ou!_"

Bibi had returned and gently pointed to his master, smiling.

"_Bon jour_, Gillier!" said Claude, as the Frenchman swung round
sharply.

"_Bon jour!_"

They shook hands. Claude looked from Gillier to his wife.

"You were smoking?" he said, glancing at the tray. "Won't you have
another cigarette?"

"_Merci!_"

"Anyhow, I will."

He picked up the cigarette box.

"We haven't seen you for a long while." He lit a cigarette. "Aren't you
going to sit down?"

After a pause Gillier sat down. His eyes were fixed on Claude.

"I am glad you have come," he said. "Madame does not quite understand--"

"I understand perfectly, Monsieur Gillier," Charmian interrupted. "Pray
don't endow me with a stupidity which I don't possess."

"I prefer at any rate to explain the reason of my visit to Monsieur
Heath, madame."

"Have you come with a special object then?" said Claude.

"Yes."

"By all means tell me what it is."

"_Mon Dieu!_" said Gillier. "What is the good of a cloud of words
between two men? I want to buy back the libretto I sold to you more than
a year ago."

Charmian gazed at her husband. To her surprise his usually sensitive
face did not show her what was passing in his mind. Indeed she thought
it looked peculiarly inexpressive as he replied:

"Do you? Why?"

"Why? Because I don't think you and I are suited to work together. I
don't think we could ever make a satisfactory combination in art. This
has been my opinion ever since I was with you at Constantine."

"More than a year ago. And you only come here and say so now!"

Gillier was silent and fidgeted on the divan.

"Surely you must have some other reason?" said Claude in a very quiet,
almost unnaturally quiet voice.

"That is one reason, and an excellent one. Another is, however, that if
you will consent to sell me back my libretto I believe I could get it
taken up by a man, a composer, who is more in sympathy with me and my
artistic aims than you could ever be."

"I see. And what about all the months of work I have put in? What about
all the music I have composed? Are you here to ask me to throw it away,
or what?"

Gillier was silent.

"Surely your proposition isn't a serious one?" said Claude, still
speaking with complete self-control.

"But I say it is! I say"--Gillier raised his voice--"that it is serious.
I am a poor man, and I am sick of waiting for success. I sold my
libretto to you in a hurry, not knowing what I was doing. N