hey wandered on in the
direction it had taken. And in the carriage Aline was considering
Andre-Louis with grave eyes, lips slightly compressed, and a tiny frown
between her finely drawn eyebrows.

"You have taken to queer company, Andre," was the first thing she said
to him. "Or else I am mistaken in thinking that your companion was Mlle.
Binet of the Theatre Feydau."

"You are not mistaken. But I had not imagined Mlle. Binet so famous
already."

"Oh, as to that..." mademoiselle shrugged, her tone quietly scornful.
And she explained. "It is simply that I was at the play last night. I
thought I recognized her."

"You were at the Feydau last night? And I never saw you!"

"Were you there, too?"

"Was I there!" he cried. Then he checked, and abruptly changed his tone.
"Oh, yes, I was there," he said, as commonplace as he could, beset by a
sudden reluctance to avow that he had so willingly descended to depths
that she must account unworthy, and grateful that his disguise of face
and voice should have proved impenetrable even to one who knew him so
very well.

"I understand," said she, and compressed her lips a little more tightly.

"But what do you understand?"

"The rare attractions of Mlle. Binet. Naturally you would be at the
theatre. Your tone conveyed it very clearly. Do you know that you
disappoint me, Andre? It is stupid of me, perhaps; it betrays, I
suppose, my imperfect knowledge of your sex. I am aware that most young
men of fashion find an irresistible attraction for creatures who parade
themselves upon the stage. But I did not expect you to ape the ways of
a man of fashion. I was foolish enough to imagine you to be different;
rather above such trivial pursuits. I conceived you something of an
idealist."

"Sheer flattery."

"So I perceive. But you misled me. You talked so much morality of a
kind, you made philosophy so readily, that I came to be deceived. In
fact, your hypocrisy was so consummate that I never suspected it. With
your gift of acting I wonder that you haven't joined Mlle. Binet's
troupe."

"I have," said he.

It had really become necessary to tell her, making choice of the lesser
of the two evils with which she confronted him.

He saw first incredulity, then consternation, and lastly disgust
overspread her face.

"Of course," said she, after a long pause, "that would have the
advantage of bringing you closer to your charmer."

"That was only one of the inducements. There was an