The Pension Beaurepas

I presently replied. "Tel

say that?" murmu

to me with a certain force. I had professed a contempt for them at the time, but it now came into my head that perhaps this unfortunately situated, this insidiously mutinous young creature, was looking out for a preserver. She was certainly not a girl to throw herself at a man's head, but it was possible that in her intense-her almost morbid-desire to put into effect an ideal which was perhaps after all charged with as many fallacies as her mother affirmed, she might do something reckless and irregular-something in which

id the poor girl, "that

ned

, that when I try to be natur

a false note,"

ay. "I think

; "because, for my own ta

nd she turned

you

her mother's, only that it was conscious and studied, "I was not aware that I am under any partic

aid, "but one has preferences. I

ter to you? You a

ent direction that makes a

e bars of the tall gate at the empty, dusky street

e that will open." And I

he gate back. "If you should open

should

Amer

ight

the American consul. I would beg

I believed) what my companion said, and I had-absurd as it may appear-an irritated vision of her throwing herself upon consular sympathy. It seemed to me, for a moment, that to pass out o

uncture I heard a sound that was not romantic. It proved to be the very realistic tread

lle desires that Mademoiselle should come in immediately. M.

ut it was a touching one. Then sh

her daughter had departed. I was informed of this fact by old M. Pigeonn

e said; "I had the last glimpse

" I answered, "and it was a

otelee, she yet had not the temperament of her appearance; she was a femme austere. I have often noticed that contradiction in American ladies. You see a plump little woman, with a speaking eye, and the contour and complexion of a ripe peach, and if you venture to conduct yourself in the smallest degree in accordance with these indices, you discover a species of Methodist-of what do you call it?-o

t in the course of the morning to the banker's, to draw money for my journey, and there I found Mr. Ruck, with a pile of crumpled letters in his lap, his chair tipped back, and his eyes gloomily fixed on the frin

drawn my money I asked him to come and breakfast with me at the little brasserie, much favoured by students, to which I used to resort in the old town. "I couldn't eat, sir," he said, "I-couldn't eat. Bad news takes away the appet

across the Treille and down the Corraterie, out of which we turned into the Rue du Rhone. In this latter street, as all the world knows, are many of those brilliant jewellers' shops for which Geneva is famous. I always admired their glittering windows, and never passed them without a lingering glance. Even on this occasion, pre-occupied as I was with my impending departure, and with my companion's troubles, I suffered my eyes to wander along the precious tiers that flashed and twinkled behind the huge clear plates of glass. Thanks to this inveterate habit, I made a discovery. In

but he presently went

rked, as cheerfully as possible, "f

ome to breakfast," remarked his wife. Miss Sophy made no remark, but she took the bracelet from the atte

ore," said his wife; "you wer

e precious object in

nk that sweet?

moment. "No, I

incredulous. "Well, I don't

just lovely,"

ay on me, any way," h

," said Mr. R

n fault, then," Mi

want to get something here," said Mrs.

tling in a very low tone. "We ain't going to Ch

aid Mrs. Ruck. "Don't you suppos

at bracelet," her daughter declared, "Only I

-bye," I said to the

n an hou

celet, so you'll know it when

mething," remarked her

he was still whistling a little. "I am afraid he

head a little, a

he'd improve!"

nice one!" said Mis

e said, sitting there on his stool, and not meet

nd when, an hour later, I left it with