listening to the busy hum of
Parisian life, seemingly so far away.

One day, about four o'clock, Madame Desvarennes was going to Saint-Cloud
on business, and was crossing the Bois de Boulogne. Her coachman had
chosen the most unfrequented paths to save time. She had opened the
carriage-window, and was enjoying the lovely scent from the shrubs.
Suddenly a watering-cart stopped the way. Madame Desvarennes looked
through the window to see what was the matter, and remained stupefied. At
the turning of a path she espied Serge, with a woman on his arm. She
uttered a cry that caused the couple to turn round. Seeing that pale
face, they sought to hide themselves.

In a moment Madame Desvarennes was out of the carriage. The guilty couple
fled down a path. Without caring what might be said of her, and goaded on
by a fearful rage, she tried to follow them. She especially wished to see
the woman who was closely veiled. She guessed her to be Jeanne. But the
younger woman, terrified, fled like a deer down a side walk. Madame
Desvarennes, quite out of breath, was obliged to stop. She heard the
slamming of a carriage-door, and a hired brougham that had been waiting
at the end of the path swept by her bearing the lovers toward the town.

The mistress hesitated a moment, then said to her coachman:

"Drive home." And, abandoning her business, she arrived in the Rue
Saint-Dominique a few minutes after the Prince.

With a bound, without going through the offices, without even taking off
her bonnet and cloak, she went up to Serge's apartments. Without
hesitating, she entered the smoking-room.

Panine was there. Evidently he was expecting her. On seeing Madame
Desvarennes he rose, with a smile:

"One can see that you are at home," said he, ironically; "you come in
without knocking."

"No nonsense; the moment is ill-chosen," briefly retorted the mistress.
"Why did you run away when you saw me a little while ago?"

"You have such a singular way of accosting people," he answered, lightly.
"You come on like a charge of cavalry. The person with whom I was talking
was frightened, she ran away and I followed her."

"She was doing wrong then if she was frightened. Does she know me?"

"Who does not know you? You are almost notorious--in the corn-market!"

Madame Desvarennes allowed the insult to pass without remark, and
advancing toward Serge, said:

"Who is this woman?"

"Shall I introduce her to you?" inquired the Prince, quietly. "