The Washington herald., 1912-11-17
with Behrens.

Behrens, great man that he was, had
risen to the occasion. He had spent
hundred thousand francs on the dec
Grafton and enlargement of his prem~
/ iseS, tall footmen served chocolate to
| those requiring il, his female assistants
were plain of feature and modest, az
though to say, NO Du Barry shall
ever sprout from here" In short, in
an age when modisfe was the synonym
of hotbed of vice, Behrens made his
establishment all propriety, and it paid.
His customers, in fact, were the only
blot on the fair name of his shop. and
this was not his fault, for they were the
best he could find
On the morning after De Sartincs' in
terview with Lavenne, Madame de joy
+, euse, a woman of fifty. the ghost of
beauty, dressed IN black, as II IN
mourning for her lost self. was seated
in the silk room of Monsieur Behrens,
examining bfocades. This LADY, who
had gained great name for piety and
religious obseTvznces, was the wife OF
that young gentleman whom we have
already seen accosting Monsieur de
Sartines at Versailles She vas seated
in a stiff high-bscked armchair. her
motionless, dressed in a crimson Nv
! carved from ebony, stood Zapolite, her
black page-boy
Though Labillc had been excommun-
icated by the ladies' of Paris, his form
er shop-girl. strange to say. set the
fashions; women sneered at yet copied
her, and the sight of Zamore behind
kar -. T.,
negroes. Their scarcTJy helped the
craze
The history of Zspolite was lees the
history of human being than that of
toby jug or rare piece OF china, be-
longing to this person and that in turn
II was said that Madame de Joyeusc
had won him at cards.
Behrens' chief assistant was on his
knees before madame, holding the bro
cade this way and that for the light to
strike it, when from the doorway lead
ing into the hat department. Monsieur
Behrens himself appeared. followed by
lady.
1t was Madame de Stenlis. woman
Of thirty, yet looking scarcely twenty
/ five, eXquisitely dressed in robe OF
striped white and Lavender material,
wearing a large picture-hat adorned
with plumes of ostrich feathers. and
bearing in her hand. as was then the
fashion. a tall waiking-cane adorned
with bow of ribbon.
The two ladies bowed one to the
other and exchanged greetings. while
Behrens went to fetch the silk that
Madame de StenliS wished TO see
And how is dear Monsieur de JOY
euse?' asked the younger woman. TAX
! ing her scat on fauteui1 almost fac
| ing the other and with command of
two mirrors.
Monsieur de Joyeusc is very well"
replied madame. with an edge on her
voice, for her female friends. with that
kindness of heart so distinctive OF the
sex. were never fOrgetful OF this i'll
quiry. which was often the opening
gambit of a duel of tongues.
And as youthful as ever?'
AS youthful as ever, Madame. and
happy in his youth. All. Madame, what
a great thing is youth! One can say
for it this. at least, it has no past"
Now, Madame de Stenlis possessed
past both political. social. and moral.
of which more was guessed than
known
That is So replied she. Yet have
you not often felt. Madame what a
dismal thing is age in that It has no
future! Before heaven, | think that
the union of youth and age is the Wis
est, for IS it not the union of a past
and a future? One gives the other
what the other has not got"
Madame de Stenlis conversational
| PHILOSOPHERS held more in them often
than the wit of the listener could Crap
pie with OH the instant. for she was
rapid speaker and she gave no points,
as a rule. that one could catch hold
of; Madame de Joyeuse, feeling the
r1dicule OF the others remark, and un-
| able to attack it because of its cloud
like nature, blinked her eyes.
She was on the point of replying az
last when a voice. bell-like, golden
woman's voice that. once heard. be-
came treasure of the memory-came
from the adjoining room.
Thank you, but | wish to see Mon
sieur Behrens himself. He is III the
silk room? A thousand thanks"
The Austrian" said Madame de
Stenlis and Madame dc Joyeuse as
though they had been automatonS
tongue-tipped with the same word
One could see that in flash the pair
had forgotten their mutual differences
in the recognition of the presence OF
common enemy, and scarcely had
they spoken when she appeared. pre-
ceded by an assistant who announced in
loud voice, so as to draw the atten-
ton of Behrens, Madame la Baronne
Linden"
Sophie Linden-Sophie AnaStaSe
Therese. Baronne Linden. to give her
her full name-formed in the doorway
of the silk room of Monsieur BehrenS
a picture not unworthy of the brush of
Fragonard; one might almost say she
had his touch; light, flowing, graceful,
she seemed to have stepped from the
mist and muslin and trees and par
terres of Fragonard-land, to have
dropped from one of those swings that
sweep the drapery of May through
April-colored air. 10 have risen from
one of those tombs where Grace in
distraction has cast herself beneath the
autumn trees to mourn for a lover
Her face beneath the broad mauve
hat with its plume of feathers was dis
tracing. perpleXing, less beautiful than
piquant, capable of somber moods and
charming smiles; wit lay on her lips
and thought had nodded her brow. eX-
traordinary mobility of expression.
adapted her countenance to the lightest
word upon her lips. deadly property
or a delightful, according as to wheth-