ll you I had no idea of anything of the kind," he said--for to be
rated by the little boy-officer was a new experience. "But I am going to
try to find Nina--whatever you may choose to do."

"I respect her wish," said Mlle. Girond, somewhat stiffly. However, the
next moment she had changed her mood. "Mr. Moore, if you were to find
her, what then?" she asked, rather timidly.

"I should bring her back to her friends," he answered, simply enough.

"And then?"

"I should want to see her as happy and contented as she used to be--the
Nina we used to know. I should want to get her back to the theatre,
where she was succeeding so well. She liked her work; she was interested
in it; and you know she was becoming quite a favorite with the public.
Come, Miss Girond," he said, "you needn't be angry with me; that won't
do any good. I see now I have been very thoughtless and careless; I
ought not to have given her that loving-cup; I ought not to have given
her any of those trinkets, I suppose. But it never occurred to me at the
time; I fancied she would be pleased at the moment, that was all."

"And you did not reflect, then," said Estelle, regarding him for a
second, "what it was that may have brought Nina to England at the
beginning?--no?--what made her wish to play at the New Theatre? Ah, a
man is so blind!"

"Brought Nina to England?" he repeated, rather bewildered.

"But these are only my conjectures," she said, quickly. "No, I have no
secrets to tell. I ask myself what brings Nina to England, to the New
Theatre, to the companionship with her old friend--I ask myself that,
and I see. But you--perhaps it is not your fault that you are blind; you
have so many ladies seeking for favor you have no time to think of this
one or that, or you are grown indifferent, it may be. Poor Nina! she
that was always so proud, too; it is herself that has struck herself; a
deep wound to her pride; that is why she goes away, and she will never
come back. No, Mr. Moore, she will never come back. I asked you what you
would do if you were to find her--it is useless. She will never come
back; she is too proud."

Estelle looked at her watch.

"Soon I must go in to the theatre. There was a note from Mr. Lehmann
this morning; he wishes me to go over some parts with Miss Constance, to
make sure."

"What hour have you to be there?" he said, taking up his hat.

"Half-past eleven."

"I will walk in with you, if you like," he said; "there will be ti