And how proud! After all he trusted her, it must be so! he had left his
friends, left this fine banquet and, in spite of the pain she had given
him, in spite of the bad night, he had come to her here in her humble home.

And it would have straightway been the love scene all over again, for Alice
had never seemed so adorable, but for the sudden and ominous entrance of
Mother Bonneton. She eyed the visitor with frank unfriendliness and,
without mincing her words, proceeded to tell him certain things, notably
that his attentions to Alice must cease and that his visits here would
henceforth be unwelcome.

In vain the poor girl protested against this breach of hospitality. Mother
Bonneton held her ground grimly, declaring that she had a duty to perform
and would perform it.

"What duty?" asked the American.

"A duty to M. Groener."

At this name Alice started apprehensively. Kittredge knew that she had a
cousin named Groener, a wood carver who lived in Belgium, and who came to
Paris occasionally to see her and to get orders for his work. On one
occasion he had met this cousin and had judged him a well-meaning but
rather stupid fellow who need not be seriously considered in his efforts to
win Alice.

"Do you mean that M. Groener does not approve of me?" pursued Kittredge.

"M. Groener knows nothing about you," answered Mother Bonneton, "except
that you have been hanging around this foolish girl. But he understands his
responsibility as the only relation she has in the world and he knows she
will respect his wishes as the one who has paid her board, more or less,
for five years."

"Well?"

"Well, the last time M. Groener was here, that's about a month ago, he
asked me and my husband to make inquiries about _you_, and see what we
could find out."

"It's abominable!" exclaimed Alice.

"Abominable? Why is it abominable? Your cousin wants to know if this young
man is a proper person for you to have as a friend."

"I can decide that for myself," flashed the girl.

"Oh, can you? Ha, ha! How wise we are!"

"And--er--you have made inquiries about me?" resumed Kittredge with a
strangely anxious look.

Mother Bonneton half closed her eyes and threw out her thick lips in an
ugly leer. "I should say we have! And found out things--well, just a few!"

"What things?"

"We have found out, my pretty sir, that you lived for months last year by
gambling. I suppose you will deny it?"

"No," answered Kittredge in a low tone