Oh, for this weary time of probation to pass! This winning of one more honour, one more decoration, to lay at her feet; and then to claim his recompense, his prize, and with his first rapturous kiss upon her proud lips seal his fealty, and bid a final good-bye to worldly ambition and reward!
Immersed in such meditations, Count Mellikoff started nervously as a sharp rap on the door awoke him from his reverie; with the immediate self-command of long habit, he instantly controlled both face and voice, and calling out a "Come in," rose from his chair and walked to the middle of the room.
The door was thrown open with the words, "A lady to see you, sir," and then quickly closed. A slight figure dressed in black, and with a heavy veil drawn over the face, advanced towards him, and, as Vladimir came forward, a voice, high pitched despite its whispered words, said quickly:
"I have come, but I must beg you will not keep me long."
For answer Count Mellikoff bowed respectfully and pulled forward an easy chair.
"Let me ask you to be seated," he said in his suavest tones, "and pray remove your veil. I entreat, I insist; the evening is stifling."
Without a word his visitor sank down upon the chair, and mechanically unpinned and removed her thick veil; the face beneath the hard outline of the black hat looked hollow and aged, the dark eyes burned feverishly, the thin lips were colourless.
Even to the most superficial observer great and marked were the changes that a few weeks had wrought there; it bore but a faint and blurred resemblance to the face that Mr. Tremain had looked on, not unkindly, two short months ago at the Folly.
Count Mellikoff turned to the table, and pouring out a glass of claret, added the ice and Apollinaris with careful exactness, and brought it to his guest.
"You must drink this, mademoiselle," he said. "You are looking very exhausted. Ma foi, I cannot compliment you on the temperature of an American summer!"