uch kindness," said Cabinska with emotion. Really, the sapphires
were very pretty.

The director smiled, rubbed his hands, and invited all to his home
after the performance.

The directress singled out for a particularly effusive kiss Janina
who, led by sympathy, had brought her a lovely bouquet of roses,
explaining that she had not contributed to the fund for the general
gift as it was collected before her advent into the company.

Cabinska would not part with Janina and took her along with her to
dinner.

"Truly, they must be very good people and must love you," said
Janina at the table.

"Once a year will not ruin them," answered Cabinska merrily.

Together they went to the pastry shop so as not to interfere with
the preparations that were being made for the evening reception. She
sat there relating to Janina the history of her past name day
celebrations with a tender pathos which could not, however, disguise
a certain feeling of bitterness and uneasiness over the fact that
the editor had not even sent her a card of greeting.

The performance was a real ovation. From the public she received a
mass of flowers, while the editor sent her a big basket of them
together with an imposing bracelet.

That overwhelmed her. As soon as he appeared behind the scenes, she
drew him into the darkest corner and kissed him with fiery passion.

The Cabinski home presented an unusual appearance. In the first
room, in the middle of a huge rug that completely covered the dirty
floor, was a circular stand bearing a fan-shaped palm, while two
mirrors with marble consoles stood in the corners. Heavy,
cherry-colored, velvet portieres were draped over the windows and
the doors. A clump of azaleas and rhododendrons between the windows
formed an oasis of gorgeous greenery, accentuating the beautiful
lines of a yellowish plaster statue of Venus de Milo which stood on
a pedestal draped with purple cloth.

The piano at the further end of the room, decked with a garland of
artificial flowers, bore upon it a huge golden tray stacked with
visiting cards. Four little tables with little blue chairs
surrounding them were placed in the most brilliantly lighted parts
of the room. The tarnished and chipped gilded frames of the mirrors
were skillfully masked with red muslin, pinned artistically with
flowers. The torn wall paper was covered with pictures. The whole
salon presented so elegant and artistic an appearance, that
Cabinska, on returnin