"What wouldst thou with me?" she inquired, with the same gentle
composure that was in her former utterance.
"Mysterious creature," replied Theodore, "I would know who and what
you are!"
"My lips are forbidden to betray the secret," said the Veiled Lady.
"At whatever risk, I must discover it," rejoined Theodore.
"Then," said the Mystery, "there is no way save to lift my veil."
And Theodore, partly recovering his audacity, stept forward on the
instant, to do as the Veiled Lady had suggested. But she floated
backward to the opposite side of the room, as if the young man's
breath had possessed power enough to waft her away.
"Pause, one little instant," said the soft, low voice, "and learn the
conditions of what thou art so bold to undertake. Thou canst go
hence, and think of me no more; or, at thy option, thou canst lift
this mysterious veil, beneath which I am a sad and lonely prisoner,
in a bondage which is worse to me than death. But, before raising it,
I entreat thee, in all maiden modesty, to bend forward and impress a
kiss where my breath stirs the veil; and my virgin lips shall come
forward to meet thy lips; and from that instant, Theodore, thou shalt
be mine, and I thine, with never more a veil between us. And all the
felicity of earth and of the future world shall be thine and mine
together. So much may a maiden say behind the veil. If thou
shrinkest from this, there is yet another way." "And what is that?"
asked Theodore. "Dost thou hesitate," said the Veiled Lady, "to
pledge thyself to me, by meeting these lips of mine, while the veil
yet hides my face? Has not thy heart recognized me? Dost thou come
hither, not in holy faith, nor with a pure and generous purpose, but
in scornful scepticism and idle curiosity? Still, thou mayest lift
the veil! But, from that instant, Theodore, I am doomed to be thy
evil fate; nor wilt thou ever taste another breath of happiness!"
There was a shade of inexpressible sadness in the utterance of these
last words.
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