s
who in the third generation--and by inherent vigour, thrift,
matrimony and conversion--had built up quite a numerous
congregation, which even grew large enough and rich enough to
maintain a mission of its own in Congoland. Kind Mme. Trouessart
(nee Walcker), distressed and unusually moved at the sad
circumstances of Mrs. Warren's death, had called in her uncle the
Baptist pastor (who also in some unexplained way seemed to hold a
brief for the Salvation Army). He prayed silently by the death-bed
which, under the circumstances, was more tactful than open
intercession. He helped greatly over all the formalities of the
funeral, and he took upon himself the arrangement of the ceremony,
so that everything was done decorously, and certainly to the
satisfaction of the Belgians, who attended. Such people would be
large-minded in religion--you might be Protestant, if you were not
Catholic, or you might be Jewish; but a funeral without some outward
sign of faith and hope would have puzzled and distressed them.

To Vivie's great surprise, there was a considerable attendance at
the ceremony. She had expected no more than the company of Minna--an
unprofessing but real Christian, if ever there were one, and the
equally Christian if equally hedonist Mme. Trouessart. But there
came in addition quite a number of shopkeepers from the Rue Royale,
the Rues de Schaerbeek, du Marais, de Lione, and de l'Association,
with whom Mrs. Warren had dealt in years gone by. "C'etait une dame
_tres_ convenable," said one purveyor, and the others agreed. "Elle
me paya ecus sonnants," said another, "et toujours sans
marchander." There was even present a more distinguished
acquaintance of the past: a long-retired Commissaire de Police of
the Quartier in which Mrs. Warren's hotel was situated.

He appeared in the tightly-buttoned frock-coat of civil life, with a
minute disc of some civic decoration in his button hole, and an
incredibly tall chimney-pot hat. He came to render his _respectueux
hommages_ to the maitresse-femme who had conducted her business
within the four corners of the law, "sans avoir maille a partir avec
la police des moeurs."

Mrs. Warren at least died with the reputation of one who promptly
paid her bills; and the whole _assistance_, as it walked slowly back
to Brussels, recalled many a deed of kindness and jovial charity on
the part of the dead Englishwoman.

* * * * *

Vivie, on sizing up her a