The banker’s pale face lit up with passion; he drew near the Baroness, and, taking her hand within his own, said— “And yet, Sophia, if you would only—” Withdrawing her hand, she tossed her head with an air of disdain, and replied— “Yes, but I will not, there!” “Never?” “Who can tell? If ever I am in great pecuniary difficulties, perhaps I may apply to you. Would you advance me money, Lichtenbach, if I needed any?” As she spoke she looked at the banker with a bewitching glance and a smile full of promise. The latter, as soon as mention was made of money, regained possession of himself. Placing his hand on her lap, he said, in a tone of assurance— “I will give you as much as you need.” “You undertake a great deal. Take care! After all, there is no hurry; the time has not come yet.” As she spoke, she drew back slightly from Lichtenbach’s presence. The latter sighed— “Ah, Sophia, you are a terrible flirt—your only pleasure consists in making men mad.” “I? You are dreaming, Lichtenbach. Have you ever seen me trouble about any man unless it were to my interest to do so? And yet you say such silly things. One would think you did not know me!” “On the contrary, I know you well. Even better than you imagine, for there are portions of your short life-which, all the same, has gone through so many sensations—which you leave in a favourable light, so that I have understood them. You are very clever and bold. I, too, am very tenacious and patient, and have an instinctive knowledge of what it is useful for me to know, as well as the means of obtaining information. Accordingly, I am well aware what you are to-day, Baroness Grodsko. But I also know what you were before.” Sophia’s eyes flashed, and her lips contracted, giving her face an aspect of terrible import. Looking boldly at Elias, she said, dryly— “Ah, ah! Tell me all about it. I should be very pleased to know what you have learned about me. If it is true I will not deny it, upon my honour I will not. If false you may stop the wages of your informers. When one has spies in one’s pay one should always try to have reliable and intelligent ones.” “Mine never deceive me; it is not to their interest to lie.” “We shall see about that. Well—” “Well, before becoming the wife of Baron Elmer Grodsko, a Hungarian nobleman, who quarrelled with his family in order to marry you, you were dancing and singing at the theatre of Belgrade, in a touring troupe, directed by an adventurer, half villain, half rogue, named Valaque. It was there that Baron Elmer, on his way from Varna, saw you, fell in love, and carried you off, after shooting down Escovisco, who pursued him with a poniard.” The young woman’s lips quivered, as she said with a look of disdain— “Then that is all you know? You cannot go back any further than the theatre of Belgrade, and the Escovisco affair? You are making much ado about very little!”