A Butterfly on the Wheel

, covered with curtains of green tussore silk, there was nothing distinctively foreign about the room. The best French hotels nowadays have all adopted English and American standards o

arwood logs glowed on the tiled hearth, and a great bunch of lilac stood in a copper bowl upon a small

piano; and there were others, in which the candles were

age. Her black hair streaked with grey was drawn tightly back from her forehead. The face, a little hard and watchful perhaps, nevertheless showed signs of marked intelligence. The

her friends had said to Mrs. Admaston that Pauline seemed to require the coif of her countr

f the millers of Pont-Aven, and preserved still

hair-rather a rare thing in France, but cropped close to his head in the French manner, so that it seemed to be almost squirting out of his scalp. The man, with his napkin ove

l round table, gleaming with cut-glass a

rain from Chalons before morning?

selle," the man replied. "The last fas

on woman

him rather keenly; and then sudde

arnt by rote and not entirely natural to him, the waiter clicked

mademoisell

ook her he

said. "There is something a

. He put the tray down on the table, smiled wi

said wi

id. "Is it then that yo

ly not," repl

yself that you

d his manner became confidential. "Not even quite English, made

arbarity! I did not know that there were such names.

lle speaks

l," Paulin

t they're really speaking French. I heard an old lady the other day talking to her daughter. 'My dear,' she said, 'those extra French lessons at the High School have not been wasted. That nice, attentive French waiter understands you perfectly'; and so I did of course, miss, though when she wanted the mussels she said, 'Esker voos avvy des moulins?' And when she wanted the

tter of fact, we are here quite by accid

ain?" inquire

red. "We took the wrong train, an

a rather searching glance at Pauline. "But surel

she began to pull about the flowers in one of the vases. "Oh yes, I think so,"

can see his name in the Riviera lists, in the Paris Daily Mail or the New York Herald. He's at Nice for the races. He's at Monte Carlo for the pigeon-shooting

rom the fire and looked

some eagerness. "He is h

mething which seemed to speak of a suppressed curiosity and watchfulness. Many waiters in smart hotels, both in Lond

ied. And then, speaking rather suddenly, "You se

an answered, with all th

e replied, "it is necessary

mes discretion is the better part of recollection

veiled contempt in her voice. "To forget easily is

more than a good m

ock," Pauline continued, and this time

crumbs from the table very vigorousl

ught to be many opportunities in a hotel of this

the man, with a rather ill-favoured leer. "

in Scotland for the shooting of the grouse. There is no Scotsman too sentimental to make

older I grow the more

eu!" she said; "every one knows

e stood with one arm akimbo, the other resting on the table, and grinned like a vulgar Mephistopheles.

eplied. "I'm a very practical person. It wou

answered. "A nice little ho

that would mean work. I am used to se

is a pity we see so much of what we cannot have,"

ence watching the waiter, and showing plainly by her manner that

ted violently, as

e about him. He might have been an ordinary commercial traveller, save for a pair of singularly alert eyes, which glanced rapidly hither and thither and took in the whole room in one

a bow. "The wrong room! My mistake!

left it, though with not quite the alacrity of h

om something strangel

which had before been charged with little suspicions, toy fencings, as it were, between people

er to the waiter. Her brown face became grey, she seemed for a moment to lose control of

ation came from Pauline al

ention. He hurried up to th

auline asked. "Have you se

I don't know, mademoiselle,"

ve you seen him bef

bviously wishing to discover th

ber too. He was outside-there-in the corridor-just after I

sked. Her brown hands were trembling,

ard. The two were vis-à-vi

he an

aution. She threw up her hands and he

he was looking at madame

the door leading to the corridor, turned the

she returned, closed the door, and once more con

d in a frightened voice. "But

e over the gar?on's fac

those wild and expressive Celtic gestures which seem so exaggerated to

e!" sh

of madame," Jacque

ine made a tremendous effort to

brightness. "What? Is it that you were t

ey say in England when they

word. Her face had been st

the English do not expect fol

had folded up the shining white table-clot

said, moving towards the door, bu

lly to twitch with greed of news

to-day. First we nearly missed the train. Then on the boat we were all seasick. Then the douanier was

e retiring waiter, and as Pauline turned to him

uli

dam

e heavy tray, the other upon the handle of the door. "Good night, m

She spluttered in her throat, laughed artificially, shut the door after the man

s relief in her voice as she

edroom opened and M

oman, with a cascade of long dark

brown, the eyes dark wells of laughing light,

of topaz-coloured silk, and round her slender waist was a cord o

alf petulant, and wholly puzzled abou

ice; "it isn't a bit of use, Pauline! I can't go

ound the roo

z-shaded lights over the lamps-it's all so dreadfully wearing. And in my room, too, Pauline, it's simply horrid. It reminds me of a sarcophagus

with a sigh in

ally is much nicer in here. Make

w she pointed to them with a little hand as sweetly, faintly pink as the inside o

e bed," she said, with the brusque familiarity of an old servant and friend. "In fact, I

ep anywhere to-night. Soothe me, mak

oked the shining hair with tender, loving h

relief as the kind hands busi

Everything has been upset. Lord Ellerdine will be fearfully up

wer anything, but we

y things upside down! The way he upset my clothes was perfectly disgraceful. And before Mr. Collingwood, too! And

he chair. She looked critically at her mistress's hair. "Yes," she said; "bu

n't

, ma

bit of

returned with a bottle of eau-de-cologne and a handkerchief. Sprinklin

ll do you good. It was very clever of Mr. Collingwoo

it?" she said drowsily. There was a pause for a moment or two, and then suddenly the girl tw

did you mean

ean, madame?"

you think-well, I

" she said, "they do not as a rule let

h bracelet of dull silver, the intricate filigree work studded here and there with Balas rubies. With her long hair coiled loosely in a shining coronet upon her head, her whole expression-an atmosphere she exhaled-of sprightl

opped and turned

aughty old thing! I do beli

d quickly, and there was some

bare white arm upon her shoulde

! When you say 'No, madame,' like that, I

ne said, holding the little hand, wh

nd once more began to wa

at you only think of me," she

is w

the way you do when you want me to coax you. Pauline, be nice to m

e Lady Attwill," Pa

Pauline!"

to conceal anything. I must speak straight out. I never could hide

t whining note of excitement and protest which

ou! What has Lady Attwill done? What o

us despair. "You never see things. You are just as confiding-I mean ignorant of people-

ggy answered. "Lady Attwill is de

words. "Indeed! indeed, madame! Well, tell me this. Would she have kept dodging Lord Elle

he wanted to be alone with

her flat-she need not wait to be alone

"I suppose, Pauline, you thin

n, both voice and manner grow

" Peggy repli

e as impressive as sh

s just the same. Lady Attwill's things were examined quickly, and then off she went with Lord Ellerdine in

arette? Yes, I really think I will. Fetch me my cigarette

apphires in one corner. Peggy took a cigarette, lit it, and inhaled a breath of the fragrant

"Lady Attwill is not a person

," she said. "M. Collingwood has only to rais

hat she is

money,

s really perfect

find out. She has a flat at three hundred pounds, an electric brougham, a box at the opera, and a litt

who had been sitting upon the settee. "You mean

feeling, "do be careful. I think only of you. Don't trust Lady Attwill. She is no friend of yours. She has

n't say that," Peg

ur herself, and she is mad because you came in her w

same light voice, and with a half-pitying, half-humo

to go with Lord Ellerdine and M. Collingwood. And now where are we? I ask you, where are we? In Paris, and she and Lord Ellerdine in

such real earnestness, so much underlying meaning, in Pau

em strange,

t-ce pas? I feel as i

pleading. "Oh, Pauline, do watch me! L

d. "With my last breath I will shield you! Nevertheless, you are a mischief a

y pl

chèrie; I am

foolish play. I only hope that it won't end in tears." She looked down at

For you?

eaf. I shall become a grande dame, give great entertainments, hold court at Admaston H

at will be splendid!" she said

my hus

. Monsieur

d slowly, more to her

big dog. You can do anything with him. He will never bi

rather broken voice. "I am so lonely, Pauline. Sometimes I th

ckle. "You would not feel lonel

struck two or three resonant chords. "Certainl

s a man, and you are proud of him. He

son Florian. Suddenly she stopped and turned her head swiftly. "You do

All the women that there are like M. Collingwood. He is a terrible flirt, but he is not wi

"Now, Pauline," she said, "don't be silly. Off

k them into Mrs. Admaston's room. Then she returned. "Good night, madame," she said. "If

mistress and

emained