turn introduced "Mr. Richard Carleton, the well-known airman,"
to them both. Madeleine could speak a little English, but with
difficulty, and preferred French. Still, it would have been unwise to
tell secrets in English when she was near.

Seeing that she had no intention of passing on the introduction,
Clotilde et Cie. retired gracefully, each of the four a thousand francs
richer and a thousand times happier than she had been five minutes
before.

"What about supper?" said Hannaford. "Gambling always makes me hungry.
I'm in luck to-night. Won't you three be my guests at Ciro's?"

"You are always in luck nowadays," sighed Madame d'Ambre. A shadow
seemed to pass over the stolid face of the man, but she did not see it.
"Naturally we accept the kind invitation, is it not so, dear
Mademoiselle?"

"I must be at Ciro's anyhow, about midnight," said Carleton, "for
Schuyler asked me to meet him there for a Welsh rabbit after the opera.
But I'll be delighted to go over and sit with you till he comes." He had
the pleasant drawl of a Southerner.

"Oh, you're very, very kind," stammered Mary. "But I"--she hesitated,
and glanced appealingly at Madame d'Ambre--"I think it's rather late,
and I shall have to go home."

"Home?" echoed Hannaford, questioningly.

"My hotel," she explained.

As Madame d'Ambre drew her friend aside for a murmur of advice, the two
men looked at each other, Carleton puzzled, Hannaford with raised
eyebrows. "I think they're both charming," the American remarked in a
low voice. "That little Madame d'Ambre isn't nearly as pretty as Miss
Grant, but she's fetching, and looks a bit down on her luck, as if she'd
had trouble."

"Perhaps she has," said Hannaford.

"But, dear Mademoiselle," Madeleine was pleading at a little distance,
"why won't you go to supper? Do! It would be so pleasant. I have so
little happiness; and this would at least give me an hour of
distraction."

"You can go without me," said Mary. "Captain Hannaford is your friend,
isn't he?"

"Ah, I see! The sight of the poor afflicted man disgusts you. If you
refuse, he will know why. It will be ungracious--cruel."

"Don't say that," Mary implored, much distressed. "I wouldn't hurt his
feelings for the world. It's true I _can't_ bear to look at him, though
he hasn't a bad face. But it isn't only that. I could try to get over
it. The other reason is, I never met him or Mr. Carleton before,
and--and I don't know anything about society, o