She was laughing heartily, and her laugh enhanced her dazzling loveliness.

Taken aback he gazed at her in confusion, abstractedly wiping the mud from his face, by which means it became still further smeared.

Who could this beauty be?
He sought to find out from the servants, who, in rich liveries, stood at the gate in a crowd surrounding a young guitar-player; but they only laughed when they saw his besmeared face and deigned him no reply.

At length he learned that she was the daughter of the Waiwode of Koven, who had come thither for a time.

The following night, with the daring characteristic of the student, he crept through the palings into the garden and climbed a tree which spread its branches upon the very roof of the house.