s pocket.
And such a thing is it to be a true man of the world of finance, that
upon the arrival now of a second automobile, also his property, and
containing a set of maids and valets, and also some live dogs sitting
up, covered with glass eyes and wrappings like their owners, munificent
Charley at once offered the dead dog and his mistress a place in it, and
begged she would let it take her wherever she wished to go. Everybody
exclaimed copiously and condolingly over the unfortunate occurrence.
What a fine animal he was, to be sure! What breed was he? Of course, he
wasn't used to automobiles! Was it quite certain that he was dead? Quel
dommage! And Charley would be so happy to replace him.

And how was Eliza La Heu bearing herself amid these murmurously
chattered infelicities? She was listening with composure to the murmurs
of Hortense Rieppe, more felicitous, no doubt. Miss Rieppe, through her
veil, was particularly devoting herself to Miss La Lieu. I could not
hear what she said; the little chorus of condolence and suggestion
intercepted all save her tone, and that, indeed, coherently sustained
its measured cadence through the texture of fragments uttered by Charley
and the others. Eliza La Heu had now got herself altogether in hand,
and, saving her pale cheeks, no sign betrayed that the young girl's
feelings had been so recently too strong for her. To these strangers,
ignorant of her usual manner, her present strange quietness may very
well have been accepted as her habit.

"Thank you," she replied to munificent Charley's offer that she would
use his second automobile. She managed to make her polite words cut like
a scythe. "I should crowd it."

"But they shall get out and walk; it will be good for them," said
Charley, indicating the valets and maids, and possibly the dogs, too.

Beverly Rodgers did much better than Charley. With a charming gesture
and bow, he offered his own seat in the first automobile. "I am going to
walk in any case," he assured her.

"One gentleman among them," I heard John Mayrant mutter behind me.

Miss La Heu declined, the chorus urged, but Beverly (who was indeed a
gentleman, every inch of him) shook his head imperceptibly at Charley;
and while the little exclamations--"Do come! So much more comfortable!
So nice to see more of you!"--dropped away, Miss La Heu had settled
her problem quite simply for herself. A little procession of vehicles,
townward bound, had gathered on the bridge,