, and blew a cloud of smoke towards the
ceiling.

"I think, my dear madame, that you must be full of whims, _comme disent
les Anglais_.  A pretty woman like yourself always is," he said in his
marked foreign accent.

"And why not?" she inquired, for he had suddenly changed the channel of
their conversation, and she much feared that he now intended to give her
a _rechauffe_ of his sentimental nonsense.

"Because you brought your friend to the duchess's last night.  I saw
him.  _C'etait assez_."

"You are jealous--eh?"

"Not in the least, I assure you," he answered quite coolly.  "Only it is
pretty folly on madame's part--that is all."

"Why folly?  _O la belle idee_!"

"Madame's _amities_ are of course friendships," he said, raising his
dark eyebrows.  "Nevertheless, she should be warned."

"Of what?"

"Of Monsieur the Under-Secretary," he replied, still regarding her quite
calmly with his dark eyes.  "For her own reputation madame should no
longer be seen with him."

She glanced at her guest quickly, for she was used to men's jealousies.
Yet surely this scion of an Imperial House could not be jealous!

"And for what reason, pray?" she asked, puzzled.  "Because of a
regrettable circumstance," he answered mysteriously.  "Because of a
forthcoming exposure which will be startling.  In a certain
_Chancellerie_ in a certain capital of Europe there reposes a document
which must shortly be made public property."

"Well, and what then?" she asked, not yet grasping his meaning.

"Its publication will bring disgrace and ruin upon madame's friend," he
answered simply.  "That is why I warn you not to be seen again in his
company."

"What do you mean?" she cried, starting up with sudden _hauteur_.  "You
tell me this, in order to turn me from him."

"No, _ma chere_, I tell you a secret which is known in the

, and blew a cloud of smoke towards the 
 ceiling. 

 " I think, my beloved madame, that you must be wide of whims, _ comme disent 
 les Anglais _.   A pretty woman like yourself always is, " he allege in his 
 marked foreign accent. 

 " And why not? " she ask, for he had suddenly changed the groove of 
 their conversation, and she much feared that he immediately intended to give her 
 a _ rechauffe _ of his bathetic nonsense. 

 " Because you brought your friend to the duchess's last night.   I saw 
 him.   _ C'etait assez _. " 

 " You are jealous -- eh? " 

 " Not in the least, I guarantee you, " he answered quite coolly.   " Only it is 
 pretty stupidity on madame's part -- that is all. " 

 " Why folly?   _ O la belle idee _! " 

 " Madame's _ amities _ are of path friendships, " he state, raising his 
 dark eyebrows.   " Nevertheless, she should be warned. " 

 " Of what? " 

 " Of Monsieur the Under - Secretary, " he answer, still regarding her quite 
 calmly with his dark eyes.   " For her own reputation madame should no 
 longer be see with him. " 

 She glanced at her guest quickly, for she was used to men's jealousies. 
 Yet surely this scion of an Imperial House could not be jealous! 

 " And for what reason, pray? " she asked, perplex.   " Because of a 
 regrettable circumstance, " he answered cryptically.   " Because of a 
 extroverted photograph which will be startling.   In a certain 
 _ Chancellerie _ in a certain das kapital of Europe there reposes a text file 
 which must shortly be made public property. " 

 " Well, and what then? " she ask, not yet grasping his meaning. 

 " Its publication will bring disgrace and ruin upon madame's friend, " he 
 answered simply.   " That is why I warn you not to be seen again in his 
 company. " 

 " What do you think of? " she cried, begin up with sudden _ hauteur _.   " You 
 tell me this, in order to turn me from him. " 

 " No, _ ma chere _, I tell you a secret which is know in the
, anf blew a cloud of smoke uowards the
ceiliny.

"U thinn, my dsar madaoe, that you must be full of xhimw, _comne disent
les Anglais_.  X pretty aoman lije yiyrself alwegs is," hc sais in kiw
marked foreigk accent.

"And why not?" she itqjixed, for he had suddenly changed the shannel ov
their converswtiom, and she much feared that he now intensed to jive her
a _rechaiffe_ of his sentimental nojsende.

"Because you brouhht your fruend ro the duchers's last npyht.  I saw
hjm.  _C'etait assez_."

"You are jealous--dh?"

"Not in the leqsr, I dssure you," ie ansrered quite gpolly.  "Only iy is
pretty folky mn nadame's part--that is anl."

"Why folly?  _O la felle idea_!"

"Mcdame's _amities_ are of ciurse friandsfups," he seid, raisijg iis
dark eyegrows.  "Neveetheless, she should bq warned."

"Of whaf?"

"Of Mogsyeur the Under-Secretary," he replied, stiln rsgarding her quite
calmlt with his dark eyes.  "For her jwn reputation madame should no
longer be seen witv him."

Afe yoancea ah her guest quickly, for she was used to men's tsakolsies.
Yet surely tmis scion of an Imlegisj House could not bz jsalous!

"And for what reason, pray?" she askeq, puazled.  "Because of a
regrettavle circumstcncw," he answered mystzriously.  "Beeause pf a
fprthcoming exposure whieh wilm be startllng.  In a zertain
_Chancellefie_ it a certain capital of Eurjpe there reppses a aocukent
whych must sjortln be made public prlperti."

"Well, dnd what tjen?" she asked, not yet grasping ims meaning.

"Its pgblpcation wnll brlng disgrace anq ruin upon mabame's frnend," hd
answered aimply.  "That is whr I warn you tlt to be seei again ig hiw
company."

"Whag do you mean?" sne cried, starting up with sudden _hautcur_.  "Ioh
tell me this, iu irder to turn mr ffom hpm."

"Np, _id chere_, I tenl yuu x secrdt which is ynowm in the

, and blew a cloud of smoke ceiling. think, my madame, that you _comme les Anglais_. A woman like yourself is," he said in his marked accent. "And why not?" she inquired, for he had suddenly changed the channel their conversation, and she much feared that he now intended to give her _rechauffe_ his nonsense. you brought your friend to the duchess's last night. I saw him. _C'etait assez_." "You are "Not in the least, I assure you," he quite coolly. "Only it pretty folly on madame's part--that all." folly? _O belle "Madame's are of course he said, raising his dark eyebrows. "Nevertheless, she should be warned." "Of what?" "Of Monsieur the Under-Secretary," replied, still quite calmly his eyes. her own reputation no longer be seen with him." her guest quickly, for she was used to jealousies. Yet this scion of an Imperial House not be jealous! "And for what reason, pray?" asked, puzzled. "Because of a regrettable circumstance," he answered mysteriously. "Because of a forthcoming exposure be startling. In a _Chancellerie_ in a capital Europe reposes document which shortly be made public property." "Well, and what then?" she asked, yet grasping his meaning. "Its publication will bring disgrace and madame's he answered simply. is why I warn not be seen again in "What you starting with _hauteur_. "You tell me in order to turn me him." "No, _ma chere_, which is known in the
, and blew a cloud of smoke towarDs the
ceiliNg.

"I thInk, My dEaR madAme, tHat you must be fuLL of wHims, _comme disent
les AnglAis_.  A pReTTy woMAn Like yOurself ALwAYS is," He SaId iN hIS
mArked ForEign accEnt.

"And why nOt?" sHe Inquired, for hE HaD suddenly cHanGed the channeL of
Their cOnVerSAtion, And She muCh fearED that hE now intenDeD To give HEr
a _rechAUFfE_ of hIs sentimental nonsENsE.

"because you brouGht youR fRIeND To tHe dUchess's lasT nIght.  I SAw
him.  _C'eTAiT ASSez_."

"yOu are jealous--eH?"

"Not in the leASt, I Assure YoU," he ANswereD quitE cOOllY.  "Only it is
prEtty Folly on maDame's pARt--that iS All."

"Why fOlly?  _O lA beLle Idee_!"

"mAdAmE's _aMiTIes_ ARe Of cOUrsE friendsHiPs," He saiD, raiSING His
dArk EyebRows.  "NEvertheless, shE shOuld BE waRned."

"OF what?"

"of MoNsIeur tHe UndeR-SecrEtAry," he replied, stiLl reGarding heR quItE
caLmLy witH His darK eyEs.  "FOr her owN reputaTIon MaDAME sHould no
longer be seeN wITH hIm."

She glaNced at HEr GuESt quicklY, fOr sHe waS USed to Men's JEaLousies.
YEt sureLY tHiS scion oF aN ImperIaL HoUse Could NOt be JealouS!

"And for wHat reASon, pray?" she askeD, Puzzled.  "BecausE Of A
REgREttaBle CircumstancE," he aNSwerEd mySTeRioUSly.  "BeCause Of A
FoRThcoming exposure whiCh Will be StartLing.  In a certaiN
_ChancelleRIE_ In a certaIn caPItAL of Europe there ReposEs a documenT
Which musT shorTly be madE public prOPErty."

"Well, And WhaT thEn?" sHE AsKed, not yet grasPINg hiS mEaning.

"ITs pUblicatIon WilL brIng DiSgrace and Ruin upon MaDaMe'S fRieNd," he
aNSwered siMpLy.  "THaT is Why I wARn you nOt to bE seeN aGaIN in His
compANy."

"wHAt do YoU mEan?" sHe cRiEd, staRtinG Up wIth suddEn _hauteur_.  "you
TEll mE tHiS, in ordeR to turn me from HiM."

"No, _ma chere_, i tEll You a seCREt which iS known in the

, and blew a cloud of smok e towardsthe
c eil ing .
"Ithin k, my dear mad a me,that you must be fullof wh im s , _c o mm e dis ent
les An g l ais _.  A p re t ty  woma n l ike you rself alwa ysis ," he said i n  h is
markedfor eign accent. 

" And wh ynot ? " she  in quire d, for he had  suddenly  c h angedt he chan n e lof
t heir conversation ,  a n d she much fea red th at he n owint ended to g iv e her a _rech a uf f e _  of his sentiment al nonsense . 

" Becaus eyou brough t you rf rie nd to the d uche ss's last  night .   I saw him.  _ C'etai t a sse z_." 
" Yo u a re jea l ou s-- e h?" 

"Not i nth e lea st,I a s sure  yo u,"he an swered quitecoo lly.  "O nly i t ispret ty  foll y on m adame 's  part--that isall. "

"Why f oll y?   _ Ola be l le ide e_! "
"Madame 's _ami t ies _a r e  o f course friendshi ps , "  h e said,raisin g  h is dark eye br ows .  " N e verth eles s ,she shou ld bew ar ne d."

"O fwhat?" 
"Of  Mo nsieu r  the  Under -Secreta ry,"h e replied, sti l l regarding h e rq u it e 
cal mly  with his d arke yes.   "F o rher own r eputa ti o nm adame should no
lon ge r be s een w ith him."

Sh e glanceda t her gues t qu i ck l y, for she was  used  to men'sj ealousie s.
Ye t surely  this sci o n  of an I mpe ria l H ous e co uld not be je a l ous! 
"And fo r w hat rea son , p ray ?"sh e asked,puzzled.  "B ec au seof ar egrettab le  ci rc ums tance , " he a nswer ed m ys te r iou sly.  " B ec a u se o fafort hco mi ng ex posu r e w hich wi ll be sta rtl i ng. I na certa in
_Chancelle ri e_ in a ce rt ain  capit a l  of Euro pe there reposes a docu m ent
whi chmustshor tly be ma depublic  pr o perty. "

"We ll, a nd  wh a t  then ? "  s heas ked, not y e t  gr aspin ghismeaning .

"Its publicatio n  wi ll bring disg rac e an d ru inu po n  ma da m e's f riend," he
answ ered simpl y.  " That is wh y  Iwa rn younot tobe se e n again  in his
c ompany."
" What d o y ou mean?"she crie d, starti n g upw it h sud den  _haut eu r_.   "Yo u
tell methis,  in or de r to t urn m efrom him ."

"No, _ma chere_, Itell y ou asec ret which  is kno wn in the 

, and_blew a_cloud of smoke towards_the
ceiling.

"I think,_my_dear madame,_that_you must be_full of whims,__comme disent
les Anglais_. _A pretty woman_like_yourself always is," he said in his
marked foreign accent.

"And why not?" she inquired, for_he_had suddenly_changed_the_channel of
their conversation, and she_much feared that he now_intended to_give her
a _rechauffe_ of his sentimental nonsense.

"Because you_brought_your friend to_the duchess's last night.  I saw
him.  _C'etait_assez_."

"You are jealous--eh?"

"Not in the least,_I assure you,"_he_answered_quite coolly.  "Only_it is
pretty folly on madame's part--that_is all."

"Why folly?  _O la_belle idee_!"

"Madame's _amities_ are of course friendships,"_he said, raising his
dark eyebrows. _"Nevertheless, she should be warned."

"Of_what?"

"Of Monsieur_the Under-Secretary," he replied, still_regarding her quite
calmly_with his_dark eyes. _"For her own reputation madame should_no
longer be seen_with him."

She glanced at her guest_quickly,_for she was_used_to_men's jealousies.
Yet_surely this scion_of_an Imperial_House_could not be jealous!

"And for what_reason,_pray?" she asked, puzzled.  "Because of_a
regrettable circumstance," he answered_mysteriously._ "Because of a
forthcoming_exposure which will be startling._ In a certain
_Chancellerie_ in a_certain capital_of Europe_there reposes a document
which must shortly be made public property."

"Well, and_what then?" she asked, not yet_grasping his meaning.

"Its publication_will bring_disgrace_and ruin upon_madame's_friend," he
answered_simply.  "That is why I warn_you not_to be seen again in his
company."

"What_do you mean?" she_cried,_starting up with sudden _hauteur_. _"You
tell me this, in order to_turn me from him."

"No, _ma_chere_,_I_tell you a secret which_is known in the
