She had looked with eyes of love on the daring young wayfarer; and a vague regret shivered through her as he passed on. "God only knows. But I doubt it," said the mother. The girl hid her face in her apron and wept. But the young man had not overheard the whisper, and with head held high he pushed on along the road. And here were the fields of amaranth at last! He could see them smiling faintly on the other side of the valley. But they had a strangely vague and unsubstantial look. One might almost have fancied he were looking at a mirage. And between the young wayfarer and the fields of amaranth the rugged hillside sloped abruptly: its foot being shrouded in a dense white mist. He could hear a river murmuring sullenly somewhere in the depths, but the mist hid the waters and he could only hear their moan. How far he had left the busy highway behind him! He would like to take just one farewell glance at it. The fields beyond him seemed to waver deceptively in his eyes. One glance at the highway, with its booths and its faces, and his vigour, strangely waning, would surely be renewed. But as he turned and saw the dear familiar highway, along which he had trudged so many weary miles, his heart went out in a yearning towards it, and he stretched out his arms to it, hungering for its life. So mighty was the fascination it now exercised over him, that he began to rush headlong down the hill towards it, eager to be once more mingling in its throng, and to once more feel its hum in his ears. At the foot of the hill he met the fair young girl whose eyes had erstwhile followed him so wistfully, and he flung himself into her arms sobbing violently. "The life here--you--I cannot part with them!" he cried passionately. And he shuddered: "If the wish had come too late!" THE COMEDY OF A SOUL. "YOU are quite sure you will never change? will never desert me, or be untrue to me?" "I am absolutely sure of it, my darling!" he answered resolutely. "Any pledge my sweet one desires I will give her freely," added he, as he again kissed her passionately on the mouth. "Would you leave me your soul in pawn?" asked the maiden, smiling at him bewitchingly with her deliciously red lips; her cheeks dimpling and her brown eyes sparkling, and her heaving breasts but thinly hidden from his gaze. "Willingly! And be glad to leave it in my darling's custody!" And his lips hovered caressingly around her just-disclosed shoulder. "Very well, I will accept the pledge," said she. He was beginning again to kiss her fondlingly. "You are a man of honour, are you not?" asked she; showing her even white teeth, and dimpling her rose-leaf cheeks temptingly. "Certainly. I hope so." "Then let me have your soul." "But that would mean death for me! Do you desire me to die, my love?" And a look of questioning wonder crept into his eyes.