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48 girl, whose dark eyes bent themselves enquiringly upon me as I sat spell-bound. It is not necessary to describe her minutely. She was a lovely, dark, unearthly looking creature, who might indeed command the admiration of an unprincipled libertine, but could not win the love, or attract the respect, of an honourable man. Her beauty was of that dazzling and eminently dangerous kind which so frequently leads even good men to their eternal ruin. I trembled as her bearers lowered her from their shoulders carefully, and placed her beside the table within a short distance of my chair, and arranged themselves to wait upon us.

It might have been difficult, even for a practical judge in such matters, to say which were the more attractive, the mistress or her maids. They were all dressed in gaudy and fantastic robes, which hung on their graceful shoulders in bewitching folds. They smiled most sweetly as they mutely me, one after another, to partake of the fragrant delicacies before us, but they pressed me in vain; food or wine I would not touch. The Princess, for such I presumed she was, was not affected by my reluctance, but ate her dinner with a very good appetite. At a sign from her one of her maids filled up a goblet with blood-red wine, and then placed another beside me. The girl, taking the cup, turned to me, and said in languishing tones:

'Sir Stranger, do me the honour to pledge me in a cup of wine!'

I stood up and bowed, and intimated that I was obliged to decline the honour. She then pettishly waved her hand to her attendants, and they all submissively retired.

A movement among the dogs now attracted my attention. One ater they furtively arose, and for some reason, known only to themselves, stole round to the other side of the fire; but I noticed that they regarded us with lightning-glancing eyes.