t apology. "I cannot help it," he
said. "The lady pays more for her rooms than all the rest of you put
together, so why should I turn her out? After all, if she likes to have
many sweethearts, why shouldn't she? It is her own concern, neither
yours nor mine. It harms no one!"

And some of the guests, seeing logic in their landlord's views,
remained; others went. As for Paul, he was immeasurably shocked at the
bad taste of his adored one; but he stayed on, and within a few days, as
he had fondly hoped, the fickle creature returned--and, as before,
returned alone. It was then that he resolved on writing to her. With a
crow-quill almost as fine as the long silky eyelashes of Isabella, on a
sheet of paper whose border of Cupids, grapes, vases, and roses left
little--too little--space for writing, he indited his letter, which,
when completed, he sealed with a seal of azure blue wax, bearing the
device of a dove ready for flight. And so scented was this epistle that
it perfumed the entire hotel in its transit by means of a servant (well
paid for the purpose) to mademoiselle's room. Again--this time for an
endless amount of trouble and expense--Paul was rewarded. When next he
met mademoiselle, and an opportune moment arrived, she looked at him,
and as her lovely eyes scanned his manly, if somewhat portly figure, she
smiled--smiled a smile of satisfaction which meant much. Paul Nicholas
was in ecstasies. He hardly knew how to contain himself; he sighed,
radiated, and wriggled about to such an extent that the attention of
every one in the place was directed to him; whereupon Mlle de Nurrez
turned very red and frowned. Paul's expectations now sank to zero; for
the rest of the day he was almost too miserable to live. But Mlle de
Nurrez, no doubt perceiving him to be truly penitent for having so
embarrassed her, forgave him, and on his way to dinner he received a
note in her own pretty handwriting giving him permission to make her
acquaintance without any further introduction. The way thus paved,
Monsieur Paul Nicholas, overjoyed, lost no time in seeking out the lady.
She was singing a wild sweet song as he entered her sitting-room, and
her back, turned to the door, gave him an opportunity of observing, as
she leant over her guitar, the most exquisite shoulders and the
prettiest-shaped head in the world. With graceful confusion she rose to
greet him, and her long eyelashes fell over eyes black and brilliant as
those that awakened t