ad unfortunately an engagement in the opposite direction. The actress
angrily drew herself up, and proposed a later appointment. Then Kitty
carelessly intervened.

"Do you remember that you promised to see me home?" she said to the
young man. "Don't if it bores you!"

Lord Magellan eagerly protested. Kitty moved away, and he followed her.

"Chere madame, will you present me to your daughter?" said the Ricci, in
an unnecessarily loud voice.

Madame d'Estrees, with a flurried gesture, touched Kitty on the arm.

"Kitty, Mademoiselle Ricci."

Kitty took no notice. Madame d'Estrees said, quickly, in a low,
imploring voice:

"Please, dear Kitty. I'll explain."

Kitty turned abruptly, looked at her mother, and at the woman to whom
she was to be introduced.

"Ah! comme elle est charmante!" cried the actress, with an inflection of
irony in her strident voice. "Miladi, il faut absolument que nous nous
connaissions. Je connais votre chere mere depuis si longtemps! A Paris,
l'hiver passe c'etait une amitie des plus tendres!"

The nasal drag she gave to the words was partly natural, partly
insolent. Madame d'Estrees bit her lip.

"Oui?" said Kitty, indifferently. "Je n'en avais jamais entendu parler."

Her brilliant eyes studied the woman before her. "She has some hold on
maman," she said to herself, in disgust. "She knows of something shady
that maman has done." Then another thought stung her; and with the most
indifferent bow, triumphing in the evident offence that she was giving,
she turned to Lord Magellan.

"You'd like to see the Palazzo?"

Warington at once offered himself as a guide.

But Kitty declared she knew the way, would just show Lord Magellan the
<i>piano nobile</i>, dismiss him at the grand staircase, and return. Lord
Magellan made his farewells.

As Kitty passed through the door of the <i>salon</i>, while the young man
held back the velvet <i>portiere</i> which hung over it, she was aware that
Mademoiselle Ricci was watching her. The Marseillaise was leaning
heavily on a <i>fauteuil</i>, supported by a hand behind her. A slow,
disdainful smile played about her lips, some evil threatening thought
expressed itself through every feature of her rounded, coarsened beauty.
Kitty's sharp look met hers, and the curtain dropped.

* * * * *

"Don't, please, let that woman take you anywhere--to see anything!" said
Kitty, with energy, to her companion, as they walked through