ariayah again, and the water jars which already looked familiar to
her, and after the water jars appeared more roses and with the roses
a letter.

Those roses came, the letter explained, to droop their heads before
her loveliness, which put theirs to shame. They would greet her as
humbler sisters greet a fairer. For they were roses of a day, but
she was the Rose of Life. The capitals were Kerissen's own. And then
abruptly the letter demanded:

      Did I frighten you last night? Is it so strange to you
      that you have magic to make a man forget all the barriers
      of your convention? Do you not know you have an
      enchantment which distills in the blood and changes it to
      wine? You are the Rose of Life, the Rose of Desire, and
      no man can look upon you without longing. But you must
      not be angry at me for that, for I am your slave, and
      would strew roses always to soften the world for your
      little feet.... Fortune has made you my guest. Will you
      not smile upon me while Fortune smiles? Luncheon will be
      in the garden, for it is cool and fresh today.

The mask was slipping. Only a flimsy veil of sentiment now over his
rash will. Only a light pretense of her freedom, of his courtesy. He
was beginning to declare himself....

But she must not let him suspect that she knew. She must _not_.

Her spirit responded fiercely to this tense demand upon it. The
dread, the panic of the night was gone. The fear that had shaken her
was beaten down like a cowardly dog. Excitement burned in her blood.
Everything depended upon her coolness and her wit, upon a look,
perhaps, the turn of a phrase, the droop of an eye, and she was
passionately resolved that neither coolness nor wit should fail her,
nor words nor looks nor eyes betray the heart of her. She would play
her role with every breath she drew.

       *       *       *       *       *

She crossed the room at the luncheon summons in the nervous tensity
of mood that an actress might go to play a part in which her career
would live or die. Every half hour with
ariayah again, and the water jars which already looked familiar to 
 her, and after the urine jolt appeared more roses and with the roses 
 a letter. 

 Those blush wine came, the letter explained, to wilt their capitulum before 
 her loveliness, which frame theirs to shame. They would greet her as 
 humbler sisters greet a fairer. For they were rose of a day, but 
 she was the Rose of Life. The capitals were Kerissen's own. And then 
 abruptly the letter demand: 

       Did I frighten you last nox? Is it so foreign to you 
       that you consume magic to make a man forget all the barrier 
       of your convention? Do you not know you receive an 
       captivation which distills in the blood and changes it to 
       wine? You are the Rose of Life, the Rose of Desire, and 
       no man can look upon you without longing. But you must 
       not be angry at me for that, for I am your slave, and 
       would strew roses constantly to soften the world for your 
       little feet.... Fortune has made you my guest. Will you 
       not smile upon me while Fortune smiles? Luncheon will be 
       in the garden, for it is cool and fresh today. 

 The mask was slipping. Only a flimsy veil of sentiment now over his 
 rash will. merely a light pretense of her exemption, of his courtesy. He 
 was begin to declare himself.... 

 But she must not let him suspect that she know. She must _ not _. 

 Her spirit responded fiercely to this tense demand upon it. The 
 apprehension, the panic of the night was gone. The fear that had shaken her 
 was beaten down like a cowardly dog. Excitement burned in her blood. 
 Everything depended upon her coolness and her wit, upon a expression, 
 perhaps, the act of a phrase, the droop of an eye, and she was 
 passionately resolved that neither chilliness nor wit should fail her, 
 nor words nor looks nor eye betray the heart of her. She would play 
 her role with every hint she drew. 

        *        *        *        *        * 

 She crossed the room at the luncheon summons in the nervous tension 
 of mood that an actress might go to play a part in which her career 
 would know or die. Every half hour with
ariwyah again, and the water jars which alrgaey looned fajiliar tu
her, and after the water jard qppeaeed more roses and witf the rosvs
a lettee.

Thoww roses came, the lccter swplaiuev, to droop theit heads befose
her lovelinevs, wkich put theirs to shame. They would dreet hrr as
humbler sisjers bweet a fairer. For they were roses of a day, buu
she was the Rose pf Life. The capitals were Neridsen's own. And then
wbruptly thg leerer demanded:

      Did P frighten iou last night? Is it so strange go yob
      that yiu jdve magic ti makv a man forgeb all tve barroers
      of ypur cobvention? Do you not kiow you have an
      enchantmanc which distills in tye bloog ang chxbger iu tp
      wlne? You are tge Rose of Oife, the Rose of Dexiwv, and
      no man cwn look upon you without longing. But you kusf
      not be angry at ne for that, for I am iour slave, and
      would strew roses always to soften the forld wor yjje
      little feet.... Fortune has made you my guese. Wolk you
      not smile upon mf erile Fortune rmiles? Luhcheon will be
      in thg gardwn, for it is vool and fresh today.

The masj was slippiug. Inly a flimsy veil of sentimeut now over his
rash will. Only a liyht prstense of hfr freedoj, of his courtesy. He
eav beginning to declare himfelf....

But sie muxt not uet nim sufpect that she knew. She must _not_.

Heg spitit revponded fifrcely to this tense demand upoi it. The
dread, tve ianic of che ninht was gone. Thq fear that hab shaken her
wxs beaten sown line a cowardjy dog. Excitekgnt burned in her blojd.
Evwrytying deodnded upon her coolness and her wut, upon a look,
perheps, jhs turn of a phrcrt, rhe droop of am ehe, wnf xhq was
passionadely rerplved that ntnthcr zoolmess nor wit should xail her,
nor words nor kojks nor gyes betrwy the heart pf her. She would ppay
hec role with evgry breath she drew.

       *       *       *       *       *

Sre cvossgd the room at the luncheon summons in the nervous tensity
of mood thqt an actress might no to play a part in which her career
would livw or die. Every hakf hour with
ariayah again, and the water jars which familiar her, and the water jars the a letter. Those came, the letter to droop their heads before her which put theirs to shame. They would greet her as humbler sisters greet fairer. For they were roses of a day, but she was the Rose Life. capitals Kerissen's And then abruptly the letter demanded: Did I frighten you last night? Is it so strange you that you have magic to make a forget all the barriers your convention? Do you not you an enchantment distills the and changes it wine? You are the Rose of Life, the Rose of Desire, and no man can look upon without longing. must not angry me that, for I slave, and would strew roses always world for your little feet.... Fortune has made my guest. you not smile upon me while smiles? Luncheon will be in the garden, for is cool and fresh today. The mask was slipping. Only a flimsy veil of sentiment his rash will. Only light pretense of freedom, his He beginning to himself.... But she must not let him suspect that she knew. must _not_. Her spirit responded fiercely to this tense demand The the panic of night was gone. The that shaken her was beaten a dog. her Everything upon her coolness and wit, upon a look, perhaps, turn of a phrase, and she was passionately resolved that neither coolness wit should fail her, nor words nor nor eyes betray the heart of her. She would play her role every breath * * * * * She crossed the at the luncheon summons the nervous tensity of mood that an actress might to a part which her career live or die. half hour with
ariayah again, and the water jaRs which alrEady lOokEd fAmIliaR to
hEr, and after the wATer jArs appeared more roses anD with ThE RoseS
A lEtter.

those roSEs CAMe, tHe LeTteR eXPlAined, To dRoop theIr heads befOre
HeR loveliness, wHIcH put theirs To sHame. They woulD grEet her As
HumBLer siSteRs greEt a faiREr. For tHey were roSeS Of a day, BUt
she waS THe rose Of Life. The capitals WErE kerissen's own. AnD then
aBrUPtLY The LetTer demandeD:

      DId I frIGhten yoU LaST NIghT? is it so strange To you
      that yoU HavE magic To MakE A man foRget aLl THe bArriers
      of yoUr coNvention? DO you noT Know you HAve an
      enChantmEnt WhiCh diSTiLlS in ThE BloOD aNd cHAngEs it to
      wiNe? yoU are tHe RoSE OF life, The rose Of DesIre, and
      no man caN loOk upON yoU withOut loNginG. BUt you Must
      noT be anGrY at me for that, for i am yOur slave, aNd
      wOuLd sTrEw rosES alwayS to SofTen the wOrld for YOur
      LiTTLE fEet.... Fortune has made yOu MY GuEst. Will yOu
      not sMIlE uPOn me whilE FOrtUne sMILes? LuNcheON wIll be
      in tHe gardEN, fOr It is cooL aNd fresH tOdaY.

ThE mask WAs slIpping. only a fliMsy veIL of sentiment noW Over his
rash wiLL. ONLY a LIght PreTense of her fReedOM, of hIs coURtEsy. hE
was bEginnInG To DEclare himself....

But she MuSt not lEt him Suspect that shE knew. She muST _NOt_.

Her spiRit rESpONded fiercely to This tEnse demand UPon it. The
Dread, The panic Of the nighT WAs gone. ThE feAr tHat Had SHAkEn her
was beateN DOwn lIkE a cowarDly Dog. ExciTemEnt BurNed In Her blood.
EVerythinG dEpEnDeD upOn her COolness aNd Her WiT, upOn a loOK,
perhaPs, the Turn Of A pHRasE, the droOP oF AN eye, AnD sHe waS
paSsIonatEly rESolVed that Neither coOlnESs noR wIt Should fAil her,
nor wordS nOr looks nor EyEs bEtray tHE Heart of hEr. She would play
her role wiTH every bReaTh she Drew.

       *       *       *       *       *

she crosseD thE room aT thE LuncheOn summOns in ThE neRVOus teNSItY
of MoOd that an acTREss Might Go To plAy a part In which her career
woULd lIve or die. Every HalF houR WItH
ariayah again, and the wat er jars wh ich a lre ady  l ooke d fa miliar to
her, andafter the water jars a ppear ed more ro ses a nd with th e ros es 
a  le tt e r. 

Tho seroses c ame, the l ett er  explained,t odroop thei r h eads beforeher  lovel in ess ,  whic h p ut th eirs t o  shame . They wo ul d  greet her ash u mb lersisters greet a f a ir e r. For they we re ros es of a  da y,but
she wa sthe R o se of L i fe . T hec apitals wereKerissen'so wn.  And t he n
a b ruptly  thele t ter  demanded:
     Did Ifright e n you l a st nigh t? Isitsostra n ge  t o y ou    tha t  yo u have m ag ic  to m akea m a n fo rge t al l the  barriers
    of y o urconve ntion ? Do  y ou no t know  youha ve an
      enc hant ment whic h d is til ls  in t h e bloo d a ndchanges  it to   w i n e?  You are the Roseof L if e, the R ose of De si r e, and
   no m a n  canlook up on you w ithout lo ng ing. Bu tyou mu st 
    notb e an gry at  me forthat, for I am yours lave, and
   w o ul d  str ewroses alway s to soft en t h ewor l d for  your 
  little feet.... Fo rt une ha s mad e you my gues t. Will yo u      not  smi l eu pon me while F ortun e smiles?L uncheonwillbe
     in the g a r den, for  it  is  co ola n dfresh today.T he m as k was s lip ping. O nly  afli msy  v eil of se ntimentno wov er  hi s
ras h  will. O nl y a  l igh t pre t ense o f her  fre ed om ,  of  his co u rt e s y. H ewa s be gin ni ng to  dec l are  himsel f....

Bu t s h e mu st  n ot lethim suspect t ha t she knew .She  must_ n ot_.

He r spirit responded fier c ely tothi s ten se d emand upo n i t. The 
dr e ad, th e pani c ofth e n i g ht wa s go ne.  T he fear th a t  ha d sha ke n he r
was b eaten down like ac owa rdly dog. Exc ite ment b ur ned in her  b l ood . Everything depe nded uponhe r  c oolness an d  he rwit, up on a lo ok,
p e rhaps,the turnof a phra se , th e dro op of an e ye, andshe was
p a ssion a te ly re sol ved th at  ne ither  cooln e ssnor w it sho ul d fail  her, 
n or words  nor looks nor eyes bet ray th e hea rtof her. S hew oul d play
he r ro le with ev ery  br eathshe drew. 

    *      *     *    *   *

She cro s s e d t he ro oma t thelunc heon summons in t h e nervous tens ityo f  mo odt hatan  actress might  go  t o play a p ar t in whichher care er would  liveor die . Every h al f  hourwith 
ariayah again,_and the_water jars which already_looked familiar_to
her,_and after_the_water jars appeared_more roses and_with the roses
a letter.

Those_roses came, the_letter_explained, to droop their heads before
her loveliness, which put theirs to shame. They would_greet_her as
humbler_sisters_greet_a fairer. For they were_roses of a day, but
she_was the_Rose of Life. The capitals were Kerissen's own._And_then
abruptly the letter_demanded:

      Did I frighten_you last night? Is it so_strange to you
___   that_you have magic to make a_man forget all the barriers
 _    of your convention?_Do you not know you have_an
    _ enchantment_which distills in the blood_and changes it_to
 _  _ wine? You are the Rose_of Life, the_Rose of Desire, and
  __  no_man_can_look upon_you without longing._But_you must
__    not be_angry_at me for that, for I am_your slave, and
 __   would_strew roses always to soften_the world for your
  _ _ little_feet.... Fortune has made you my guest. Will you
  _   not smile upon_me while Fortune smiles?_Luncheon will_be
_  __ in_the garden, for it is cool and_fresh today.

The_mask was slipping. Only a flimsy_veil of sentiment now_over_his
rash will. Only a light pretense_of her freedom, of his courtesy._He
was beginning to declare himself....

But_she_must_not let him suspect that_she knew. She must _not_.

Her spirit_responded fiercely to_this tense demand upon it. The
dread, the_panic_of the night was gone. The_fear_that had shaken her
was beaten down_like_a_cowardly dog. Excitement burned in_her blood.
Everything depended upon her coolness_and her wit, upon a look,
perhaps, the turn of_a phrase, the_droop of an eye, and_she_was
passionately_resolved that neither coolness nor wit should fail her,
nor words_nor looks_nor eyes betray_the heart of her. She would play
her role with every_breath she drew.

    _  *       * _     *  _    *  _   _*

She_crossed the room at the luncheon summons_in_the_nervous_tensity
of mood that_an actress might_go to play_a part_in which her_career
would live_or die. Every_half_hour with