Jacqueline -- Volume 3

ul. She felt for the first time that her unprotected situation and her poverty exposed her to insult, for what

han at any other season. Even the poor occupation of teaching her little class of music pupils had been taken away by the holidays. Her sole resource was in Modeste's society. Modeste-who, by the way, had never been ill, and who suffered from nothing but old age-was delighted to receive her dear young lady in her little room far up under the roof, wher

pa had not made away

line alway

to do what he pleased w

stepmother seems so well off? Why doesn't some family council interfere? My litt

re are worse thing

rest, the money troubles make other things harder to bear; whereas, if you have money enough you

odeste should be silent, and answered, re

your notions. The worst husband is always bett

nsense, my poor dear Modeste

spoiled forever-she saw, as she walked with a heavy heart toward her convent in a distant quarter, an open fiacre pull up, in obedience t

e Stra

ou!" And, the street being nearly empty, Ma

months past-they seem like years, like centu

have as little as possible to do with such compromising personages. She was seized with a kind of remorse when she found such warmth of recognition from the amiable Wanda. Had she not shown herself ungrateful and

of sad experience was beginnin

!" she said, fe

ful creature?" asked Madame Strah

t she did so, partly because her life was so full of varied interests that she cared little for such trifles

great pity. No? You wish to lead the life of an intelligent woman who is free and independent? That is well; but it was rather an odd idea to be

vely face in a convent. You are looking better than ever-a little too pale, still, perhaps-a little too interesting. Colette will be so glad to see you, for you must let me take you home with me. I shall carry you off, whether you will or no

ted by high-bred people. There were pink linings to lace curtains at the windows, and quantities of green vines drooped from the balconies, as if to attract attention from the passers- by. Madame Strahlberg, with her ostentatious and undulating walk, which caused men to turn and notice her as she went by, went swiftly up the stairs to the second story. She put one finger on the electric bell, which caused two or three little dogs inside to begin barking, and pu

, when the heart which has been closed by sorrow suddenly revives, expands, and soften

ds-my kin

or eighteen months. Nevertheless, on seeing her, Colette really thought she had not for a moment ceased to be fond of her. "How you have suf

her sister

nevertheless, was not about to leave Paris, her habit being to remain there in the summer, sometimes for months, picnicking as it were, in her own apartment. What was curious, too, was that the chandel

ving some little summer entertainments of late, of which you see the remains." She went at once to the piano, and incited Jacqueline to sing by beginning one of their favorite duets, and Jacqueline, once

ead of a voice, which, however, she managed so skilfully. "What a shame to take up your time teaching, with such a voice as that!" she cried; "you are out of your senses, my dear, you are raving mad. It would be sinful to keep your gifts to yourself! I

ed words "the stage, why not?" rang in her head, made her heart beat fast, an

of a prize, especially when that prize is worth the keeping. A little telegram has already been sent, w

e was saying, but frightened, pleased, and much excited, Colette went on: "Oh! I am so glad, so glad you came to-day; now you can see the pantomime! I dr

in bewilderment, "but I thought you

not four cats in Paris. No, no, we sha'n't have anybody. A few friends possibly may drop in-people passing through Paris-in their tra

was M.

onderful violinist of the day, who had apparently superseded the famous Polish pianist in these ladies

ously, "you know I am oblige

e stroke of the clock change all the carriages in Par

must be in," repeated Jacqu

Saville says it is very e

Saville, who was boarding

end, the most charming of women. You will see her

difference. She has got tired of her husband. Come, say 'Yes,' Jacqu

ly after dinner there was a procession of boys from a restaurant, bringing whipped creams, iced drinks, fruits, sweetmeats, and

bedizened with several orders, he bowed with military stiffness, and kissed with much devotion the ladies' hands, calling them by titles, whether they had them or not. His foreign accent made it as hard to detect his nationality as it was to know his age. Two or three other gentlemen, not less decorated and not less foreign, afterward came i

is awfully ugly," Jacquel

that's all. Don't you understand? Well, imagine a man who is a sort of "gentleman-companion"; he keeps h

lary, in such a case?" inqui

lette. "She adores cards, and there he is, always ready

line discovered, to her great surprise, that she, too, was a dear friend of Madame Saville's, who called her her good angel, in reference, no do

ou must he

the perfect type of a Hungarian gypsy, began a piece of his own composition, which had all the ardor of a mild 'galopade' and a Satanic hunt, with interva

were frantic about music, others frantic about Wanda Strahlberg. There were artists and amateurs present, and even respectable women, for Madame d'Avrigny,

rs on fashion-she was so painted and bedizened that some one remarked that the principal establishments she praised in print probably paid her in their merchandise. There was a dowager whose aristocratic name appeared daily on the fourth page of the newspapers, attesting the merits of so

Jacqueline made a movement toward the door, but just as she reached it she had the misfortune of falling in with her old acquaintance, Nora Sparks, who was at that moment entering with her father. She was forced to

" said Mr. Sparks, with a peculiar expression in his eye. He was ea

d somebody at Bellagio. Why, dar

would not have thought it necessary to wear black so long for Mr.

y nervous. "It seems to me this clock must be wrong. It s

ra, with a giggle. "Do you suppose they pay any attention

sighed poor Jacqueline,

a prisoner as that? Can't

open the doors on any pretext after ten o

be savages? You shoul

little one, you can sl

Odinska

like a cat on a divan, in a fur wrapper, which she put on early in the evening when she wanted to smoke cigarettes. She went to sleep at no regular hour. A bear's skin was placed always within her reach, so that if she were cold she could draw it o

hat manner she could explain to the Mother Superior that the mistake about the hour had been no fault of hers-and the Mother Superior, alas! would be sure to make inquiries as to the friends whom she had visited-the magic v

om the English vulgarize and call Harlequin. He had white camellias instead of buttons on his loose white jacket, and the bright eyes of Wanda shone out from his red- and-white fa

e spectators, especially in a long monologue, in which Pierrot contemplated suicide, made more effective by the passionate and heart-piercing strains of the Hungarian's violin, so that old Rochette cried out: "What a pity such a wonder should not be upon the stage!" La Rochette, now retired into private life,

omewhat marred her pleasure. When she first perceived her she had shown great surprise

e," Jacqueline answered, though she was tempted to sa

so. The play was very pretty, and I am sorry it would not do at my house. It is too-too 'risque', you know;" and she rehearsed her us

, hoping that so fashionable a woman might want him to play at her receptions during the winter, and to a journalist who promised to give him a notice in his paper, provided- and here he whispered something to Pierrot, who, smiling, answered neither yes nor no. The sisters kept on their costumes; Colette was enchan

"Ah! Dounai-li moy Dounai" ("Oh! thou, my Danube"). Then she imperiously called

ance or pretension. Then, for the first time, she experienced the pride of triumph. Szmera, though he was furious at not being the sole lion of the evening, complimented her, bowing almost to the ground, with one hand on his heart; Madame Rochette assured her that she had a fortune in her throat whenever she chose

"some perhaps are a little odd, but how much cordiality and warmth there is among

tte appeared to her, her face like that of an affable frog, her dress the dress of Pierrot, and she croaked out, in a variety of tones: "The stage! Why not? Applauded every night-it would be glorious!" Then she seemed in her dream to be falling, falling dow

Madame Odinska had any power to change the sentence. While the Mother Superior calmly pronounced her decree, she was taking the measure of this stout foreigner who appeared in behalf of Jacqueline, a woman overdressed, yet at the same time shabby, who had a fa

she showed no emotion. "Now," she thought, "my fate has been decided; respectable people will have nothing more to d

telling Marien that Jacqueline had started for Bellagio with Mr. and Miss Sparks, the latter having

of the same ag

ish to be hampered by an elderly chaperon, but to be

to see strange things; how

lame her or advise her. For example, this is one of them: 'Don't you suppose,' she said to me, 'that every one will take th

not mean what you

ying that she might set her a very bad example, she answered: 'I may

bert Marien, biting his

is head drooped on his breast,

king about?" asked Madame

a certain responsibility might rest on thos

act a bad disposition? You don't deny that hers is bad? She is a very devil for pride and obstinacy-she h

er to let her

the case if I tried to contradict her. After all, the Sparks and Madame Odinska are not yet put out of the pale of good

sfied it is not for me to say an

" said Madame de Nailles, indignantly. "How could I be s