mte."

"Heavens, no!" cried he. "Come, I see Monseigneur all alone!"

"You are right," said Coralie. "Go and talk to him. The King and I will
talk."

They went off, Wetter laughing, Varvilliers still a little ruffled by
his encounter. Coralie passed her arm through mine and led me to a sofa.
I had recovered my composure, was interested, and amused.

"Briande," she said suddenly, "is always deploring my stupidity. 'How
will you get on,' she says, 'without wit? Men are ruled by wit though
they are won by faces.' So she says. Well, I don't know. Wit is not in
my line." She looked at me half questioningly, half defiantly.

"I perceive no deficiency in the quality, mademoiselle," said I.

"Then you have not known witty women," she retorted tranquilly. "But I
am not altogether dull. I am not like Monseigneur there."

"My brother-in-law?"

"So I am told."

As she said this she looked again at me and began to laugh. I laughed
also. But I could not very well discuss William Adolphus with her.

"What man do you desire to rule with this wit?" I asked.

"One can't tell when it might be useful," said she, with a barely
perceptible smile.

"Surely beauty is more powerful?"

"With Monseigneur?"

"Oh, never mind Monseigneur."

"But not with men of another kind."

"Some men are not to be ruled by any means."

"You think so?"

"Take Wetter now?"

"I would give him a week's resistance."

"Varvilliers?"

"A day."

I did not put the third question, but I looked at her with a smile. She
saw my meaning, of course, but she did not tell me how long a resistance
she would predict for me. I thought that I had talked enough to her,
and, since she would not let me alone, I determined to take my leave. I
wished her good-night. She received my adieu with marked indifference.

"I am very glad to have made your acquaintance," said I.

"Why, yes," she answered. "You are thinking that I am a strange
creature, a new experience," and with this she turned away, although I
was about to speak again.

Varvilliers' way lay in the same direction as mine, and I took him with
me. He chatted gaily as we went. What I liked in the Vicomte was his
confident denial of life's alleged seriousness. He seemed much amused at
the situation which he proceeded to unfold to me. According to him,
Wetter was passionately, my brother-in-law inanely, enamoured of
Coralie. Wetter was ready to ruin himself in purse and prospects for
her, and would gl