rier picture in all my life.

No fluffy stuff and fine pink satin now, but a shabby old morning gown
and her hair anyhow upon her shoulders, and in her eyes the look of a
woman who has been hunted and does not know where on God's earth she is
going to find a habitation. I've seen it twice in my life, and I never
want to see it again--for what man with a heart would wish to do so?

"Britten," she says, almost like a play-actress on the stage of a
theatre, "Britten, do you know what happened last night?"

"Well," says I, "for that matter lots of things happened; but if you're
speaking of the gentleman, your husband----"

"My husband!"--you should have heard her laugh; it was just like one of
the animals at the Zoo--"my husband! That wasn't my husband! That was
the Baron Albert--the man I dread more than any one in the world. How
could you make such a mistake, Britten?"

I shook my head.

"Madame," says I, "I'm very sorry, but I took the first one that came
along and answered to the name. It must have been the head waiter's
fault."

She clenched her hands and began to step up and down the room, wild
with perplexity.

"It was all planned, Britten--all planned. They knew that I should
send for Count Joseph, and this villain came from Vienna to thwart me.
He must have bribed the servants at the hotel. And now, what do you
say to it? I am to be banished from France--he swears it. They have
written to Paris, and the decree may come at any moment. I am to be
banished, Britten--driven out like a common criminal! Oh, what shall I
do? My God, what shall I do?"

That was a question I couldn't answer, but it did seem a wicked thing
to treat a woman so, and I wasn't ashamed to admit it.

"Is there any law in France that can turn you out, madame?" I asked.
She answered that quickly enough.

"Certainly there is, Britten. I know all about it. They can turn me
out at twenty-four hours' notice."

"Why not go to the American Consulate, madame?"

"Oh, you don't understand. If my husband were but here! Oh, they
would not insult me then--even if you were my husband, Britten."

Upon my life and soul, I believe that she meant it. There was a look
in her eyes as she stood before me which, unless I'm the biggest fool
in Christendom, told me what was what plainly enough. A word, and I
could have taken that fine lady in my arms. I would swear to it.

And what forbade me, you ask? Well, perhaps I'd heard a smash