The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1905-02-17
CHAPTER v.

kA 49, OShAl1u ia III AK III
drawing room in Brook street
was the Baron Claude de
Chauxville, baron Of Chauxville and
Chauxville lie Due. in the province Of
Seine-et-Marne, France, attache to the
French embassy to the court Of st.
James; before men a rising diplomat
1st, before God a scoundrel. This gen.
tleman remained when the other visit
ors had left, and Miss Maggie Della
field, seeing his intention Of prolonging
a visit Of which she had already had
sufficient, made an inadequate excuse
and left the room.
Miss Delafield, being a healthy mind
ed young English person of that sim
plicity which is no simplicity at all,
but merely simple heartedness, had her
w IDEAS Of what a man should be,
and NJ. de Chauxville had the misfor-
tune to fall short Of those ideas. He
was too epigrammatic for her, and be-
meath the %brilliancy Of his epigram she
felt ut times the presence of something
dark and nanseous. Her mental atti-
tude toward him was contemptuOus
and perfectly polite. With the reputa-
ton Of possessing a dangerous fascina-
tion-one of those regulations which
can only emanate from the man him.
self-M. de Chauxville neither fasci-
mated nor intimidated Miss Delafield.
He therefore disliked her intensely.
His vanity was colossal. and when a
Frenchman is vain he is childishly 80.
NJ. de Chauxville watched the door
close behind Miss Delafield with a
queer smile. Then he turned sudden
ly on his heels and faced Mrs. Sydney
scarborough.
"Your cousin" he said. "is a typical
English woman-she only conceals her
love-"
"For you?' inquired Mrs. Sydney
scarborough.
The baron shrugged his shoulders.
POSSIBLY. One can never tell. She
conceals it very well if it exists. How
ever, l am Indifferent. The virtue Of
the violet is its own reward perhaps,
for the rose always wins
Eta smiled, almost relenting. She
was never quite safe against her own
vanity. Happy the woman who is, and
rare.
II suspect that the violet is innocent
Of any desire to enter into competi-
tion," said Eta.
"Knowing," suggested De Chaux-
Vile, "that, although the race is not
always to the swift, it is usually SO.
Please do not stand. 1t suggests that
you are waiting for me to go or for
some one else to come"
Neither"
'sThen prove it by taking this chair.
Thus, near the fire, for it is quite an
English spring. A footstool. Is 1t
permitted to admire your slippers
what there is Of them? Now you look
comfortable"
He attended to her wants, OWNED
them and perhaps created them, with
a perfect grace and much too intimate
a knowledge. AS q carpet knight he
was faultless. And Eta thought of
Paul, who could do none of these
things or would do none of them-Paul.
who never made her feel like a doll.
"Will you not sit DOWN." she said,
indicating a chair, which he did not
take. He selected one nearer to her.
II can think of nothing more desira.
BILE"
Than what?" she asked. Her yam
ity was like a hungry fish. 1t rose to
everything"
"a chair in this room"
"a modest DESIRE" she said. "Is
that really all you want In this world?'
"No," he answered, looking at her.
She gave a little laugh and moved
rather hurriedly.
81 was going to suggest that you
could have both at certain fixed peri
ods-whenever-I am out"
II am glad you did not suggest it"
"WhyY" she asked sharply.
Because l should have had to go
into explanations. / did not say all"
Mrs. scarborough was looking into
the fire, only half listening to him.
There was something in the nature of
a duel between these two. Each
thought more OF the next stroke than
Of the present parry.
"Do you cver say all, NJ. de Chaux-
ville?" she asked.
The baron laughed. Perhaps he was
vain Of the reputation that was his.
for this man was held to be a finished
diplomatist. A finished diplomatist,
be it known, is n who is a danger
Gus foe and an unreliable friend.
perhaps, now that / reflect upon
It." continued the clever woman, dis
nklng the clever mans silence, the
person who said all would be intoler-
able"
'.There are some things which go
without It" said De Chauxville.
He was cautious, for he was fighting
on a field which women may rightly
claim for their own. He really loved
Eta. He was trying to gauge the
meaning Of a little change in her tone
toward him-a change so subtle that
few men could have detected It. But
Claude de. Chauxvill.e, ACCOMPLISHED