ind herself lost in it.
Panels of old print cloth, with figures of Comedy, gave to the walls the
sadness of past gayeties. He had placed in a corner a dim pastel which
they had seen together at an antiquary's, and which, for its shadowy
grace, she called the shade of Rosalba. There was a grandmother's
armchair; white chairs; and on the table painted cups and Venetian
glasses. In all the corners were screens of colored paper, whereon were
masks, grotesque figures, the light soul of Florence, of Bologna, and
of Venice in the time of the Grand Dukes and of the last Doges. A mirror
and a carpet completed the furnishings.

He closed the window and lighted the fire. She sat in the armchair, and
as she remained in it erect, he knelt before her, took her hands, kissed
them, and looked at her with a wondering expression, timorous and proud.
Then he pressed his lips to the tip of her boot.

"What are you doing?"

"I kiss your feet because they have come."

He rose, drew her to him softly, and placed a long kiss on her lips. She
remained inert, her head thrown back, her eyes closed. Her toque fell,
her hair dropped on her shoulders.

Two hours later, when the setting sun made immeasurably longer the
shadows on the stones, Therese, who had wished to walk alone in the
city, found herself in front of the two obelisks of Santa Maria Novella
without knowing how she had reached there. She saw at the corner of the
square the old cobbler drawing his string with his eternal gesture. He
smiled, bearing his sparrow on his shoulder.

She went into the shop, and sat on a chair. She said in French:

"Quentin Matsys, my friend, what have I done, and what will become of
me?"

He looked at her quietly, with laughing kindness, not understanding nor
caring. Nothing astonished him. She shook her head.

"What I did, my good Quentin, I did because he was suffering, and
because I loved him. I regret nothing."

He replied, as was his habit, with the sonorous syllable of Italy:

"Si! si!"

"Is it not so, Quentin? I have not done wrong? But, my God! what will
happen now?"

She prepared to go. He made her understand that he wished her to wait.
He culled carefully a bit of basilick and offered it to her.

"For its fragrance, signora!"

CHAPTER XIX. CHOULETTE TAKES A JOURNEY

It was the next day.

Having carefully placed on the drawing-room table his knotty stick, his
pipe, and his antique carpet-bag, Choulette bowed to Madame Mart