"What is the matter?" asked the girl, at last growing impatient. "Do you know these gentlemen?" "Ah! Yes," he answered, suddenly recalling where he was and with whom he was standing here in the street. With a deep sigh he brought himself back to the _rôle_ of protector to this poor child. He stammered a meaningless remark about the breed of the horses and about skill in riding, and once more offered Zenz the arm he had withdrawn in his momentary confusion. He led her thus across the street and into the house. When they had reached his rooms, where the windows stood open toward the garden, he hastened to light a lamp. And then he forced himself, in his character of host, to show the now somewhat silent and shy girl the arrangement of his rooms, and all the curiosities that he had brought back from his travels. On the table lay a little Damascus dagger, which she took up and looked at curiously. He told her how a young Spanish lady had given it to him in Mexico. And then he remembered a bottle of sherry that was standing in his closet, and brought it and drew the cork. "This is all the hospitality I can offer you," said he, still very absently, setting down a full glass before her. She shook her head, and could not be prevailed upon even to taste the wine. And in all that she did she had grown very shy and timid, like a young swallow that has flown into an inhabited room, and keeps close pressed into a corner, where you can see the frightened heart beating under its feathered breast. "Will you not look and see whether you can make yourself comfortable on the sofa?" She did not answer, and sat still in a chair by the window, her hat still on her head, and her shawl wrapped closely about her. "A beautiful night," she said softly, at last. "How far you can see from here over the city! You are very happy to be able to live in such a beautiful place." "Well, you can share the happiness, then. Only make yourself quite at home. Are you tired?" "Oh, no! but please don't trouble yourself about me. If you want to go to sleep, I will sit here and will not stir." He came and stood beside her by the open window. "Well, Zenz," he said, "you must not mind if I leave you alone now. The day has been so hot, the wretched music of that band and all sorts of other things have given me a furious headache, and I had better get to sleep. Good-night, child! If you want anything to amuse you, here are all manner of things--photographs and books of pictures. I will light you another candle. And now, make yourself comfortable. You can bolt the door from this side, and my housekeeper goes to market early in the morning, so that you are quite safe from her. And so, good-night!"