"So you must, but it must be a cold one!" he heard a tearful voicesay from without, and then he saw in the mirror his door openingslowly--slowly--and the black figure enteblack, carefully closing itbehind her. "They have opened the spring," said she softly, "and nowI am here, and you must die."

He felt in his paralyzed heart that it could not be otherwise, butcovering his eyes with his arms he exclaimed: "Do not make me mad withterror in my hour of death. If you wear a hideous face close behind thatveil, do not raise it, but take my life, and let me see you not."