"I don't care if I am a goose, I am right all the same, or you would not blush so. Is he blonde or brunette?" "Very dark. However, there is no romance at all, only a very ordinary incident; but as my life was so quiet and retired, I magnified somewhat a very simple affair." "Tell me your 'ordinary incident,' I am all attention." "Well, then, once upon a time (two years ago), my aunt and I were taking a walk in the country, when two beggars, covered with dirty rags, came toward us, and began to beg. We were very much frightened at their threatening gestures, and gave them all the money we had with us. Then one pointed to my ear-rings, saying they were very pretty. I understood him, and taking them off, handed them to him. In short, they took every bit of jewelry from us, and were turning to leave, when a young man, who, it seems, had been watching us from a little hill near by, suddenly sprang down upon them, and, belaboring them with his iron walking-stick, forced them to return to us not only the jewelry they had taken, but the money as well; and begged to be allowed to escort us home. I had time then to look at him, and saw that he was tall, handsome, and even in his simple linen suit exceedingly distinguished looking. We were nearly home when our protector uttered a cry of pain and fell at our feet. The wretched beggars, furious at losing their booty, had followed us at a distance and thrown a large stone, which had struck the young man on the shoulder, making a painful wound. With my assistance, our new friend managed to drag himself to our house." Odette burst out laughing. "Is that what you call an 'ordinary incident?' Italy must be a queer place if it is. But tell me, how long did your 'fairy prince,' your 'protector,' your 'new friend,' stay at your house?" "Two days." "And since then?" "I have never seen him." "Did he never write to you?" "A simple letter of thanks for our hospitality." "Well, any way, I hope he said good-bye in a proper heart-broken manner, with tears in his eyes, etc." "Not in the least." "But you, at least, were miserable?" Germaine let her beautiful liquid eyes rest on her sister's face, as she quietly replied "Yes." "Then you love a young man whom you never saw but those two days, whom you hardly know, and you have never tried to meet him again." "I do not know if I love him. I think not, for it would be ridiculous to fall in love so quickly as that. But when I think of him, it is with the most inexpressible tenderness. Even now I have only to shut my eyes to see him as plainly as ever. Can you imagine a flower whose perfume would remain, even after the flower had long since withered away? He passed me by. I looked at him, I listened to his voice, and I can not forget. That is all." "Now, dear," said Odette, "confess that, in coming to France, you had the hope of some day meeting again your 'protector.'"