spoken (except Musa, who was somehow only Musa) confirmed the statement,
and confirmed also her young instinctive belief that what is printed must
be true. She was beginning to feel the stealthy on-comings of fatigue, and
certainly she was very nervous, but Monsieur Dauphin's quite particularly
sympathetic manner, and her own sudden determination not to be a little
blushing fool gave her new power.

"I can't express to you," he said, moving towards the dais and mesmerising
her to keep by his side. "I can't express to you how sorry I was to be so
late." He made the apology with lightness, but with sincerity. Audrey knew
how polite the French were. "But truly circumstances were too much for me.
Those two Russian princesses--they came to me through a mutual friend, a
dear old friend of mine, very closely attached also to them. They leave
to-morrow morning by the St. Petersburg express, on which they have engaged
a special coach. What was I to do? I tried to tear myself away earlier, but
of course there were the portrait sketches to finish, and no doubt you know
the usage of the best society in Russia."

"Yes," murmured Audrey.

"Come up on the dais, will you?" he suggested. "And let us survey the scene
together."

They surveyed the scene together. The snouted band was having supper on the
floor in a corner, and many of the guests also were seated on the floor.
Miss Ingate, intoxicated by the rapture of existence, and Miss Thompkins
were carefully examining the frescoes on the walls. A young woman covered
from head to foot with gold tinsel was throwing chocolates into Musa's
mouth, or as near to it as she could.

"What a splendid player Mr. Musa is!" Audrey inaugurated her career as a
woman of the world. "I doubt if I have ever heard such violin playing."

"I'm so glad you think so," replied Monsieur Dauphin. "Of course you know
I'm very conceited about my painting. Anybody will tell you so. But beneath
all that I'm not so sure. I often have the gravest doubts about my work.
But I never had any doubt that when I took Musa out of the orchestra in the
Cafe de Versailles I was giving a genius to the world. And perhaps that's
how I shall be remembered by posterity. And if it is I shall be content."

Never before had Audrey heard anybody connect himself with posterity, and
she was very much impressed. Monsieur Dauphin was resigned and yet brave.
By no means convinced that posterity would do the right thing, he
nevertheless