he felt happy, and her resolve to make him happy to the very limit of his
dreams was intense. She had a vision of her future existence stretching out
in front of her, and there was not a shadow on it. She thought he was going
to offer her the box of chocolates, but he did not.

"I rather wanted to ask your advice," she said.

"I wish you would," he replied.

Just then the Foas arrived, and with them Dauphin, the great and
fashionable painter and the original discoverer of Musa. And as they all
began to speak at once Audrey heard the Oriental musical critic say slowly
to an inquiring Miss Ingate:

"It is not a concert talent that he has."

"You hear! You hear!" exclaimed Monsieur Foa to Monsieur Dauphin and Madame
Foa, with an impressed air. "You hear what Miquette says. He has not a
concert talent. He has everything that you like, but not a concert talent."

Foa seemed to be exhibiting the majestic Oriental, nicknamed Miquette, as
the final arbiter, whose word settled problems like a sword, and Miquette
seemed to be trying to bear the high role with negligent modesty.

"But, yes, he has! But, yes, he has!" Dauphin protested, sweeping all
Miquettes politely away. And then there was an urbane riot of greetings,
salutes, bowings, smilings, cooings and compliments.

Dauphin was magnificent, playing the part of the opulent painter _a la
mode_ with the most finished skill, the most splendid richness of detail.
It was notorious that in the evenings he wore the finest silk shirts in
Paris, and his waistcoat was designed to give scope to these shirts. He
might have come--he probably had come--straight from the bower of
archduchesses; but he produced in Audrey the illusion that archduchesses
were a trifle compared to herself. He had not seen her for a long time.
Gazing at her, he breathed relief; all his features indicated the sudden,
unexpected assuaging of eternal and intense desires. He might have been
travelling through the desert for many days and she might have been the
oasis--the pool of living water and the palm.

"Now--like that! Just like that!" he said, holding her hand and, as it
were, hypnotising her in the pose in which she happened to be. He looked
hard at her. "It is unique. Madame, where did you find that dress?"

"Callot," answered Audrey submissively.

"I thought so. Well, Madame, I can wait no more. I will wait no more. It
is Dauphin who implores you to come to his studio. To come--it is your
duty.