"I should scarcely have considered it such a matter of course. I should not be surprised if, for all that, the young lady's feelings for him had never again recovered the former degree of warmth. Your beautiful and clever friend, I admire her extremely, but--do not be angry with me for what I am going to say--but I had, during your description of her, always to think of Circe. There was only one man who left the palace of the sorceress with absolute impunity, and he only by the aid of a certain herb a god had given him. Now, young and ardent officers are not said to meet the god very frequently." "But I really cannot make the story anything different from what it truly was like," cried the Princess, half pouting, half laughing. "Certainly not; but what became of the man who was no longer young? How bore he the loss of hopes to which he had clung all the more tenaciously because he had not many more to lose?" "That, as a punishment for your scepticism, you are to say yourself." "How can I? Had he been a poet he might have written a novel, after the manner of the 'Elective Affinities,' and thus cleared his soul from the purgatory of jealousy and humiliation. But being no poet ..." "How do you know that?" "I assume it. I am driven to assume things, am I not?" "Well then?" "Therefore his ultimate fate is quite problematical to me. There are so many and such various possibilities. Perhaps he killed himself, or perhaps he married your fair friend." "My friend--Claudine? Oh, this is exquisite!" The Princess laughed aloud, and Bertram laughed too. "It is not," he said, "after all so very laughable, or at least so very improbable. Upon the basis of mutual imperturbability, I should think one could erect and overthrow and rebuild relationships, like houses of cards." "Mow malicious!" cried Alexandra, "and yet how true! Claudine must hear of this; I must write this to Claudine!" "For goodness sake not, most gracious lady; or, anyhow, do not mention me by name! I travel a good deal, the lady probably too; we might meet some day by some unlucky chance, even as the luckiest of chances has brought me into your presence. How hideously embarrassed I should be!" "Very well, your name shall not be mentioned, then. Here is my hand in pledge of this." And she held out to him her small hand with its many rings. "But now I really must disturb your tête-à-tête," said Hildegard, entering from the adjoining drawing-room. "It is just finished!" the Princess called out to her; then turning again to Bertram, she said, "And thank you very much for a most charming _causerie_!" "It is for me to say thank you, my Lady. Your story was most interesting, and you told it capitally."