AL LLAGLLES GORGL.

her mother's yellowing laces. Many times a day would she ask 1t the same question, till the mirror, like a sentient thing, scemed to sympathize with her desire, and gave her back the strange reply + —

“Love 1s a great beautifier |7

After that Nasha never consulted the mirror again ; 1t had pamed and tormented her more even than her brother,

The summer wore away, and winter dragged through 1ts slow months to

February, which brought o reminder of Volmer’s return. Never had the thought

of his presence been more unwelcome. His letters, which had grown more frequent than usual smce his last visit, were filled with hints that frightenced Nasha, and whispers had also reached her concerning the nature of his life m Pars. Ruin scemed the doom of all the men whose friendship he acquired. More than onc noble name had been dragged, through him, in the mire; more than one princely fortune had been gam- bled mto his hands—to lecave them again quickly. His in- solent triumphs were beginning to be ascribed to no common means. Men sometimes spoke of him on the boulevards and i the cafdés as in lecague with the devil, as a votary of the black art, as an accomplished sorcerer. T'hese things came to his sister’s ears, and a sinister warning, personal to hersclf, scemed to underlie them.

The date Volmer fixed for his return was carlier this spring than Nasha had ever known 1t to be. He also spoke of a pro- longed stay, and hinted at a service Nasha was to render him. Partly because of this, and partly because of a presentiment of cvil, the girl was less willing than ever to welcome him to her house. He was to reach Eagle's (yorge about sunset, and Nasha went out on the terrace with Lyoff to watch for the car-

Sa I8 i 2 A

” oA

v N ot ——

2 N T

~

e

T LOVE IS A GREAT DEAUTIFIER.”

355

rage, not because she was eager for its advent, but to master herselfl in the realiza- tion ol Volmer's approach, in order that when he met her he should detect no trace ol fear or suspicion i her face or voice. She saw the carriage at last, a speck on the white road below, and she sat down on a ledge of rock to watch its tedious upward journcy. While she sat there pondering, more than hall repining and quite excited, the conviction seized her that Volmer was not alone, and that the companion he was bringing to the castle would be, somchow, the vietim of his reckless egotism,

By-and-by the wolfhound growled. Tt was his wcelcome to the travellers, whose steps, as they mounted the last part of the ascent on foot, now sounded on his quick cars. Volmer came first upon the terrace. He was a bold- looking man, with somewhat shifty eyes and a charming smile, heneath which a keen observer might have de- tected the possi- bility of relent- less cruelty. After him came the 1mpersona- tion of all Nasha’s ideals— alas! alas! the original of the portrait she had looked on once and not forgot- ten. It had not lied; he was supremely hand- some, he was beautiful. The portrait had said as much as that, but what it had not told; what no portrait could ever reveal, was the perfect blending of delicacy and manliness i the smooth, fair skin, the dimpled chin; the sensitive nostrils, the laughing brown cyces, and the throat like a column of 1vory, upon which Nasha’s gaze was fastened. The man’s splendid propor- tions, combining strength with the utmost clegance, forbade the insinuation that his beauty was too feminine in its refinement, and he stood before his friend’s sister an all but perfeet type of masculine humanity.

The shame of her own dearth of attractions rushed upon Nasha in the presence of so