It was a deep-strung voice, that would have been masculine if it had been the least harsh; but it was not—­it was only strong and large and smooth, a woman’s voice with the gift of resonance that lends interest where there might otherwise seem to be none.  There is a certain kind of voice in woman that seems to vibrate in a way especially its own.  Whether it be that under certain conditions of the vocal organs harmonic sounds are produced as they may be upon a stringed instrument or upon an organ pipe; or whether, again, the secret lies deeper, depending on the subtile folding and unfolding of new-shaped waves of sound to which our ordinary ears are not used—­who can tell?  And yet there are voices that from the first produce upon us a strange impression unlike anything else in the world.  Not that we necessarily become interested in the possessor of the voice, who may remain for ever utterly indifferent to us, for the magic lies in the tone merely, which seems to have a power of perpetuating itself and rebounding among the echoes of our recollections.  Barely, very rarely, singers possess it, and even though their powers be limited there comes a strange thrill into their singing which fixes it indelibly on the memory.

Such a voice it was that Claudius heard as he lay on his ledge of masonry some ten feet below, and listened to the poetic flow of the strange lady’s thoughts on Heidelberg and the scene at her feet.  He did not move, for he was sure she had not seen him; and he supposed she would go away in a few minutes.  He was destined to be seen, however.  She stopped talking, and was apparently lost in thought; but in a moment there was a small cry.

“O mon Dieu!” and a dainty lace-covered parasol fell over the edge, and, striking the platform where Claudius was lying, went straight to the bottom of the ruin, some twenty feet farther.

“What a nuisance,” said the thrilling voice from above, “I can never get it back now; and there are no gardeners or people about.”

“Permit me, Madam,” said Claudius, stepping as far out as he dared, and looking up to catch a glimpse of a beautiful woman in black and white staring down at the unlucky parasol in a rather helpless fashion.  “Do not be disturbed, Madam; I will get it for you in a moment.”  And he began to descend.

The fair unknown protested—­Monsieur must not trouble himself; Monsieur would certainly break his neck—­enfin, it was very obliging on the part of Monsieur to risk himself in such a terrible gulf, etc. etc.  But “Monsieur,” when once he had caught sight of those dark eyes, climbed steadily down to the bottom, and had reached the lost parasol before the string of polite protestations had ceased.  The ascent was quickly accomplished, and he stood at the summit, hat in hand, to return the object of his search to its rightful owner.  There was not a trace of embarrassment on his face; and he looked the foreign lady boldly in the eyes as he bowed.  She could not express her thanks sufficiently, and would probably have wished to continue expressing them for some time longer to the handsome and herculean young man, who had apparently started out of space to her assistance; but when Claudius had taken a good look he simply answered—­