or his card, opened a door and ushered him into a
small room, saying: "I will go and inform the baron. Please wait here."

"Here," as he called it, was a sort of smoking-room hung with cashmere
of fantastic design and gorgeous hues, and encircled by a low, cushioned
divan, covered with the same material. A profusion of rare and costly
objects was to be seen on all sides, armor, statuary, pictures,
and richly ornamented weapons. But Pascal, already amazed by the
conversation of the servants, did not think of examining these objects
of virtu. Through a partially open doorway, directly opposite the one he
had entered by, came the sound of loud voices in excited conversation.
Baron Trigault, the baroness, and the famous Van Klopen were evidently
in the adjoining room. It was a woman, the baroness, who was speaking,
and the quivering of her clear and somewhat shrill voice betrayed
a violent irritation, which was only restrained with the greatest
difficulty. "It is hard for the wife of one of the richest men in Paris
to see a bill for absolute necessities disputed in this style," she was
saying.

A man's voice, with a strong Teutonic accent, the voice of Van Klopen,
the Hollander, caught up the refrain. "Yes, strict necessities, one can
swear to that. And if, before flying into a passion, Monsieur le Baron
had taken the trouble to glance over my little bill, he would have
seen----"

"No more! You bore me to death. Besides I haven't time to listen to your
nonsense; they are waiting for me to play a game of whist at the club."

This time it was the master of the house, Baron Trigault, who spoke, and
Pascal recognized his voice instantly.

"If monsieur would only allow me to read the items. It will take but a
moment," rejoined Van Klopen. And as if he had construed the oath
that answered him as an exclamation of assent, he began: "In June, a
Hungarian costume with jacket and sash, two train dresses with upper
skirts and trimmings of lace, a Medicis polonaise, a jockey costume, a
walking costume, a riding-habit, two morning-dresses, a Velleda costume,
an evening dress."

"I was obliged to attend the races very frequently during the month of
June," remarked the baroness.

But the illustrious adorner of female loveliness had already resumed his
reading. "In July we have: two morning-jackets, one promenade costume,
one sailor suit, one Watteau shepherdess costume, one ordinary
bathing-suit, with material for parasol and shoe