Sophy of Kravonia

f France; to avoid danger they rushed on destruction. Gay madness spread through the veins of Paris. Perverse always, Lady Meg Duddington chose

roke out: "She has done this, the malign one!" Pharos was wiser; he had not done badly out of Lady Meg, and madness such as hers is apt to be recurrent. His farewell was gentle, his exit not ungraceful; yet he, too, prayed her to beware of a certain influence. "Stuff! You don't know what you're talking abou

was not commanded in the Rue de Grenelle, Sophy slipped round to the Rue du Bac and broke in on Marie Z

ed to be to me!" she cried. "We shall go back to Eng

ophie de Gruche? And what was to happen about Casimir de Savres? The peri

ews in the near future would certainly be war, and Zerkovitch would follow the armies, still on the track of news. "He went before, in the war of 'sixty-six," she said, her lips trembling. "And he all but died of fever; that kills the correspondents just as much as the soldiers. Ah, it's so dan

t," said Sophy, a ring of excitem

ured Marie, throwing her arms

en! He'll come back

aurant hard by. Things seemed very quiet there. The fat waiter told them with a shrug: "We sha'n't have much noise here to-night-the lads will be over there!" He pointed across the river. "They'll be over there most of the night-on the grands boulevards. Because it's war, madame. Oh, yes, it's war!" The two young w

in his room; she went up-stairs unseen, and passed into the drawing-room. The inner door leading to the room Lady Meg occupied stood open. Sophy called softly, but there was no answer. She walked towards the door and was about

le Sophie, to tell you

! Whe

as done. She paid us here off, bidding me alone stay till orders reached me from Monsieur le Marquis. T

aid nothing

ter for you on the small

s! Tha

s ready for

shall want noth

a picture which its walls had never seen; old words re-echoed in Sophy's ears: "If I want you to go, I'll put a hundred-pound note in an envelope and send it to you; upon which you'll go, and no reasons given! Is it agreed?" A

de between the strange lady and the eager girl. Nor were reasons hard to find. They stood out brutally plain. Having sent her prophet to the right about, Lady

, and here was the hundred-pound note of the Bank of England-"upon which you'll go, and no reasons given!" With a bitter smile she noticed that the note was soiled, the foldin

," said Sop

past and out of favor. The dismissal might not be unnatural; but, for all their bargain, the manner was inhuman. They had lived and eaten and drunk together for so long. Had there been no touch of affection, no softening of the heart? It seemed not-it seemed not. Sophy

dow came a boy's shrill

aliens, where Casimir de Savres had his lodging. The stream of traffic set with her. She heeded it not. The streets were full of excited groups, but there was no great tumult yet. Men were eagerly reading the latest editions of the papers. Sophy pushed on till she reached

n left her, she went to the window, flung it open wide

houts. Some cheered them, more laughed and chaffed. One broad-faced old man she distinguished in the café opposite; he looked glum and sulky and kept arguing to his neighbor, wagging a fat forefinger at him repeatedly; the neighbor shrugged bored shoulders; after all, he had not made the war-it was the Emperor and those gentlemen at St. Cloud! As she watched, the st

ame quickly across to her, throwing his helmet on the table as he passed. He

ther home no

oy in his eyes he

when I'm in troubl

red, and drew her with

ey stood lo

r, then?"

ubt," he answered, gravely. "And b

u?" she

f hers in his. "My lady of the

d y

't have it

with you as my heart

ur for Strasburg. We are

an h

es

rations-are

es

ou are

es

hour to make me

to a woman of

ow-and all the ca