pon passing Pierre who answered the
door--and coming in to her--("It was Mam'zelle of course, Sir Nicholas!"
Burton snapped!) And that she had demanded my address--but Miss Sharp
had not felt she was justified in giving it to her--but had said letters
would be forwarded--.

"I hope to goodness that the baggage made no scene with the young lady,
Sir Nicholas," Burton growled--"Of course she don't say in the
letter--but it's more than likely--I would not have her insulted for the
world."

"Nor I either," I retorted angrily--"Suzette ought to know better now
that I have given her everything she wanted--Will you let her understand
please that this must not occur again--."

"I'll see that the lawyer does it, Sir--that is the only way to deal
with them persons--though Mam'zelle was the best of her sort. Seems to
me Sir Nicholas, they are more bother than they are worth. I said it
always, even when I was younger--They leave their trail of trouble where
ever they go."

How I agreed with him!

So here was a fresh barrier arisen between Alathea and myself!--a fresh
barrier which I cannot explain away. The only comfort I get out of the
whole thing is that imperative necessity must have been driving my
little darling--or she would not put up with any of these things for a
moment, and would have given her _demission_ at the same time as she
wrote.

If money is so necessary to her--perhaps after all I could get her
consent to marry me--The very thought made my pulses bound again--and
all my calm flew to the winds! All the sage reasoning which was
beginning to have an effect upon me evaporated!--I knew that once more I
was as utterly under the spell of her attraction, as the moment when my
passionate lips touched her soft reluctant ones--Ah! that thought! that
memory--One I have never let myself indulge in--but now, all resistance
broken on every side,--I spent the rest of the day dreaming about the
joy of that kiss--until by night time I was as mad as a hatter, and more
full of cruel unrest than ever--.

I hate this place--I hate the sea--It is all of no use--I shall go back
to Paris.

XVI

The first thing I learned when I reached the _appartement_ was that the
Duchesse had returned, and wished to see me. This was good news--and
without even telephoning to Maurice, I got into my one horse Victoria
and repaired to the Hotel de Courville--.

The Duchesse was sitting in her boudoir upstairs when I got in.--She had