t you inflict the same punishment on me."

"It is not I who do anything," Jeanne said. "It is you who have brought
this upon both of us. All this money that has been spent upon luxuries,
it was absurd. If I was not rich I did not need them. I think that it
was more than absurd. It was cruel."

The Princess produced a few inches of lace-bordered cambric. A glance
at Jeanne's face showed her that the child had developed a new side to
her character. There was something pitiless about the straightened
mouth, and the cold questioning eyes.

"Jeanne," the Princess said, "you are a fool. Some day you will
understand how great a one. I only trust that it may not be too late.
The Count de Brensault may not be everything that is to be desired in a
husband, but the world is full of more attractive people who would be
glad to become your slaves. You will live mostly abroad, and let me
assure you that marriage there is the road to liberty. You have it in
your power to save yourself and me from poverty. Make a little
sacrifice, Jeanne, if indeed it is a sacrifice. Later on you will be
glad of it. If you persist in this unreasonable attitude, I really do
not know what will become of us."

Jeanne turned her head, but she did not respond in the least to the
Princess' softened tone. There was a note of finality about her words,
too. She spoke as one who had weighed this matter and made up her mind.

"If there was no other man in the world," she said, "or no other way of
avoiding starvation, I would not marry the Count de Brensault."

The Princess rose slowly to her feet.

"Very well," she said, "that ends the matter, of course. I hope you
will always remember that it is you who are responsible for anything
that may happen now. You had better," she continued, "leave off writing
letters which will certainly never be posted, and get your clothes
together. We shall go abroad at the latest to-morrow afternoon."

"Abroad?" Jeanne repeated.

"Yes!" the Princess answered. "I suppose you have sense enough to see
that we cannot stay on here for you to make your interesting
confessions. I should probably have some of these tradespeople trying
to put me in prison."

"I will tell Saunders at once," Jeanne said. "I am quite ready to do
anything you think best."

The Princess laughed hardly.

"You will have to manage without Saunders," she answered. "Paupers like
us can't afford maids. I am going to discharge every one this
afternoon. Ha