rity
in his eye.

Audrey, suddenly inspired and emboldened, faced him; she shrugged her
shoulders Gallically at Miss Ingate's trunk, and gave a sad, sweet, wistful
smile, and then put her hand with an exquisite inviting gesture on the
smallest of her own trunks. The act was a deliberate exploitation of
widowhood. The official fiercely shrugged his shoulders and threw up his
arms, and told the _porteur_ to open the small trunk.

"I told you they would," said Miss Ingate negligently.

Audrey would have turned upon her and slain her had she not been busy with
the tremendous realisation of the fact that by a glance and a gesture she
had conquered the customs official--a foreigner and a stranger. She wanted
to be alone and to think.

Just as the trunk was being relocked, Audrey heard an American girlish
voice behind her:

"Now, you must be Miss Ingate!"

"I am," Miss Ingate almost ecstatically admitted.

The trio in cloaked fancy dress were surrounding Miss Ingate like a
bodyguard.

CHAPTER IX

LIFE IN PARIS

Miss Thompkins and Miss Nickall were a charm to dissipate all the
affrighting menace of the city beyond the station. Miss Thompkins had
fluffy red hair, with the freckles which too often accompany red hair, and
was addressed as Tommy. Miss Nickall had fluffy grey hair, with warm,
loving eyes, and was addressed as Nick. The age of either might have been
anything from twenty-four to forty. The one came from Wyoming, the other
from Arizona; and it was instantly clear that they were close friends. They
had driven up to the terminus before going to a fancy-dress ball to be
given that night in the studio of Monsieur Dauphin, a famous French painter
and a delightful man. They had met Monsieur Dauphin on the previous evening
on the terrace of the Cafe de Versailles, and Monsieur had said, in
response to their suggestion, that he would be enchanted and too much
honoured if they would bring their English friends to his little
"leaping"--that was, hop.

Also they had thought that it would be nice for the travellers to be met at
the terminus, especially as Miss Ingate had been very particularly
recommended to Miss Thompkins by a whole group of people in London. It was
Miss Thompkins who had supplied the address of reliable furnished rooms,
and she and Nick would personally introduce the ladies to their landlady,
who was a sweet creature.

Tommy and Nick and Miss Ingate were at once on terms of cordial
informa