e prince, taking up his hat. Then, with an ironical
bow, he added, "Forgive me, madam, for the weary hours I must have
imposed upon you."

Eveline, with an impatient stamp of her foot, turned her back upon
him. The prince, when he had got as far as the anteroom, found that he
had forgotten his walking-stick in the drawing-room. It had been a
Christmas present from Eveline, and he would not leave it with her. He
went back to fetch it.

He opened the door gently, and he saw a sight that surprised him.
Eveline still stood with her back to him. She had in her hands the
stick he had come for, which she kissed two or three times, sobbing
bitterly. The prince withdrew gently. Everything was made clear to
him. Eveline quarrelled with him to make the separation less hard for
him. She pretended to be mean and ungrateful in order that he might
forget her more easily. Why did she do this?

The next day the prince found the solution of this riddle. His servant
brought him the key of Eveline's apartments. The lady had left by the
very earliest train. The prince hastened to the palace, and he then
understood why it was that Eveline had left. She had taken nothing;
everything was there. She was a pearl among women. A lock of her hair
was wound round the handle of the walking-stick--her beautiful hair,
which fell from the crown of her head to her feet.

* * * * *

Eveline arrived in Paris before Kaulmann. It had been settled between
them that she should stop at a hotel until he arranged where she
should live.

Some weeks later Felix came and said: "Your house is ready for you.
Will you come and see it?"

Eveline drove with Felix to her new home, which was in the Rue
Sebastopol, one of the best situations in Paris, the first floor. As
she came into the apartment her heart beat. Everything was familiar to
her eyes--the cherry-colored curtains, the carpets, the dove-colored
panels, the black marble fireplace, the oval frames in china, the
window looking into the garden--all as in Vienna. The same pictures,
the same service of silver, the wardrobes, the jewel-cases, even to
the glove which she had left upon the table.

The tears fell from her eyes as she murmured to herself, "The good,
kind prince!"

Felix, however, with perfect _aplomb_, took all the credit to himself,
and asked her, "Have I not arranged your apartment to your taste?"

Eveline made him no answer. Her thoughts were with the good,