d away--out of the
noisy part of the city, up where the air was clean and where there were
no crowds. But she had begun the regimen of Lucia Rivi. She hesitated.
What matter if she began now or put off beginning until after this one
last drive?

"No, we will walk," said she.

"But the streets are in frightful condition."

She thrust out a foot covered with a new and shiny storm-rubber.

"Let's drive to the park then. We'll walk there."

"No. If I get into the taxi, I'll not get out. Send it away."

When they were moving afoot up Madison Avenue, he said: "What's the
matter? This isn't like you."

"I've come to my senses," replied she. "It may be too late, but I'm
going to see."

"When I called on Mrs. Brindley the other day," said he, "she had your
note, saying that you were going into musical comedy with Crossley."

"That's over," said she. "I lost my voice, and I lost my job."

"So I heard," said he. "I know Crossley. I dropped in to see him this
morning, and he told me about a foolish, fashionable girl who made a
bluff at going on the stage--he said she had a good voice and was a
swell looker, but proved to be a regular 'four-flusher.' I recognized
you."

"Thanks," said she dryly.

"So, I came to see you."

She inquired about Mrs. Brindley and then about Stanley Baird. Finding
that he was in Italy, she inquired: "Do you happen to know his
address?"

"I'll get it and send it to you. He has taken a house at Monte Carlo
for the winter."

"And you?"

"I shall stay here--I think."

"You may join him?"

"It depends"--he looked at her--"upon you."

He could put a wonderful amount of meaning into a slight inflection.
She struggled--not in vain--to keep from changing expression.

"You realize now that the career is quite hopeless?" said he.

She did not answer.

"You do not like the stage life?"

"No."

"And the stage life does not like you?"

"No."

"Your voice lacks both strength and stability?"

"Yes."

"And you have found the one way by which you could get on--and you
don't like it?"

"Crossley told you?" said she, the color flaring.

"Your name was not mentioned. You may not believe it, but Crossley is
a gentleman."

She walked on in silence.

"I did not expect your failure to come so soon--or in quite that way,"
he went on. "I got Mrs. Brindley to exact a promise from you that
you'd let her know about yourself. I called on Mrs. Belloc one day
when you were ou