sumed her old habit of stealing away early to
perform the rites of her toilette while he still slept.

He dressed quickly, she being occupied meanwhile in completing the
coquettish adornment of his room with knots of ribbon, bouquets of
flowers, Japanese fans, pictures and bronzes which she arranged with
unerring taste on the walls beside the mirror, over the doors and
window, or strewed about the secretaire, the table, or the chest of
drawers, in studied negligence. They had breakfast in the red salon,
after which she led him to her boudoir, which he had not yet seen, and
that looked like a pink silk-lined jewel box. She drew up an armchair
beside the crackling wood fire, begged Wilhelm to sit down put a little
inlaid rosewood table before him, and out of a cabinet she fetched a
large Russia leather pocketbook with a gold lock and laid it on the
table.

"Let us settle these details once for all," she said to Wilhelm, who
had watched her proceeding with surprise, "so that we need never refer
to them again. You are my husband, and must relieve me now of all my
business cares. Here--" she opened the pocketbook and spread out some
formidable-looking papers, with stamps and seals attached, before him:
"This is my check book, here the deposit receipts for my government
stock and, bonds."

"What do you mean?" cried Wilhelm. "I understand nothing of such
things; I have never had anything to do with them, and I am certainly
not going to begin now, and with you." He gathered up the papers
impatiently, thrust them back into the pocketbook, which he closed with
a snap, and seeing Pilar standing there like a disappointed child
balked of a surprise, he added: "However, I am grateful for the
suggestion, as it helps me out of a dilemma. I was at a loss in what
form to put what I must say to you--you have helped me in the nick of
time. Pilar," he drew her on to his knee and kissed her, "at the
seaside the matter was very simple, we had only to divide the bill
between us. That will not do here. I am not well enough off to defray
half the expense of such an establishment as yours."

"Oh, Wilhelm!" she exclaimed, horror-stricken, and attempted to jump
down, but he held her fast and continued:

"I know this subject is painful to you, so it is to me; but, as you
said yourself, it must be settled once for all. You must allow me to
defray my own expenses as I would in a good family pension. I will put
the trifling sum in your pocketbook