"What!" said Tika in amaze, "has he not revealed his deep passion by a thousand acts of folly? Did he not come but lately, at the risk of his life,--for the wrath of the Kisaki might well prove fatal,--merely to behold you for one instant?" "Yes; and he vanished without exchanging a single word with me, Tika!" added Fatkoura, seizing the young girl's wrists in a nervous grasp. "He did not even look at me." "Impossible!" said Tika; "has he not told you that he loved you?" "He has; and I believed him, because I was so eager to believe. But now I believe him no longer." "Why?" "Because if he loved me he would have married me long since, and taken me to his estates." "But the affection which he bears his master keeps him at the Court of Osaka!" "So he says; but is that the language of love I What would I nob sacrifice for him!... Alas! I thirst for his presence! His face, so haughty, and yet so gentle, floats before my eyes! I long to fix it, but it escapes me! Ah! if I might but spend a few happy months with him, I would gladly kill myself afterwards, lulling myself to sleep with my love; and my past happiness would be a soft winding-sheet for me." Fatkoura burst into sobs and hid her face in her hands. Tika strove to console her. She threw her arms around her, and said a thousand affectionate things, but could not succeed in calming her. Suddenly a noise was heard at the other end of the room, and the little dog began to yelp. Tika rose quickly and ran out, to prevent any servant from entering and seeing the emotion of her mistress; she soon returned beaming. "It is he! it is he!" she exclaimed. "He is here; he wishes to see you." "Do not jest with me, Tika!" said Fatkoura, rising to her feet. "Here is his card," said the young girl; and she offered a paper to Fatkoura, who read at a glance:-- "Iwakura Teroumoto Mori, Prince of Nagato, entreats the honor of admission to your presence." "My mirror!" she cried frantically. "I am horrible thus,--my eyes swollen, my hair disordered, dressed in a robe without embroidery! Alas! instead of weeping, I should have foreseen his coming, and busied myself with my toilette from early dawn!" Tika brought the mirror of burnished metal, round as the full moon, and the box of perfumes and cosmetics.