dragged from her the story of her relations with
Kittredge, going back to their first acquaintance. This was in New York
about a year before, while she was there on business connected with some
property deeded to her by her second husband, in regard to which there had
been a lawsuit. Mr. Wilmott had not accompanied her on this trip, and,
being much alone, as most of her friends were in the country, she had seen
a good deal of M. Kittredge, who frequently spent the evenings with her at
the Hotel Waldorf, where she was stopping. She had met him through mutual
friends, for he was well connected socially in New York, and had soon grown
fond of him. He had been perfectly delightful to her, and--well, things
move rapidly in America, especially in hot weather, and before she realized
it or could prevent it, he was seriously infatuated, and--the end of it
was, when she returned to Paris he followed her on another steamer, an
extremely foolish proceeding, as it involved his giving up a fine position
and getting into trouble with his family.

"You say he had a fine position in New York?" questioned the judge. "In
what?"

"In a large real-estate company."

"And he lived in a nice way? He had plenty of money?"

"For a young man, yes. He often took me to dinner and to the theater, and
he was always sending me flowers."

"Did he ever give you presents?"

"Ye-es."

"What did he give you?"

"He gave me a gold bag that I happened to admire one day at Tiffany's."

"Was it solid gold?"

"Yes."

"And you accepted it?"

Pussy flushed under the judge's searching look. "I wouldn't have accepted
it, but this happened just as I was sailing for France. He sent it to the
steamer."

"Ah! Have you any idea how much M. Kittredge paid for that gold bag?"

"Yes, for I asked at Tiffany's here and they said the bag cost about four
hundred dollars. When I saw M. Kittredge in Paris I told him he was a
foolish boy to have spent all that money, but he was so sweet about it and
said he was so glad to give me pleasure that I hadn't the heart to refuse
it."

After a pause for dramatic effect the judge said impressively: "Madam, you
may be surprised to hear that M. Kittredge returned to France on the same
steamer that carried you."

"No, no," she declared, "I saw all the passengers, and he was not among
them."

"He was not among the first-cabin passengers."

"You mean to say he went in the second cabin? I don't believe it."

"No," answ