Septimus

ed him to scorn for a prophetic popinjay. She had broken no man's heart, and her own was whole. The tribes of Crim Tartary had exhibited no signs of worry and had left her unmol

nly follow the obvious; and there are seasons when the obvious fails to satisfy. When such a mood overcame her mistress, Turner railed at the upsetting quality of foreign food, and presented bicarbonate of soda. She arrived by a di

ed promises from city to city. At last, on her homeward journey, he whispered the

he had lost twenty louis. Her last coup had been successful, but a bland old lady, with the white hair and waxen face of sainted motherhood, had swep

omen laughing, jesting loudly, all kinds of revelry and devilry and Bacchic things undreamed of. This was silly of her, no doubt, but the silliness of inexperienced young women is a matter for the pity, not the reprobation

e discord of scents around her. Having lost her money she could afford to survey with scorn the decorous yet sordid greed of the crowded table. There w

object of innumerable glances, she would have cried. And twenty louis pitched into unprofitable space! Yet she stood half fascinated by the rattle of the marble on the revolving disc, the glitter of the gold, the soft pat of the coins on the green cloth

lder, and she saw a hand in front of her

hrew it, en plein, on Number Seventeen; and then with a start

so s

the tired voice. She noted that he had a sallow face, a little brown musta

d. "Please ask for it back.

't matter, so long as y

venteen," she urged. "I ought t

nk?" he

iescence she felt qualms of responsibility. Why had she not played on an even chance, or one of the dozens, or even a transvers

ith its sharp click and whizzed and rattled around the disc. Zora held her b

noir, impai

er-perhaps the only impossible thing that could not happen at Monte Carlo-and stretched out her arm past the bland old lady in tense determination to frustrate further felonious proceedings. The croupier pitched seven large go

y by another table. She rushed across the

you ha

his dinner-jacket pockets, but not offering to take

" she said tartly. "

ed. "How can one tell wh

nd let me get rid of it. There are

n to claim the original louis which she had staked. Where was it? What had become of it?

be another louis

matter," s

r. You might think

he answered. "Are you

un

him. He appear

when I went away," he explained. "The

out it. If my purse weren't empty I would repay you. Will you sta

ct her to remain in his debt? But the creature only passed

take, as a general rule, unless you ask for it. They assume you want to back your luck. Perh

r, as one cannot grasp all the ways and customs of gaming establishments in ten minutes, rushed back to the other table. S

ht the thirty-six l

e money. "It is very astonish

oman of common s

shells which a child at the seaside might have br

is glance and tone checked an imp

ty-six pounds for you, and

found themselves in the thinner crowd of saunterers. It was the height of the Monte Carlo season and the feathers and diamonds and rouge and greedy eyes and rusty bonnets of all nations confused the sight and paralyzed thought. Yet among all the women

me of a picture hat gave her an air of triumph. Black gloves reaching more than halfway up shapely arms and a gleam of snowy neck abo

stuff, but what am I to do w

better take car

to a human being; so she lingered wistfully in conver

ing a handful from his jacket poc

be such a gamble

t that at all. G

you play

e whether I should be interested. I wasn't, as I beg

breakfasting at nine o'clock in the evening. But if

e said. "

only jus

say you've been

e noisy da

it down,"

ches by the wall vacant, and sat

happier if I took c

ight meet a man who wanted

needn't

see. At Rotterdam last year, a man mad

dentist?"

e I could have used

d you do

tched, carriage paid, to an i

ed, gentle manner, without the flick

becomes expensive. D

o sell me a thing I did

ce of wistful admiration, "that

him with a glance. She had done with men and their compliments forever. In that she prided herself on her Amazonianism. But she cou

ir to do with it?"

d man who sold me t

d Zora, n

terminate hands, with long fingers, such as are in the habit of dropping things. Zora wondered how th

" she

king to her presen

reakfast. I must be going back to my hotel. The

lift, if you'll allow

over to the H?tel de Paris for the sake of a breath of fresh air. At the top of the steps she paused and filled her lungs. It was a still, moonless night, and the s

he said, pointin

tter," said h

ed on hi

now I was maki

it," he

the bottom a carriage and pair seemed

ce out of the dimness. Monte Carlo cabmen are

Middlemist was answerable for her actions to no man or woman alive. Why not drink a great draught of the freedom that was hers? What did it matter that th

all

ri

ly striking her-"unless you wa

f she were accusing him of crimina

n co

uld they drive? The cabman suggested the coast road to Mentone. She agreed

orgotten

as she would have

her abou

death of cold. Go a

gh Mrs. Middlemist. A woman may have an inordinate antipathy to men, but

s strong pair of horses, and they sta

the fragrant orange groves-the dim, mysterious olive trees, the looming hills, the wine-colored, silken sea, with its faint edgin

lence she sighed, rem

not talking," s

thing to say. I never talk. I'

aughe

hy

man," he added conscientious

well," said Zora, with a

m. But he can't hear. He's seventy and stone-deaf. But

ai

rofessional burglar-but then he got on in years. Besi

e last thing a burglar

d gravely. "Wiggleswick has given me

or?" sh

with," he rep

ake a superannuated

f. He came up to me one day as I was sitting in

tful for the moment of stars and sea-"

only forges, a pickpocket only snatches chains and purses, and a burglar only burgl

him sage

d of him if

plied. "If I told him to go he wouldn't. I

y brain reel," said Zora laughing. "Do tell me

other name-Ajax-Septimus A

said Zora. "Ajax

with a spear. It's a silly name. A maiden aunt persuaded my mother to give it to me. I think she

out of politeness than interest in

before s

ss manner in which he mentioned the tragedy.

ou called

e others died young. I never

you were thinking of something else

d he. "I lose opportunities j

manage to ge

. That's easy. But there's

mouth, and fumbled in his pockets for matches. Fi

ied Zora. "Why didn't you

She longed to befriend him-to do something for him, motherwise-she knew not what. Her adventure by now had failed to be adventurous. The spi

eltered by the great black promontory of Monaco. From the gorge on the left, the terraced rock on the right, came the smell of the wild thyme and rosemary and the perfume of pale flowers. The touch of the air on her cheek was a warm and scented kiss. The diamond stars drooped towards her like a Dana? shower. Like Dana?'s, her lips were parted. Her eyes strained fa

site humbug of sublunary existenc

enses, too, were enthralled by the witchery of the night. But for him stars and s

had forgotten the po