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54 wantonly to offend or insult you, or wound your exquisitely tender susceptibilities. If I could love you personally your gloomy, unhappy environment would render our marriage impossible. Did you tell me that the Almighty Being who made me does not know of my existence, or care for, or love me? How do you know that? Can you prove it to be true? If I obey His commandments and do not worship my own evil passions, you have no power to make me believe that He does not love me. If I do not obey Him, I have the witness within myself that I am no son of His, and that therefore He does not love me.'

'Poor fool! I pity you,' she answered in scorn 'but you will be wiser when it is too late. Thousands of your greatest philosophers and clever literary men agree with me.'

I did not answer. She gazed upon me with an expression which I shall never forget. Indignation and hatred flashed from her eyes; contempt, intensified by rage, was about to be poured forth in an overwhelming torrent on my devoted head from her cruel, uncompromising lips, when suddenly the thundering stroke of the great bell resounded through the palace. We both started in terror like a guilty pair, and as with a rush of a mighty gust of wind the Demon himself stood before us.

'How is this?' he roared. 'You here already, Bellagranda? is this the way my orders are obeyed? Are you, too, a Delilah, a Jezebel? You will ruin me and my best affairs with your blind idiotic folly. Away to your chamber, instantly, or Doctor Julius——'

The Princess uttered a loud shriek, and fled wildly from the room.

'Come, Ubertus,' said the Demon in a very gentle tone, 'you and I will take a quiet walk, and enjoy some of the grand sights of my beautiful city. Attach no importance to anything that foolish girl has been saying to you. I