s my capacity for appreciation. May one venture to
compliment mademoiselle, who is marvellous in so many bewitching ways?"

"Why not, monsieur? Was ever music sweeter?" The girl laughed; then her
eyes sobered while her features retained their appearance of complete
amusement. "Monsieur received a telegram this afternoon?"

"Yes, mademoiselle. And you?"

"It is here--since I am. May I see yours?"

With a gay gesture she handed over her telegram from London and took
his in exchange.

The ordinary cipher of the B. S. S. was as readily intelligible to both
as if the messages had been couched in open French or English.

Lanyard read:

"Kindly place yourself beginning with dinner to-night and for duration
his stay in Paris at the commands of Paul Martin, Hotel Chatham,
lunatic but harmless and of great value to us. He seems to be at
present concerned with some affair outside our knowledge, but
presumably desperate, else he would not be interested. Please exert
best endeavours to get him out of France alive as soon as possible."

The girl was laughing as she returned Lanyard's telegram and received
her own.

"'Mature charms'!" she pouted. "'Enjoyable intellectual evening'! Oh,
how depressing! Poor Paul! but you must have felt discouraged."

"I did--at first."

"And afterwards--?"

"Disappointed."

"And are you going to obey that injunction to treat me as somebody's
sister?"

"Never in my life!"

"How then?"

"As anybody's wife." Perplexity knitted a little pucker in her
delicately lined brows.

"Paul! you couldn't speak French so well and be an Englishman!"

"I assure you, Athenais, I am--mentally--a native of France."

She sighed luxuriously. "What an amusing prospect! And this is the sort
of man at whose commands I am required to place myself."

"Not required, Athenais, requested--begged, besought!"

"I like that better. And," she enquired demurely, "may one ask what
are monsieur's commands?"

"First: you will continue to flirt with me as at
present--outrageously."

"Even when you make it so difficult?"

"And then, to waste an evening in my society."

"Must it be wasted?"

"That will be as it falls out."

"And what do we do with this evening of such questionable value?"

"We finish dinner here at our leisure; we smoke and chat a while in the
lounge, if you like, or if nothing better offers we go to a play; and
then you will take me by the hand, if you please, mademoiselle..."

"In the