"Help yourself to a glass of wine, Mr. Saul," she said. "You must need it; besides, I am so difficult to please, you will have no easy time of it in unrolling and rolling up again all those silks you have brought. No ceremony; help yourself." "What; not pledge me?" she said, with an arch smile. "Pour me out a glass if you please, and hand the biscuits." The blood rushed to my face, as I stammered out my excuse that I feared to take such a liberty. "You will very likely have to come here pretty often, so pray make yourself quite at home. Here, I wish you every success in your business. Now, sir, drink, to me!" she said, raising the glass to her lips. I did the same, wishing her ladyship every future happiness. She pressed me to take a second glass, and then I proceeded to open out the rolls of silk for her inspection, and at the same time I felt a most extraordinary glow pervade my whole system, as if the wine had contained some very potent stimulant. She seemed quite absorbed in the business of selection. Her pretty hands every now and then seemed to touch me quite inadvertently; yet there was quite a magnetic influence in them--such a thrill would shoot through my frame at the slightest contact. Very few minutes had elapsed ere she appeared to become suddenly very faint, and sank back on the ottoman. "Oh, sprinkle my temple with water, Mr. Saul. Don't call for assistance; it will soon pass off,"--as she saw me about to ring the bell. "Oh! oh! this dreadful cramp in my leg; it always comes when I feel faint. Do rub the right calf; chafe it as hard as you can," she cried out, in apparent great pain. I sank on my knees by the side of the ottoman, and taking up her tiny right foot (I had never seen one so small before), chafed the calf as hard as I could. I cannot describe how I felt at that moment, as my hands played over the smooth pink silk stocking which encased that delicate, but beautifully-moulded leg. Looking up in her face, her head had sunk back on a cushion; the eyes were closed, but quite an expression of pain pervaded the lovely features. She was insensible; what a chance! How could I resist pushing aside the slight coverings which so lightly veiled the seat of love. Heavens! she had no drawers on! My hand stole up her lovely thigh, and was about to touch the spot itself, which I could see nestled in a little grove of auburn curls, between her closely-compressed thighs, when she seemed to awake with a sigh and a start. "My God, what have you seen, Mr. Saul?" she said, drawing herself up and wrapping the dressing-gown closely round her. My blood was in a boil, as I threw myself upon her, saying, in a deep husky kind of whisper, "My lovely lady, you have indeed permitted me to see too much of your charms to resist their ravishing influence. I must, I will have you, if I die for it!"