ally have a bad smell."

The effect of his vigorous talk was manifest in Lilian's face. She
yielded her spirit to his, was borne whither he would.

"You talk of living in Paris--why, if you really knew Paris, you would
hate the place. Underneath all this show of civilization, refinement,
brilliancy--I'm glad to say you can't even guess what it covers. The
town reeks with abominations. I'm getting sick of it."

The sincerity of his moral disgust was obvious. No one knew so well as
Lilian the essential purity--even the puritanism--of Quarrier's temper.

"For all that," he added, merrily, "we'll go and dine at the
restaurant, and then look in at the Francais. They know how to cook
here, and they know how to play the fool--no denying it."

When Lilian went forth with him she had once more succeeded in
overcoming her despondent mood. The lights of the Boulevard exercised
their wonted effect--cheering, inspiring. She pressed his arm, laughed
at his mirthful talk; and Denzil looked down into her face with pride
and delight in its loveliness. He had taken especial care to have her
dressed in the manner that became his wife; Parisian science had gone
to the making of her costume, and its efforts were not wasted. As they
entered the restaurant, many eyes were turned with critical
appreciation upon the modest face and figure, as undeniably English, in
their way, as Quarrier's robust manhood.

Denzil's French was indifferently good, better perhaps than his
capacity for picking out from the bill of fare a little dinner which
should exalt him in the eyes of waiters. He went to work, however, with
a noble disregard for consequences, whether to digestion or pocket.
Where Lilian was concerned there could be no such thing as
extravagance; he gloried in obtaining for her the best of everything
that money could command. The final "_Bien, monsieur_," was, after all,
sufficiently respectful, and our friend leaned back with the pleasant
consciousness of duty performed.

He drank a good deal of wine, and talking with a spontaneity beyond the
ordinary Briton. Towards the close of dinner his theme was the coming
electoral contest.

"You know," he said, bending over the table, "you will be able to give
me important help. The wife of a candidate--especially of a Radical
candidate--can find plenty of work, if she knows how to go about it. As
little humbug as possible; and as little loss of self-respect, but we
shall have to shake a good ma