ind, and intellectual capacities are hidden beneath those
features.

She was a young and pretty woman, a native of the South of France
certainly, with splendid eyes, beautiful wavy black hair, which was so
thick, long, and strong that it seemed almost too heavy for her head.
She was dressed with a certain Southern elegant bad taste which made her
look a little vulgar. Her regular features had none of the grace and
finish of the refined races, of that slight delicacy which members of
the aristocracy inherit from their birth, and which is the hereditary
mark of thinner blood.

Her bracelets were too big to be of gold; she wore earrings with large
white stones which were certainly not diamonds, and she belonged
unmistakably to the commonalty. One would have guessed that she would
talk too loud, and shout on every occasion with exaggerated gestures.

When the train started she remained motionless in her place, in the
attitude of a woman who was in a rage, without even looking at us.

Paul began to talk to me, evidently with an eye to effect, trying to
attract her attention, like shopkeepers who expose their choice wares to
catch the notice of passers-by.

She, however, did not appear to be paying the least attention.

"Toulon! Ten minutes to wait! Refreshment room!" the porters shouted.

Paul motioned to me to get out, and as soon as we had done so, he said:

"I wonder who on earth she can be?"

I began to laugh. "I am sure I don't know, and I don't the least care."

He was quite excited.

"She is an uncommonly fresh and pretty girl. What eyes she has, and how
cross she looks. She must have been dreadfully worried, for she takes no
notice of anything."

"You will have all your trouble for nothing," I growled.

He began to lose his temper.

"I am not taking any trouble, my dear fellow. I think her an extremely
pretty woman, that is all. If one could only speak to her! But I don't
know how to begin. Cannot you give me an idea? Can't you guess who she
is?"

"Upon my word, I cannot. However, I should rather think she is some
strolling actress who is going to rejoin her company after a love
adventure."

He seemed quite upset, as if I had said something insulting.

"What makes you think that? On the contrary, I think she looks most
respectable."

"Just look at her bracelets," I said, "her earrings and her whole dress.
I should not be the least surprised if she were a dancer or a circus
rider, but most likel