Andnotonlydidsheknowinwhichroomstoodtheladyreadytoemerge,allblushingandradiant,shouldherdoorbeopened,butsheknewwhotheladywas。Itwasoneofthefairestandloveliestofthedamselsofthecourtwhohadbeenselectedastherewardoftheaccusedyouth,shouldhebeprovedinnocentofthecrimeofaspiringtoonesofarabovehim;andtheprincesshatedher。Oftenhadsheseen,orimaginedthatshehadseen,thisfaircreaturethrowingglancesofadmirationuponthepersonofherlover,andsometimesshethoughttheseglanceswereperceived,andevenreturned。Nowandthenshehadseenthemtalkingtogether;itwasbutforamomentortwo,butmuchcanbesaidinabriefspace;itmayhavebeenonmostunimportanttopics,buthowcouldsheknowthat?Thegirlwaslovely,butshehaddaredtoraisehereyestothelovedoneoftheprincess;and,withalltheintensityofthesavagebloodtransmittedtoherthroughlonglinesofwhollybarbaricancestors,shehatedthewomanwhoblushedandtrembledbehindthatsilentdoor。
  Whenherloverturnedandlookedather,andhiseyemethersasshesatthere,palerandwhiterthananyoneinthevastoceanofanxiousfacesabouther,hesaw,bythatpowerofquickperceptionwhichisgiventothosewhosesoulsareone,thatsheknewbehindwhichdoorcrouchedthetiger,andbehindwhichstoodthelady。Hehadexpectedhertoknowit。Heunderstoodhernature,andhissoulwasassuredthatshewouldneverrestuntilshehadmadeplaintoherselfthisthing,hiddentoallotherlookers—on,eventotheking。Theonlyhopefortheyouthinwhichtherewasanyelementofcertaintywasbaseduponthesuccessoftheprincessindiscoveringthismystery;andthemomenthelookeduponher,hesawshehadsucceeded,asinhissoulheknewshewouldsucceed。
  Thenitwasthathisquickandanxiousglanceaskedthequestion:
  "Which?"Itwasasplaintoherasifheshouteditfromwherehestood。Therewasnotaninstanttobelost。Thequestionwasaskedinaflash;itmustbeansweredinanother。
  Herrightarmlayonthecushionedparapetbeforeher。Sheraisedherhand,andmadeaslight,quickmovementtowardtheright。Noonebutherloversawher。Everyeyebuthiswasfixedonthemaninthearena。
  Heturned,andwithafirmandrapidstephewalkedacrosstheemptyspace。Everyheartstoppedbeating,everybreathwasheld,everyeyewasfixedimmovablyuponthatman。Withouttheslightesthesitation,hewenttothedoorontheright,andopenedit。
  Now,thepointofthestoryisthis:Didthetigercomeoutofthatdoor,ordidthelady?
  Themorewereflectuponthisquestion,theharderitistoanswer。Itinvolvesastudyofthehumanheartwhichleadsusthroughdeviousmazesofpassion,outofwhichitisdifficulttofindourway。Thinkofit,fairreader,notasifthedecisionofthequestiondependeduponyourself,butuponthathot—blooded,semi—barbaricprincess,hersoulatawhiteheatbeneaththecombinedfiresofdespairandjealousy。Shehadlosthim,butwhoshouldhavehim?
  Howoften,inherwakinghoursandinherdreams,hadshestartedinwildhorror,andcoveredherfacewithherhandsasshethoughtofherloveropeningthedoorontheothersideofwhichwaitedthecruelfangsofthetiger!
  Buthowmuchoftenerhadsheseenhimattheotherdoor!Howinhergrievousreverieshadshegnashedherteeth,andtornherhair,whenshesawhisstartofrapturousdelightasheopenedthedoorofthelady!Howhersoulhadburnedinagonywhenshehadseenhimrushtomeetthatwoman,withherflushingcheekandsparklingeyeoftriumph;whenshehadseenhimleadherforth,hiswholeframekindledwiththejoyofrecoveredlife;whenshehadheardthegladshoutsfromthemultitude,andthewildringingofthehappybells;whenshehadseenthepriest,withhisjoyousfollowers,advancetothecouple,andmakethemmanandwifebeforeherveryeyes;andwhenshehadseenthemwalkawaytogetherupontheirpathofflowers,followedbythetremendousshoutsofthehilariousmultitude,inwhichheronedespairingshriekwaslostanddrowned!
  Woulditnotbebetterforhimtodieatonce,andgotowaitforherintheblessedregionsofsemi—barbaricfuturity?
  Andyet,thatawfultiger,thoseshrieks,thatblood!
  Herdecisionhadbeenindicatedinaninstant,butithadbeenmadeafterdaysandnightsofanguisheddeliberation。Shehadknownshewouldbeasked,shehaddecidedwhatshewouldanswer,and,withouttheslightesthesitation,shehadmovedherhandtotheright。
  Thequestionofherdecisionisonenottobelightlyconsidered,anditisnotformetopresumetosetmyselfupastheonepersonabletoanswerit。AndsoIleaveitwithallofyou:Whichcameoutoftheopeneddoor,——thelady,orthetiger?