rves soothed. He felt himself growing calm.
The terror of the last few hours was like a nightmare which had passed.
He summoned a taxicab and was driven to the Milan. His wanderings for
the night were over.

XVIII

Sophy Gerard sat in the little back room of Louise's house, which the
latter called her den, but which she seldom entered. The little actress
was looking very trim and neat in a simple blue-serge costume which
fitted her to perfection, her hair very primly arranged and tied up with
a bow. She had a pen in her mouth, there was a sheaf of bills before
her, and an open housekeeping-book lay on her knee. She had been busy
for the last half-hour making calculations, the result of which had
brought a frown to her face.

"There is no doubt about it," she decided. "Louise is extravagant!"

The door opened, and Louise herself, in a gray morning gown of some soft
material, with a bunch of deep-red roses at her waist, looked into the
room.

"Why, little girl," she exclaimed, "how long have you been here?"

"All the morning," Sophy replied. "I took the dogs out, and then I
started on your housekeeping-book and the bills. Your checks will have
to be larger than ever this month, Louise, and I don't see how you can
possibly draw them unless you go and see your bankers first."

Louise threw herself into an easy chair.

"Dear me!" she sighed. "I thought I had been so careful!"

"How can you talk about being careful?" Sophy protested, tapping the
little pile of bills with her forefinger. "You seem to have had enough
asparagus and strawberries every day for at least half a dozen people.
As for the butcher, I am going this afternoon to tell him exactly what I
think of him. And there are several matters here," she went on,
"concerning which you must really talk to the cook yourself. For
instance--"

"Oh, please don't!" Louise broke in. "I know I am extravagant. I suppose
I always shall be; but if there is one thing in the world I will not do,
it is talk to the cook! She might insist upon going, and I have never
known any one who made such entrees. Remember, child, it will be full
salary in a fortnight's time."

"You will have to go and see your bankers, anyhow," Sophy declared.
"It's no use my writing out these checks for you. Unless you have paid
in some money I don't know anything about, you seem to be overdrawn
already."

"I will see to that," Louise promised. "The bank m