-" Her voice dropped to its softest note.

Blake looked up.

"Perhaps, princess--?"

She smiled again, half diffidently. "Nothing, monsieur! Good-night!"

"Good-night!"

He left her to the gray mystery of the stars, and passed back through
the quiet, lamp-lit room and down the slippery stairs that led to the
mundane world; and with each step he took, each breath he drew, the
words from _Louise_ repeated themselves, justifying all things,
glorifying all things: '_C'est la vie! l'Eternelle, la toute-puissante
vie_!'

CHAPTER XXVIII

Blake must have reached the last step of the Escalier de Sainte-Marie,
must indeed have turned the corner of the rue Andre de Sarte before the
creaking of a footstep or the opening of a door disturbed the silence of
the fifth floor; but, due time having expired--due deference having been
paid to taste and the proprieties--the handle of M. Cartel's door was
very softly turned, and Jacqueline slipped forth into the shadowed
landing.

Never were human curiosity and feminine craft more signally displayed
than in the slim little form creeping on tiptoe, the astute, _piquante_
little face thrust forth into the dark. Across the landing she stole,
and with deft fingers opened Max's door without a sound.

Here, in the narrow hallway, she paused and called gently, "Monsieur
Max!" But as no voice answered, she crept to the _salon_ door and, with
a little comedy of smiles all for her own diversion, called again with
pursed lips and in a stage whisper: "Madame! Madame!"

It carried--this portentous word--across the quiet room to the balcony
where Maxine was lingering; it drew from her a little 'oh,' of
consternation; finally, it brought her running across the room to her
visitor.

Jacqueline, lynx-eyed, stood and looked at her--noting how flushed she
was, how youthful-looking, how unguarded and brimming with emotion.

"Madame!" she cried. "I know without a word! It has been a grand
success."

[Illustration: _"C'EST LA VIE! L'ETERNELLE, LA TOUTE-PUISSANTE VIE_!"]

Maxine laughed, a girlish laugh of self-betrayal. "A grand success!
Absolutely a grand success! And, Jacqueline"--she hesitated, laughed
again with charming self-consciousness, rushed afresh into
speech--"Jacqueline, he thought me beautiful! Not a word was said, but I
know he thought me beautiful. Tell me! Am I beautiful?" Swiftly, as
might the boy, she threw off her velvet cloak, letting it fall to the
ground, and showe