in the
direction of the young actress, and this seemed to afford him a
considerable amount of contentment.

The best part of an hour had gone by since the fall of the curtain
before Mlle. Lange finally dismissed her many admirers, and de Batz had
the satisfaction of seeing her running down the passage, turning back
occasionally in order to bid gay "good-nights" to the loiterers who
were loath to part from her. She was a child in all her movements, quite
unconscious of self or of her own charms, but frankly delighted with
her success. She was still dressed in the ridiculous hoops and panniers
pertaining to her part, and the powdered peruke hid the charm of her
own hair; the costume gave a certain stilted air to her unaffected
personality, which, by this very sense of contrast, was essentially
fascinating.

In her arms she held a huge sheaf of sweet-scented narcissi, the spoils
of some favoured spot far away in the South. Armand thought that never
in his life had he seen anything so winsome or so charming.

Having at last said the positively final adieu, Mlle. Lange with a happy
little sigh turned to run down the passage.

She came face to face with Armand, and gave a sudden little gasp of
terror. It was not good these days to come on any loiterer unawares.

But already de Batz had quickly joined his friend, and his smooth,
pleasant voice, and podgy, beringed hand extended towards Mlle. Lange,
were sufficient to reassure her.

"You were so surrounded in the green-room, mademoiselle," he said
courteously, "I did not venture to press in among the crowd of
your admirers. Yet I had the great wish to present my respectful
congratulations in person."

"Ah! c'est ce cher de Batz!" exclaimed mademoiselle gaily, in that
exquisitely rippling voice of hers. "And where in the world do you
spring from, my friend?

"Hush-sh-sh!" he whispered, holding her small bemittened hand in
his, and putting one finger to his lips with an urgent entreaty for
discretion; "not my name, I beg of you, fair one."

"Bah!" she retorted lightly, even though her full lips trembled now as
she spoke and belied her very words. "You need have no fear whilst
you are in this part of the house. It is an understood thing that the
Committee of General Security does not send its spies behind the curtain
of a theatre. Why, if all of us actors and actresses were sent to
the guillotine there would be no play on the morrow. Artistes are not
replaceable in a