Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-05-12
BOOK II.
CHAPTER VII-Continued.

"You are little hard, dear Julien" the
duchess murmured. but let it be so.
Only remember that the poor, dear child
may be feeling very sensitive-she must
know that she has placed herself SO COM
pletely in your power. Be nice to her,
Julien
The duchess offered him tentative but
somewhat artificial embrace. which Julien
with great skill evaded.
I'VE shall see." he remarked, what
happens 1 shall find you here, l sup
poser?
The duchess nodded
Il have travelled all night" she said,
half closing her eyes. Directly l saw
that it was my duty, l came here with
out waiting a single second. i shall lie
down and rest and hope, Julien, until
see you both. l shall hope and pray
that you will bring Anne here to lunch
con with me and that we shall have
little family gathering
Anne was seated before the wide-open
window in the little back room leading
from Mile. Rignaut's workshop. sew
ing machine was on the table in the mid
die of the apartment, the floor was strewn
with fragments Of material. Anne, in
perfectly plain black gown, similar to
those worn by the other young ladies of
the establishment, was making bows. She
looked at Julien as he entered in blank
amazement. Then a shadow of annoy
ance crossed her face
my dear Julien" she exclaimed. fancy
letting you climb these four flights of
stairs. Besides. these are my work hours.
I am not receiving visitors
Rubbish Julien interposed. There's
surely no need for you to pose as a seam
streSs?"
She laughed.
Don't be foolish. Why not a seam
stress? 1 am absolutely determined to do
work of some sort. l am tired of living
on other people and other peoples efforts.
Until 1 hear from Nine. Christopher or
find another post, l am doing what | am
fit for here. Don't make me any more
| annoyed than / am at present. l am
cross enough with Janette because she
will make me sit In here instead of with
the other girls
He came across the room and stood by
her side before the window. The slight
haze Of the midsummer morning rested
over the city with its tangled mass of
roofs and chimneyS. it's tall white build
ings with funny little verandas, the sweep
of boulevards and statelier buildings in
the distance. She looked up and followed
his eyes.
Don't you like my view?'' she asked.
"One misses the roar of London. Do you
notice how much shriller and less per-
sistent all the noises are? Yet it has its
own inspiration. hasn't it"
without a doubt Julien answered.
"Of course, you can guess what | came
for?'
eff 1t were to ask me to lunch,'' she
said. eomposedy threading her needle, II
am sorry but | can't come. ! have to
make twenty-five of these bows and am
rather slow at it.
Luncheon might have followed as an
after-thought,' he replied. My real mis-
sion was to suggest that You should
marry me-
Lady Anne's fingers paused for mo-
ment in the air. She sat quite still. Her
eyes were half closed. There was Curl
Gus little culver at her heart, a little
throb in her ears. On the whole. how
ever, she kept her self-control marvel
ously
Whatever put that into your head?"
she inquired, going on with her work.
He hesitated. II was In his mind to tell
her of that evening at Clonarty, to speak
of it, to recall that one wave of emotion
on which. indeed, they might have f1oated
into completer understanding. He
looked at her steadfastly. She was very
graceful, very good to look upon. She
sat upright in her poor cane chair bend
ing over her foolish. little task. But he
missed any inspiration which might have
guided his tongue. she looked so thor
oughly Self possessed, so splenddly SUI
perior to circumstances.
Isn't it natural?'' he asked. You and
were always good friends We have
little lonely 1 have never known any one
else in the world, Anne" he continued,
with whom / have been able to think of
marriage with more-more content. One
might live quite pleasant life here. We
should not be paupers. At any rate.
there would be no reason for you to sit in
this stuffy room making bows, or to go
and write Nine. Christopher letters.
rs that alp
Again he was tempted For a single
| moment she had raised her eyes, and he
had fancied that in that swift, upward
glance he had seen the light of an almost
eager questioning, an almost pathetic
search. He bent toward her, but she re-
fused obstinately to look at him again.
Dear Anne" he said. Il have always
been fond of you.
Again her fingers were idle. An idea
seemed to have occurred to her. She
asked him question.
How long is 1t since you have seen my
mother?"
He did not at once reply. She raised
| her head and looked at him. Then she
knew the truth. She set her teeth and
| fought. A little sob was strangled in her
| throat
Il left your mother few minutes ago."
| he told her. She arrived in Paris this
| morning and sent for me-"
Lady Anne worked for time in silence.
| Then she laid the bow which she had
| finished upon the table and leaned back
| in her chair. clasping her right knee with
| her hands.
You really are the queerest person. Ju-
| a success as diplomatist l can't imag-
| inc. You came in with the air of one
charged with a high and holy mission.
1t was so obvious and yet for a moment
| 1t puzzled me. How 1 would love to have
| been with you this morning-with you and
| my mother l mean-somewnere behind a
| curtain! Never mind, you've done the
| really right and honorable thing - you
have given me my chance. / am very
| grateful, Julien"
| She looked frankly enough into his face
now and laughed. Julien remained silent
| Cant you see, both of you," Anne
went on, you silly people, that some
| thing quite alien to us and our set has
found its way into my life-a sort of mid
dle-class complaint-heaven knows what
| you would call it!-but 1t came just in
| time to place me in a most awkward posi-
| ton. still haven't any doubt that mar
| rage is a very respectable and desirable
| institution, but to me the idea of it as
matter of convenience has suddenly be-
come-well. little worse than the thing
which we all shudder at SO righteously
when we pass along the streets of Paris
| OF course, I know she added, that's
a shocking point Of view My mother
| would hold, and you, too. that a legalized
sale is no sale at all, that matrimony is
perfectly haIlowed institution. a per-
fectly moral state, and all the rest Of it.
You see / very nearly admitted 1t my
self very nearly sold myself
| She shuddered. Then she rose to her
| feet, straight and splendid, with all the
grace of her beautiful, young woman
| hood
MEN don't think just as we do about
this" she continued. You are all much
too oriental. But a woman has at least
| a right to keep what she doesn't choose
to sell, even If in the end she chooses to