"'You will not? Do you, then, love it more than me?' She stood holding the book, waiting for his reply. "'I give it to you, Agnes,' said he at last. "'And it is now mine to do with as I choose?' "'It is yours.' "'Give me the lantern.' "Raymond reached it to her wonderingly. She took it, raised the slide, opened the book, and held the parchment leaves over the flame within. Raymond gave a sharp cry, 'Agnes!' He would have snatched it from her, but she laid her hand upon his arm. "'Stop!' said she. 'Have you not all that man can desire in this world without this book? You have given it to me; it is mine, and I shall do as I choose with it. You cannot love it with all your heart and me also. Which do you choose?' "She had held the book to the flames while talking, her eyes fixed intently upon it as the parchment leaves blackened and curled and wrinkled. Raymond groaned and turned away. The oppressive odor of the burning skin filled the air, and when Agnes cast the remains of the volume into the pit beneath the grate of the furnace, the wisdom of the great Geber, the learning that had taken him a lifetime to accumulate, was nothing but a blackened mass of stinking cinders. "'Come,' said Agnes, 'let us leave this dark and dismal place, and go back yonder into the other room.' She led the way into the first apartment, and there sat down upon the couch, motioning Raymond to a seat beside her. 'Are you happy, Raymond?' said she. "'Yes,' he whispered. He would have taken her into his arms, but she held up her hand. "'Wait,' said she. 'Have you, then, all that you desire?' "'Yes,' he said, in a trembling voice; 'with your love.' "'Poor Raymond!' "There was a little space of silence. And then at last she turned to him with that same strange smile upon her face. 'Do you know what my father did when he moved his hands as he did when you saw him?' said she. "'No,' said Raymond. "'He drew strange pictures before my eyes, Raymond, and I saw them as plainly as I see you now. Would you like me to tell you what they were?' "Raymond nodded his head. [Illustration: "SHE HELD THE BOOK IN THE FLAMES WHILE TALKING, HER EYES FIXED INTENTLY UPON IT."]