I  beg  of  you,  Eveline,  not  to  kiss  his  face,  as  it  takes
away  forever  the  pleasure  one  would  have  in  kissing
so  lovely  a  mouth.'

"  Eveline  made  no  answer,  but,  suddenly  turning  away,
she  threw  a  burnoose  round  her  shoulders,  put  her  tiny
feet  into  a  pair  of  slippers,  and  said,  demurely :

"'Prince,  the  thirty- second   rehearsal    is   over,  and


224  BLACK    DIAMONDS

there  only  remains  the  thirty- third  to  complete  the
course.'

"  The  prince  asked  what  the  title  of  this  last  should
be,  and  Eveline  whispered  in  his  ear  that  he  would
know  the  next  day  but  one.
"  '  And  how  many  more  will  know  it  ?'

"  '  No  one  but  you.'

"  '  Not  this  Caliban  .?'

" '  Certainly  not.'

"  The  prince  took  his  leave  in  an  ecstasy,  firmly  con-
vinced that  at  the  last  representation  he  would  have
Eveline  all  to  himself.  Eveline  needed  a  day  to  pre-
pare herself.
"  The  scene  was  repeated  to  me  by  the  cripple,  who
likes  me  very  much,  and  comes  nearly  every  evening  to
share  my  supper ;  for  although  everything  possible  for
his  comfort  is  provided  by  Eveline,  he  is  never  happy
unless  he  begs  from  some  one.  If  he  were  a  prince,  I
do  believe  the  creature  would  get  out  of  his  carriage  to
ask  for  alms.  He  finds  such  a  wonderful  pleasure  in
begging.  For  a  stick  of  sugar-barley  he  will  tell  me
everything.  What  pleased  him  most  was  the  prince's
remark  about  his  being  a  splendid  specimen  of  a  toad.
He  imitated  for  me  how  he  crept  out  of  the  conserva-
tory on  his  crutches,  and  how  he  laughed  when  he  saw
the  gentleman  wanted  to  take  the  knife  from  his  sister.
