, 1888-12-04
With half shut eyes ever TO seem

Failing asleep in a half dreami
were still running through my head. 1
was full of the spirit of the poem. My
old nurse and constant companion sat In
the next room. where 1 could see her
through the open door, nodding, nodding
so sleepily. The cathedral tones of the
old clock on the shelf fell upon my ears.
l counted the strokes-one, two, three,
four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten,
eleven.
Is was time to send nurse to bed, but
lazilyI watched her head drop again and
again. too idly content to find will enough
to speak to her. The house was pro-
foundly still. l could hear the regular
breathing of the nurse, and even my own
heart throbs.
Suddenly l was aroused by the light
steps of ~slippered feet on the stone floor
of the hall. They halted, there was a
hurried tap at my door, and, before l had
time to assume q sitting posture, the door
was flung open and there stood a gentle
man. 1 rose to my feet and begged to
know to what chance l was indebted for
30 untimely q visit. He closed the door
gently, then with his usual superb man
ner saluted me: Il beg your pardon, mad
am, II l have intruded. 1 was going to
my room, and, seeing a light under your
door, thought l might venture to stop
for a few moments chat with you"
L had been in l. a year, and had met
the intruder, Mr., B, frequently at his
sisters house; he had also called upon
me, 30 we were not strangers. He was a
man of rather attractive personal appear
ance, about medium height, slender and
graceful, with the manners of an old
courtier. He was a fine musician and
linguist, and well versed In the history
and literature of the several countries
whose language he spoke, and was also a
brilliant conversationalist. Still, not
wtthstanding all these accomplishments
and his charming manners, there was
something repellant about the man, some
thing undefinable, that made every one
half afraid of him.
Well, in reply to the implied question
as to whether he might remain or not, l
said that l had been In the land of the
lotus caters, pointing at the Same time to
the o had laid upon the table; that
the smell of the lotus leaves had almost
closed my eyelids, that my old nurse was
~nodding. and l feared l must ask that the
visit might be brief.
A brief as you desire, madam" said
hei only there Is something l should like
to tell you before 1 CO."
He eyed me curiously as 1 sat down, and
l felt a SILVER of repugnance go over me.
He advanced to the table, took up a vol
ume OF Mrs. Browning, and, after turn
hAB ' Tx hNGo beNtThl LlIleSt Teau.
As one alone, once not alone,
sit and knock at Natures door,
Heart bare, heart hungry, very poor,
Whose d~esolated days go on.
Closing the book with a sigh, he said,
as he began to pace up and down the
room: "Did you know that l was once en-
gagged to be married2 l never see Mrs.
Browning without thinking of myfance."
Then for Some time he walked to and fro,
annarantlv nhiyiOnG nf INV nracan1a ruof
ing from German, French and English
authors, and withal delightfully."-, until
one stroke of the clock ~admonished me
that 1t wanted but a half hour till mid
night. l reminded Mr.. B. that q half hour
had gone by and he had not yet told me
the object Of his visit. 1 suggested that
what he had to tell me might do for a
serial story, and would take the poetry
for the Introductory.
he flashed a savage glance over toward
me. One quick step and he was at my
side, saying, In a low tone: "Why does
she sit thereH" pointing to my old nurse.
Send her away"
. / replied, II shall as soon as you are
gone" With q devilish look that defes
description he stopped till his face was
close to mine and said peremptorily:
Send her away, l tell you" l had heard
a short time before that at one time in
in his life Mr.. B had been insane, but
had doubted 1t. 1t was rare to find a
moro cultivated or elegant man or one
who was more punctilious in the observ-
ance of all the conventionalities of soci-
ETY.. That moment his face was like the
face of a demon, and as l looked into his
eyes doubted it no longer, and my heart
sank like lead within me. What If the
old weakness had attacked him again2 l
asked myself, At that hour l knew that
every soul In the hotel would be In bed,
and the nurse and myself were virtually
alone. Did l dare to call for helpP His
eyes were fixed upon me. l think he read
my thoughts. An impulse to protect
myself made me rise and move toward
the door. Quick as a flash he stepped in
front of me. locked the door, held the
key up before me for an instant, then
dropped it into his pocket. l knew now
that l had an insane man to deal with.
But howH 1t would take all the courage
and self possession l could muster to do
1t. There was little time to consider; II l
made a false move there was no telling
what might be the result.