
 chief people in the place, enjoyed, was a doubt- 
 ful one. Melanie confided to Evangela that in 
 summer it was impossible to exist without a 
 vinaigrette to your nose the whole time, and 
 Evangela found it bad enough in winter. 
 
 All the great candles round and upon the 
 altar were lighted up ; the three priests, in 
 their most magnificent vestments, of crimson 
 and gold and deep lace, went through their 
 solemn ceremonies, and the air was thick with
 
 22 2 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 the smoke of the incense which the little red- 
 robed acolytes waved about the altar - steps. 
 xA^t the tinkle of the bell, the crowd of peasants 
 flung themselves upon their knees in a passion 
 of devotion, and, as the Host was uplifted, a 
 breathless hush seemed to brood over the whole 
 silent and motionless congregation. Then came 
 the monotonous sing-song of the priest again, 
 and the deep sustained notes of the organ 
 streaming out in rich chords, and presently a 
 beautiful chorale with a string-band accompani- 
 ment ; and over all the great figure of the 
 crucified Christ, hanging high on the uplifted 
 cross behind the altar, leant forward, and seemed 
 to look down with unutterable compassion on 
 the crowd of prostrate worshippers below. 
 
 It was an intensely impressive service ; but 
 Evangela's mind had gone back to the little 
 Welsh church, and the holly and the ivy and 
 the carol-singing, and the dear, beautiful face 
 of her white-haired father ; and the altered 
 surroundings could not banish the remembrance 
 of her desolation, and the despairing sense of 
 loneliness that swept over her. In vain she 
 reminded herself how much she had to be 
 thankful for — the very goodness of the Berte- 
 milians to her did but make more blank the 
 uncertainty that lay beyond the time she was
 
 DAMENWAHL 223 
 
 to spend with them. She thought of her aunt's 
 letter, and the difference between her position 
 and that of poor, invertebrate Miss Mills, who 
 was being kept on to be reformed. And then 
 she chanced to catch sight of Stephanie Stillen- 
 heim, whose pinched and haggard face, with its 
 bitter and anxious expression, was on a line 
 with her on the other side of the aisle. Evangela 
 had seen very little of Stephanie, and she had 
 only spoken to her on one or two occasions 
 when she had met her out walking with 
 Thekla ; but she had heard enough about her 
 to know how dreary and hopeless was her 
 life, and how universally disliked and despised 
 she was, and she felt sure that there was no 
 one in the town who was more unhappy and 
 more lonely than the Baroness Stephanie. 
 Evangela was intensely sorry for her, and as 
 she compared her own life with Stephanie's, 
 she felt that it was wicked and ungrateful for 
 her to give way to repining and depression. 
 
 The Gregorian chant of the lia Missa est 
 recalled Evangela's wandering thoughts, and, 
 the long service over at last, she found herself 
 outside in the bitter wind and snow again. 
 Thekla lingered to speak to her friend, Clothilde 
 M tiller, who had been making grimaces at her 
 all through the service, in order to direct her
 
 2 24 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 attention to the ridiculous effect of a dilapi- 
 dated old feather with which Stephanie had 
 attempted to furbish up her last winter's hat. 
 
 ' You understand I have two hats ?' Clothllde 
 was saying, with an absurd exaggeration of 
 Stephanie's mincing accents, as she and Thekla 
 passed out of church. ' But I make them Into 
 four. First I wear my winter hat with its 
 winter trimming, as it was when it came out of 
 the ark. Then on Christmas Day I come out 
 fresh, with the trimming of my summer hat put 
 on It. Then I arrange my summer hat with 
 the trimming of my winter hat ; then I take 
 that off, and wear the hat as it was In the 
 beginning, and ever shall be, world without 
 end. Amen.' 
 
 ' Why not wear the hats without any trim- 
 ming for a change, and so make up the variety 
 to the half-dozen !' said Thekla, so convulsed 
 with laughter that she did not perceive that 
 Stephanie was coming out of the church-porch 
 close, behind her, and was hurrying past with 
 a look of mortification on her poor thin face, 
 which plainly indicated that she had overheard 
 enough to know the subject of their amuse- 
 ment. 
 
 Clothllde Mliller was accounted a wit In the 
 town. She was the daughter of a rich manu-
 
 DAMENWAHL 
 
 facturer, who owned most of the Hnen factories 
 in the place, and she was always expensively 
 dressed in the height of the fashion. She was 
 rather a plain young woman, but she cultivated 
 the acquaintance of the prettiest girls in the 
 neighbourhood, and she knew that she might 
 trust the men who were attracted by their good 
 looks to stay to talk to her. She had the gift 
 of mimicry to an unusual degree, and the droll 
 way in which she put things had won her a 
 certain reputation. Thekla's feelings for her 
 were divided between fear and admiration ; 
 but she was irresistibly tickled by this sally at 
 Stephanie Stillenheim's expense, and Melanie 
 could not restrain a smile. Evaneela was 
 indignant. 
 
 ' It has never struck you, I suppose, Fraulein 
 Mliller,' she said with quiet disdain, ' that there 
 are different sorts of poverty In the world — 
 that there is a poverty of heart as well as a 
 poverty of hats, and that the latter is not, 
 perhaps, the most despicable ? Did you intend 
 Baroness Stephanie to overhear your charitable 
 remarks ? Because she certainly did.' 
 
 ' Did she ?' said Clothilde innocently. * Dear 
 me ! I don't see why she should mind, if she 
 did. We were only speaking of a feather in 
 her cap, you know.' 
 
 VOL. I. 15
 
 226 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 Evanofela did not like Fraulein Miiller, and 
 she was not at all pleased when she found 
 that the girls were arranging to join her party 
 to go to the fete upon the ice that evening. 
 It was the only means by which they could be 
 present at the fete, however, as the Baron had 
 an engagement, and Melanie and Thekla would 
 have been so dreadfully disappointed to have 
 lost the fun that it was impossible to raise any 
 objection. 
 
 They went to the M tillers' to goiite7\ and 
 amused themselves all the afternoon with 
 Gcsellschaft-spicleriy cards, and other elevating 
 games. Evangela was not in her element at 
 all, and she was heartily glad when it got dark, 
 and it was time to start for the ice. She had 
 been intensely annoyed by a paper — written, 
 she suspected, by Clothilde — coupling her name 
 with Baron Adlofstein's, and she fervently 
 hoped that he would not put in an appearance 
 upon the ice. The IMiillers were among the 
 first-comers, and he was not there when they 
 arrived ; but as the crowd increased, and 
 Evangela's spirits, under the influence of the 
 lights, the music, and the exhilarating exercise, 
 began to rise, she suddenly caught sight of his 
 tall figure towering above the crowd in the 
 distance. She flew away from the quiet spot
 
 DAMENWAHL 227 
 
 where she was practising by herself, and sought 
 refugee under Melanie's winor ; but she could 
 not remain with her the whole evening, and 
 Melanie laughed at her timidity. 
 
 ' Why should you mind if he does speak to 
 you ?' she said, ' Pooh ! what does Clothilde's 
 nonsense matter ? Nobody minds her. If 
 papa approves, it is all right. And he does 
 approve, my dear — more than he would like to 
 say, I fancy.' 
 
 In spite of this assurance, however, Evangela 
 took care to keep well in the middle of the ice, 
 where the skaters were thickest ; and, as Ad- 
 
 lofstein was cutting figfures near the bank, she 
 
 t) 
 
 ig 
 
 thought she was safely out of his way. But at 
 the end of the evening she happened to raise 
 her eyes, and saw him standing near her in the 
 midst of the crowd. Their eyes met, and 
 Adlofstein bowed. 
 
 * You must have gained a good deal of confi- 
 dence on your skates since I w^as here last, to 
 be able to move in this whirl without incon- 
 venience,' he remarked, with a touch of sarcasm. 
 
 ' I do feel a little steadier than I did,' 
 Evanofela answered. 
 
 But fate is perverse sometimes, and before 
 she had well finished her sentence, a couple of 
 girls, skating together, lurched up against her
 
 228 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 and gave her an accidental push. She staggered, 
 and, putting out her hands in an attempt to 
 regain the equiHbrium that she was in danger 
 of losing, felt them suddenly gripped by Adlof- 
 stein. 
 
 ' What is the point of your staying here to be 
 jostled and hustled by the mob like this ? Come 
 this way,' he said imperiously, and, without 
 waiting for her consent, he guided her to a 
 quieter part of the lake. 
 
 Evanpfela was so astonished that she had 
 not a word to say. But it was not long before 
 her bewilderment gave way to irrepressible 
 amusement ; and when they stopped, and Ad- 
 lofstein looked into her face, he saw the traces 
 of a smile. 
 
 ' You are not angry ?' he said. ' That is 
 right. I knew you were not one of the silly 
 sort. Now, tell me why you were avoiding 
 me to-night. Was it because of anything that 
 Baron Bertemilian has said to you ?' 
 
 ' N-n-o,' answered Evangela hesitatingly. 
 
 ' He did not make you a scene — what do 
 you call it ? — blow you up — because you skated 
 with me the other night ?' 
 
 'No.' 
 
 ' You are sure ?' 
 
 ' Yes. I explained to him how it had hap-
 
 DAMENWAHL 229 
 
 pened, and then he was quite satisfied. He 
 was most kind. Poor Baron Bertemilian ! he 
 always is so kind.' 
 
 ' Humph ! Some people have found his 
 kindness rather too much of a good thing. 
 However, we won't discuss him now. Well, 
 if you are not afraid of his displeasure, is there 
 anything to prevent you from inviting me to 
 skate with you ? I had forgotten the other 
 night that it was DaviemvahL' 
 
 Evangela could not help smiling at this very 
 broad hint. She felt that it was strange that 
 the dread and shrinking with which she had 
 thought of this possibility should have left her 
 so suddenly and completely ; but the pleasure 
 of hearing the familiar home language seemed 
 a sufficient explanation, and, bowing as low as 
 she could upon her skates, she said, with an 
 absurd imitation of the German manner : 
 
 ' May I have the honour, Herr Baron ?' 
 
 Her dark eyes were brimming over with 
 fun, and a bright colour mantled her cheeks. 
 She looked bewitchingly sweet and charming 
 in her absolute unconsciousness, and had St. 
 Evremonde been in his cousin's place at that 
 moment, he would not have failed to appreciate 
 a vision so enchanting ; but Adlofstein was 
 evidently quite insensible to such impressions,
 
 230 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 and he was totally destitute of the gallantry 
 that distinguished St. Evremonde. He smiled 
 grimly at the parody of German manners ; but 
 he only said rather gruffly, 'Come along,' and, 
 taking her hands into his grasp again, he swept 
 her off. 
 
 The skimming motion over the ice was so 
 delightful to Evangela that she felt perfectly 
 happy, and she forgot to wonder how strange 
 it was that in two minutes she should feel as 
 much at her ease with the formidable Adlof- 
 stein as if she had known him for the best part 
 of her life. His conversation was certainly 
 interesting, and the subjects that came up 
 chanced to fall in with her tastes. She spoke 
 about the peasants who lived upon their own 
 land, and observed what wretchedly hard lives 
 they seemed to her to lead ; and he explained 
 the system to her, and denounced the stupidity 
 and short-sightedness of the politicians who 
 were trying to introduce the same unworkable 
 plan into England. His views of English 
 politics were those of an outsider who, having 
 no special interests at stake, sees from a dis- 
 tance a clear and unbiased vision of things as 
 they really are, and Evangela was reminded of 
 her father as she listened to him. The gentle 
 and genial old clergyman had been much less
 
 DAMENWAHL 231 
 
 gloomy and severe, and his condemnation of 
 Radical and Socialistic ideas had been modified 
 by a liberal admixture of the milk of human 
 kindness ; but his opinions had been identically 
 the same as those which Baron Adlofstein was 
 now expressing, and Evangela had not, since 
 his death, met anyone on the same intellectual 
 level. 
 
 She listened with the deepest interest to 
 all that Adlofstein had to say, and when the 
 Baron, surprised to find a girl — even an EngHsh 
 girl — so well up in such subjects, asked her 
 how it was, she told him something of her 
 father, and of the interests that she had had in 
 common with him. She did not say much, 
 but that she should enter on the subject at all 
 was an extraordinary departure from her usual 
 reticence. Even to Melanie she hardly ever 
 mentioned her father ; but the tension to which 
 her feelings had been strung all day seemed to 
 demand relief, and in speaking to this com- 
 parative stranger of her old home and her old 
 life she found it. 
 
 Adlofstein listened silently, comprehending 
 more than she said, and he perceived how 
 close had been the tie between the father and 
 daughter, and how cruel had been the rending
 
 232 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 of it. He was in no hurry to break off the 
 conversation ; but Evangela, looking towards 
 the road from a point by the bank at which they 
 had paused to talk, observed two horses that 
 were being led up and down by a groom in 
 dark livery — two such splendid horses as she 
 had not yet seen in Lindenthal, and she made 
 a remark about them. 
 
 'They are mine,' said Adlofstein, 'and I 
 am afraid that I must leave at once. I have 
 already stayed longer than I ought, for I 
 promised the poor Baroness that she should 
 not spend Christmas night alone, and my 
 cousin St. Evremonde is coming to supper 
 with us. He has been away ever since the 
 last Eisfest ; but he comes back to-night, and, 
 as his route is over the Gabel, he will pass by 
 my house. I expect he will be there before 
 me.' 
 
 They had skated all round the lake, and the 
 music had stopped. At the entrance, where 
 the trees overshadowed the ice, Adlofstein let 
 go her hands, and paused, looking at her in 
 silence for a moment. 
 
 'Good-bye,' he said briefly, and he was 
 turning away with a bow, when Evangela held 
 out her hand. 
 
 ' We are compatriots, and should be friends,'
 
 DAMENWAHL 233 
 
 she said, with a frank smile. ' Don't you 
 think so ?' 
 
 He answered nothing ; but though he took 
 her offered hand, it was with a coldness and 
 formality that surprised and repelled her, and a 
 cloud came over his brow which she could not 
 understand. 
 
 ' I really do not know what I think of him,' 
 she said when she rejoined Melanie, and was 
 questioned on the subject. ' He is the most 
 extraordinary man ! I don't quite know why, 
 but I feel intensely sorry for him. I feel as if 
 I ought to hate him for what he has done to 
 you — and I do in a way — and yet somehow I 
 am sorry for him, all the same.' 
 
 ' What does he talk to you about, Vangela ?' 
 asked Thekla curiously. 
 
 ' Oh, nothing that would interest you. It 
 was chiefly English politics that he talked about 
 to-night.' 
 
 ' Bah ! politics !' cried Thekla ; ' how stupid!' 
 and she skated back to Clothilde Mtiller with a 
 little grimace. 
 
 * It is politics that they speak of, my dear — 
 English politics — think only — how dull ! And 
 politics means nothing. I told you so !' 
 
 ' At the same time, it is lucky that the 
 Stillenheim is not here to-night,' said Clothilde,
 
 234 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 with a meaning smile. ' She has not liked to 
 appear again in that hat, I imagine, and the 
 miss may have more cause to be grateful to 
 me than she thinks. I can assure you that 
 Stephanie is sufficiently furious with her 
 already.'
 
 [ 235 ] 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 A MERE SUSPICION. 
 
 Adlofstein galloped home at a pace which 
 would not have been inappropriate if he had 
 had a pack of fiends and demons behind him 
 instead of an unhappy panting groom, and all 
 the way Evangela's frank and friendly words 
 were rinorinof in his ears : 
 
 ' We are compatriots, and should be friends — 
 don't you think so ?' 
 
 'No!' he said vehemently to himself; 'no, 
 no ! Such a friendship is not for me ! I have 
 chosen my lot, and m.ust stick to it. I have no 
 business to expose myself or anyone else to the 
 risk of a calamity which might be more bitter 
 to bear than any other. I do not know what 
 made me go up to her to-night — I had not 
 meant to. What could have possessed me ? 
 Ah ! I wanted to know whether Bertemilian had 
 been persecuting her. Well, I will not do it
 
 236 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 again. In future I will take care to avoid 
 her.' 
 
 When he reached home he was informed 
 that the Marquis had already arrived ; and he 
 found him in his own den in the turret. 
 
 ' What !' he said on entering, ' you have not 
 been cheering the Baroness with your society ?' 
 
 ' No,' said St. Evremonde ; * to tell you the 
 truth, I was somewhat fatigued with my journey- 
 ings. I have been posting up and down the 
 country night and day lately, and I was glad 
 of a rest in your comfortable chair. I have 
 turned out the dogs, you see.' 
 
 ' There are comfortable chairs downstairs, 
 and I hope you won't mind occupying one of 
 them presently, for we take supper with the 
 Baroness. Excuse me for a moment while I 
 get ready.' 
 
 Adlofstein passed into the inner room, and 
 St. Evremonde was left to his own reflections, 
 which were not of the pleasantest nature. 
 
 ' That old hag !' he thought ; ' if I had only 
 known, I would have taken care to have had 
 important business awaiting me in Lindenthal. 
 I only called here because I wanted to know 
 how Adlofstein was, and I feared lest she 
 might have been trying some of her tricks 
 upon him. And now she will have the chance
 
 A MERE SUSPICION 237 
 
 of experimenting on me ! That is the reward 
 one gets for a kind action in this world !' 
 
 St. Evremonde lay back in the easy-chair, 
 looking a good deal less happy and debonair 
 than was his wont. The last few weeks had 
 been a harassing time for him, and in the un- 
 certainty as to what news each post might bring, 
 his mind had been torn by a hundred conflicting 
 emotions. Fifty times a day his conscience had 
 smitten him for disloyalty and dishonour, and 
 fifty times a day he had cursed the ill-luck which 
 had made him the repository of the fatal secret. 
 He started when Adlofstein re-entered the room, 
 and he looked apprehensively at him to see if 
 he wore an aspect of deepened cynicism that 
 betokened suspicion. But Adlofstein's rugged 
 features, though stern, were not more alarming 
 than usual, and through their settled gloom 
 there was an impress of nobility that St. Evre- 
 monde was conscious of for the first time. He 
 was struck, too, by the advantage to which his 
 cousin's tall and massively-built figure showed 
 in evening dress. Adlofstein was careless about 
 dress as a rule, and he usually went about in 
 rough shooting attire, which, as St. Evremonde 
 indignantly said, was enough to brand him 
 everywhere as an English tourist of the most 
 reckless sort ; but out of respect to the Baroness
 
 238 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 he always dressed with the utmost punctilio 
 whenever he spent the evening with her, and 
 it made him look like a different man. 
 
 * Per Bacco /' St. Evremonde said to him- 
 self, ' he is a man whom many a woman would 
 rave about. It is lucky for me that he does not 
 know it.' 
 
 ' You look decidedly better, Louis, than when 
 I saw you last,' he observed as they descended 
 the winding stair. ' I hope you have not had 
 another attack since then .^' 
 
 * No,' said Adlofstein ; ' I feel all right again 
 now, and I am looking forward to a Christian 
 meal to-night. It will be an agreeable change 
 after the diet of gruel and milk that Hempel has 
 been treating: me to for so lonor.' 
 
 He threw^ open the door of the salon as he 
 spoke, and they found themselves in the pre- 
 sence of the Baroness. 
 
 She was sitting on a sofa immediately under 
 a bracket upon which was placed a bust of her- 
 self, and the brilliant light, falling full upon her 
 in her gala dress of bright blue satin, revealed 
 with merciless distinctness the contrast between 
 her emaciated figure and the rounded curves of 
 the marble above. She was expecting St. 
 Evremonde, and she received him with the most 
 stately ceremony, offering him her hand to kiss,
 
 A MERE SUSPICION 239 
 
 and smiling graciously upon him as he bent to 
 raise it to his lips. He shuddered inwardly as 
 he did it, and the sickening thought occurred 
 to him of what that hand had done, and might 
 soon do again ; but he permitted no trace of his 
 secret loathing to appear as he smilingly offered 
 his arm to lead her in to supper. 
 
 The supper was a dinner, really — an elaborate 
 little dinner a la Rtisse, with courses of clear 
 soup, boiled beef, turkey, venison, game and 
 sweets, which had been prepared by a cook 
 cunning in French devices ; and perceiving that 
 the Baroness could have had no hand in the 
 preparations, St. Evremonde, who was some- 
 thing of a connoisseur in such matters, sat down 
 with an equal mind to gratify the pleasurable 
 anticipations of his inner man. 
 
 In the subdued light of the silver lamp that 
 huno- from the ceiling: and concentrated its 
 radiance upon the glittering dinner-table, the 
 Baroness did not look quite so ghastly as 
 she had done in the fuller light of the draw- 
 ing-room ; but after the first exchange of 
 civilities with her guest, she began to give play 
 to her eccentricities. She talked volubly to the 
 Marquis ; but she addressed quite as much of 
 her conversation to the butler, who could do 
 nothing to please her. She scolded and abused
 
 240 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 him throughout the first courses, and seemed 
 much provoked by the discreet silence that he 
 endeavoured to maintain. 
 
 ' You see, the stupid ass has nothing to say 
 for himself!' she exclaimed, turning to St. Evre- 
 monde ; but at last her persecution proved too 
 much for the man's patience, and a regular 
 wranorle ensued. 
 
 St. Evremonde did not know whether to laugh 
 or look sorry. He was aghast at the notion of 
 becoming involved in the dispute, and he pre- 
 served a discreet silence ; but he listened with 
 mingled amazement and amusement to the war 
 of words, and he could not help glancing from 
 the excited lady, with her waggling plumes, to 
 his host. 
 
 Adlofstein sat in his place at the bottom of 
 the table, grave, calm, dignified, and, to all ap- 
 pearance, absolutely unconcerned. 
 
 ' He is accustomed to it, no doubt,' thought 
 St. Evremonde to himself ; ' but, 7uon Dieu, 
 what a life ! What is the use of wealth and 
 luxury that is all spoilt by a disturbing element 
 like this ? Ah, it should be very different if 
 it were my house !' 
 
 Adlofstein had found it answer best to let 
 the Baroness have her own servants, and he 
 generally made a point of not interfering in her
 
 A MERE SUSPICION 24 
 
 management of them, but sometimes It was 
 absolutely necessary to Interpose, and he did so 
 at last now. 
 
 ' Karl,' he said, looking up as If he had noticed 
 nothing unusual, ' go and fetch the liqueurs, and 
 tell them to take the coffee to the salon. We 
 will join you there. Baroness,' he added, turning 
 to his stepmother. 
 
 The man left the room on the instant, and 
 peace was restored. The Baroness turned to 
 St. Evremonde with all the little beads and 
 drops of her head-dress aqulver, and after re- 
 marking with a hysterical, half-apologetic laugh 
 upon the trouble that servants always were, 
 continued her fine conversation with him about 
 all the great people she had ever known or heard 
 of. Karl brought in two little bottles of liqueur ; 
 but at a glance from Adlofstein he retired In- 
 stantly, and the ceremony of drinking healths 
 was amicably proceeded with. 
 
 ' Ah, Marquis, don't take the green,' said the 
 Baroness as Adlofstein filled a glass out of the 
 bottle which had been placed by him, and was 
 about to pass it to his guest ; * the red is far 
 better — I can recommend It ;' and she handed 
 him a tiny goblet that she had herself filled from 
 a bottle with a red seal. 
 
 She spoke with an eagerness which attracted 
 
 VOL. I. 16
 
 242 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 St. Evremonde s attention, and he viewed her 
 offering with suspicion. 
 
 ' Thank you, I prefer the green,' he said ; and 
 taking the glass that Adlofstein had given him, 
 he rose from his chair. 
 
 ' HocA f he called out in his clear tenor voice, 
 as he clinked glasses, first with the Baroness 
 and then with Adlofstein. The Baroness was 
 standing up, too, and she had two red spots of 
 excitement that showed even through the rouge 
 on her thin cheeks. 
 
 ^ Hoch! hochf she cried, giving the Marquis's 
 glass such a knock that some of the contents 
 were spilt upon the table-cloth, and ' Hoch ! 
 hock f she repeated still more shrilly and wildly, 
 as Adlofstein came from his place, and silently 
 held out his glass for the salutation. 
 
 St. Evremonde watched her as he drank the 
 strong sweet stuff that was like fragrant fire. 
 ' The she-devil !' he thought ; ' she has tried to 
 poison him, and now she cries hoch ! How 
 soon will she try again, I wonder ?' 
 
 When the Baroness had left the room, and 
 he found himself alone with Adlofstein, St. 
 Evremonde sat silent and thouQ^htful for some 
 moments. Then he said abruptly : 
 
 ' Is she accountable for her actions, do you 
 suppose ?'
 
 A MERE SUSPICION 243 
 
 'Impossible to say,' replied Adlofstein briefly. 
 Then he added musingly, ' How far is anyone 
 accountable for his actions ? It has always 
 seemed to me a most difficult question to decide 
 — and in a case like this — it is clear, however, 
 that the Baroness is a person who is very much 
 to be pitied.' 
 
 'Yes,' said St. Evremonde doubtfully ; 'but 
 — I wonder that you can stand it. Why should 
 you cloud your life by having her for the 
 mistress of your house ? Why, it is positively 
 unsafe ! A fit of madness might come on at 
 any moment, and she might set the place on 
 fire, or throw a knife at you, or do some other 
 mischievous or dangerous thing — you cannot 
 tell what.' 
 
 ' It would take a good deal to burn this old 
 place down,' said Adlofstein, with a smile. ' I 
 am not afraid of any mischief that she could do 
 to me personally, poor thing ! and as to the rest 
 — well, that is my affair. If I choose to take 
 the charge of her upon myself, I do not see that 
 it matters to anybody else.' 
 
 It was plain that Adlofstein did not care to 
 discuss the subject, and St. Evremonde felt 
 uncomfortably that his attempt at a warning 
 had been a failure that would not even avail as 
 a sop to his own conscience, in case — in case —
 
 244 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 in case of what ? St. Evremonde was not so 
 hardened in evil-doing as to look at his cousin 
 sitting there in the pride and strength of his 
 manhood, the master of that house and all the 
 honours that went with it, and be able to con- 
 template calmly the fate which hung over him. 
 In a week, in a day, in an hour — who could tell 
 when ? — he might be stripped of all ; at any 
 moment he might be struck down by the secret 
 cowardly act of the hand that he did not suspect, 
 and then, after a few hours of agony, all would 
 be over for him, and the person who knew, who 
 mieht have warned him, would step into his 
 
 o 
 
 shoes. St. Evremonde felt a horrible qualm as 
 he realized it ; and he felt that he must do or 
 say something to save himself from that dis- 
 honour — yet the revelation of the truth seemed 
 too great a sacrifice, and when Adlofstein 
 conducted him into the salon where coffee was 
 in readiness, he had said nothing. 
 
 The Baroness was seated before the coffee 
 tray, and she offered St. Evremonde a cup 
 of coffee with a smile which was intended to 
 be engaging, but the Marquis did not find 
 it so. 
 
 'No, thank you,' he said hastily; 'shall I give 
 it to Louis ?' and he was about to convey it to 
 the chair by the fire where Adlofstein had
 
 A MERE SUSPICION 245 
 
 settled himself with a book, when the Baroness 
 stopped him. 
 
 ' Not that,' she said. ' Louis does not like 
 coffee now, and I have prepared a cup of 
 chocolate for him.' 
 
 St. Evremonde took the cup that she handed 
 to him — a larger one than the beautiful little 
 Dresdens in which the coffee was served, and 
 was about to pass it to Adlofstein, when a 
 sudden idea occurred to him that nearly made 
 his heart stop beating. He glanced at the 
 Baroness, and saw an expression in her face 
 that confirmed him in his conviction. There 
 was a strange gleam in her eyes, and she was 
 watching him with an intentness that did not 
 seem at all warranted by the occasion. 
 
 ' There is death in this cup — death in a 
 frightful, agonizing form — and it will be my 
 hand that will have administered it to him !' he 
 thought in great agitation. ' I will not — I cannot 
 do it !' 
 
 He was crossing the room with the cup and 
 saucer in his hand, and he had no time to think 
 what to do. He was already upon the hearth- 
 rue, and Adlofstein reached out his hand to take 
 the cup from him ; but before he had got it, St. 
 PIvremonde gave a lurch and a tilt to the saucer, 
 which sent the cup toppling over. It fell upon
 
 246 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 the tiles in the open fireplace, and was smashed 
 to atoms, while the contents were entirely 
 spilt. 
 
 * A^07u de Dieii f he exclaimed ; ' what clum- 
 siness ! I cannot imagine how I did it ! Will 
 you ever forgive me, my dear Baroness ? I 
 hope the cup was not valuable ?' 
 
 He tossed the chocolate which had fallen 
 into the saucer into the fire as he spoke, and 
 then he turned smiling to the Baroness. 
 
 ' It was Sevres, and the special cup that the 
 late Baron always used,' she said ; ' but it is no 
 matter.' 
 
 She tried to force her face into a smile, but it 
 was an awful contortion. Rage, disappoint- 
 ment, and baffled hate, struggled for the 
 mastery in her expression, and she could not 
 conceal that she was in reality furious. St. 
 Evremonde had had his back to her when the 
 upset happened, and she had no reason for 
 thinking that it was not accidental ; but Adlof- 
 stein had had a better view of the occurrence, 
 and he was astonished. He knew that St. 
 Evremonde was not a man to stumble and 
 commit an awkwardness apropos of nothing at 
 all, and he waited to ask an explanation. 
 
 When St. Evremonde had taken leave of the 
 Baroness, Adlofstein accompanied him to the
 
 A MERE SUSPICION 247 
 
 courtyard, where his carriage was waiting for 
 him, and as they crossed the great central hall, 
 he turned to him with an abrupt inquiry : 
 
 ' Why did you smash that cup, and then 
 pretend that it was an accident ? You had 
 some object, of course — what was it ?' 
 
 St. Evremonde hesitated for a moment. 
 The great entrance-door was thrown open, and 
 they stood upon the flight of steps outside, with 
 the exquisite view of the moonlit valley and the 
 hills stretchino- before them. St. Evremonde 
 looked out, and knew that his chances of 
 coming into possession of this goodly heritage 
 trembled in the balance. A word, and he 
 would be resigning his hopes for an indefinite 
 time — perhaps for ever — yet it must be spoken. 
 He had achieved one act of heroism that 
 evening ; he must brace himself up to another. 
 
 ' To tell you the truth,' he said, ' I do not 
 trust the Baroness, and I have been for some 
 time wishing to warn you against her. I am 
 convinced that she hates you, and there was a 
 look in her face when she handed me that cup 
 to give you that made me fear — well, I hardly 
 know what ; but I remembered that it was 
 after a cup of coffee given to you by her that 
 your illness came on before, you told me ; and 
 I obeyed the impulse that made me prefer to
 
 248 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 sacrifice the cup rather than let you run the 
 risk of drinking the contents.' 
 
 There was a short pause. Adlofstein was 
 standinof in the full liorht of the moon, and in 
 his face St. Evremonde could see the intensity 
 of the emotion which shook him. He turned 
 at last, and the brightness of his eyes in their 
 deep setting was like the flash of steel. 
 
 ' You suspect her of having tried to poison 
 me ? You think that the illnesses from which 
 I have suffered were from that, and not from 
 — from anything else ?' he said breathlessly. 
 ' But what has led you to such a conclusion ? 
 Is there any proof — have you discovered any 
 evidence ? My God, Victor ! you don't know 
 
 how much this might mean to me ' He 
 
 broke off abruptly, in agitation which was too 
 great to allow him to continue, and he waited 
 with desperate anxiety for St. Evremonde's 
 answer. 
 
 The eyes of the Marquis fell before the 
 searching intensity of his gaze, and he looked 
 away down the valley. He knew only too 
 well what the discovery he had made would 
 mean to Adlofstein, and his heart failed him as 
 he realized it. The moment had come for the 
 revelation of the secret, and he knew that it 
 was now or never ; but at this moment — this
 
 A MERE SUSPICION 249 
 
 crucial moment of his life — the weakening 
 effects of a career of idle pleasure and un- 
 checked self-indulgence made themselves felt. 
 St. Evremonde had never before dishonoured 
 himself by a lie that was criminal as well as 
 base ; but he had never been careful of the 
 truth, and he had placed his own interests 
 above every other consideration, human or 
 Divine. The moral fibre of his nature was 
 rotten throuo-h and throuQrh, and in the moment 
 of trial it broke down, as rotten things will. 
 
 ' Evidence I' he said hastily. ' Why, no ! 
 what evidence could there possibly be? It is 
 only a guess, of course, but I should think it 
 was a very natural one. You never know 
 what mad people may not do, and they are 
 very cunning in avoiding detection sometimes. 
 At any rate, it could do no harm for you to be 
 on your guard.' 
 
 ' I see,' said Adlofstein ; and the cloud that 
 settled down again upon his brow seemed 
 deeper than before. ' It is a mere suspicion on 
 your part, then ? You haven't any real founda- 
 tion for it ?' 
 
 ' Oh dear no ! It was merely my idea.' 
 
 ' Thank you,' said Adlofstein quietly. ' It is 
 good of you to be so much interested in my 
 welfare — and disinterested besides ; but this is
 
 250 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 an imaginary danger — a delusion. Why should 
 the Baroness wish to destroy me ? I have 
 done nothing against her, and she is dependent 
 upon me. She has never shown any homicidal 
 tendency before, and why should there be any 
 danger of it now? Oh no! It is an utterly 
 groundless supposition.' 
 
 The sword hung still over Adlofstein's head, 
 and the warning had done nothing to open his 
 eyes to his danger. As he drove through the 
 night in the silent woods, St. Evremonde told 
 himself that at any rate he had done his duty — 
 he had given his cousin a warning that ought 
 to put him on his guard, and if Adlofstein, in 
 his folly and blindness, chose to disregard it, 
 then he would not be to blame. He tried to 
 derive some satisfaction from this reflection, 
 and he orlossed over to himself the lie that had 
 made the warning of no effect ; but all the time 
 he knew in his heart that he had crossed the 
 Rubicon and thrown his friend over. 
 
 The clocks were striking midnight when the 
 carriage clattered through the cobbled streets of 
 the little town, and drew up under the great arch 
 of the Greifenburg entrance ; but late as it was, 
 the Marquis had something that must be done 
 before he retired to rest. 
 
 ' That paper must be destroyed,' he said to
 
 A MERE SUSPICION 251 
 
 himself, as he locked himself into his sitting- 
 room ; ' I dare not risk its being found after 
 what has passed to-night. He would put two 
 and two together, and suspect at once. Oh, 
 mz//e diables! what has become of the paper ?' 
 
 St. Evremonde sat before the open drawer, 
 with a heap of papers on the writing-table 
 before him, and he rummaged wildly through 
 the pile. No, the paper was not there ! He 
 had put it at the very bottom, and he had 
 turned the heap upside down in the expectation 
 of seeing it at once ; but it was not there. The 
 paper was not there ; the paper was gone ! St. 
 Evremonde sat staring into the empty drawer, 
 staring at the fact that stared him back in the 
 face. What could it mean ? How could it be 1 
 He had locked the drawer, and the key had 
 been in his pocket ever since. Who could have 
 obtained access to it } 
 
 St. Evremonde threw himself back in his 
 chair with his mind in a whirl ; and as the con- 
 sequences of the calamity came before him, his 
 confusion and bewilderment gave way to blank 
 dismay. What was to be done } Some servant 
 about the Castle must have discovered another 
 key that fitted the lock — or perhaps Adlofstein 
 himself — but no ! Adlofstein did not know 
 yet ; his manner that evening could leave no
 
 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 mistake about that. Then, it must be one of 
 the servants who had taken the paper — Laroche, 
 who was so prying and inquisitive : it was 
 possibly he. In his desperation St. Evremonde 
 sprang from his chair, and rang the bell 
 furiously. It might be Laroche, and if threats 
 should be of no avail, a bribe might induce 
 him to restore the document ; but even as 
 he unlocked the door the Marquis changed 
 his mind. If Laroche had taken the paper, 
 he would be too wily to give it up, and a row 
 about it would only quicken his appreciation 
 of its value, and precipitate the danger of dis- 
 covery ; whereas, if he had not got it, he was 
 the last person whom it was desirable to have 
 on the track. If only it had fallen into the 
 hands of some stupid, ignorant person, who 
 would not perceive that it could be of value to 
 Adlofstein — if by any means it could be kept 
 from Adlofstein ! If it were not — if the paper 
 came into his hands — St. Evremonde's brain 
 reeled as he thought of the scorn and contempt 
 with which Adlofstein would cast him off. 
 
 ' I must get it back — I must ! I must !' he 
 cried. 
 
 But before he could determine any plan of 
 action, a new and terrible fear fell upon him. 
 The sudden mental shock that he had received,
 
 A MERE SUSPICION 253 
 
 or the fatigue of an unusual stretch of rapid 
 travelHng and hard work, or some other cause 
 more potent than these, so acted upon him as 
 to make him feel suddenly ill. 
 
 St. Evremonde had never known what it 
 was to be ill ; but now he felt a horrible sensa- 
 tion of helpless misery, and a frightful pang 
 seemed to stab him right through the body. 
 He sank back in his chair, sick and faint, and, 
 as the pain came again like the plunge of a 
 burning knife, a deadly fear rose up in his 
 mind. 
 
 ' Help me to bed, Laroche,' he gasped, as 
 the sleepy valet appeared in answer to his 
 summons. ' I am ill — I am terribly ill ! Send 
 for the doctor at once. I believe I am dying !' 
 
 He remembered the green chartreuse that 
 the Baroness had tried to dissuade him from 
 taking. Had that bottle been 'prepared' for 
 Adlofstein, and had he in his folly fallen into 
 the trap ? 
 
 'My God!' he muttered miserably. But 
 there was little thouQrht of his God in his 
 mind.
 
 [254] 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 THE ROTHENFELS BATTUE. 
 
 St. Evr^monde's fears for himself proved with- 
 out foundation, and he did not die. His illness 
 was unromantically diagnosed by Dr. Hempel 
 as a sharp bilious attack merely ; and in the 
 first week of the new year he was quite well 
 again, and able to join in a three days' battue 
 that he was engaged to attend. 
 
 Count Rothenfels had a huge square vSchloss 
 in the wildest part of the woods and mountains 
 on the north boundary of Moravia, and on 
 this, the great occasion of the season, it was 
 crowded with guests. The Bertemilians were 
 among the first arrivals ; and Melanie and 
 Thekla, who had been on the tiptoe of ex- 
 pectation and anticipation for weeks, were 
 radiant with happiness and gaiety. In com- 
 parison with them, Evangela seemed like a 
 little quiet mouse, too shy to make or receive
 
 THE ROTHENFELS BATTUE 255 
 
 much impression ; but in her quiet way she, 
 too, entered with zest and interest into the 
 novelty and excitement of an unknown world, 
 and in the many strangers who were introduced 
 to her she saw promise of amusement and 
 edification unendino-. 
 
 In a big, bare bedroom, that looked eerily 
 empty and desolate, with its vast expanse of 
 polished parquet, Evangela sat alone in the 
 dim light of the two wax candles on the 
 dressing-table. It was the end of the first day 
 at the Schloss, and, as she brushed out her 
 long dark hair, Evangela was smiling to herself 
 over the events of it. The polite sayings and 
 strange doings of the evening were all in her 
 mind, and she seemed to see again the grace 
 with which St. Evremonde and the Count 
 Marcel Ecoronata, the two most polished 
 cavaliers of the party, had sunk on one knee 
 to kiss the hand of the Countess, their hostess, 
 in saying good-night to her. She was smiling 
 again at the thought of the account which she 
 would send Aunt Anastasia in her next letter, 
 when she was disturbed by a hasty knocking 
 at the door, and the next moment Melanie 
 came in, with a face as white as her dressing- 
 gown. 
 
 ' Oh, Melanie !' Evangela cried, seeing at
 
 256 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 once that something must be amiss. ' What is 
 the matter ?' 
 
 Melanie sank down upon a quaint canape 
 that was stranded in the midst of the wide sea 
 of uncarpeted flooring, and clasped her hands 
 together without speaking. She looked the 
 picture of despair. 
 
 ' Melanie, Melanie, do tell me ! What has 
 happened .^' 
 
 * Oh, my dear ! my dear !' she said at last. 
 ' All is spoilt ! All is over ! This lovely visit 
 that we have been looking forward to for so 
 long ! The Grafin has just been with me, and 
 who do you think is coming to stay here for 
 the hunt? Adlofstein ! He will be at the 
 meet to-morrow — he will stay here afterwards. 
 Adlofstein staying in the same house with 
 papa and us ! Dreadful ! impossible ! Oh, what 
 shall we do ?' 
 
 ' But how inconsiderate ! Surely the Rothen- 
 fels know ' 
 
 ' Of course they do ; but the Graf is the most 
 selfish, unfeeling, pig-headed old wretch that 
 ever lived ! He has had disappointments in 
 his guns, and he is determined to have a good 
 count up this time ; so, without saying anything 
 to his wife, he just telegraphed for Adlofstein, 
 who is the best shot in the country. The poor
 
 THE ROTHENFELS BATTUE 257 
 
 Grafin remonstrated with all her might when 
 she found what he had done, but it was no use. 
 He only made her a terrible scene, and she is 
 in absolute despair.' 
 
 * Does Baron Adlofstein know that we are 
 here ?' asked Evangela breathlessly. 
 
 'Oh dear no, of course not! If he did, 
 there would be no fear of his coming. The 
 villainous old fox of a Graf knew that well 
 enough, and he has taken care not to mention 
 a word of our presence here.' 
 
 * I wish that I had mentioned to Baron 
 Adlofstein where we were going, on that last 
 evening on the ice,' said Evangela. ' I cannot 
 think how it was that I did not. Then we 
 should have been safe.' 
 
 ' I don't know how I am to tell papa,' said 
 Melanie miserably. * I suppose I must before 
 the hunt-breakfast to-morrow morning. And 
 what I am so mortally afraid of is, that he will 
 insist upon our going off at once.' 
 
 ' I really don't see what else he can do.' 
 
 ' Oh, my dear, don't say that !' cried Melanie, 
 the tears rushing to her eyes. ' You don't 
 know what a terrible disappointment it would 
 be to Thekla and me. Poor Thekla is crying 
 her eyes out now over the very idea ; and if it 
 were to happen, I really do not know what she 
 
 VOL. I. 17
 
 258 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 would do. She would simply howl all the way 
 home. It would be a terrible blow indeed. I 
 am hoping to be able to persuade papa that in 
 so large a party it will be possible for him to 
 keep clear of x\dlofstein. He will only be here 
 for the second and third days of the hunt, and 
 there will be such a crowd that it can surely be 
 managed that they do not come in contact. 
 The Grafin has promised to do all she can for 
 us ; and you, dear Vangela, you will help, too, 
 will you not ?' 
 
 * I ?' exclaimed Evangela, startled. ' Why, 
 IMelanie, what can I do ?' 
 
 ' You can pacify papa and keep Adlofstein 
 away from him ; and perhaps you might have 
 an opportunity of convincing the monster 
 how abominably he has behaved to us. He 
 attends to what you say, and you are so fear- 
 less. You will do what you can, won't you ? 
 Oh, sweet Vangela, yes ! I am depending on 
 you.' 
 
 Evangela looked troubled. She did not 
 think that she could do anything, and she was 
 conscious of a deepening dread and dislike of 
 Baron i\dlofstein that amounted to absolute 
 aversion. As she thought of what he had done 
 to the Bertemilians, and saw the effect of the 
 tr plight that he cast upon their lives, she felt as
 
 THE ROTHENFELS BATTUE 259 
 
 if she hated him, and she wished that she might 
 never see him again. 
 
 'Oh, I wish — I wish,' she said earnestly, 
 ' that he were not coming. If only something 
 would happen to stop him !' 
 
 ' You do not like him, then ?' Melanie asked 
 rather curiously. 
 
 * Like him ! Like anyone w^ho has acted 
 and is acting so atrociously ? How could I ? 
 It is perfectly monstrous that he should be 
 allowed to exercise such a wricked tyranny. If 
 I were your father, I really think that, rather 
 than let this state of things continue, I would 
 fight him.' 
 
 ' Poor papa !' said Melanie mournfully. 
 ' Sometimes I almost wish that he would — and 
 yet how terrible it would be for us in any case ! 
 If he fell — and that wretch is as good with his 
 pistol as he is with his sword, and is so malig- 
 nant that he would show no mercy — if he fell, 
 what would become of us ? Even if he escaped 
 with his life, it would be ruin, for he would 
 forfeit his position ; and we have scarcely any- 
 thing to depend upon but his salary. No ; I 
 cannot wish that papa should fight. He would, 
 but for our sakes ; but as it is, he cannot.' 
 
 * I wish I could fight him for you !' said 
 Evangela fervently. * I would if I were a man.'
 
 2 6o GODDESSES THREE 
 
 Melanie laughed even through her tears as 
 she rose and kissed the fragile-looking little 
 person from whom this warlike speech seemed to 
 come so incongruously. 
 
 ' Dear, you must fight for us in another way. 
 Oh, I do hope it can be arranged somehow ! 
 All was so charming, so delightful, and we 
 should have enjoyed ourselves so much. Think 
 only what the Grafin has told me — it was St. 
 Evremonde who suggested to her to invite us, 
 and imagine ! she says she thinks he is awfully 
 in love with me. But, dear, don't mention it 
 to papa and Thekla ; they tease me enough 
 already, and 1 don't care for him a bit.' 
 
 ' Oh, Melanie !' cried Evangela, blushing 
 hotly as Melanie never did over her frankest 
 confidences. ' Are you quite sure ? He is so 
 charming. Don't you really care for him at all ?^ 
 
 ' Not that much !' said Melanie, marking off 
 about a quarter of an inch of rosy forefinger. 
 ' I know very well what the gallantries of these 
 fine ofentlemen from Vienna are worth. Of 
 course, if I had reason to think that he was 
 serious, it would be quite another pair of shoes 
 — but even then I don't know ;' and, kissing 
 Evangela another affectionate good-night, she 
 departed smiling. 
 
 The next morning, at the crowded hunt-
 
 THE ROTHENFELS BATTUE 261 
 
 breakfast, St. Evremonde sat next to Melanie, 
 and noticing how marked were his attentions, 
 Evangela could not help wondering whether 
 wedding - shoes might not be in question, 
 after all. Apparently the communication that 
 Melanie had been obliged to make to her father 
 had not had the disastrous effects that she had 
 dreaded, for she was in the gayest spirits, and 
 after breakfast Baron Bertemilian, wrapped up 
 to the eyes like all the other guests, escorted 
 his little party down to the courtyard, where the 
 carriages were waiting to convey them to the 
 rendezvous in the forest. 
 
 It was a ten-mile drive through the wildest 
 mountain scenery, and the brilliant early morn- 
 ing sunshine on the dazzling snow brought out 
 such exquisite effects that Evangela was sorry 
 when the drive was over. A carriage had been 
 sent to bring Adlofstein direct from the station 
 to the meet, and amongst the group of sports- 
 men assembled in the forest clearing at the top 
 of a steep mountain slope, where the horses 
 were taken out of the carriages, his tall figure 
 was the first that Evangela saw. The sight of 
 his stern, strong face stirred up all the indig- 
 nation and resentment which she had felt on the 
 Bertemilians' account the night before, and she 
 resolved that she would take care to keep well
 
 262 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 out of his way. This would not be difficult, 
 she thought, since he was evidently one of the 
 most important and best-known guests, and 
 with so many friends to engage his attention 
 he was not likely to have any notice to spare 
 for so insignificant a person as herself. But she 
 was reckoning without her hostess. Already, 
 amidst a deafening confusion of tongues, of 
 grooms flying hither and thither in attendance 
 upon the horses, of coachmen cursing and 
 J'dgers yelling on all sides, the business of pair- 
 ing off was going forward, and the sportsmen 
 were eagerly securing partners among the 
 limited number of ladies. 
 
 St. Evremonde had at once engaged Melanie 
 to accompany him, and Evangela, who was 
 standing by them, was listening with a smile to 
 his pressing invitation and Melanie's coquet- 
 tish acceptance of it, when she became con- 
 scious that someone was claiming her attention. 
 She turned quickly round, and saw with aston- 
 ishment and dismay that the Countess had come 
 up with Adlofstein at her elbow. 
 
 ' You are acquainted with Fraulein Vangela, 
 I think, Baron Adlofstein,' she was saying 
 gracefully, ' and I know you speak her language 
 perfectly. May I, then, commit her to your 
 charge .'*'
 
 THE ROTHENFELS BATTUE 263 
 
 Adlofstein bowed with an impassive counte- 
 nance, and the Countess turned away, leaving 
 him standing by the partner she had given him. 
 It had plainly been her doing, and not his, 
 and Evangela, to whom such a contingency 
 had never occurred, stood silent and con- 
 founded. Adlofstein was also silent for a few 
 moments ; but as a green-clad J'dger came up 
 to conduct him to his appointed post, he 
 turned to his unwilling companion with a grim 
 smile. 
 
 'This is a sad blow to you, I see,' he said, 
 with cynical frankness. ' I can assure you, 
 however, that I am not to blame ; I did not 
 choose you for my partner, and I will let you 
 off as much as I can. You need not dance with 
 me to-night, and you can be as silent as you 
 like now. I shall not bore you with talking, 
 for shooting is a business that takes up my 
 attention entirely.' 
 
 Evangela made no answer. She felt too 
 much annoyed to speak. She was tingling all 
 over with anger and vexation, and yet the 
 sound of the refined and cultivated English 
 tones that struck her as a fresh surprise every 
 time that he spoke to her was so pleasant to 
 her ear that she would scarcely have wished 
 the disagreeable speech exchanged for the
 
 264 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 compliment which a German partner would 
 have addressed to her. 
 
 They were descending a steep hill by a 
 rough cart-track that wound in and out of the 
 pine-w^oods, and down at the bottom of the 
 valley they could see a troop of wild-looking 
 peasants already hurrying off to beat the woods. 
 The snow was deep in the drifts below ; but 
 the slope of the hill had been swept clear by 
 the wind, and it was not difficult walking. 
 Evangela, however, seemed too much intent 
 upon picking her way to have any attention to 
 spare, and she was evidently disposed to take 
 instant and literal advantage of the permission 
 to keep silence. This w^as not what Adlofstein 
 had expected, and he became impatient. 
 
 * Why did you keep back from me that you 
 were coming here ?' he demanded suddenly. 
 ' Why could you not have mentioned it that 
 evening when we met on the ice ?' 
 
 Evangela looked up to see his dark gray 
 eyes bent upon her under frowning brows 
 which would have intimidated most girls ; 
 but she met the glance with an answering 
 flash. 
 
 ' I did not mention it, simply because it never 
 occurred to me to do so,' she said, with a cold- 
 ness that Adlofstein had not heard in her voice
 
 THE ROTHENFELS BATTUE 265 
 
 before. 'It is a pity I did not ; you cannot 
 possibly regret it more than I do.' 
 
 ' Why ?' he asked quickly. ' Why do you 
 regret it ?' 
 
 ' Because, then, I think that, knowing the 
 mortification and annoyance that your presence 
 here causes my friends, you might have had 
 enough good feeling to stay away.' 
 
 * 1 don't know about that,' said Adlofstein, 
 his face hardening into iron lines. ' There is 
 no reason why I should go out of my way in 
 order to spare a man whom I have such good 
 cause to hate as Bertemilian.' 
 
 ' Why do you hate him ?' 
 
 'You need not ask that, Miss Wynne,' he 
 said sternly ; ' you must know the reason well 
 enough. ' 
 
 ' I know of no sufficient reason. I know that 
 you believe him to be responsible for the 
 death of your father ; and I know that that 
 is a mistake. I am quite certain that Baron 
 Bertemilian had nothinor at all to do with it.' 
 
 ' How can you be certain about a thing that 
 it is impossible for any human being to know ?' 
 
 ' The Baron himself would have told me. 
 He would have told me without knowing that 
 he did so. He has not done what you think. 
 He is not a man who can keep a secret — he is
 
 266 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 too transparent ; and if he 'had anything Hke 
 that upon his conscience, he would betray it ten 
 times a day to anyone who Hved in the same 
 house with him, and had eyes to see.' 
 
 ' People usually see what they wish to see, 
 and not the reverse,' said Adlofstein coldly. 
 
 ' Yes ; but that applies to you as well as to 
 others. Baron Adlofstein. You wished to find 
 the murderer of your father, and you chose to 
 see him in Baron Bertemilian because there 
 was no one else you could think of.' 
 
 Adlofstein turned fiercely upon her. He was 
 thoroughly roused, and he looked like an angry 
 lion. 
 
 * Do you think, then, that he was not murdered ? 
 There was no other man but Bertemilian with 
 whom he could have had a quarrel, and you say 
 that it was not he. How was it, then ? Do you 
 dare to tell me that my father was mad, and 
 that he killed himself ?' 
 
 Evangela trembled a little. She was fearless 
 enough ; but she could not see unmoved such 
 agitation as was betrayed in Adlofstein's face 
 and manner. 
 
 ' I don't know,' she said, faltering for a 
 moment. ' It is impossible to say how it may 
 have been ; but some day it may be found out. 
 I hope — oh, I hope that it will ; and then you
 
 THE ROTHENFELS BATTUE 267 
 
 will find that I am right. I am certain — I am 
 absolutely certain — that Baron Bertemilian was 
 in no way concerned with it.' 
 
 An intense conviction is more convincing 
 than argument ; and it is efficacious in pro- 
 portion to its intensity. Nothing carries con- 
 viction like conviction itself; and the leaders of 
 men in all ages, understanding this, when they 
 want to convince other men, take care to be 
 convinced themselves first. 
 
 ' That is mere asseveration ; how can you be 
 certain when you have no proof .^' Adlofstein 
 demanded ; but there was in his tone an indica- 
 tion that her words had not been altogether 
 without effect. 
 
 ' I know it from my knowledge of the Baron's 
 character,' Evangela said earnestly. ' I can 
 bring forward no absolute proof, certainly ; but 
 neither can you — while I know how plainly 
 every word that he says, every change of 
 expression on his face when the subject comes 
 up, refutes your supposition. Baron Bertemilian 
 has not got a strong character. He has been 
 forced by circumstances to one act of moral 
 courage, the moral courage necessary to brave 
 the opinions of his world ; but he suffers for it 
 — he suffers terribly — and the bitter part of it to 
 him is that he feels it to be so undeserved. He
 
 268 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 is a man who has walked delicately all his life 
 in fear of treading on his neighbours' corns, and 
 yet this calamity has overtaken him. It seems 
 to him a cruel irony of fate.' 
 
 ' You make an excellent special pleader,' 
 observed Adlofstein grimly, ' and your heart is 
 evidently in the business. You are very sorry 
 for Bertemilian ?' 
 
 ' Yes, I am sorry for him — I am intensely 
 sorry for him ; but I think you would be more 
 to be pitied than he is if ever the day came in 
 which you found out that you had been making 
 a mistake. That all this time you had been 
 wreaking your vengeance upon an innocent 
 man ; that you had persecuted his wife to death, 
 shadowed the lives of his young daughters, and 
 destroyed his happiness, all for nothing ; that 
 you had so concentrated your mind upon this 
 false suspicion that you had made yourself blind 
 and deaf to the clues which might have led you 
 to the true solution. I should not envy you 
 your feelings then.' 
 
 * I wonder how you can suppose that such 
 a brute as you make me out to be can have 
 any feelings at all !' said Adlofstein, with the 
 coolness of a deeply-seated cynicism. 
 
 Evangela was silent ; and if he hoped for 
 some apology or disclaiming remark, Adlof-
 
 THE ROTHENFELS BATTUE 269 
 
 stein was disappointed. They walked on 
 silently along the snowy track until they came 
 to the foot of a projecting crag on the hillside, 
 which Adlofstein abruptly announced to the 
 huntsman was a post that would suit him, and 
 there he settled down to his work. 
 
 There was a great silence in the woods, and 
 the two men were so still that Evangela, 
 standinor in the shadow of the towerine rock, 
 could have fancied herself all alone. She drew 
 her warm furs round her, and gazed into the 
 white desolation of the unbroken solitudes for 
 what seemed a long time. It was her duty — 
 as Melanie had carefully explained before 
 starting — to keep a sharp look-out for the wild 
 creatures of the woods, and instantly to call her 
 partner's attention to them when they appeared ; 
 but Evangela did not do her duty that day. 
 Through the silence, she could hear in the far 
 distance the occasional faint cries of the ap- 
 proaching beaters, and all at once a sound close 
 by, like the crack of a tiny pistol, made her 
 start. 
 
 She glanced at Adlofstein, and saw him lift 
 his gun to his shoulder, while his keen eyes 
 swept the woods. It was only a rotten twig 
 breaking under its burden of snow, and Adlof- 
 stein lowered his gun again. But Evangela
 
 2 70 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 had seen what he had not, a brown and 
 dappled form that was almost indistinguishable 
 in the thicket. It stood motionless on the 
 edge of the underwood, with its nostrils dilated 
 and its graceful antlers thrown back, evidently 
 scenting danger. It was a splendid stag, and 
 Evangela watched it breathlessly, hoping that 
 it would escape. She glanced apprehensively 
 at Adlofstein — but, ah ! he must have seen. 
 He was taking aim, and the next moment he 
 fired, the report of the gun nearly deafening 
 Evangela. She could not repress a little cry 
 as she saw a big brown hare leap up into the 
 air and fall dead on its back on the snow ; but 
 she was glad that it was not the stag, and she 
 secretly rejoiced as she saw it turn and dis- 
 appear like a flash of lightning in the under- 
 wood. Adlofstein caught sight of its horns 
 as it went, and sent a shot after it, but without 
 effect. 
 
 ' Pity I did not see that first !' he remarked 
 in German. ' I would rather bring down one 
 roebuck than ten hares. You did not do your 
 duty that time, Fraulein. It had twelve 
 branches, too — a great pity to lose it ! You 
 must warn me when you see anything. Don't 
 speak, but just touch my arm and point ; the 
 least touch will be enough.'
 
 THE ROTHENFELS BATTUE 271 
 
 The admonition was wasted upon Evangela. 
 At least, she never once acted upon her in- 
 structions, and she was no help at all to her 
 partner. But he had no particular reason to 
 complain of his luck, for roebucks, does, hares, 
 and winged game of all sorts, came flying out of 
 the thicket at the approach of the beaters, and 
 Adlofstein missed nothing that he fired at. 
 Evangela could not withhold some amount of 
 admiration as she witnessed his skill, and after 
 a time she began to feel an involuntary elation 
 in his success. 
 
 ' You think me a brutal, cut-throat sort of 
 fellow, I perceive,' observed Adlofstein coolly, 
 when the J'dger, having picked up the spoil, 
 counted and triumphantly announced the im- 
 posing number of the slain ; ' but one cannot 
 help the way in which one was made. I was 
 made without the finer feelings, and as every 
 man is but a quotation from his ancestors, the 
 fault lies as much on their shoulders as mine.' 
 
 ' I don't agree with you — or Emerson,' said 
 Evangela quietly ; ' and that comparison seems 
 to me untrue and misleading. If you think of 
 it, you can scarcely call a quotation that which 
 is a new combination out of two sets of old 
 materials.' 
 
 ' I don't object to an alteration in the phrase,
 
 272 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 and I will say that we are misquotations from 
 our ancestors, if you prefer it,' he said sardoni- 
 cally. ' The fact remains that certain tendencies 
 and characteristics are transmitted to us without 
 will or choice of our own, and we have no power 
 to resist their natural action. If circumstances 
 are favourable for their development — and there 
 seems to be a special irony of fate that usually 
 arranges the most favourable conditions for the 
 growth of mischief — we are helpless. The 
 most desperate resolves, the strongest principles, 
 all will go down like ninepins before a hurricane 
 in the hour of temptation, and the inherited 
 nature will hold full sway.' 
 
 Evangela did not answer ; but her silence 
 was more eloquent than words could have been 
 just then. She had told him once before that 
 she did not believe in the theory of a blind 
 fate, of which human beings were the play- 
 things, and as he looked into her face, and saw 
 the clear light in her eyes, and the grave, sweet 
 lines of her mouth, Adlofstein recognized, as it 
 were, the beautiful reflection of an assurance in 
 which he had not altogether lost faith ; for 
 beauty, in that it is the reflection of God, is 
 subjective. 
 
 ' I know,' he said quickly ; * you believe in a 
 creed which offers a simple solution of such
 
 THE ROTHENFELS BATTUE 273 
 
 difficulties. And you are satisfied ? Well, I 
 am not exactly an infidel myself, and yet ' 
 
 He broke ofT suddenly, and the sentence was 
 never finished, for the huntsman, who had 
 stayed behind in charge of the heap of game, 
 now came running towards them, shouting and 
 gesticulating violently. 
 
 * The gibbering idiot ! what on earth is the 
 matter with him ?' ejaculated Adlofstein, in a 
 tone of intense irritation ; but his voice softened 
 as he spoke to the man, who came up panting. 
 ' The wrong way, is it ? But it will take us up 
 to the top if we follow the ridge. It does not 
 matter about the climb, thank you. You can 
 go back to your charge ; I know the way quite 
 well.' 
 
 Evangela noticed now, for the first time, 
 that, in following a path which wound through 
 the wood at a lower elevation than that by 
 which they had come, they were approaching 
 the bottom of the valley, and her attention was 
 suddenly attracted by a remarkable formation 
 of the ground — a rift in the solid rock, which 
 yawned like a chasm between the two hill 
 slopes, and separated them. 
 
 ' What an extraordinary crevasse !' she ex- 
 claimed, as they came nearer, and looking over 
 the edge of the precipice, she saw a turbid little 
 
 VOL. I. 18
 
 274 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 Stream tumbling in the deep channel a hundred 
 feet below. 
 
 * It isn't a crevasse,' said Adlofstein, 'though 
 I admit that in this snow it looks like one. It 
 is a natural formation of the rock, deepened, it 
 may be, by the action of water, but probably 
 volcanic in its origin.' 
 
 ' It is very curious — dangerous, too, I should 
 think,' Evangela remarked, peering with interest 
 into the dark depths. 
 
 ' Yes ; not a bad place to poke one's enemy 
 down into on a dark night,' Adlofstein as- 
 sented. ' There is some romantic love-stor)' 
 associated with it, I believe, but I forget the 
 particulars. I have no memory for such things.' 
 
 ' That is to say, you have no interest in 
 them ?' 
 
 ' I suppose not. No ' — with scornful em- 
 phasis — ' such matters have certainly no par- 
 ticular interest for me.' 
 
 Evangela glanced at the powerful rugged 
 face, and saw that the gray eyes had suddenly 
 become dark and stern. She was repelled by 
 his tone and manner, and yet she felt an in- 
 terest that she could not account for. It was 
 strange how impossible it seemed to keep up, 
 in his presence, the contempt and disapproval 
 that she felt he really deserved.
 
 THE ROTHENFELS BATTUE 275 
 
 ' I see that there is a plank bridge lower 
 down,' she observed, looking down the curious 
 cleft in the rock, which, widening in the middle 
 of the valley, seemed to close up again at the 
 further end ; ' it is for the convenience of the 
 peasants, I suppose ; or is it only for the use 
 of the beaters to-day? Here it seems narrow 
 enough to jump across — I think I could almost 
 manage it myself.' 
 
 In their gradual upward ascent, they had 
 reached a point at which the lips of the chasm 
 so nearly approached each other that, to an 
 unpractised eye, the leap did indeed appear 
 easy, and Evangela looked across with an ad- 
 venturous glance. 
 
 I should like to see what the crack looks 
 like from the other side.' she said. 
 
 ' You had better not try,' Adlofstein said 
 crushingly ; * this is supposed to be the very 
 scene of the accident, and it is about some gentle 
 lady who required her lover to jump it that the 
 story runs. She wanted a flower that grew on 
 the other side, or some such nonsense, and he 
 was infatuated enough to risk his life in order 
 to gratify her. He jumped, and jumped short, 
 so fell to the bottom, and was smashed to 
 smithereens, and in her remorse and despair 
 she threw herself after him — at least, that is
 
 276 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 what the legend says. I think myself that the 
 last part is probably apocryphal ; it seems a good 
 deal more likely that, with the usual practical 
 good sense of her sex, she consoled herself with 
 another flower, and married the next heir.' 
 
 When Adlofstein chose to make himself dis- 
 agreeable, he could do so with a thorough- 
 ness which admitted of no mistake, and he 
 was evidently bent upon showing himself in 
 his true colours to-day. Evangela could not 
 know that, as he stood by her side on the 
 brink of the precipice, he was gazing into a 
 gulf far deeper and more impassable — an unseen 
 pit that yawned between him and his companion, 
 and threatened him with a w^orse danger than 
 that which had befallen the hapless knight of 
 the legend. It was the realization of this which 
 had inspired his repellent mood, and now he 
 turned abruptly away from the place. 
 
 ' Come,' he said coldly ; ' we are wasting time, 
 and we shall be late for luncheon. The others 
 have probably reached the rendezvous long 
 ago.'
 
 [ 277 ] 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 THE lady's leap. 
 
 When Evangela and her escort emerged from 
 the woods, they found a gay and animated 
 luncheon-picnic going on in the snow. It had 
 been a successful morning, and everyone — in- 
 cluding the master of the revels — was in the 
 best possible humour. Count Rothenfels had 
 a little note-book in his hand, in which he was 
 entering and totting up the results of the morn- 
 ing's work, and when he obtained from Adlof- 
 stein the final and crowning count, a smile lit 
 up his foxy countenance, in the light of which 
 he appeared almost amiable. It appeared that 
 Adlofstein had not disappointed the general 
 expectation that his would be the biggest bag, 
 and in the excess of his good-humour the old 
 Count addressed a compliment to Evangela 
 upon the prowess to which she had inspired her 
 partner. Adlofstein, however, interposed with 
 a relentless statement of fact :
 
 278 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 ' You don't owe any of it to the Fraulein, I 
 assure you, Count,' he said uncompromisingly. 
 * Instead of wishing me success, and helping to 
 ensure it, as I explained to her was her duty, 
 she was quietly putting up prayers for the safety 
 of every creature that came within range, and 
 willing me to miss each time that I fired. Yes, 
 Fraulein, you know you were secretly rejoiced 
 that I lost that stag — you thought that I did 
 not guess your feelings, but I was well aware 
 of them.' 
 
 The stag with the twelve branches was evi- 
 dently a sore point with Adlofstein, for he had 
 not had a chance of another, and St. Evre- 
 monde, who was not a particularly good shot, 
 had beaten him in that respect. Melanie had 
 pointed it out to her partner, and she boasted 
 joyously of this service. St. Evremonde's 
 devotion to her was more marked than ever, 
 and she was in the most radiant spirits. After 
 luncheon the Marquis proposed that while the 
 horses were being put in they should go to see 
 the Lady's Leap. Melanie had expressed an 
 eager wish to see the spot, and as the Countess 
 raised no objection, the younger members of the 
 party started off, making the w^oods ring with 
 their laughing voices. 
 
 Adlofstein was among them, but he had been
 
 THE LADTS LEAP 279 
 
 buttonholed by a local magnate in the little 
 crowd of shooting-men in the rear, and when 
 he came up to the place one of the younger 
 ladies of the house-party was in the midst of a 
 romantic recital of the story. 
 
 The full-blooded German sentiment of this 
 account was a remarkable contrast to the version 
 which had disturbed the echoes an hour before, 
 and Adlofstein, who often found himself cursed 
 with too keen a sense of humour for the occa- 
 sion, stopped to listen with a sarcastic smile. 
 He looked round for Evangela, to see what 
 impression it was making upon her ; but she was 
 not in the group, and he divined that she had 
 slipped away to explore upon her own account. 
 
 ' But,' said Melanie, her natural vivacity 
 asserting itself to break the impressive pause 
 which followed upon the pathetic wind-up of the 
 tragedy — ' but, my dear ladies, he must surely 
 have been a poor jumper, this unfortunate 
 cavalier. It isn't such a very difficult feat. 
 Why, I should think anybody could jump it.' 
 
 An animated discussion immediately arose 
 among the men upon the raising of this point, 
 and one or two of them adopted Melanie's view, 
 but most of them were of an opposite opinion. 
 Count Marcel d'^coronata, a gallant officer of the 
 Hussars, who wore his smart uniform upon this,
 
 28o GODDESSES THREE 
 
 as upon every possible occasion, was not prone 
 to err on the side of rashness where personal 
 safety was concerned ; and he expressed a very 
 decided opinion that the leap was an impossible 
 feat. St. Evremonde, first out of compliment 
 to Melanie, and then out of obstinacy at being 
 contradicted, maintained that it was well within 
 the powers of any ordinarily athletic person. 
 
 ' Impossible !' he laughed, incited to irritation 
 by the little Count Marcel's serious persistency ; 
 * you shall see. I will soon show you whether 
 it is so impossible ;' and as he spoke he stepped 
 a few paces backwards. 
 
 The party w^ere beginning to scatter, and 
 Adlofstein, with some others of the sportsmen 
 who intended to go on to the coverts on the 
 further mountain, and return later than the 
 ladies, was on the point of moving off, when he 
 saw his cousin's action and perceived his inten- 
 tion. He stopped short instantly, and his face 
 took an expression of extreme disgust and dis- 
 approval. 
 
 ' Don't be such a fool as to risk your life 
 for nothing, Victor,' he called out in a tone of 
 command. ' There is a narrow place lower down 
 where you can get across by a plank bridge ' 
 
 But his sentence was never finished. It was 
 not for nothing that St. Evremonde had
 
 THE LADY'S LEAP 
 
 2«I 
 
 boasted to Melanie and Thekla that neither 
 his cousin nor any other man could prevent 
 him from doing what he had a mind to. He 
 heard Adlofstein s warning, but he did not heed 
 it, and the smile on his lips deepened to a 
 more determined obstinacy as he took his run. 
 
 Though he was slightly under the middle 
 size, St. Evremonde had a compact, well-built 
 figure, and some of its grace was owing to 
 long training in fencing, boxing, and gymnastic 
 exercise of all sorts. He was perfectly certain 
 of his powers, and he sprang from the edge 
 with the fullest confidence of reaching the other 
 side ; but he had not counted upon the slipperi- 
 ness of the ground and the treacherous nature 
 of the snow. It broke away under him as he 
 jumped, and when his feet touched the 
 opposite edge, it slipped again. He bent 
 forward, clutching with his hands ; but he 
 was upon the very edge, and the crust of 
 snow cracked off and toppled over. He 
 made another desperate clutch at the face 
 of the precipice as his feet slipped over with 
 the snow, and he caught something with one 
 hand ; then he fell with a jerk, and only his left 
 hand, clinging to a slender root sticking out 
 of the rock, held him up over the abyss. 
 
 It had all happened in a moment, and
 
 282 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 Melanie's shriek was echoed by a murmur of 
 horror from the rest of the panic-stricken 
 spectators as they realized the hopelessness of 
 the situation. 
 
 ' The plank bridge,' said Adlofstein in hoarse 
 tones that did not sound like his own ; but as 
 he glanced down the valley and saw how far 
 off it was, he knew that there would not be 
 time to go round. If help was to be of any 
 avail to St. Evremonde, it must come at once. 
 The frail support to which he was clinging 
 was one of the smaller roots of a young pine 
 that was growing on the edge of the precipice 
 not a yard above him. It had become exposed 
 through the crumbling away of the earth in 
 some winter storm, and had then grown inwards 
 again, so that it formed a kind of twisted loop ; 
 but it was a terribly insecure support, and even 
 if it held fast, it was not possible for the 
 Marquis to sustain his whole weight by one 
 hand above that dizzy depth for many minutes. 
 
 Adlofstein stood motionless, measurino- the 
 width of the gap with his eye, and as he 
 hesitated, an agonized cry burst from the un- 
 happy man. 
 
 ' Help me quickly, this instant, or I shall 
 perish ! The root is beginning to give !' 
 
 But it was not to those on the other side that
 
 THE LADY'S LEAP 283 
 
 the appeal was addressed. St. Evremonde's 
 despairing eyes had caught sight of what the 
 others saw an instant later, a girlish figure 
 advancing through the trees. It was Evangela, 
 who, having crossed by the bridge lower down, 
 had been tempted to walk along the precipice in 
 order that she might get a view of the Lady's 
 Leap from the other side. She came quickly 
 along with light and springy footsteps, and >a 
 happy smile on her young, bright face ; but the 
 moment that she caught sight of the group on 
 the other side she saw that something was 
 wrong. She hurried forward, and as his 
 despairing cry fell upon her ears, she met St. 
 Evremonde's eyes. 
 
 ' Help me, mademoiselle ! Oh, help me, or 
 I shall be dashed to pieces !' 
 
 Evangela stood for a moment as if petrified. 
 She gazed at him with horror-stricken eyes and 
 blanched cheeks, and it seemed as if she were 
 paralyzed by the awfulness of his danger. 
 Then she realized that there was not a second 
 to be lost, and acting more by instinct than 
 through any reasoning process, she sprang 
 towards him. 
 
 ' What is she going to do ?' cried d'Ecoronata 
 from the other side. ' She is mad ! She will 
 be dragged over — ah — ah ! oh, God in heaven !'
 
 284 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 But Evangela had not been dragged over. 
 Acting on what was really a sort of inspiration, 
 she had thrown herself on to the sapling pine 
 that grew just above where St. Evremonde 
 was clinging, and grasping the slight trunk 
 firmly with her arm and hand, she leaned over 
 and stretched out her other hand to the 
 Marquis. He caught at it instantly, and it 
 saved him just in time. The earth and stones 
 were beginning to crumble away from the 
 loosening root that he was holding on to, but 
 with the lessening of the strain, as he received 
 support from the other side, it ceased to give. 
 
 For the moment he was safe ; and an 
 irrepressible cry of applause burst from the 
 spectators of the English girl's brave act. But 
 it was only a reprieve. St. Evremonde had 
 got a grip upon the girl's wrist that would hold 
 like grim death. But how long would she be 
 able to endure the strain ? How long would 
 the slender arm thrown round the tree hold to 
 its grasp ? Two lives were in danger now 
 instead of one, and it was only a question of 
 time, as Melanie saw. 
 
 ' Where is the bridge ?' she shrieked. ' Oh 
 run ! run quickly ! There may yet be time !' 
 
 The little Hussar and two or three others 
 flew off; but Adlofstein, who knew that it was
 
 THE LADY'S LEAP 285 
 
 a hopeless errand, did not accompany them. 
 There was only one way in which a rescue 
 could have any chance of being in time, and he 
 did not hesitate now. He drew a few paces 
 back, and, motioning the others to stand aside, 
 took a rapid run. As soon as they perceived 
 his design, the ladies burst into cries of warn- 
 ing and alarm, and Count Rothenfels rushed 
 forward to restrain him ; but Adlofstein shook 
 him off with almost savage energy, and hurled 
 himself at the venture. 
 
 The chasm was wider at the point that he 
 was obliged to take than the place that his 
 cousin had essayed, and the risk was therefore 
 greater ; but Adlofstein's immense strength and 
 length of limb stood him in good stead, and he 
 got across in safety. The next moment he was 
 by Evangela's side, and had gripped St. Evre- 
 mond by the wrist of the hand that was holding 
 on to hers. 
 
 ' Let her go,' he said imperiously. ' I have 
 got you. Let go of her hand, I say !' 
 
 St. Evremonde was plainly unwilling to re- 
 linquish the grasp upon which his safety had 
 hitherto depended. But he was forced to do 
 so at last, and as Evangela fell back, Adlofstein 
 took her place, and, with a single exertion of his 
 great strength, dragged his cousin into safety.
 
 286 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 ' Louis, Louis, you have saved my life !' 
 cried St. Evremonde, as, white and shaken, he 
 stumbled on to his feet. 
 
 But Adlofstein had no attention to spare for 
 him. He had turned to Evangela, whose nerve 
 and strength failed her all at once, now that the 
 tremendous strain of the last few moments was 
 relaxed, and he was only just in time to save 
 her from falling to the ground as her senses 
 slipped away from her. 
 
 He held her insensible in his arms, and as 
 he looked at the delicate face, and saw the 
 startling contrast that its dead whiteness made 
 with the jetty hair and the long black lashes 
 that swept her cheeks, a strange pang of 
 anguish assailed him, and his heart seemed for 
 a moment to stop beating. 
 
 ' She has fainted !' he called out. ' One of 
 you ladies have the goodness to come round 
 immediately. Something must be done to 
 revive her.' 
 
 Melanie lost no time in responding to this 
 summons, and in her anxiety about her cousin, 
 the crossing of the plank bridge, which under 
 ordinary circumstances would have been an 
 impossible undertaking for her, lost half its 
 terrors. When she reached the spot, she 
 found Evangela lying, still unconscious, upon
 
 THE LADTS LEAP 287 
 
 a coat — St. Evremonde's — that was spread 
 upon the ground, and Adlofsteln, kneeling in 
 the snow, bending over her, vainly trying to 
 give her brandy out of his silver hunting-flask. 
 St. Evremonde, standing by in his shirt- 
 sleeves, and in a state of irrepressible emotion, 
 was giving vent to his feelings in an outburst of 
 praise and admiration. 
 
 ' Noble girl !' he ejaculated, with kindling 
 enthusiasm. ' Brave creature ! she has saved 
 my life, and she has risked her own in the 
 attempt. Heaven grant that she be not 
 injured ! How charming she looks ! Mon 
 Dieu ! how shall I ever sufficiently prove my 
 gratitude ?' 
 
 ' Hadn't you better reserve yourself until she 
 can hear you ?' suggested Adlofstein dryly, with- 
 out looking up from the task of chafing the 
 unconscious girl's hands that engaged him. ' It 
 seems a pity that the first freshness of your 
 sentiments should be wasted upon deaf ears. 
 She will be able to appreciate them as they 
 deserve presently.' 
 
 The time seemed long in coming, however ; 
 and Melanie was quite unable to restrain her 
 sobs as she joined her efforts to those of 
 Adlofstein without the least success. 
 
 ' What is to be done ?' demanded Count
 
 288 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 Rothenfels, coming up, and glowering with 
 manifest impatience at the scene. * My EngHsh 
 horses have been put in, and are getting wild 
 with waiting, and my wife will be getting 
 equally wild with nervousness and anxiety. 
 Trust the women for making trouble !' 
 
 The reaction from a great alarm was working 
 its inevitable effect upon the Count's irritable 
 temper, and he was annoyed besides by a pre- 
 vision that this would be a break-up of the 
 shooting for that day. That his fears were 
 justified in the case of his best shot became 
 immediately evident. 
 
 ' The English horses must not be sacrificed 
 to any such paltry consideration as feminine 
 weakness,' Adlofstein said, with a heavy frown. 
 ' Let us go.' 
 
 ' And the poor young mees ?' asked Count 
 Marcel, glancing first at the unconscious Evan- 
 gela, and then at Melanie, who stood by, speech- 
 less with indignation. 
 
 ' We cannot leave her to perish of cold, 
 certainly. She must be carried, I suppose.' 
 
 ' I will send some of the servants ' said 
 
 Count Rothenfels. 
 
 But Adlofstein interrupted him: 
 
 ' Do not trouble. I will carry her myself.' 
 
 * You, Adlofstein ?' said the Count hastily.
 
 THE LADY'S LEAP 289 
 
 * But it is the wrong direction ; and you are 
 coming to shoot with us. You are not going 
 to desert us ?' 
 
 * Yes, I am,' replied Adlofstein uncompro- 
 misingly. ' I am not going to shoot any more. 
 Come ; the English horses are waiting. Let 
 us start. You, Baroness, will doubtless accom- 
 pany us.' 
 
 He bent down and raised the slight figure 
 with as much ease and unconcern as he might 
 have picked up a doll, and then he walked 
 off, leaving St. Evremonde to resume his coat 
 and follow with Melanie. St. Evremonde was 
 too much shaken and upset to think of going 
 on with the shooting-party, and he even found 
 it difficult to keep up v/ith his tall cousin, who 
 strode ahead as if his burden were a mere 
 feather-weight. Melanie was forced to accom- 
 modate her pace to that of the Marquis, who 
 claimed all her sympathy and attention, and so 
 they had fallen a little behind when Adlofstein 
 came to the bridge. A couple of planks laid 
 across the rocky lips of the abyss did not seem 
 a very safe mode of transit for anyone so laden 
 as he was ; and Melanie, who dreaded the 
 ordeal not a little for herself, trembled and held 
 her breath when she saw him stop short in the 
 middle, and pause as if to steady him^^elf It 
 
 VOL. I. 19
 
 290 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 seemed as if he were afraid of losing his 
 balance ; but he went on again with a firm step. 
 
 It was a movement of Evangela's that had 
 disturbed him. In the very middle of the 
 crossing she had stirred slightly, and opened her 
 eyes ; and in their questioning wonder, as she 
 gazed up into his face, there was an expression 
 that made even Adlofstein's iron nerves falter. 
 
 * Where am I ? What has happened ?' she 
 asked in utter bewilderment, as her eyes fell 
 from his face to the breast-pocket of the rough 
 gray shooting-coat against which her head was 
 resting. Then, as recollection flashed suddenly 
 upon her : ' Baron Adlofstein, there is no need 
 for you to carry me. Put me down — please put 
 me down this instant !' 
 
 If he had obeyed her she must have lost her 
 life the next instant, and he paid no attention 
 to the imperious injunction ; but even when he 
 had got to the end of the perilous crossing, he 
 still held her fast, and showed not the slightest 
 intention of releasing her. 
 
 ' Be patient,' he said quietly. ' We shall soon 
 meet the carriage that has been sent for, and 
 then I will put you down. It is not right for 
 you to walk, and you must submit to remaining 
 in my clutches for a little while longer. Here 
 is your cousin.'
 
 THE LADY'S LEAP 291 
 
 He looked back for Melanie, all whose 
 courage had been needed to get her over the 
 formidable crossing, and when she came up, 
 he said to her : 
 
 ' Your cousin has come to herself. She is 
 alarmed at finding herself in my hands. Speak 
 to her, and reassure her, if you can.' 
 
 Melanie pushed forward to look anxiously 
 into Evano^ela's face, and, as she met the dis- 
 tressed glance of the dark eyes, she burst into 
 a little cry of joy. 
 
 ' Oh, my darling Vangela ! How relieved 
 and thankful I am to see your dear eyes open 
 again ! I have been so alarmed about you. 
 Oh, my dear ! you have been in a swoon for a 
 long, long time, and the Baron is carrying you 
 until the carriage meets us. Count Marcel has 
 gone for it, and it will be here directly. Don't 
 distress yourself, petite; the Baron says you 
 are as light as a feather, and he is so strong, he 
 does not feel it. Ah, Vangela ! No — no, you 
 must not try to walk. It is really not fit. You 
 must have perfect rest till you are better. Think 
 only — the dance is to be to-night, and what a 
 pity if you are not able to enjoy it !' 
 
 ' I am afraid there can be no question of 
 dancing for mademoiselle to-night,' said Adlof- 
 stein decisively. ' She ought to go straight to
 
 292 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 bed the moment she gets home, and remain 
 there until she has recovered from the strain 
 and shock.' 
 
 He had no intention of speaking unkindly ; 
 but he could scarcely realize what a blow to 
 both girls this fiat would be. To Melanie, who 
 had been looking forward to the appearance of 
 all three in the new pink dresses at the hunt 
 dinner and dance as the crowning delight and 
 triumph of the visit, the disappointment was 
 especially severe. What ! was poor Evangela 
 to be prevented from appearing, from wearing 
 the charming rose toilette, from sharing in 
 the fun, and enjoying an experience which 
 would all have been so interesting and novel to 
 her ^ Melanie's own pleasure was quite damped 
 by the idea, and she was conscious of a feeling 
 of irritation and resentment against the formu- 
 lator of it. 
 
 ' We shall see about that,' she said haughtily. 
 ' I trust that a good rest this afternoon will put 
 you all right, dear Vangela. You do not feel 
 ill, do you ?' 
 
 Evangela felt at that moment nothing but an 
 overwhelming desire to be released from the 
 position of durance in which she found herself. 
 
 * I am perfectly well,' she said energetically. 
 ' There is nothing on earth the matter with me.
 
 THE LADY'S LEAP 293 
 
 Baron Adlofstein, I am the best judge of what 
 I am capable of. Let me beg of you to put an 
 end to this ridiculous situation. I insist that 
 you put me down.' 
 
 ' In a few minutes,' replied Adlofstein, quite 
 unmoved. ' I see the carriage coming. It is a 
 bad road, and you will be a good deal more 
 jolted than you are now. How^ever, I dare say 
 you will prefer it.' 
 
 Evangela thought she would greatly prefer 
 it, and she gave a sigh of relief w^hen she was 
 set down at last, and she found herself once 
 more her own mistress. She felt more unsteady 
 on her feet than she expected, however, and 
 she found, to her surprise and vexation, that 
 she could not get into the carriage without 
 help. Adlofstein half handed, half lifted her in, 
 and as Melanie followed, and St. Evremonde 
 took his place opposite, she leaned back, and 
 closed her eyes with a sense of intense ex- 
 haustion. 
 
 Adlofstein, standing grave and silent at the 
 carriage-door with folded arms and an impas- 
 sive expression of countenance, showed no dis- 
 position to join himself to the party. There 
 was a dark flush upon his cheek-bone, and his 
 eyes were steadily fixed upon Evangela ; but 
 the lines of his mouth were iron grim. The
 
 294 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 coachman was gathering up his reins, when 
 Evangela suddenly opened her eyes, and, turn- 
 ing her head, met Adlofstein's gaze. 
 
 ' Are you not coming with us ?' she asked, in 
 some surprise. 
 
 'No,' he answered ; and the brief negative 
 was Hke the riposte of a fortress wall. 
 
 The carriage was already in motion, and 
 Evangela had no particular reason to regret 
 that he should be left behind ; but some sudden 
 impulse made her turn her head and look again 
 at him, and involuntarily she held out her hand. 
 
 ' Thank you for what you have done for me, 
 Baron i\dlofstein — thank you !' she said quickly ; 
 but he did not seem to hear.
 
 [ 295 ] 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 THE HUNT-DANCE. 
 
 * I PRAY for the honour, Fraulein !' 
 
 * I also.' 
 
 'And I.' 
 
 ' And i; 
 
 Clink, clink, clink ! ' Hock, hack, hock P 
 
 It was eight o'clock; and the big hunt-dinner, 
 which had begun at six, was at an end. Evan- 
 gela found herself the heroine of the hour ; and 
 the guests, who were all springing up from their 
 places to salute each other, came crowding 
 round her, bearing their deep vase-shaped 
 champagne-glasses aloft. There was an en- 
 thusiastic crying of ' Hocks V and a general 
 confusion of clinking and laughing going on 
 all round ; and Evangela's own spirits were at 
 fever height. 
 
 The prudent counsels of Adlofstein and the 
 Countess and other more sober spirits had been
 
 296 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 disregarded ; and the three pink frocks were 
 e7t dvidence, with all the effect that Melanie 
 had so fondly anticipated. The pink roses in 
 Evangela's cheeks were more brilliant than the 
 pale pink of her dress, and the contrast with 
 her white skin and blue-black hair was almost 
 startling ; but she had never looked prettier, 
 and she was in such bright and happy spirits 
 that Count Marcel d'Ecoronata, who was the 
 fortunate man deputed by the Countess to take 
 her in to dinner, w^as unaffectedly charmed with 
 his good luck. She had, however, made up 
 her mind to abstain from dancing ; and when 
 the dinner was over, and the guests poured 
 into the dancing-room, she settled herself 
 under the wing of the Countess in a quiet nook, 
 where she could see and hear without being 
 observed. 
 
 The rooms all opened Into each other, as 
 well as into the inner corridor which ran round 
 the building ; and to-night the folding doors of 
 the whole suite were thrown open. The big 
 drawing-room in the centre was the ball-room, 
 and In the billiard-room at the further end the 
 non-dancing men — Count Rothenfels, Adlof- 
 stein, and a few other ungenial spirits, found a 
 refuge. The Countess's boudoir was given up 
 to cards and chaperons ; but some of the elder
 
 THE HUNT -DANCE 297 
 
 ladies preferred to settle themselves in the 
 Chinese salon, a small room between the ball- 
 room and the boudoir, and here, as she was 
 passing through the ball-room, Melanie dis- 
 covered Evangela. 
 
 ' Ah, Vangela dear !' she said compassion- 
 ately. ' Are you going to hide yourself here ? 
 Perhaps it is better, since you must not dance, 
 for you not to sit in the ball-room, where you 
 would be continually bowed to, and have to 
 explain, and perhaps give offence by refusing ; 
 but it is miserable for you ! It makes me 
 quite wretched to think of your being so dis- 
 appointed !' 
 
 'Oh, never mind me; I don't mind,' said 
 Evangela cheerfully. ' But one thing I am 
 determined about : I will come in to see the 
 cotillon !' 
 
 ' Oh, you must come in for that ; everybody 
 comes in to see that. And it will be splendid 
 to-night. I hear that the Countess has pre- 
 pared the most charming things — windmills, 
 looking-glasses, pop-guns — oh, I forget all! 
 And the little Marcel is to lead it. He is un- 
 equalled at the cotillon, they say, and his 
 figures are something marvellous — oh, you will 
 see ! Pity that you cannot join ! Such bouquets 
 you would have had, for all these gentlemen
 
 298 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 are enraptured with you, my dear ! Your beauty, 
 your cleverness, your heroism — they cannot 
 praise you enough ! As for Count Marcel — ma 
 c/iere, what have you done to that poor little 
 man? Ah! there I see St. Evremonde going 
 past the doorway, and I should not wonder if 
 he was looking for me. It is the first dance 
 beginning, and I must be in my place, or I 
 shall get no partner.' 
 
 Meianie flitted off like a gay bird, and Evan- 
 gela was left to her reflections. She found that 
 she would have plenty of leisure for meditation 
 and observation ; for the Countess, though 
 good-naturedly anxious to befriend the young 
 English stranger, and desirous to talk to her, 
 had a good many other claims upon her atten- 
 tion. She was called away before long, and as 
 the evening advanced, the other ladies were 
 attracted into the boudoir or the dancing-room, 
 until the Chinese room was left deserted. 
 Evangela, ensconced in an easy-chair drawn 
 up to an elaborately inlaid Chinese cabinet, 
 amused herself for a time by examining 
 the curious and beautiful things that it con- 
 tained ; but this was not an occupation that 
 could be indefinitely prolonged, and she was 
 beginning to think that she also had better 
 make a move, when she saw M. de St. Evre-
 
 THE HUNT-DANCE 299 
 
 monde come in from the ball-room, and give a 
 hasty glance round the room. 
 
 ' Ah, Mademoiselle Vangela, there you are !' 
 he said, coming straight up to her. ' I could not 
 conceive where you had hidden yourself.' 
 
 * My cousin Melanie could have told you, 
 monsieur,' said Evanofela, with a smile and a 
 slight deepening of colour. 
 
 * She could, no doubt, but she would not do 
 so. She said that you were to be kept quiet — 
 but, mademoiselle, you will allow me a few 
 minutes, will you not ? I have not yet had a 
 chance of thanking you for the noble way in 
 which you came to my rescue this afternoon, 
 when I was in danger of perishing by a horrible 
 death ' 
 
 * Do not speak of it!' said E vangela hurriedly. 
 ' It is too dreadful to think of! I am thankful 
 indeed that you were saved, but you must 
 remember that it was Baron Adlofstein, not I, 
 who really saved you.' 
 
 * He would have come too late. I do not 
 know that he would have ventured the leap at 
 all, if it had not been for the inspiring sight of 
 your heroism. Ah ! yes, mademoiselle, it is to 
 you that I owe my life, and I can never suf- 
 ficiently express the gratitude that I feel.' 
 
 As he looked at the sweet and blushing face,
 
 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 whose prettiness struck him with new force, 
 St. Evremonde felt that he did not dislike the 
 notion of owing his life to so charming a 
 woman, and, bending down, he lifted her hand, 
 and softly touched it with his lips. Evangela 
 had seen him do it to the Countess each time 
 that he had said ' good-night ' to her, and she 
 knew that for him the action was quite natural, 
 but she was utterly unprepared for it, and she 
 was greatly confused and disconcerted. She 
 could not find a word to say, and as she felt the 
 hot colour mounting to her very temples, she 
 was vexed with herself for being so stupid ; 
 but the Marquis did not mind at all, he only 
 thouorht her the more charmino-. He felt 
 
 o o 
 
 rather noble himself in his consciousness of the 
 sincerity of his emotion ; and, seating himself in 
 the chair that the Countess Rothenfels had left 
 vacant, he disposed himself for an agreeable 
 
 The light of the shaded lamps threw a soft 
 and rosy radiance over the room — over the 
 gorgeous and grotesque Chinese curiosities and 
 Evangela's pink dress ; and from the dancing- 
 room came the wail of the violins in the Strauss 
 waltz music, which rose and fell in dreamy 
 cadences. It was a situation such as St. 
 Evremonde had read of in French translations
 
 THE HUNT-DANCE 301 
 
 of English romances, and it was entirely to his 
 taste. He had delightful powers of conversa- 
 tion when he chose to exert himself, and this 
 was the sort of occasion which called them. 
 forth. The young English lady was more than 
 pretty — she was absolutely lovely to-night, and 
 she was original and interesting. What was 
 more, she was interested in him, and she had 
 risked her life on his behalf A flattering 
 thought occurred to him. Was she more in- 
 terested than she seemed } She was very 
 reserved. Of course, all Englishwomen were 
 reserved — that was well known ; could it be 
 that under the cloak of her reserve she enter- 
 tained a warmer feeling than mere interest — 
 was that the explanation of an act of bravery 
 which even for an Englishwoman was extra- 
 ordinary } But no, no ! he dismissed the half- 
 formed idea as he met her frank and unconscious 
 gaze. She was smiling at his remarks, she was 
 pleased by his evident desire to please her, and 
 there was sympathy and liking in her pretty 
 eyes, but nothing more. 
 
 St. Evremonde was enjoying himself, and he 
 was in no hurry to return to the ball-room. 
 Melanie had come in twice, and had glanced in 
 their direction with an expression of amused 
 surprise ; but seeing Evangela so well enter-
 
 ;o2 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 tained, she had gone away without Interrupting. 
 Then Adlofstein passed through on his way to 
 the card-room, and when he saw his cousin's 
 attitude and Evangela's smiling face, he gave 
 a slight start, and the cynical smile which 
 crossed his countenance gave place to a heavier 
 frown than usual. 
 
 ' He is showing his gratitude,' he thought, 
 ' and he is doing it with a vengeance ; but will 
 she understand how much it is worth ?' 
 
 Adlofstein had betaken himself to the card- 
 room with the intention of taking a hand at 
 taroque ; but when he got there he was 
 conscious of a singular sense of restlessness 
 and disquiet, and he made so many blunders 
 and mistakes that he decided that he was not 
 in a mood for play. As soon as he decently 
 could, he withdrew from the game ; and then 
 he invented to himself an excuse for returning 
 to the billiard-room. He passed through the 
 Chinese salon again, and this time he saw that 
 Evangela was alone. St. Evremonde would 
 willingly have prolonged his stay had he been 
 allowed to do so, and as the etiquette of an 
 Austrian ball-room forbids engagements before- 
 hand when there are no programmes, he was 
 hampered by no considerations that would have 
 prevented him ; but Evangela's Instincts were
 
 THE HUNT-DANCE 303 
 
 much too fine to allow her to be a party to 
 such an indiscretion, and St. Evremonde had 
 enough tact and savoii^- vivre to know to a 
 moment how long he might linger. He had 
 just left as Adlofstein re-entered the room, and 
 Adlofsteln remarked his absence with a feelinor 
 of unqualified relief. 
 
 * How goes it now ?' he asked, marching up 
 to Evaneela after a moment's hesitation. ' I 
 can see quite well that you are not at all fit to 
 be in all this racket,' he added, observing the 
 too lovely colour in her cheeks. 
 
 ' There isn't much racket in here, is there .'^' 
 said Evangela, smiling, but thinking to herself 
 what a contrast Adlofstein's blunt speech was 
 to the charming manners of his cousin. ' This 
 is a sheltered nook away from the whirl and 
 crush, and one hears the music and sees the fun 
 without heat or fatio^ue. You are not dancing, 
 are you ? Then, won't you sit down, and give 
 me an opportunity of thanking you for the 
 effectual aid you rendered me this afternoon.' 
 
 ' No,' said Adlofstein, in a tone of disgust. 
 * I don't want thanks — I detest thanks ; and in 
 this case there is nothing to thank for. What 
 I did I should have done for anybody in the 
 same position.' 
 
 ' Oh, of course !' said Evangela, with a little
 
 304 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 laugh of frank amusement that somehow vexed 
 him. ' Of course I know that. And you don't 
 like to be thanked ? Well, I think I can 
 understand your objection. Gratitude is such 
 a very inexpressible thing, and you seldom 
 hear it put into words without being reminded 
 of the sickliness of forced or hothouse growths. 
 But your cousin has been expressing his thanks 
 to me, so I thought it was perhaps incumbent 
 upon me to offer mine to you, who certainly 
 deserve them much more.' 
 
 ' Ah !' said Adlofstein. ' And did St. Evre- 
 monde's effusions appear to you sickly and 
 forced ?' 
 
 He was searching her face so keenly as 
 he spoke that she felt her colour rise, and, 
 discomposed by this, she blushed hotly as she 
 answered : 
 
 ' I did not say that, and I certainly do not 
 mean you to infer it. The Latin races seem 
 to have a gift of expressing things gracefully 
 which is denied to our blunter nation. And 
 the Marquis is particularly graceful.' 
 
 ' He is,' rejoined Adlofstein grimly ; * particu- 
 larly graceful.' 
 
 There was a pause, which Evangela felt to 
 be particularly ungraceful and uncomfortable. 
 Adlofstein had disregarded her invitation to
 
 THE HUNT-DANCE 305 
 
 sit down, and he remained standing before her, 
 blocking out her view of the narrow doorway 
 through which the dancers were to be seen. 
 She glanced up at him once or twice, but he 
 seemed lost in abstraction, and she was be- 
 ginning to wish that he would go away, when 
 he turned towards her, and spoke again. 
 
 ' Well,' he said, ' why don't you go on ?' 
 
 * Go on !' said Evangela. ' What do you 
 mean ?' 
 
 ' Why don't you go on with your praises of 
 St. Evremonde ? You ought to feel interested 
 in him. You saved his life, you know. You 
 surely have noticed more about him than the 
 mere fact that he is graceful ?' 
 
 ' I really don't know that I am called upon 
 to enumerate his virtues to you, who ought to 
 be much better acquainted with them than I 
 can be,' answered Evangela, with a spirit which 
 was born of resentment and annoyance. ' My 
 acquaintance with M. de St. Evremonde is of 
 the slightest.' 
 
 ' And yet you have remarked his virtues and 
 perfections, and you must have formed some 
 opinion about him. In Vienna he is considered 
 irresistibly handsome, delightfully witty, and 
 an accomplished flirt. Would you endorse all 
 that ?' 
 
 VOL. I. 20
 
 3o6 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 ' I don't know anything at all about it,' said 
 Evangela, with dignity, ' and I should like to 
 know what you mean by talking to me in this 
 sort of way. Do you wish to prejudice me 
 against your cousin ?' 
 
 ' To prejudice you against him ?' said Adlof- 
 stein, with a sudden change of tone. ' No — 
 emphatically no ! But I think that you ought 
 to know what he is ; that you should under- 
 stand Ah ! ct propos de bottes — here he is ! 
 
 We were just discussing your gracefulness, St. 
 Evremonde.' 
 
 St. Evremonde glanced quickly from his 
 cousin to Evangela, and smiled. From the 
 expression of the two faces, it was easy for 
 him to guess which way the argument had 
 gone, and he addressed himself unperturbed to 
 Evano^ela. 
 
 ' They are going to play that waltz of Strauss' 
 that I was telling you about — there it is, just 
 striking up — and I thought I would come and 
 ask you if you felt up to one dance — just one 
 round of the room.' 
 
 The Marquis did not think it necessary to 
 mention that he had been to the Kapell-meister 
 and secured an alteration in the programme by 
 means of a bribe ; but he inwardly congratu- 
 lated himself upon the happy idea, as he saw
 
 THE HUNT-DANCE 307 
 
 Evangela's slender foot peep out of the pink 
 fiuffings at the edge of her gown and begin 
 to beat time to the music. He went on 
 quickly : 
 
 ' I know you had made up your mind not 
 to dance ; but I thought you might perhaps 
 make an exception in my favour. I owe 
 you so much that I claim to owe you a little 
 more.' 
 
 St. Evremonde was persuasive, and Evangela 
 was so fond of dancing that she was only too 
 ready to be beguiled. She looked up with a 
 sparkle in her eyes that seemed to say that she 
 knew that it would be naughty, but still she 
 would be naughty ; and she had risen from her 
 chair, when she glanced at Adlofstein, and 
 stopped short suddenly. The expression of 
 his countenance gave her quite a shock, his 
 brow was so black, and his eyes so con- 
 demning. 
 
 ' St. Evremonde,' he said, in low but incisive 
 tones, * your thoughtlessness is inexcusable — I 
 will not call it by a more severe word. Do 
 you realize all that is involved in persuading 
 Fraulein Wynne to dance with you ? It is not 
 only that, after the frightful strain that she has 
 incurred for your sake this afternoon, it will be 
 a serious risk to her health ; it will give mortal
 
 3o8 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 offence to every man she has refused to dance 
 with, and will make her position here almost 
 impossible.' 
 
 ' My dear Louis,' replied St. Evremonde, 
 with imperturbable good-humour, 'you have 
 the most remarkable talent for converting 
 molehills into mountains of any man that I 
 know ! But I don't interfere in the manage- 
 ment of your molehills, so I expect you to 
 leave me alone to the farming of mine. Of 
 course,' he said, his voice softening as he 
 turned to Evangela, ' if you felt it unwise for 
 any reason, I should not be so selfish as to 
 press you ' 
 
 ' But I have not refused to dance with 
 anyone,' said Evangela, addressing herself to 
 Adlofstein, and looking eager, though depre- 
 cating. ' I have kept out of the way of being 
 asked, and no one has asked me. And as to 
 my health, really I feel so well, and I am 
 longing so for a dance, that I am sure it could 
 not do me any harm — on the contrar)', I think 
 it would do me good.' 
 
 To the decidedly feminine logic of this 
 argument, Adlofstein had no answer to oppose. 
 He bowed with cold and formal politeness, and 
 Evangela took St. Evremonde's offered arm 
 and went out with him.
 
 THE HUNT-DANCE 309 
 
 As they passed through the doorway, Adlof- 
 stein overheard St. Evremonde say : 
 
 ' It does not do to pay too much attention to 
 my cousin's fancies. You know, he really is 
 
 sometimes quite ' The rest was lost in 
 
 the buzz of the crowd in the ball-room.
 
 [ 3IO ] 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 THE QUEEN OF TPIE COTILLON. 
 
 It was not difficult for Adlofstein to supply from 
 imagination the conclusion of his cousin's speech, 
 and though his lip curled in scornful disdain of 
 anything that St. Evremonde could do or say 
 against him, the inference did not tend to soothe 
 his ruffled mood. He looked cool enough ; but 
 inwardly he was in one of those devastating 
 rages which shake a man's nature to its founda- 
 tions, and take away his reason for the time 
 being. As a boy, Adlofstein had been quite 
 ungovernable when he was in a passion ; he 
 had himself been alarmed at the thought of the 
 lengths to which he felt himself capable of being 
 carried, and as he grew up, he had forced him- 
 self to acquire a habit of self-control. He never 
 allowed himself to flame out now, and the 
 angrier he felt, the more quiet and collected 
 his manner was apt to become ; but none the
 
 THE QUEEN OF THE COTILLON 311 
 
 less did he feel the strength of the force within ; 
 and it kept him in continual remembrance of the 
 danger into which he might at any moment fall 
 — of the sword that was always hanging over 
 his head. 
 
 It was in the consciousness of this stormy 
 temper — so much more violent than anyone but 
 himself knew — that the chief strength of his 
 dread lay. But for that close personal enemy, 
 which he regarded as a symptom of the 
 curse, his fears would probably never have 
 been aroused, and his horror of it was so 
 intense and abiding that he scarcely realized 
 how completely he had learned to subdue it — 
 how strong was the mastery that he had gained 
 over himself. Now, when he was more wildly 
 shaken than he had been at any time since his 
 father's marriage, he had sufficient coolness and 
 self-command to seek to analyze his own 
 feelings, and ask himself why he should be so 
 stirred. 
 
 St. Evremonde's selfish pertinacity was no 
 new discovery to him. He had always recog- 
 nised it ; and had even reckoned it as an integral 
 part of his character — a part which was perhaps 
 indispensable to the sort of success that he was 
 likely to attain. It was not that which filled 
 his soul with such a passion of resentment ; it
 
 312 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 was not envy of the interest which St. Evre- 
 monde seemed on the way to excite in the 
 young EngHsh lady — had he not abjured all 
 interest in her or any other woman himself? 
 And of course it was not the little exhibition of 
 girlish recklessness and wilfulness in Evangela 
 that had been the provocation. What, then, was 
 it ? Adlofstein could find no answer, and the 
 conviction that it might be an utterly unreason- 
 able outburst of his private demon came upon 
 him with sobering and depressing force. 
 
 * It is unscotched still. It always will be 
 unscotched, I suppose,' he said to himself, ' and 
 it only shows more clearly how likely it is that 
 she is right, and I am wrong, about Bertemilian. 
 All this time I have been trying to convince 
 myself that the old family taint had died out, 
 and that therefore it must have been a duel. 
 Of course, if it was a duel, the hints that the 
 Baroness has let fall would fix it upon 
 Bertemilian without the possibility of a doubt ; 
 but she is an awful liar — there probably was 
 no duel at all. Have I not had sufficient 
 evidence of the mischief in myself in the last 
 few months ? Do I not feel it now ? I would 
 willingly put a bullet through somebody at this 
 moment, and I shouldn't care much who it was 
 — myself or anybody else. Well, I had better
 
 THE QUEEN OF THE COTILLON 313 
 
 take myself out of the way of those two. I am 
 scarcely in a fit mood to meet them just now.' 
 
 He left the Chinese salon, and passed through 
 the dancing-room with a resolute tread and 
 impassive countenance ; but as he steered his 
 way through the dancers, he caught sight of 
 St. Evremonde and Evangela, and he could 
 not help following them with his eyes. They 
 were dancing very smoothly and gracefully. 
 Yes, no doubt St. Evremonde was graceful — 
 particularly graceful ; and so was she. They 
 matched very well, certainly ; she was exactly 
 the right height for him, and there was not 
 another couple in the room so striking. St. 
 Evremonde looked very handsome and happy ; 
 he was enjoying himself thoroughly, no doubt, 
 and she — but what was the matter with her ? 
 Her roses were gone — her face was as white as 
 death — her steps were failing — she was fainting; 
 and St. Evremonde had almost to carry her out 
 of the room. 
 
 Adlofstein thought no more of returning to 
 the billiard-room. He elbowed his way ruth- 
 lessly to the buffet, and he came back to the 
 Chinese salon with a glass of wine in his hand, 
 just as St. Evremonde laid Evangela back in 
 her chair. The Countess was fluttering over 
 her, and all the other ladies were hurrying
 
 314 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 round, anxious to do their best in the utterance 
 of sympathy ; but their exclamations of ' Lieber 
 Gott f were not effective in the way of aid ; 
 and it was not until Evangela had taken some 
 of the wine handed to her that she began to 
 revive at all. When she opened her eyes, and 
 saw St. Evremonde kneeling at her side, and 
 all the group of pitying faces round her, the 
 colour began to come back to her cheeks fast 
 enough. 
 
 ' I am so sorry,' she said penitently, as she 
 made an effort to sit up ; 'it was very stupid of 
 me. Oh no, M. de St. Evremonde ; it was 
 not in any way your fault — I should think not ! 
 It was perhaps a little unwise of me ; but there 
 is no harm done. I shall be all right again 
 directly.' 
 
 ' Oh, my dear, what a pity ! The cotillon is 
 just going to begin, and I am afraid now that 
 you will not be able to come in, even to look 
 on !' exclaimed Melanie's voice out of the meUe. 
 
 ' She ouofht not to think of it,' observed one 
 of the ladies ; but Evangela had no idea of 
 giving up her intention of seeing the cotillon ; 
 and as Baron Bertemilian was not in the room, 
 there was no one who had authority to restrain 
 her. 
 
 'What is to be done?' said the Countess,
 
 THE QUEEN OF THE COTILLON 315 
 
 appealing to Adlofstein with a distressed flutter 
 of her thin hands. 
 
 He seemed the strongest spirit present, and 
 his disapproval of Evangela's wilfulness was 
 manifest ; but there was no help to be had 
 from him. 
 
 ' There is nothing to be done but to let the 
 young lady have her own way, and suffer the 
 consequences,' he said stiffly. ' I have reason 
 to know that all argument will be totally use- 
 less.' 
 
 Evangela threw a reproachful glance at him, 
 which was almost pathetic ; but she remained 
 quietly persistent, and in the end she got her 
 way. 
 
 The cotillon was soon in full swing ; and 
 Evangela sat by the Countess at the end of the 
 long salon, watching the pretty and fantastic 
 devices of the DamenwahL and the wonderful 
 figures that the dancers described under the 
 able direction of Count Marcel — the winding 
 circles, the swaying S's, the double and treble 
 chains, the bridges and the mazes. Evangela had 
 never seen anything like it ; and she congratu- 
 lated herself upon her resolution to stay for it. 
 Her interest centred upon Melanie, who had a 
 turn all to herself in the Damenwahl. She sat 
 in a chair placed in the middle of the room,
 
 3i6 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 with a white cloth at her feet, which her chosen 
 partner would be allowed to kneel upon, but no 
 one else ; and she looked so bewitching as she 
 queened it there, smiling and radiant, that all 
 the men who circled round her were keenly 
 desirous of winning the sign of her preference ; 
 but as fast as they tried to kneel upon it, she 
 snatched the cloth away, and they had to get 
 up and move on to an accompaniment of jeers 
 and laughter. 
 
 Evangela felt pretty certain beforehand who 
 the favoured person would be ; and she was 
 not mistaken. When St. Evremonde's turn 
 came, he dropped on one knee with a grace and 
 confidence that contrasted favourably with the 
 hurried floppings of the rest, and his confidence 
 was rewarded with success. Melanie was the 
 belle of the evening ; and Evangela waited 
 expectantly for the triumph that would be hers 
 when the presentation of bouquets began ; but 
 when the time came it brought an unexpected 
 denouement. At the end of the cotillon the 
 bouquets were brought in ; and all at once the 
 room seemed turned into a flower - show. 
 Evangela, from her place among the chape- 
 rons, was watching the scene with eager in- 
 terest, when she heard a voice at her side, and, 
 turning her head, saw St. Evremonde, with a
 
 THE QUEEN OF THE COTILLON 317 
 
 Splendid bouquet of the most delicate and costly 
 hot-house blooms in his hand. 
 
 ' For the lady to whose heroism I owe so 
 much,' he said, with his most courtly bow. 
 * Though you are not dancing, I trust you will 
 permit me to offer the only little token that I can.' 
 
 Evangela took the flowers, and thanked him 
 with a glance of pleasure before she hid her 
 face in the sweet-scented blossoms. When she 
 looked up. Count Marcel was standing before her 
 also with a bouquet, and he was followed by a 
 whole train of others. It seemed that, fired 
 with a desire to show their appreciation of her 
 exploit that day, all the sportsmen had made up 
 their minds to pay this tribute to the young 
 English ' mees ' ; and though she was pre- 
 vented from dancing, they were determined to 
 present their bouquets, all the same. 
 
 The triumph, therefore, that evening was for 
 Evangela. She was almost smothered in 
 bouquets, and she had to have two lackeys 
 to carry them out for her. St. Evremonde 
 attended her to the door. 
 
 ' I trust you will be entirely restored by 
 to-morrow,' he said earnestly. ' vVe go out 
 shooting after an early breakfast, at which you 
 will, of course, not think of appearing ; but I 
 hope that I shall see you later.'
 
 3i8 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 Evangela made no other response than a 
 startled glance ; but in the solitude of her own 
 room, as she sat in her dressing-gown, too 
 weary almost to brush out her hair, she 
 pondered over his tone, which disturbed her 
 more than the words. It was only the Vien- 
 nese gallantry that Melanie had referred to, no 
 doubt ; and he perhaps imagined that he owed 
 some special show of politeness towards her ; 
 but Evangela wished he had not spoken in 
 that tone. She recollected the character that 
 Adlofstein had given him — irresistibly hand- 
 some, delightfully witty, and an accomplished 
 flirt. 
 
 ' He need not have considered it necessary 
 to warn me,' she reflected, with a recurrence of 
 the resentment that she had felt at the time. 
 ' My own instinct would have been enough to 
 put me on my guard, even if I did not know 
 Melanie's opinion of him. She has told me that 
 he is a perfect butterfly, upon whom it isn't 
 worth while wasting two thoughts — and yet, 
 does she really despise him as much as that ?' 
 
 Her meditations were interrupted by the 
 entrance of Melanie herself. There was a 
 rustling of silk and laces at the door, and then 
 it opened softly, and Melanie's bright face 
 peeped in.
 
 THE QUEEN OF THE COTILLON 319 
 
 ' Oh, you are not In bed yet !' she said, 
 coming in with Thekla after her. ' We felt we 
 must come and see how you were, dear, after it 
 all. Was it not delightful } Did you not enjoy 
 it } And oh, my dear, what a success you have 
 had ! We are all so proud and pleased ; and 
 papa especially is delighted !' 
 
 ' How many bouquets did you have, Vangela?' 
 asked Thekla curiously. ' What ! you have 
 not counted } Mon Diett f There they are — 
 may I look ?' 
 
 The flowers were all heaped up in a corner 
 of the room, and Thekla pounced upon them, 
 uttering critical exclamations as she counted up 
 the trophies. 
 
 ' Thirty-nine, forty!' she finished up. 'Actually 
 forty !' turning round. ' Ten more than yours, 
 Melanie !' 
 
 ' Why, almost everyone must have given,' 
 said Melanie. ' They must have agreed that 
 they would, as a recognition of your heroism, 
 my dear ! I am sure you well deserve it. It was 
 splendid, what you did — absolutely splendid ; 
 and I never was more proud in my life — when 
 I saw you were safe, that Is ; before, I was 
 nearly mad with terror. I declare I could have 
 shot that Adlofstein when I saw him standing 
 still while the others were running round ; and
 
 320 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 I thought he was going to remain Hke a block 
 to see you perish. But he came out well after- 
 wards, I must admit. That was a splendid 
 leap that he made — I cannot deny that.' 
 
 'It is really to him that the whole credit 
 belongs, though nobody seems to see it,' said 
 Evangela. ' It is simply absurd to make me 
 the heroine of the adventure ; for what I did 
 would have been of no use without him.' 
 
 ' It would be difficult to consider him a hero, 
 whatever he did,' remarked Melanie, laughing. 
 ' He is not made for the part.' 
 
 ' This bouquet is truly heavenly !' exclaimed 
 Thekla, holding up the last of the bunches that 
 she was replacing, and looking at it in a sort of 
 ecstasy. ' Nobody else had one so magnificent. 
 Look what exquisite fiowers ; all white and 
 all scented, and such a size ! and tied up with 
 yards and yards of watered-silk ribbon — such a 
 width and such a richness ! Afon Dieu ! I 
 never saw such a bouquet. Who gave it you, 
 Vangela ?' 
 
 It was St. Evremande's offering that she 
 was holding up, and Melanie divined it before 
 Evangela had time to say so. 
 
 ' Of course that is St. Evremonde's !' she 
 said. ' I saw that he had one magnificent one, 
 and naturally he would give it to you. It is a
 
 THE QUEEN OF THE COTILLON 321 
 
 graceful way of showing his gratitude to you 
 for having saved his Hfe ; for, my dear Vangela, 
 you may say what you like about the Baron 
 Adlofstein, St. Evremondfe declares that with- 
 out you he must have perished, for he could 
 not have held on for a single instant longer.' 
 
 IMelanie's resignation of a triumph that she 
 had had a right to expect for herself was a 
 generous one, and when the two girls had 
 departed, E vangela thought of it with a strange 
 glow of relief and satisfaction at her heart. She 
 was still sitting lost in thought, with her brush 
 idle in her hand, when the door opened again, 
 and Melanie's golden head came popping in. 
 
 ' Just one more thing I must ask you, dear,' 
 she said, hanging on to the door-handle, and 
 opening her great brown eyes to their widest 
 extent. ' Did you get a bouquet ' — in a stage 
 whisper — ' from Adlofstein.'*' 
 
 ' No,' said E vangela promptly. 
 
 ' I thought not,' said Melanie, her expression 
 of eager curiosity changing to one of ineffable 
 disgust. ' Mannerless rufhan !' 
 
 ' I dare say he would suppose that the sub- 
 stantial fact that he had risked his life to save 
 two people from death to-day might count 
 instead of bouquets, and that sort of thing,' 
 observed Evangela with equanimity. 
 
 VOL. I. 21
 
 322 GODDESSES THREE 
 
 * Not at all !' retorted Melanle. ' You may- 
 argue till the stroke of doom, my dear, you 
 will never convince me. A shabby ruffian, I 
 say — an utter ruffian !* 
 
 END OF VOL. I. 
 
 BILLING AND SONS, PRINTERS, GUILDFORD. 
 
 G.,C.&'C0.
 
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