. Mr. Kinsella rose from his seat and clasping the marquis by
the hand, exclaimed:

"Jean, how splendid to meet you on this my first night in Paris after
all these years! Don't apologize for mistaking my nephew for me," and he
introduced Pierce to him, calling him "Monsieur d'Ochte," being entirely
ignorant of the fact of his old friend's having inherited a title and
estates. "Now tell me of Madame. I do hope I am to be allowed to see
her."

"_Certainment_, my friend. She now awaits you in the box where we are
entertaining Sara's cousins, Mrs. and Miss Brown, of Kentukee, also a
charming _jeune fille_, by name Miss Kean."

Uncle and nephew were led, willing captives, to fill the unoccupied
seats in the box. Mrs. Brown and Molly were delighted to see them again,
and Judy and Pierce plunged into a discussion of art schools and
pictures. The marchioness was overjoyed to meet a friend from the old
Bohemian days and her husband was like a boy in his enthusiasm over this
long lost companion. Philippe looked a little sad and downcast, although
he was studiously polite to the strangers. He had been having such a
splendid time with the girls that he could not help resenting the
interruption to his pleasure caused by the entrance of these two
Americans. He was secretly glad when the curtain went up and the whole
party was forced to give their attention to the stage.

The next act, in front of the wine shop, the lover _Julien_ and his
companions playing and making horseplay, had the note of true comedy and
Molly could find nothing to weep over, for which she was truly thankful.
She whispered to Mr. Kinsella that when there was anything to cry over,
she simply had to cry, and he said:

"I see you have what Mr. Dooley calls 'the stage delusion'. It is a
delightful quality to feel the reality of the drama and not remember
there is any 'behind the scenes'. I fancy at this minute _Louise_, who
got a little husky in that duet with _Julien_, when she promised to
leave her mother and father and come to him, is off in her dressing room
spraying her throat and gargling with peroxide to get her voice in trim
for the third act. In that she has a long and very beautiful love scene
in the little home at the apex of the Butte Montmartre where _Julien_
takes her."

"Why did you come to Paris so soon?" asked Mrs. Brown just then. "You
meant to exhaust the sights of Antwerp before leaving, did you not?"

"Well, you see the sights exhausted