terfly, which she said was made expressly for her by
Lalique. But not a diamond in the collection! It appeared that she
regarded diamonds as some men regard champagne--as a commodity not
appealing to the very finest taste.

"I didn't think you were so mischievous," she laughed, frowning.

To transfer the jewels to her possession I had drawn my chair up to
hers, and we were close together, face to face.

"Ah!" I replied, content, unimaginably happy. "You don't know me yet.
I'm a terrible fellow."

"Think of my state of mind during the last fifteen minutes."

"Yes, but think of the joy which you now experience. It is I who have
given you that joy--the joy of losing and gaining all that in a
quarter of an hour."

She picked up the necklace, and as she gazed at the stones her glance
had a rapt expression, as though she were gazing through their depths
into the past.

"Mr. Foster," she said at length, without ceasing to look at the
pearls, "I cannot tell you how glad I am that you are in Paris. Shall
you stay till I have appeared at the Opera Comique?"

"I was hoping to, and if you say you would like me to--"

"Ah!" she exclaimed, "I do." And she looked up.

Her lovely eyes had a suspicion of moisture. The blood rushed through
my head, and I could feel its turbulent throb-throb across the temples
and at my heart.

I was in heaven, and residence in heaven makes one bold.

"You really would like me to stay?" I almost whispered, in a tone that
was equivalent to a declaration.

Her eyes met mine in silence for a few instants, and then she said,
with a touch of melancholy:

"In all my life I've only had two friends--I mean since my mother's
death; and you are the third."

"Is that all?"

"You don't know what a life like mine is," she went on, with feeling.
"I'm only a prima donna, you know. People think that because I can
make as much money in three hours as a milliner's girl can make in
three years, and because I'm always in the midst of luxuries, and
because I have whims and caprices, and because my face has certain
curves in it, and because men get jealous with each other about
kissing my hand, that therefore I've got all I want."

"Certain curves!" I burst out. "Why, you're the most beautiful
creature I ever saw!"

"There!" she cried. "That's just how they all talk. I do hate it."

"Do you?" I said. "Then I'll never call you beautiful again. But I
should have thought you were fairly happy."

"I'm ha