one would die to keep him from sickness and harm? What do you call
it?"

He smiled.

"Self-delusion, Manella! The beautiful self-delusion of every
nature-bred woman when her fancy is attracted by a particular sort
of man. She makes an ideal of him in her mind and imagines him to be
a god, when he is nothing but a devil!"

Something sinister and cruel in his look startled her,--she made the
sign of the cross on her bosom.

"A devil?" she murmured--"a devil--?"

"Ah, now you are frightened!" he said, with a flash of amusement in
his eyes--"You are a good Catholic, and you believe in devils. So
you make the sign of the cross as a protection. That's right! That's
the way to defend yourself from my evil influence! Wise Manella!"

The light mockery of his tone roused her pride,--that pride which
had been suppressed in her by the force of a passionate emotion she
could not restrain. She lifted her head and regarded him with an air
of sorrow and scorn.

"After all, I think you must be a wicked man!" she said--"You have
no heart! You are not worthy to be loved!"

"Quite true, Manella! You've hit the bull's eye in the very middle
three times! I am a wicked man,--I have no heart,--I'm not worthy to