and those fantastical lions' jaws are gaping to set their fangs in
your heart."

"'"Protest the bill! Can you mean it?" she cried, with her eyes upon
me; "could you have so little consideration for me?"

"'"If the King himself owed money to me, madame, and did not pay it,
I should summons him even sooner than any other debtor."

"'While we were speaking, somebody tapped gently at the door.

"'"I cannot see any one," she cried imperiously.

"'"But, Anastasie, I particularly wish to speak to you."

"'"Not just now, dear," she answered in a milder tone, but with no
sign of relenting.

"'"What nonsense! You are talking to some one," said the voice, and
in came a man who could only be the Count.

"'The Countess gave me a glance. I saw how it was. She was thoroughly
in my power. There was a time, when I was young, and might perhaps
have been stupid enough not to protest the bill. At Pondicherry, in
1763, I let a woman off, and nicely she paid me out afterwards. I
deserved it; what call was there for me to trust her?

"'"What does this gentleman want?" asked the Count.

"'I could see that the Countess was trembling from head to foot; the