ng to talk to Millar, whom he
found interesting. Karl helped Olga on with her coat, and the touch of
it brought back the feeling that had surged over him when he had leaned
down to kiss her a few minutes before.

"Now I see how unworthy is my sketch," he said softly.

"Do not look at me like that," Olga protested.

"Why not?" Karl asked hopelessly. "Even when I don't look at you I see
you just the same."

Olga covered her face and turned away from him.

"Karl, you shall not do my portrait," she said. "Come, Herman, let us go
home," she called to her husband.

Herman and Millar were deep in the discussion of a subject on which the
stranger seemed to be amazingly well informed. The business instincts of
Olga's husband were uppermost, and he did not like to be drawn away, but
he said:

"We shall continue this talk this evening, then."

"No, I regret to say that I can't come; I have made my apologies to
Madam Hofmann. I had forgotten an engagement with the Russian Consul for
this evening."

"Ah, the Russian Consul will be at our house. Olga, dear, add your
entreaties to mine. Persuade Monsieur Millar to come."

In dreadful embarrassment Olga turned to the smiling, cynical mask of a
face that looked at her triumphantly. She could not refuse.

"I hope we may have the pleasure of seeing you this evening," she said,
and turned wearily toward the door.

"Thank you, madam," the fiend replied. "I shall be more than delighted."

Karl interrupted to say that he would not reach the house that evening
before 11 o'clock. He explained that he expected an art dealer. In
reality he had just recalled his promise to stop at the house of Mimi.
Herman, suspecting his design, made some jesting allusion to it, which
caused Olga to ask what he meant. He evaded her question, and Millar,
seeing another excellent opportunity to point a moral, declared that he
heard a knock.

He walked over to the door, opened it, and to the amazement of the
others, ushered the embarrassed little model into the room.

"The art dealer," he said sarcastically.

Olga felt instantly consumed with jealousy. As she and her husband
walked out Millar said to her:

"I will repay you for your invitation, madam. I shall manage to forget
my overcoat, and in five minutes I shall return for it and break up the
chat which you anticipate with such displeasure."

Olga could not deny the insinuation. She did feel jealous of the pretty
model; she did wish that t