n his lips when he saw the Duchess seated in a chair,
and turned half round to look at him.

CHAPTER XXXII -- THE INDISCRETION OF THE DUCHESS

There was no drawing back; the circumstances positively forbade it, even
if a certain smile following fast upon the momentary embarrassment of
the Duchess had not prompted him to put himself at her mercy.

"A thousand pardons, Madame la Duchesse," he said, standing in the
doorway. "_Je vous derange_."

She rose from her chair composedly, a figure of matured grace and
practised courtliness, and above all with an air of what he flattered
himself was friendliness. She directed him to a seat.

"The pleasure is unexpected, monsieur," she said; "but it is a moment
for quick decision, I suppose. What is the cue? To be desperate?" here
she laughed softly, "or to take a chair? Monsieur has called to see
his Grace. I regret exceedingly that a pressing business has called my
husband to the town, and he is unlikely to be back for another hour at
least. If monsieur--assuming desperation is not the cue--will please to
be seated--"

Count Victor was puzzled for a second or two, but came farther into the
room, and, seeing the lady resume her seat, he availed himself of her
invitation and took the chair she offered.

"Madame la Duchesse," he went on to say with some evidence of confusion
that prejudiced her the more in his favour, "I am, as you see, in the
drollest circumstances, and--pardon the _betise_--time is at the moment
the most valuable of my assets."

"Oh!" she cried with a low laugh that gave evidence of the sunniest
disposition in the world--"Oh! that is not a pretty speech, monsieur!
But there! you cannot, of course, know my powers of entertainment.
Positively there need be no hurry. On my honour, as the true friend of
a gentleman who looked very like monsieur, and was, by the way, a
compatriot, I repeat there is no occasion for haste. I presume monsieur
found no servants--those stupid servants!--to let him into the house,
and wisely found an entrance for himself? How droll! It is our way in
these barbaric places; people just come and go as they please; we waive
ceremony. By the way, monsieur has not done me the honour to confide to
me his name."

"Upon my word, Madame la Duchesse, I--I forget it myself at the moment,"
said Count Victor, divining her strategy, but too much embarrassed to
play up to her lead. "Perhaps madame may remember."

She drew down her brows in