elles into the close, ill-smelling street. In
complete silence they walked through what seemed a nightmare world of
unpleasant sights, unpleasant sounds, until across his dazed thoughts
the familiar sense of Paris--the sense of the pleasure-chase--swept from
the Boulevard de Clichy.

Lize paused; he saw her fully in the brave illumination--the large black
hat, the close-clad figure, the pallid face--and as he looked, she
smiled unexpectedly and, putting out her hand, patted him on the
shoulder.

"Good-bye, _mon enfant_! Go home! Youth comes but once; and this
Blake--he is a good boy!"

Before he could answer, before he could return smile or touch, she was
gone--absorbed into the maze of lights, and he was alone, to turn which
way he would.

CHAPTER XXXVIII

The fifth floor was dim and silent, the door of M. Cartel's
_appartement_ was closed; but Max, mounting the stairs two steps at a
time, was not daunted by silence or lack of light. Max was once again a
prey to impulse, and under the familiar tyranny, his blood burned--raced
in his veins, sang in his cars.

Without an instant's pause, he knocked on M. Cartel's door, and when his
knock was answered by Jacqueline--fair and cool-looking, oven in the
great heat--words rushed from him as they had been wont to rush when
life was a gay affair.

"You are alone, Jacqueline?"

Jacqueline nodded quickly, comprehending a crisis.

"Ah, I thank God!" He caught both her hands; he gave a little laugh that
ended in a sob; he passed into the _appartement_, drawing her with him.

"Oh, _la, la_!" she cried, hiding her emotion in flippancy, "you take my
breath away."

Max laughed again. "You see I've lost my own!"

She gave a scornful, familiar toss of the head. "Do not be foolish! What
has happened?"

"I have made a discovery, Jacqueline. Youth comes but once!"

"Indeed! You need not have left the rue Mueller to learn that."

"It comes but once, and while it is with me I am going to look it in the
face." His words tumbled forth, pell-mell, and as he spoke he pulled
her forcibly into the living-room.

"Jacqueline, I am serious. I have been down in hell; I must see heaven,
or my faith is lost."

Jacqueline stood very still, making no effort to loose the hot clasp of
his hands, but all at once her gaze concentrated piercingly.

"You have sent for him!" she exclaimed.

"I have! Oh, I may be weak, but listen! listen! In the old days when the
world was religio