them through a strange variety of positions, and as she dismissed them said to me in a hissing whisper: 'Reject my suit, insult my love, and when the twelfth bell sounds, you shall be added to their number.'
'And what shall I be, madam, if I consent to be your husband?'
'You shall be a prince,' she replied vehemently. 'Perpetual happiness, peace, joy, love, delight for ever, pleasure without end, shall be your lot. Decide now. We shall not need the light of the sun or the twinkling of the stars, for we shall be sun and star to each other. And when we are united we can see them as often as we like, and wander where we like upon the earth, and watch, ourselves unseen, the sons and daughters of men while they dance in their halls of dazzling light, and play in their delicious meadows and flowery gardens, or lull themselves into entrancing raptures with their sweetest melodies, which we can hear; and we can scatter blessings as we go, and lighten heavy burdens, and lessen pain, and cure disease, and feed the hungry. We can sit on golden clouds, or, if it is our humour, we can sail the seas on mountainous icebergs, and feel no cold. We can be young and beautiful for ever. Decide now, darling, darling!' And to my renewed consternation she again advanced, and tried to press her lips to mine, but I collected all my strength, both of mind and body, and pushed her away once more.
'Princess, whoever you are, it is in vain,' I said firmly. 'Please to withdraw, or if you will not, permit me to retire to another apartment. I love you not. Be your vengeance what it may, I tell you now, for the last time, I cannot love you. Were I as free as air to choose whom I would, I could not choose you, because my principles are too high to allow me to give my hand in wedded union to any woman to whom I could not give my heart also. I desire not
