The Lost Ambassador

ere deadened by the brilliance of the moon, where men, bent double over the handles of their bicycles, shot hither and thither with great paper lanterns alight in front of them. We passed int

brother. The ma?tres d'h?tel all came crowding up for a word of greeting. A table in the best part of the room, which was marked

, the Spanish dancing-girl with her rolling eyes, the English music-hall singer with her unmistakable Lancashire accent, went through the same performance. The gowns of the women were wonderful,-more wonderful still their hats, their gold purses, the costly trifle

clenched fists like that," he gesticulated, striking the table, "for their women they spend, spend freely. They do all this, and the great thing which they ask in return is that they are amused. After all, monsieur,"

happen to be marrie

ded sympa

ot always sad. I have seen him often at my restaurant, the guest or the host of many pleasant parties. There is a chang

le ma?tre d'h?tel, holiday making in his own capital, and quite another to take him even a few ste

story-tellers have killed it. The women come here because they love to show their jewelry, to flirt with the men. The men come because their womankind desire it, and because it is their habi

With his lips he was smiling approval at the little danseuse who was pirouetting near our table, bu

away. This very restaurant may be unknown in a year's time,-a beer palace for the Germans, a den of absinthe and fiery brandy for the coche

etly. "You have something

ged his

tained. There is nothing to do there, nothing to see, little music. But it is a place,-it has

ur bill and go!" I exclaimed. "We have

had come together with a new firmness. A frown which I had never seen before had darkened his forehead. His eyes had become little points of light. I realized then, perhaps for the firs

you repenting of your offer already? Don'

answered softly, "only I was wonde

" I re

ly, but he paused for seve

o be seen, not so much as here. Afterwards, perhaps, you might regret-you might think that I

d, rising. "Let me come with y

head. Louis whispered in my ear that we were the guests of the management,-that it would not be correct to offer the money for our entertainment. So I was forced to content myself

?" the man asked, as

e rose to his feet as the question was asked. It seemed to me that he almost whispered the address i

commissionnaire called ou

fixed upon the flaring lights of the