'"Oh that I were a little stream, That I might flow--my love--to him! How should I dance with joy when knowing To whom my sparkling wave was flowing! Beneath his window would I glide, And linger there till morning-tide; When first he rouses him to dress, In graceful garb, his manliness-- Then should he weak or thirsty be, Oh, might he stoop to drink of me! Or baring then his bosom, lave That bosom in my rippling wave! Oh, what a bliss if I could bear The cooling power of quiet there!"' And as she sang, Guebhard, who doubted whether these six wishes referred to himself, listened and looked on with a visage, the lowering expression of which reminded Cecil of Hew Montgomerie under somewhat similar circumstances. The captain of Servian Lancers had, as elsewhere stated, a silent manner and an unpleasant expression on his usually pale face, and analysis--not necessarily a very keen one--detected several defects in it. Among these, apart from his cunning black beady eyes, were thin cruel lips, and a general aspect of the face being perpetually a mask. He was not appearing quite to advantage just then, for if his manners were quiet, and generally polished, he had the stealthy gentleness and grace of a cat, and his bearing was suggestive of the adage that 'still waters run deep.' He was a man of mixed race, and not a pleasant one to have, as Cecil felt him to be, a secret enemy; for he was half Italian and half Bulgarian, with a considerable dash of the Ruski. Cecil could little conceive how far his secret enmity was yet to carry him; but he did not relish being reminded of his duty by Captain Guebhard, and still less to have hints given that he should soon leave Palenka behind him. To allow the unexpected visitor to approach Margarita, and freely converse with her if he wished to do so, Cecil drew near to the countess and joined her in watching the reapers in a field, but he could not help overhearing, though said _sotto voce_, something that had reference to himself. 'Playing with hearts again, as I said before?' whispered the captain. 'Don't be absurd!' 'I remember what mademoiselle was at Vienna.' 'Then your memory, like your sex, is--is----' 'What?' asked the captain, softly. 'Treacherous.' 'And so the Herr Lieutenant has been idling here,' said Guebhard, 'while we were enjoying ourselves by the Morava?' 'Enjoying yourselves?' asked Margarita. 'Yes--cutting up the Turkish dogs. Life is too short to let slip any opportunity nowadays.' 'Especially life in Servia--it is full of perils; and so you were solicitous for his safety? How kind!' 'I was solicitous to see you. I heard that he had been seen in the vicinity of Palenka.' 'By whom.' 'Some wood-cutters--so I made the excuse and came here.' 'Thus shunning your duties in the field?' 'Not more than he does.' 'With a disabled arm?'