to Staten Island and back on the ferry, and perhaps
on the Coney Island boat, and----"

"Nothing of the sort," I interrupted. "Of course I don't care anything
about Baby Paul and yourself, but I have a great pecuniary interest in
your voice and I am going to have my money back, and you will have to
sing in order to earn it, and----"

"And you can keep on saying all the horrid things you want to," she put
in. "Now, David, be reasonable. You know that a stay in the country
would do you ever so much good."

"Very well," I answered. "Then I shall hire Eulalie to elope with Baby
Paul and I'll go along to watch his teething, and you can stay here and
inhale benzine at Madame's, and lose all your voice and grow thin and
ugly, and be well punished for disobedience and rebellion, and by the
time you've----"

We were interrupted by the sound of steps on the stairs. They were
somewhat heavy, but not the deliberate thumps of Frieda's climbing. It
was a swift and confident progress, in which I recognized none of the
inmates of our menagerie. A second later I turned. A fine young woman of
healthful color and dressed in excellent taste stood at the door.

"I--I beg your pardon," she said. "The colored woman told me to go right
up to the top floor. How--how do you do, Mr. Cole?"

It was Miss Sophia Van Rossum, big as life, with a face perhaps more
womanly and handsome than I had ever given her credit for possessing. In
our surroundings she appeared like a fine hot-house flower suddenly
transplanted to a poor little tenement yard. She was looking curiously
at Frances, who was standing at my side.

CHAPTER XVIII

DIANA AMONG MORTALS

"I am awfully sorry that you took the trouble of coming all the way up
here," I told her. "I am afraid that the colored maid is little
accustomed to social usages. There is a little parlor downstairs."

"Oh! It's all right, Mr. Cole. I asked for you and she just pointed up
with her thumb and said 'Top floor,' so I climbed up."

She took a step towards Frances, extending her hand.

"I know I have seen you before," she said pleasantly, "but I can't for
the moment remember where we met."

"I think, Miss Van Rossum, that you have only been acquainted with Mrs.
Dupont through the medium of my friend Gordon's talent. You may remember
a 'Mother and Child' in his studio."

"Of course. I remembered the face at once. Gordon is such a wonderful
painter, so clever in obtaining the most marvelou