Beyond The Rocks

er dinner-party at Armenonville. He expected she would not be ready to receive him for at least half an hour; having s

together wise. Not that he had the least intention of not repeating his folly-indeed, he was where he was at this hour for no other purpose th

ad been rather amused looking at the piles of bric-à-brac obs

ure antique, clocks, brocades, what not,

her marble palace halls," he thought,

tly, suddenly opening the adjoining door a few inches, "but it is a quite exasper

had to buy forty-seven at Monte Carlo, and see them all tried on, too-and only lately! D

te marvellously pure American accent. But she permitted the giggling and be

the dressing-table and

flowers, impossible birds-all had their place, and on the sofa were three chef d'?uvres ruthlessly tossed aside.

e upon her head, a handsome head of forty-five, fresh and well preserved and comely. "But

these in the hiatus," and he tenderly lifted a bunch of nut-brown curls from the

unch was sent with the hat, and Marie has been trying to persuade me to wear it ever since we began this strugg

force her emerald parrot pin through him," suggested Marie, which advice wa

am just ready. Gloves, handkerchief-oh! and my purse, Marie." And in

her secrets. Sit down, jeune homme, and confess to me." She pointed to a bergère, but it was filled with It

hey were seated. "That I am frantically in love

had just arrived-her shrewd eye had seen the card, "From Captain Fitzgerald, with his best bonjour." "Certainly not! We are going to tal

d not be

ly lamb, and unsophisticated and guileless, and will probably be falling in love

ctor, with over

th. She noted the shape of his head, the perfect grooming, his lazy, insolent grace, his whimsical s

ions," she said to herself. "Lazy, naughty darlings! If they came to our country and worked their

f?" asked Lord Bracondal

st like all your nation. You think the world is made for

But I am fond of both thing

equally-or perhaps t

tor, reassuringly. "Some wome

l for your own poor-spirited, down-trodden women, but they won't do for American

me," sai

, or to change it often as to where she will dine. Then he has to learn to give up any pleasure of his own for hers-and travel when she wants to travel, or stay home when she w

return h

." And the widow laughed, showing her wo

id Hector, "and your last sentence is the gr

efenceless baby lamb. Now tell me what you are here for, t

en to be direct. "I have only met her three times, as you know, but I have fallen

de said, looking at him again critically. "I ought not to h

ay have had something thing to do with her complaisance. Anyway, it w

ith her, and Captain Fitzgerald with Lord Bracondale, and each couple could spend the afternoon as they pleased, dining again a

d Bracondale, finally. "I do not see the poetry of the affair

Mr. Brown shall spend the day with Clutterbuck R. Tubbs, examining some new machinery they are bo

numerous party of her friends as usual, and Lord Bracondale felt aft

more exasperating. It was a continual alertness to see if she caught sight of a familiar face, but she never did. Fate was against them, as she sometimes is when she means to compensate so

tres, and they went nowhere in the evenings. He was keeping himself for

ing, and a special band of wonderfully talented Tziganes, who were delighting Paris that yea

de arrived, asking her if she would spend the day with her at Versailles, as she

jeuner, which they took in their salon, with absolut

and take her friend, Mr. Clutterbuck Tubbs, to examine that machinery for the separation of fats we both have an in

said Th

ou for the day, and take you to Versailles, which I know you wish to go to. She

eodora. "What shall you answer, Josia

n, or that old gimlet-eye would not be so keen about it; I tal

" said Theodora, as evenly as she