the Casino Municipal. Therefore, after dinner, Pierrette decided
to walk out upon the pier, or jetee, as it is called, and watch the
milk-and-water gambling for francs that is permitted there.

The night was glorious, with a full moon shining upon the calm sea,
while the myriad coloured lamps everywhere rendered the scene
enchanting. A smart, well-dressed crowd were promenading to and fro,
enjoying the magnificent balmy night, and as we walked towards the big
Casino at the end of the pier a man in a pierrot's dress of pale-green
and mauve silk, and apparently half intoxicated, for his mauve felt hat
was at the back of his head, came reeling in our direction. A Parisian
and a boulevardier evidently, for he was singing gaily to himself that
song of Aristide Bruant's, "La Noire," the well-known song of the 113th
Regiment of the Line--

"La Noire est fille du canton
Qui se fout du qu'en dira-t-on.
Nous nous foutons de ses vertus,
Puisqu'elle a les tetons pointus.
Voila pourquoi nous la chantons:
Vive la Noire et ses tetons!"

The reveller carried in his hand a wand with jingling bells, and was no
doubt on his way to the ball that was to take place later that night at
the Casino Municipal--the first _bal masque_ of Carnival.

He almost fell against me, and straightening himself suddenly, I saw
that he was about thirty, and rather good-looking--a thin, narrow face,
typically Parisian.

"_Pardon, m'sieur!_" he exclaimed, bowing, then suddenly glancing at
Pierrette at my side he stood for a few seconds, glaring at her as
though utterly dumbfounded. "_Nom d'un chien!_" he gasped. "_P'tite
Pier'tte!_--_Wouf!_"

And next second he placed his hand over his mouth, turned, and was lost
in the crowd.

The girl at my side seemed confused, and it struck me that Madame also
recognised him.

"Who was he?" I wondered.

The incident was, no doubt, a disconcerting one for them both, because
from that moment their manner changed. The gambling within the big
rotunda had no interest for either of them, and a quarter of an hour
later Madame, with her peculiar rasping voice, said--

"Pierrette, _ma chere_, it is time we returned," to which the girl
acquiesced without comment.

Therefore I took them along to Beaulieu and deposited them at the door
of their hotel.

Having seen them safely inside, I turned the car round and went back to
Nice.

It was then about ten o'clock, but on the night of a