wn or I'll scratch," was the sharp reply.

The next moment he was shaking hands with Daisy Kissmi, an English girl
who had become quite a feature of Raxim's.

Further on he noticed a pale, bald, and already pot-bellied young man,
who was staring with lack-lustre eyes at his whiskey and soda. This
premature ruin was listening distraitly to a waiter who murmured
mysteriously into his ear.

At the end of the room, surrounded by pretty women, sat the old Duke de
Pietra, descendant of a fine old Italian family, and near him Arnold, an
actor from the music halls.

The patrons had no choice in regard to the supper, which was settled by
the head waiter. Each received a bottle of champagne, Ostend oysters,
and, later, large slices of _pate de foie gras_, and as the bottles were
emptied, intoxication became general, while even the waiters seemed to
catch the spirit of abandon. When the Hungarian band had played their
most seductive waltzes, the leader came forward to the middle of the
room and announced a new piece of his own composition, called "The
Singing Fountains." This met with instant applause and laughter.

As the night wore on the noise became positively deafening. A young Jew
named Weil invented a new game. He seized two plates and began scraping
them together. Many of the diners followed his example.

"Look here," exclaimed Conchita Conchas, leaning familiarly upon
Fandor's shoulder, "why don't you give us tickets for to-morrow to hear
these famous Fountains?"

Fandor started to explain that the young woman would be in bed and sound
asleep when that event took place, but the Spanish girl, without waiting
for the answer, had strolled away.

The journalist rose with the intention of making his escape, when a
voice directly behind him made him pause.

"Excuse me, but you seem to know all about these 'Singing Fountains.'
Will you kindly explain to me what they are? I am a stranger in the
city."

Fandor turned and saw a man of about thirty, fair-haired, with a heavy
moustache, seated alone at a small table. The stranger was well built
and of distinguished appearance. The journalist suppressed a start of
amazement.

"Why, it's not surprising that you have not heard of them, they are
quite unimportant. On the Place de la Concorde there are two bronze
monuments representing Naiads emerging from the fountains. You probably
have seen them yourself?"

The stranger nodded, and poured out another glass of champagne.