〃Piqued　by　her　tone　and　look；　I　disavowed　the　existence　of　any
  claims　upon　my　attention；　and　to　prove　the　sincerity　of　my　words；　I
  persisted　in　addressing　my　attentions　to　her。　　Once　or　twice　I
  fancied　I　caught　flying　glances；　in　which　some　of　the　company
  criticised　my　conduct；　and　Ottilie　also　seemed　to　me　unusually
  quiet。　　But　her　manner；　though　quiet；　was　untroubled　and　unchanged。
  I　talked　less　to　her　than　usual；　partly　because　I　talked　so　much　to
  Agalma；　and　partly　because　I　felt　that　Agalma's　eyes　were　on　us。
  But　no　shadow　of　'temper'　or　reserve　darkened　our　interchange　of
  speech。
  〃On　our　way　back；　I　know　not　what　devil　prompted　me　to　ask　Agalma
  whether　she　had　really　been　in　earnest　in　her　former　allusion　to
  'somebody。'
  〃'Yes；'　she　said；　'I　was　in　earnest　then。'
  〃'And　now？'
  〃'Now　I　have　doubts。　　I　may　have　been　misinformed。　　It's　no　concern
  of　mine；　anyway；　but　I　had　been　given　to　understand。　　However；　I
  admit　that　my　own　eyes　have　not　confirmed　what　my　ears　heard。'
  〃This　speech　was　irritating　on　two　separate　grounds。　　It　implied
  that　people　were　talking　freely　of　my　attachment；　which；　until　I
  had　formally　acknowledged　it；　I　resented　as　an　impertinence；　and　it
  implied　that；　from　personal　observation；　Agalma　doubted　Ottilie's
  feelings　for　me。　　This　alarmed　my　quick…retreating　pride！　　I；　too；
  began　to　doubt。　　Once　let　loose　on　that　field；　imagination　soon　saw
  shapes　enough　to　confirm　any　doubt。　　Ottilie's　manner　certainly　had
  seemed　less　tendernay；　somewhat　indifferentduring　the　last　few
  days。　　Had　the　arrival　of　that　heavy　lout；　her　cousin；　anything　to
  do　with　this　change？
  〃Not　to　weary　you　by　recalling　all　the　unfolding　stages　of　this
  miserable　story　with　the　minuteness　of　detail　which　my　own　memory
  morbidly　lingers　on；　I　will　hurry　to　the　catastrophe。　　I　grew　more
  and　more　doubtful　of　the　existence　in　Ottilie's　mind　of　any　feeling
  stronger　than　friendship　for　me；　and　as　this　doubt　strengthened；
  there　arose　the　flattering　suspicion　that　I　was　becoming　an　object
  of　greater　interest　to　Agalma；　who　had　quite　changed　her　tone
  towards　me；　and　had　become　serious　in　her　speech　and　manner。　　Weeks
  passed。　　Ottilie　had　fallen　from　her　pedestal；　and　had　taken　her
  place　among　agreeable　acquaintances。　　One　day　I　suddenly　learned
  that　Ottilie　was　engaged　to　her　cousin。
  〃You　will　not　wonder　that　Agalma；　who　before　this　had　exercised
  great　fascination　over　me；　now　doubly　became　an　object　of　the　most
  tender　interest。　　I　fell　madly　in　love。　　Hitherto　I　had　never　known
  that　passion。　　My　feeling　for　Ottilie　I　saw　was　but　the
  inarticulate　stammerings　of　the　mighty　voice　which　now　sounded
  throught　the　depths　of　my　nature。　　The　phrase；　madly　in　love；　is　no
  exaggeration；　madness　alone　knows　such　a　fever　of　the　brain；　such　a
  tumult　of　the　heart。　　It　was　not　that　reason　was　overpowered；　on
  the　contrary；　reason　was　intensely　active；　but　active　with　that
  logic　of　flames　which　lights　up　the　vision　of　maniacs。
  〃Although；　of　course；　my　passion　was　but　too　evident　to　every　one；
  I　dreaded　its　premature　avowal；　lest　I　should　lose　her；　and　almost
  equally　dreaded　delay；　lest　I　should　suffer　from　that　also。　　At
  length　the　avowal　was　extorted　from　me　by　jealousy　of　a　brilliant
  PoleKorinskiwho　had　recently　appeared　in　our　circle；　and　was
  obviously　casting　me　in　the　shade　by　his　superior　advantages　of
  novelty；　of　personal　attraction；　and　of　a　romantic　history。　　She
  accepted　me；　and　now；　for　a　time；　I　was　the　happiest　of　mortals。
  The　fever　of　the　last　few　weeks　was　abating；　it　gave　place　to　a
  deep　tide　of　hopeful　joy。　　Could　I　have　died　then！　　Could　I　have
  even　died　shortly　afterwards；　when　I　knew　the　delicious　mystery　of
  a　jealousy　not　too　absorbing！　　For　you　must　know　that　my　happiness
  was　brief。　　Jealousy；　to　which　all　passion　of　a　deep　and　exacting
  power　is　inevitably　allied；　soon　began　to　disturb　my　content。
  Agalma　had　no　tenderness。　　She　permitted　caresses；　never　returned
  them。　　She　was　ready　enough　to　listen　to　all　my　plans　for　the
  future；　so　long　as　the　recital　moved　amid　details　of　fortune　and
  her　position　in　societythat　is；　so　long　as　her　vanity　was
  interested；　but　I　began　to　observe　with　pain　that　her　thoughts
  never　rested　on　tender　domesticities　and　poetic　anticipations。
  This　vexed　me　more　and　more。　　The　very　spell　which　she　exercised
  over　me　made　her　want　of　tenderness　more　intolerable。　　I　yearned
  for　her　lovefor　some　sympathy　with　the　vehement　passion　which　was
  burning　within　me；　and　she　was　as　marble。
  〃You　will　not　be　surprised　to　hear　that　I　reproached　her　bitterly
  for　her　indifference。　　That　is　the　invariable　and　fatal　folly　of
  loversthey　seem　to　imagine　that　a　heart　can　be　scolded　into
  tenderness！　　To　my　reproaches　she　at　first　answered　impatiently
  that　they　were　unjust；　that　it　was　not　her　fault　if　her　nature　was
  less　expansive　than　mine；　and　that　it　was　insulting　to　be　told　she
  was　indifferent　to　the　man　whom　she　had　consented　to　marry。　　Later
  she　answered　my　reproaches　with　haughty　defiance；　one　day
  intimating　that　if　I　really　thought　what　I　said；　and　repented　our
  engagement；　it　would　be　most　prudent　for　us　to　separate　ere　it　was
  too　late。　　This　quieted　me　for　a　while。　　But　it　brought　no　balm　to
  my　wounds。
  〃And　now　fresh　tortures　were　added。　　Korinski　became　quite　marked
  in　his　attentions　to　Agalma。　　These　she　received　with　evident
  delight；　so　much　so；　that　I　saw　by　the　glances　of　others　that　they
  were　scandalized　at　it；　and　this；　of　course；　increased　my　pain。　　My
  renewed　reproaches　only　made　her　manner　colder　to　me；　to　Korinski
  it　became　what　I　would　gladly　have　seen　towards　myself。
  〃The　stress　and　agitation　of　those　days　were　too　much　for　me。　　I
  fell　ill；　and　for　seven　weeks　lay　utterly　prostrate。　　On
  recovering；　this　note　was　handed　to　me。　　It　was　from　Agalma。〃
  Bourgonef　here　held　out　to　me　a　crumpled　letter；　and　motioned　that
  I　should　open　it　and　read。　　It　ran　thus：
  〃I　have　thought　much　of　what　you　have　so　often　said；　that　it　would
  be　for　the　happiness　of　both　if　our　unfortunate　engagement　were　set
  aside。　　That　you　have　a　real　affection　for　me　I　believe；　and　be
  assured　that　I　once　had　a　real　affection　for　you；　not；　perhaps；　the
  passionate　love　which　a　nature　so　exacting　as　yours　demands；　and
  which　I　earnestly　hope　it　may　one　day　find；　but　a　genuine　affection
  nevertheless；　which　would　have　made　me　proud　to　share　your　lot。
  But　it　would　be　uncandid　in　me　to　pretend　that　this　now　exists。
  Your　incessant　jealousy；　the　angry　feelings　excited　by　your
  reproaches；　the　fretful　irritation　in　which　for　some　time　we　have
  lived　together；　has　completely　killed　what　love　I　had；　and　I　no
  longer　feel　prepared　to　risk　the　happiness　of　both　of　us　by　a
  marriage。　　What　you　said　the　other　night　convinces　me　that　it　is
  even　your　desire　our　engagement　should　cease。　　It　is　certainly
  mine。　　Let　us　try　to　think　kindly　of　each　other　and　meet　again　as
  friends。
  AGALMA　LIEBENSTEIN。〃
  When　I　had　read　this　and　returned　it　to　him；　he　said：
  〃You　see　that　this　was　written　on　the　day　I　was　taken　ill。　　Whether
  she　knew　that　I　was　helpless　I　know　not。　　At　any　rate；　she　never
  sent　to　inquire　after　me。　　She　went　off　to　Paris；　Korinski　followed
  her；　andas　I　quickly　learned　on　going　once　more　into　society
  they　were　married！　　Did　you　ever；　in　the　whole　course　of　your
  experience；　hear　of　such　heartless　conduct？〃
  Bourgonef　asked　this　with　a　ferocity　which　quite　startled　me。　　I
  did　not　answer　him；　for；　in　truth；　I　could　not　see　that　Agalma　had
  been　very　much　to　blame；　even　as　he　told　the　story；　and　felt　sure
  that　could　I　have　heard　her　version　it　would　have　worn　a　very
  different　aspect。　　That　she　was　cold；　and　disappointed　him；　might
  be　true　enough；　but　there　was　no　crime；　and　I　perfectly　understood
  how　thoroughly　odious　he　must　have　made　himself　to　her　by　his
  exactions　and　reproaches。　　I　understood　this；　perhaps；　all　the
  better；　because　in　the　course　of　his　narrative　Bourgonef　had
  revealed　to　me　aspects　of　his　nature　which　were　somewhat　repulsive。
  Especially　was　I　struck　with　his　morbid　vanity；　and　his　readiness
  to　impute　low　motives　to　others。　　This　unpleasant　view　of　his
  charactera　character　in　many　respects　so　admirable　for　its
  generosity　and　refinementwas　deepened　as　he　went　on；　instead　of
  awaiting　my　reply　to　his　question。
  〃For　a　wrong　so　measureless；　you　will　naturally　ask　what
  measureless　revenge　I　sought。〃
  The　idea　had　not　occurred　to　me；　indeed　I　could　see　no　wrong；　and
  this　notion　of　revenge　was　somewhat　startling　in　such　a　case。
  〃I　debated　it　long；〃　he　continued。　　〃I　felt　that　since　I　was
  prevented　from　arresting　any　of　the　evil　to　myself；　I　could　at
  least　mature　my　plans　for　an　adequate　discharge　of　just
  retributions　on　her。　　It　reveals　the　impotence　resulting　from　the
  trammels　of　modern　civilization；　that　while　the　possibilities　of
  wrong　are　infinite；　the　openings　for