Her face was fair and pure as a lily, and round, sweet, and almost babyish in its contour. Her heavily fringed lids drooped over a pair of purple-blue eyes, and almost lay upon her delicately tinted cheeks, while occasionally a bright drop left their wondrous depths and rolled like a sparkling dewdrop down upon the purple pansies at her feet. All at once her song ceased, and with a deep sigh the bright beauty bowed her lovely head and rested it against the harp before her. Almost involuntarily the sigh was echoed from our hero’s breast, and the spell was broken. The young girl started violently, and rising, a low, frightened cry broke from her ripe lips as her glance rested upon Robert. He recognized her at once. She was the same beautiful maiden whom he had seen the previous evening, and who had entertained him with her music while he was eating his supper. He saw that she was startled by his presence, and raising his hand with a reassuring gesture, he said, respectfully: “I pray you, fair lady, do not be alarmed. I mean you no harm. Some kind fate, or Providence, has opened a secret passage between your room and mine, and impelled partly by curiosity, partly by your beautiful song, I ventured to seek its source. Is my apology accepted?” She raised her liquid orbs to his, while a bright blush suffused her face, and bowed her graceful little head in token of assent, but spoke no word in reply. “I am a captive,” Robert went on to explain, “put here by some bitter enemy, and I must needs believe you are in a like situation, for no one so fair and lovely would voluntarily remain in these vaults, gloomy despite their oriental magnificence.” “I am a prisoner, and yet I am not a prisoner. There are circumstances which would compel me to remain here were every secret door and passage thrown open to give me liberty,” replied the lovely being, in tones so sweet, yet so sad, that the tears involuntarily started to our hero’s eyes. “Can such a thing be possible?” he asked in surprise. “Yes, for I have no other home in all the wide, wide world, and while I mourn, I am still glad, for it is in my power to protect and minister to others, who, like yourself, are held in captivity here.” “Will you forgive my curiosity, and explain yourself more fully? Or do I intrude? If so I will retire at once?” Robert’s eyes pleaded hard to be allowed to remain, though he made a motion as if about to retreat. “Nay, be seated,” the girl replied, waving him to a seat, and at the same time sinking back upon the divan from which she had risen. Robert took the seat indicated, and anxiously waited for his fair hostess to resume the conversation. At length she said, with a strain of sympathy in her sweet voice: