The Man and the Moment

gust morning, like some huge sea monster

upon it, and only the smallest white line

inted roof, while her sense of color had run riot in beautiful silks for curtains. It was a remarkable achievement for one so young, and who had begun so ignorantly. Her mother's family had been decently enough bred, and her maternal grandfather had been a fair artist, and that remarkable American adaptability which

often been Monsieur le Curé, an enchanting Jesuit priest, who had the care of the souls of Héronac village. A great cynic, a pure Christian and a man of parts-a distant connection of the original family-Gaston d'Héronac had known the world in his day; and after muc

n opening the mind of h

hat there were to be no d

y your sweet church and your fisherfolks' faith. I will come there every Sunday and say my

riest had

belief of Jean Rivée, who knows that his boat was guided into the harbor on the night of the great st

two minds of this breadth, Père Anselm

the dix-septième and the dix-huitième had a qua

es gens du monde," he said to her one d

am not a girl, cher ma?tre, and you were once no

aculations as time went on that she had passed through some furnace during her eighteenth year, and it had seared her deeply. He even kne

t upon this glorious day in August. Père

hat only the sky could be seen from any window except the southeastern one, from which you reviewed the gray slate roofs of the later building within the courtyard, the part which had been always habitable and which contained the

tler, was handing the omelette. "Madame Imogen is enchanted," and she smiled at

g and mushroom. In his youth, the Héronacs had not imported E

ess Torniloni and her tamed father-" (he used the word aprivoisé-"son père aprivoisé"!) "we should here s

ou the name of one of them-the other is problematical-he has merely been spoken o

rong American accent, in her French English. "But I do

r that he found youth enough in

of cultivation." He had heard that, in their upper classes, the Englishmen of to-day we

mogen? Lord Fordyce is to have the Louis XIV suite, and the friend the one beyond; and we will only let them co

aborate nurseries prepared for him. No other visitor had ever crossed the causeway, and Madame Imogen's cute mind was asking i

ut two years now, she and Sabi

n over-confident, silly French husband just before his death in Nevada had been the reason. Madame Imogen had the kindest heart and the hardest common sense,

ehind immensely big walls from the road which curled beyond it, and the sea which bounded it on the northwest. Here, whatever horticultural talent and money could procure had been lavished for four years, and th

went his way-but just before he left for the hundred yard

re. It is possible I may decide to know hi

looked at her

ourself, then, my child? You will not

oon, mon père-le bon Dieu helps those who help themsel

his high shoulders

ge of the fierce one has not faded entirely even yet-it is natural, thou

shelter of an arbour of green. She wanted to re-read a letter of Henry

g woman to have got, and she knew that and

gentleness, his courtesy and diffidence were such incense to her self-esteem, considering the position of importance he held in his own country and

on, he had taken her

d have not made any love to you as I have longed to do. Won't you be generous, dearest, and give me some defi

than she really felt, because she wo

o advise me how to begin to take the necessary steps-a

kiss her, which he showe

he first year. I will tell you the whole story, if you want to hear it-but I wish to forget

d, ecstatically. "You yourself could never have touch

. And now I want to make something of life-some great thing-a

" he had cri

cess that night, as they ta

ver lightly they held me-and I have never wanted to-but now I do-at once-as soon as possible-before-my husband can suggest being free of me! I have writte

not refrain from asking; her c

Scotchman, not an American a

de-and she had to bite her l

r we were married-there cannot be any dif

aid shortly, and they kissed one anoth

me, after her maid had le

everything that most people could want, and

nd I would have been his sympathetic companion, and would have let him

entirely with her uncle and aunt? The secret of her friend's life lay in that year-that year after she herself married and went off with her husband Girolamo to Italy-the year which Sabine had spent in America-alone. But she k

ominous force. And so she and Henry had parted at the Carlsbad station next day with the understanding between them that, w

lamored to be taken on the trip, too, claiming an old promise. He was quite a nice young man-but if she did not want any extra person, she was to wire to ----, where they would arrive about eleven o'clock, an

relief. It would make someone to talk to Madame

eat position in England would give scope for her ambition, which never could be satisfied like Moravia's with just social things. She would begin to study English politics and the other great matters which Henry was interested in. He would find that what she had told him at Carlsbad was true, and that, although he was naturally prejudiced against America

he had begun to take steps, as her freedom must come from the side of her husband-who could divorce he

," she said to herself-"and then, perh

ou see, for all her four years of d

r joy-and her flower decorations were her special care. She was just entering the great towered gate of Héronac where resided the concierge, when she heard the whir of a motor

n the motor whizzed round the bend and stopped short at the gate! It was a big open one, and the occupants wore goggles over

and's stronghold, Henry; l

chair. For the voice was the voice of Michael Arranstoun-and when he pulled the goggles