Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-11-30

blood in him. His wife was a New Orleans
creole, who spoke niger French patois as
native tongue, and emphatically asserted
herself to be an English woman. So what
ccuntrywoman by blood Mariquita really
was, 1t Is hard to say. She spoke English,
French, Catalan Spanish and mongrel Por-
tuguese with equal fiuency and inaccuracy
and when / asked her once in Paris what
her nationality was she said she mostly put
herself down as French. But then she
added that she wouldn't insist on that, be-
cause it didn't really matter. So long as
she was alive and enjoying herhelf, people
might say she was Yaqui Indian for any
thing she cared.
She was a most extraordinary woman.
Her father died when she was fifteen, and
year afterward she came to Europe, and
lived entirely her own particular hook
She apparently hadn't relative or guar
dap. or any governing connection in the
world. She signed her own checks, had an
unlimited balance to draw upon, and acted
IN all ways exactly as seemed to her best.
She was rather petite in figure, gforiousiy
handsome, and would suffer advice to be
thrust upon her by no one. And yet she
held her own perfectly. and laughed glee-
fully at the many attempts that were made
to take her in.
On the whole she wasn't badly educated
for although I don't think she ever trou-
bled herself to grind at any book-learning.
she was very quick at picking matters up;
and one can learn good many things from
smart conversation, If only one listens we'll
and doesn't forget. She was remarkably
independent, but she knew thoroughly how
the conVentfonalities were marked out; and
when 1t suited her purpose to do so-as 1t
generally did-she kept within their bounds.
For instance, she had an old stone broke,
muddle-witted marquise of the ancient re-
gime as nominal head Of her hotel in the
Boulevarde Haussman. But If she wanted
to fling her heels, up they went, no matter
who was looking
Mariquita was by no means a difficult
person to get know In thnSa nd
l had the entree to her salon almost di-
rectly after l had taken up quarters in
Paris She danced divinely-as all women
with peninsular blood In them can do-she
was most fascinating to look at and talk
to, and expect must have shown pretty
clearly how much I was struck. for only
the third evening | came across her she
coouy told me not to propose to her.
Il know You were going to-" said she,
and suppose you'll do it still. They most
OF them do And then afterward they get
| friends. and like NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. of
both. But when I want a man for a hus-
| band I'll say So I'm not shy, mon ami. I'll
| do the asking myself"
held my tongue. though I was honestly
very much smitten with her at the time.
and would have married her out of hand If
she hadn't possessed louis.
They transferred me to st. Petersburg
and l lost sight Of her for couple Of
years, but when got back to Paris again
there she was. just the same as before,
with most Of the old courtiers around her,
and many new ones besides. She hadn't
chosen Mr.. Mariquita yet, but rumor
| pointed to the lucky man.
He was English-aggressiveiy English
long and thin, milk and watery, profoundly
| ugly. and, oldest of all, a parson To be
precise, he was curate from small south
coast village. On the principle that 1t was
| Impossible to imagine a more unlikely man
for Marfqufta to take fancy for. wasn't
| In the least surprised at her choice but
1t did startle me to find that he wasn't an
| atom epris In return. He stared about at
| the wonderful things In her hotel like a
! board-school child in the British Museum;
| he gazed on the sumptuously dressed
| crowds that thronged her salons, and he
delighted In all he saw. But by singular
! irony Mariquita didn't dazzle him in the
very least degree and as for thinking that