at if you part two young things who are dying to be happy
in the lawful way it's ten to one they'll come together in an unlawful
one? I'm insinuating shocking things against YOU, Lucretia Mary, in
suggesting for a moment that you'll care to assume such a responsibility
before your Maker. And you wouldn't, if you talked things straight out
with him, instead of merely sending him messages through a miserable
sinner like yourself!"

Darrow expected this assault on her adopted creed to provoke in Madame
de Chantelle an explosion of pious indignation; but to his surprise she
merely murmured: "I don't know what Mr. Darrow'll think of you!"

"Mr. Darrow probably knows his Bible as well as I do," Miss Painter
calmly rejoined; adding a moment later, without the least perceptible
change of voice or expression: "I suppose you've heard that Gisele
de Folembray's husband accuses her of being mixed up with the Duc
d'Arcachon in that business of trying to sell a lot of imitation pearls
to Mrs. Homer Pond, the Chicago woman the Duke's engaged to? It seems
the jeweller says Gisele brought Mrs. Pond there, and got twenty-five
per cent--which of course she passed on to d'Arcachon. The poor old
Duchess is in a fearful state--so afraid her son'll lose Mrs. Pond!
When I think that Gisele is old Bradford Wagstaff's grand-daughter, I'm
thankful he's safe in Mount Auburn!"

XXII

It was not until late that afternoon that Darrow could claim his
postponed hour with Anna. When at last he found her alone in her
sitting-room it was with a sense of liberation so great that he sought
no logical justification of it. He simply felt that all their destinies
were in Miss Painter's grasp, and that, resistance being useless, he
could only enjoy the sweets of surrender.

Anna herself seemed as happy, and for more explicable reasons. She had
assisted, after luncheon, at another debate between Madame de Chantelle
and her confidant, and had surmised, when she withdrew from it, that
victory was permanently perched on Miss Painter's banners.

"I don't know how she does it, unless it's by the dead weight of her
convictions. She detests the French so that she'd back up Owen even if
she knew nothing--or knew too much--of Miss Viner. She somehow regards
the match as a protest against the corruption of European morals. I told
Owen that was his great chance, and he's made the most of it."

"What a tactician you are! You make me feel that I hardly know th