she exclaimed.

``Oh Mildred, do not ask me; I can
not, can not do it,'' and the face of the
affrighted musician told plainer than
words of the turmoil raging in his soul.

``You made me believe that I was the
only one you loved,'' passionately she
cried; ``the only one; that your happiness
was incomplete without me. You led
me into the region of light only to make
the darkness greater when I descended
to earth again. I ask you to do a simple
thing and you refuse; you refuse because
another has commanded you.''

``Mildred, Mildred; if you love me do
not speak thus!''

And she, with imagination greater than
reasoning power, at once saw a Tuscan
beauty and Diotti mutually pledging their
love with their lives.

``Go,'' she said, pointing to the door,
``go to the one who owns you, body and
soul; then say that a foolish woman threw
her heart at your feet and that you
scorned it!'' She sank to the sofa.