The Gay Adventure

re had been no adventures, no spies, no melodrama. In unromantic silence had they gone, for after the thrills of the afternoon and evening neither had been in the mood to talk.

lking briskly of various themes, but Lukos and the treaty were not mentioned till they had finished. When they had established themselves in armchair

white that is so simple, serviceable, and that can be so picturesque. Her figure was the trimmest imaginable, her eyes were a dusky brown, her hair was of jet. The last was arranged in a coiffure that a thoughtless man would have judged unstudied, but a schoolgirl of fifteen would have known its value at a glance. The features of this disturbing damsel were

d the lady, not marking the stupor of

she is a German or Austrian. And

brought. The lady sipped reflectively for a f

he said abruptly, "is to h

ld meet any adventure with an assumption of ease, however joyful he might feel within. So far he had done pretty well: he had stopped a runaway horse, rescued a charming actress, spent a few thrilling hours in her company, and on the whole had kept himself in hand. But to be ask

with a wan cheerfulnes

laug

n a day, two days, a week-I can not tell. The fact is that I think a crisis is approaching. I am sure that very soon a favorable opportunity will p

a bank--"

would have been offered, and even bank officials are human. So I resolved to be simple, original and daring. I hid the treaty in a house not far from here. How it was done I will tell you another time. What I want you

e looked at him like that he felt that noth

appreciation. "And now I am g

ld see her again. "Well," he said, with

d in surprise. "But why?

y reason made him pause. He knew he wanted to kiss her and that he must not. He thought he was not in love with her, because he ought not

opping his light tone. "I

king steadily at him. He

I stop here and people get to know,

r than I thought.... You must certainly stop. As for 'people'-we

he suggested,

s, and they do not matter

e felt that the pretty creature could not really kn

lained. "My landlady. If I do not return she

bed at its effect. The lady frowned terribly upon him

ow paltry! How pitiable! I knew you for a cheerf

mmered, amazed. "It was a mere

s, and with your phrase-your joke-your word, you

lance an

ed it-to have 'let down the scene,' as they say on the stage

"I shall never speak t

all, she looked such a da

"if I stay for a while, will

stamping her foot, and

!" he thought, and then, "Bless her for her inconsequence!" He sat down and lighted a cigare

She is human after all." By the time his fourth cigarette was half-consumed he had fairly lost his temper. "This is not good enough," he said; "I

ng to give her the chance to reappear and part as friends. There was no sound: if it had not been

dlocked, and flight was impossible. His sense of humor conquered resentment, and he smiled. "I give in," he thought: "well, I have tried to be

" she asked, with a polite

ome," he said pleasantly, "but I s

looked

p this half-hour. I dare not wake her for th

let things take their course. She held the door open for him, and as he passed he caught an amused twinkle in her eyes. He yearned to give her a good shaking an

Mizzi, as she drew a curtain. "At wha

o'clock ... thank y

past, the handkerchief, which had been working loose, fell to the ground. He and she stooped together for its recovery, and their heads approached nearer than was discreet. Her fingers reached the handkerchief first, and she restored it as they were rising. This was p

gasped Mizzi, "i

not to kiss such a bouquet of charms. There, my attractive morsel-anoth

return, freed herself and escaped. Lionel, his sl

ant ... yet I ought not to have yielded to temptation, for I was under the vague impression that I was in love with the maid's m

.... A hard matter, for I am not cast in the ascetic mold, and Mizzi's lips are devilish tempting.... Suppose, now, the husband died (and I regret that I can not regard this contingency with disgust) and there were at least a sporting chance of my stepping into

d, planted by chance or design-for example, by a match-making mama? The seed needs opportunity for gradual growth-the sun of frequent intercourse-the rain of timely separation-the fertilizer of presents

and he paced the roo

y soon be love, if it is not that already. Wherefore, I had better fly to do her errands as soon as possible.... But I can not accept the ascetic ideal ... yet. Hypot

e honest, and feel pretty sure that is what I sha

in bed. To quiet his uneasy conscience before he fell asleep

l pleasure-seeker then g