Evening star., 1924-05-26

the irony of this to the full. She had
wrought for this girl s undoing, and,
instead, she had handed her success
beyond her widest dreams. Where
she had planned for the chorus and
shame, she had endowed Elise with
wealth and fame. What mattered it
now if Brunei marked his will? What
mattered it how Elise lived? For the
amours of star were, as Lolette
knew from experience, like the
amours of a great king in the days
when kings were really kings-above
all criticism.
Her maid came in. Monsieur le
Comte de Mordac had called and won
dered if madame would receive him.
Lolette ordered him to be shown up,
and he came into the room. dressed
with a scrupulous care which defeat
ed its object, very smooth and suave,
with a little sly smile lurking about
his lips.
He kissed the hand Lolette held out
to him, and seated himself ON a chair
by the bedside.
"Well-cherie,' glancing round
you have been studying the news,
perceive"
Lolette nodded Her wildly beautf
full face was beautiful no longer, but
appeared to Mordac like a white, con-
torted mask expressing a namelesS
evil which almost frightened him, de-
spite his poise.
Curse them,' she said. Brunei!
All. Cochons,'
Mordac shrugged his shoulders.
You are unreasonablly annoyed. One
must not grumble when ones schemes
go slightly awry."
'Schemes"' She fared at him. "Are
you laughing at me? BY the good
-" Her hand shot out toward the
coffee pot.
Mordac put his forearm before his
face. "Cherie! Cherie. 1 have not
created La Phalene. l have but come
to condole, and to talk to the woman
who is still the most beautiful in all
Paris. 1t is not seemly to throw cof-
fee pots at ones friends.
Lolette sank back against the pill
low. Il shall finish with that Bru-
appear no more at the Internationale.
l shall finish. He has betrayed me
utterly"
That is foolish. cherie Why cease
to take Bruners money? Why cut off
that adorable nose to spite the face
of the little dresser?"
Dresser" The word rearoused Lo-
lette. 'Dieu de Dieu! To think, To
contemplate it," She evinced signs of
returning uncontrolled rage THAT
slut whom l lifted from the cutters,
who, but for me, would have been on
the outer boulevards, should presume
-dare-!" She choked with anger,
glaring, and Mordac prepared to
dodge the coffee pot, or, at least, to
see 1t flung at the great oval mirror
above the dressing table.
She cooled. She is no good" she
said. she is no good. l know Bru-
mel. and l know all those pigs who
write in the newspapers. 1t is Just
publicity, boom. Brunei wants his
money back. He thinks to get it, He
is building on sand. She is no good
1t is impossible that she can be all
they saw, ImDOSSible"
Mordac listened in silence. This, he
reflected, was the sincerest form of
fattery. That Lolette should attempt
TO beiittle Elise's performance, that
who made her, showed fear, and fear
like this was praise indeed. Even the
newspapers had failed to pay such a
tribute to Lo Phalene as Lolette was.
at that moment, paying.
DO you think she is any good?"
Lolette flung the question at Mordac
after an interval of silence, and, for
once, he was unprepared.
Il have not seen her" he said, not
realizing that he should have given
a direct negative
;. The yellow eyes dulled, with their
heavy lids drooned over them so that
they showed to him like narrowed
pools of suspicious light.
80! Listen. mon ami. In the past.
when that-that-when she was my
her. l forgive them. l ignored them
because 1 thought you would not
stoop SO low. But now-she is La
Phalene. You understand? 1t is diff
ferent"
She paused, changed wonderfully,
her vicious face transfigured by
something beautiful which fowered
somewhere in her dark soul.
You know, cherie, l love you. That
there are many men about me but
of them all you are my man, the one
man / would follow, always. So-the
little dresser is dead. You need never
know La Phalene."
"Of course not" said Mordac, and
tried to speak with a great sincerity.
But in the ears of this strange
woman who loved him his words rang
false, so false that they struck her as
a lance-point might have struck her.
The beauty died from her face so