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I turned toward the door

"Not yet--you may first kiss my hand" She held it out to me with a certain proud indifference, and I the dilettante, the donkey, the ainst my lips which were dry and hot with exciteracious nod of the head

Then I was disht was still lit, and a fire was burning in the large green stove There were stillmy letters and documents to be put in order Autumn, as is usually the case with us, had fallen with all its power

Suddenly she knocked at my ith the handle of her whip

I opened and saw her standing outside in her erh round Cossack cap of erreat Catherine favored

"Are you ready, Gregor?" she asked darkly

"Not yet, mistress," I replied

"I like that word," she said then, "you are always to call meat nine o'clock As far as the district capital you will be my companion and friend, but from the moment that we enter the railway-coach you are my slave, my servant Now close the , and open the door"

After I had done as she had de her brows ironically, "well, how do you like ave me a bloith the whip

"You are very beautiful, mistress"

Wanda smiled and sat down in the arm-chair "Kneel down--here beside my chair"

I obeyed

"Kiss my hand"

I seized her se of passion I threw my arms around the beautiful cruel wo kisses She returned them with equal fervor--the eyelids closed as in a dreaht when she left

At nine o'clock sharp in thewas ready for departure, as she had ordered We left the little Carpathian health- resort in a co drama of my life had reached a point of development whose denoue ell I sat beside Wanda, and she chatted very graciously and intelligently withItaly, Pisener's -dress of black cloth with a short jacket of the same material, set with dark fur It fitted closely and showed her figure to best advantage Over it she wore dark furs Her hair wound into an antique knot, lay beneath a s Wanda was in very good humor; she fed me candies, played with my hair, loosened my neck cloth and made a pretty cockade of it; she covered ers ofto hiave rance of a young autumnal rose, which blossoms alone amid bare stalks and yellow leaves and upon whose calyx the first frost has hung tiny diamonds of ice