"I did surprise you, I did surprise you," she laughed. "Isn't it gorgeous?" She turned about before him, her arms raised. "Isn't it superb? Do you remember Bernhardt--and that scene in the Emperor Justinian's box at the amphitheatre? Say now that your wife isn't beautiful. I am, am I not?" she exclaimed defiantly, her head raised. "Say it, say it." "Well, what for a girl!" gasped Jadwin, "to get herself up--" "Say that I am beautiful," commanded Laura. "Well, I just about guess you are," he cried. "The most beautiful woman you have ever known?" she insisted. Then on the instant added: "Oh, I may be really as plain as a kitchen-maid, but you must believe that I am not. I would rather be ugly and have you think me beautiful, than to be the most beautiful woman in the world and have you think me plain. Tell me--am I not the most beautiful woman you ever saw?" "The most beautiful I ever saw," he repeated, fervently. "But--Lord, what will you do next? Whatever put it into your head to get into this rig?" "Oh, I don't know. I just took the notion. You've seen me in every one of my gowns. I sent down for this, this morning, just after you left. Curtis, if you hadn't made me love you enough to be your wife, Laura Dearborn would have been a great actress. I feel it in my finger tips. Ah!" she cried, suddenly flinging up her head till the pendants of the crown clashed again. "I could have been magnificent. You don't believe it. Listen. This is Athalia--the queen in the Old Testament, you remember." "Hold on," he protested. "I thought you were this Theodora person." "I know--but never mind. I am anything I choose. Sit down; listen. It's from Racine's 'Athalie,' and the wicked queen has had this terrible dream of her mother Jezabel. It's French, but I'll make you see." And "taking stage," as it were, in the centre of the room, Laura began: "Son ombre vers mon lit a paru se baisser Et moi, je lui tendais les mains pour l'embrasser; Mais je n'ai plus trouve q'un horrible melange D'os et de chair meurtris et traines dans la fange, Des lambeaux pleins de sang, et des membres affreux Que les chiens d'evorants se disputaient entre eux." "Great God!" exclaimed Jadwin, ignorant of the words yet, in spite of himself, carried away by the fury and passion of her rendering. Laura struck her palms together. "Just what 'Abner' says," she cried. "The very words." "Abner?" "In the play. I knew I could make you feel it." "Well, well," murmured her husband, shaking his head, bewildered even yet. "Well, it's a strange wife I've got here." "When you've realised that," returned Laura, "you've just begun to understand me." Never had he seen her gayer. Her vivacity was bewildering.