ages--as high ones as she will accept--and
then treat her as if she were fifty years old--and wore glasses!"

"She does wear glasses--abominable yellow horn rimmed spectacles!" I
announced excitedly.--"Have you never seen them?"

The Duchesse's eyes flashed--.

"I have not said I ever met Miss Sharp, Nicholas--"

I knew the affair was now hopeless--and that I would only risk the real
displeasure of my dear old friend if I continued in this way. So I
subsided.--I had some instinct too that I would not receive sympathy
even if I owned that my intentions were strictly honourable.

"I will say no more--except that should you know these people _chere
Duchesse_--and you ever discover that I could help them in any way--that
you will call upon me to any extent."

[Illustration: The fiery vixen Suzette (Renee Adoree) is enraged to
learn of Sir Nicholas' (Lew Cody) attentions to other women, and leaves
in a flurry. (A scene from Elinor Glyn's production "Man and Maid" for
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)]

She looked at me very searchingly and said laconically.

"_Bien._"

Then we talked of other things, and I tried to reingratiate myself--The
war was going better--Foch would wish to push his advantage. Things must
have some end--in the near future.--When was I going to England?--All
these subjects we discussed.

"When I am out of the hands of these doctors and have my new leg and
eye--I will return, and then, I want to go into Parliament."

The Duchesse warmed up at once.--That was just the thing for me to
do--that and to marry some nice girl of my own world, of which there
must be an embarrassment of choice--with all the men killed in my
country!

"I would want such an exceptional woman, Duchesse!"

"Do not look for the moon, my son--Be thankful if she has been
sufficiently well brought up to have a decent conduct--the manners of
the young girls now revolt me.--I try to go with the times----but these
new fashions are disgusting."

"Do you think a woman ought to be perfectly innocent and ignorant of
life to make the marriage happy--" I asked.

"The insides of the minds of young girls one is never sure of, but the
_tenue_ should be correct at all costs, so that they may have something
to uphold them as well as religion--which is no longer so surrounding
as it used to be."

"Duchesse, I want someone who would love me passionately, and whom I
could passionately love."

"For that, my poor boy--" and she sighed--"it is not