The Reverberator

reat canvas. She enjoyed every positive sign that the Proberts took an interest in her, and this was a considerable symp

family as to the merit of the work, and that Margaret, precisely, had gone so far as to say that it might be a masterpiece of tone but didn't make her look like a lady. His father on the other hand had no objection to offer to the character in which it represented her, but he didn't think it well painted. "Regardez-moi ca, et ca, et ca, je vous demande!" he had exclaimed, making little dashes at the

civil to him and took much trouble to show him the work he had in hand, dragging out canvases, changing lights, moving him off to see things at the other end of the great room. While the two gentlemen were at a distance Mme. de Cliche expressed to Francie the conviction that she would allow her to see her home: on which Francie replied that she was not going home, but was going somewhere else with Mr. Flack. And she explained, as if it simplified the matter, that this gentleman was a big editor. Her sister-inlaw that was to be echoed the term and Francie developed her explanation. He was not the only big editor, but one of the many big editors, of an enormous American paper. He was going to publish an article - as big, as enormous, as all the rest of the business - about her portrait. Gaston knew him perfectly: it was Mr. Flack who had been the cause of Gaston's being presented to her. Mme. de Cliche looked across at him as if the inadequacy of the cause projected an unfavourable light upon an effect hitherto perhaps not exactly measured; she appealed as to whether Francie thought Gaston would like her to drive about Pa

" And she sat there swaying her paraso

s. For a few moments after the carriage had taken its easy elastic start they

Mr. Probert's old on

ason in that why she should

me. She doesn't like you to go round

me?" Mr. Flack asked with

er a little. "Oh it's th

em are very base,"

r polished shop-fronts, their balconies, their signs with accented letters, seemed to make a glitter of gilt and crystal as they rose in the sunny air. The colour of everything was coo

ou, since you've

no obligation. We haven't s

lady settle

Francie placidly enough. "I don't

the others

ould you if they had

dn't make much of me, cert

most haughty,"

out?" her friend demande

tell you," the girl cheerfully sig

his cushions and inhaled the pleasant air. "I AM getting something out of this drive, Miss Francie

rsued, looking round him with his hard smile, irrelevantly but sociably: "Yes, these French

ou like them better a

they're worse - I mean the

like anything, the way

ey talk a

do much else, and all about the queer

fe on!" Mr. Flack retur

gingly proceeded, "'ve had most

ld gen

ost - it's Mme. de Brecourt. She's great on life, on THEIR life - it's very inter

very different from America. It's just like a beautiful story - they have su

ort of

iche's -" But Francie

ith assistance. "Do you

ones. That's why one must forgive her if s

n through h

adies better. He flirt

closed over it.

fearfully attractive. And he used to go every day to have tea with

nd of MEAN man," Geo

d. That was one thing they

against wh

Probert bec

t they call

lls her Margot. Old Mme. de Cliche had a

much!" Mr. Flack permitted himself to guess.

ughter of Mme

old sinner?" the

ie. "She used to be a great friend

o go to te

says he has never been

h 'em!" Mr. Flack chuckled. "

. de Villepreux isn't so nice as her mother. She was brought up wit

h Ma

M. de

ainted blue by the distance. The confluence of carriages - a sounding stream in which our friends became engaged - rolled into the large avenue leading to the Bois de Boulogne. Mr. Flack evidently enjoyed the scene; he gazed about him at their neighbours, at the villas and gardens on either hand; he took in the prospect of the far-stretching brown boskag