other one--the
gloomy beggar--smile, though I've never given him a sou. He has quite a
sense of humour, when you get to know him--and when he's realized that
he can't fool you. I often walk to the bridge and back, just for a chat
with the two beggars, instead of everlastingly promenading up and down
the Terrace, bowing to every one I know, when I want exercise. I thought
I was the only person original enough or brave enough or depraved enough
to visit the beggars socially; but the other morning I was on my way to
pay them a call, when I saw that somebody else was ahead of me. It was
quite a picture. You remember the blazing hot day we had last week?"

"Wednesday. The best we had at Nice. Not a breath of wind. The day
Rongier tried the Della Robbia parachute the second time and made his
sensational descent."

"Well, then it was Wednesday. It was like June. The beggars were having
a lovely time. They'd taken off their comfortable winter overcoats with
those wing-like, three-leaved capes which they've been wearing ever
since the beginning of December, and had gone back to summer things:
nice, shady, flapping felt hats and cool clothes; and they were having
one of their pleasant little feasts which I used quite to envy them when
we first came, while the weather was still very warm. A rough table in
the road, close to the stone wall, with thick chunks of black bread, and
cheese and salad, and chestnuts instead of the figs they had in autumn,
all spread out on a paper tablecloth. They had wine of the country, too,
with slices of lemon in it; and when I came along a girl was there,
peeling a big chestnut for herself which the beggars had given her.
She'd taken off her gloves and laid them on the table, with a perfectly
gorgeous gold chain bag blazing with jewels, and a gold vanity box to
keep the gloves down. Just imagine! On the beggars table! And they
didn't seem to grudge her such splendid possessions one tiny bit. They
were grinning at her in the most friendly way, as if they loved her to
have pretty things and be rich and beautifully dressed. You could see by
their air that they considered themselves chivalrous knights of the road
being gallant to a lovely lady. That gloomy old wretch was grinning at
least an inch wider for her than he ever did for me; and she was
smiling, with heaven knows how many dimples flashing as brilliantly as
her rings, while she peeled the chestnut."

"Yes, that must have been Miss Grant!" excl