'
"`Oh, as if I believed that!'
"I was piqued.
"`There's the proof,' I cried, flinging the note into her lap.
"She took it up, glanced at it, and gave a little shriek.
"`Where did you get this?'
"`Why, from the head waiter.'
"`Oh, the fool!' she cried. `It's mine.'
"`Yours? nonsense! He gave me that and another last night.'
"`Oh, the stupidity! They were for--they were not for you. They
were for--someone who is to arrive.'
"I pointed at the signature and gasped, `M.! Do you sign M.?'
"`Yes; my name's--my name begins with M. Oh, if I'd only seen
that waiter this morning! Oh, the idiot!'
"Then I believe I swore.
"`Madame,' said I, `I'm ruined! No harm is done to you--I'm a
man of honor--but I'm ruined. On the strength of your wretched
notes, madame, I've cut the girl I love best in the world--
cut her dead--dead--dead!'
"`What? That young lady in the---- Oh, you thought they were
from her? Oh, I see? How--how--oh, how very amusing!' And the
heartless little wretch went off into another peal of laughter.
"`You pretended not to know her! Oh, dear! oh, dear!' and her
laughter echoed among the trees again. `I saw her looking at
you, and you ate on like a pig! Oh, dear! oh, dear!'
"`Stop laughing!' said I savagely.
"`Oh, I'm very sorry, but I can't. What a scrape you've go into!
Oh, me!' And she wiped her eyes (they were as blue as her cloak)
with a delicate bit of a handkerchief.
Pages:
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43