Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-28
CHAPTER XVI.
"Have You Ever Loved 2"

Julien for the subdued yet manifest mag
nif1cence Of her dwelling. He passed
through that small postern gate beneath
the watch Of butler, who relieved him
Of his stick and gloves and handed him
over to sort Of major-domo. Afterward
he was conducted across a beautiful.
round hall, lit with quaint fragments OF
stained-glass window. through a picture
gallery which almost took Julien's breath
away. and into q small room, very dain-
tily furnished. entirely and character
istically French Of the Louis Seize period.
A round table was laid for two in front
Of an open window. which looked out
upon a lawn smooth and velvety. with
here and there little flower beds and in
the middle gray-stone fountain. Nine.
Christopher came in almost at the same
moment from the garden. She was wear
ing long lace coat over the thinnest Of
muslin skirts, and hat with some vio-
lets in it which seemed to match exactly
the color Of her eyes.
$50 You have come, my friend Of a few
hours" she said. smiling at him. 1.-THE
fear has not seized you yet? You are not
afraid that over my simple luncheon table
/ shall ask you compromising QueStionS"'
II am neither afraid of your asking
of my being tempted to reply to them"
THAT. she murmured, rs ungallant.
Meanwhile we lunch.'
Such a meal as he might have expected
from such surroundings was swiftly and
daintily served. There was cantaloupe, cut
in halves, with the faintest suspicion of
iqueur and a great globule Of ice; an
omelet, even for Paris a wonderful ONE
let; a mousse of chicken, some asparagus,
g. bowl of peaches and coffee. After the
latter had been served, madame, with a
little wave of her hand, dismissed the
servants from the room.
''Sir Julien" she said, 81 am not
pleased with you."
He sighed.
II regret your displeasure the more"
he declared. because I find myself in
debted to you, for a new gastronomic
ideal.''
she laughed. when you first arrived
here, less than twenty-four hours ago.
you thought yourself a broken-spirited
and broken-hearted man. You were very
dull Soon you will begin to realize that
life is matter of epochs. that no blow
is severe enough to kill life itself. 1t is
only the end of an epoch But am dis
pleased with you, as I said, because You
have told me nothing. This morning
have letters from London. learn that
through a single indiscretion not only
were you forced to relinquish a great po-
Htical career, but that you were forced
also to give up the lady for whom you
cared"
You have ingenious correspondents"
he remarked.
Truthful ones. are they not?'
clonarty.,' he admitted. lit was. Il
may venture to say SO. an alliance"
Nine. Christophors eyes twinkled.
Once" she declared, Il met the Duke
of Clonarty, also met the duchess, I
also saw Lady Anne. They were travel
ing in great state through Italy. 1t was
in Rome that I came across them. The
duchess was very affable to me- l think
you have rightly expressed your affair OF
the heart, my friend. 1t was to have
been an allfance!'
Julien was thoughtful. Nine. Christie
phor, in moment, continued:
You know, my friend" she said, tap
ping the ash from her cigarette into her
saucer, your misfortune came just in
time to save you from becoming what in
English you call a great, a colossal prig."
His eyebrows went up. Suddenly he
smiled.
Perhaps" he admitted. ITO be sue
cessful politician one must Of necessity
mot in the least" she reminded him,
swiftly. There is the Prince Won Falken-
berg
THE maker Of toys" he murmured.
1.-The maker, alas! of toys which the
world. were better without" she replied
But never mind that. For the sake of
your ambitions you were content, were
you not to marry young woman with
whom you had not the slightest SYM
pathy, in order that she might receive
your guests, might add the luster Of her
name to the expansion OF her husbands
genius?"
Madame he said. 1--WE live very
short time. We live only one life. Only
certain things are possible to US. The
man who tries to crowd everything into
that. life fails. He is a dilettanti. He
may find pleasure, but he reaches no end.
He strikes no long-sustained note. In the
eyes Of those who come after him, he is
failure"
This she murmured, is interesting.
Please go on
.'The man who means to succeed" he
continued. ito succeed in any one posi-
ton, must sacrifice everything else-tem-
permanent, IL necessary, chafacter-for
that one thing. When I left college the
study of politics was almost chosen for
me. 1t became a part OF my life. AS my
interest developed. it is true that my out
look upon life was narrowed. l was con-
tent to forget, perhaps, that was man.
velop into the perfect political machine.
From that point of view nobody in Eng
land would have made me a better wife
than Lady Anne Clonarty."
She nodded.
what blessing that you wrote that
letter.
II don't know he replied. ST still
think 1t was great misfortune. Frank
ly, have no idea what to make of my
life. don't know how to start again. to
deal with the pieces In any intelligent
fashion. Now that am outside the
thing, see the narrowness Of it all, see
that was giving up many things which
are interesting and beautiful, many
friendships that might have been delight
full, but, on the other hand, there was al
ways the pressing on, the big, vital side,
the great throb of life. l miss 1t. I feel
to myself like great factory sounds on
Sundays and holidays, when the engine
that drives the machinery of the place is
silent I wander among the empty, quiet
places, and I am lonely
Have you ever loved a Woman?" she
asked.
Her voice had suddenly dropped He
looked across the taole. Her lips were
slightly parted, her eyes fixed upon his.
There was something shining out Of them
which he did not wholly understand. He
only knew that the question seemed to
intense sense of pleasurable content
feeling as though he were listening to
music, stole through his senses. This
was new thing. He was bewildered.
He leaned little farther across the table,
He found himself watching the faint blue
veins of her delicate fingers. noticing the
curious perfume of roses that seemed to
come to him from the hutter of the lace
around her neck.
"You are man. Sir Julien. You must
be, thirty five-perhaps older. Yet some
how you have the look to me Of one who
has never cared at all.
1T IL true he admitted.
Life" she declared, sis strange
place. A few months ago your whole