The Essential Maurice Leblanc Collection. Морис Леблан

      "Yes; actually here. Isn't life funny?" said Germaine. "If, a few months after his father's death, Jacques had not found himself hard-up, and obliged to dispose of this chateau, to raise the money for his expedition to the South Pole; and if papa and I had not wanted an historic chateau; and lastly, if papa had not suffered from rheumatism, I should not be calling myself in a month from now the Duchess of Charmerace."

      "Now what on earth has your father's rheumatism got to do with your being Duchess of Charmerace?" cried Jeanne.

      "Everything," said Germaine. "Papa was afraid that this chateau was damp. To prove to papa that he had nothing to fear, Jacques, en grand seigneur, offered him his hospitality, here, at Charmerace, for three weeks."

      "That was truly ducal," said Marie.

      "But he is always like that," said Sonia.

      "Oh, he's all right in that way, little as he cares about society," said Germaine. "Well, by a miracle my father got cured of his rheumatism here. Jacques fell in love with me; papa made up his mind to buy the chateau; and I demanded the hand of Jacques in marriage."

      "You did? But you were only sixteen then," said Marie, with some surprise.

      "Yes; but even at sixteen a girl ought to know that a duke is a duke. I did," said Germaine. "Then since Jacques was setting out for the South Pole, and papa considered me much too young to get married, I promised Jacques to wait for his return."

      "Why, it was everything that's romantic!" cried Marie.

      "Romantic? Oh, yes," said Germaine; and she pouted. "But between ourselves, if I'd known that he was going to stay all that time at the South Pole--"

      "That's true," broke in Marie. "To go away for three years and stay away seven--at the end of the world."

      "All Germaine's beautiful youth," said Jeanne, with her malicious smile.

      "Thanks!" said Germaine tartly.

      "Well, you ARE twenty-three. It's the flower of one's age," said Jeanne.

      "Not quite twenty-three," said Germaine hastily. "And look at the wretched luck I've had. The Duke falls ill and is treated at Montevideo. As soon as he recovers, since he's the most obstinate person in the world, he resolves to go on with the expedition. He sets out; and for an age, without a word of warning, there's no more news of him--no news of any kind. For six months, you know, we believed him dead."

      "Dead? Oh, how unhappy you must have been!" said Sonia.

      "Oh, don't speak of it! For six months I daren't put on a light frock," said Germaine, turning to her.

      "A lot she must have cared for him," whispered Jeanne to Marie.

      "Fortunately, one fine day, the letters began again. Three months ago a telegram informed us that he was coming back; and at last the Duke returned," said Germaine, with a theatrical air.

      "The Duke returned," cried Jeanne, mimicking her.

      "Never mind. Fancy waiting nearly seven years for one's fiance. That was constancy," said Sonia.

      "Oh, you're a sentimentalist, Mlle. Kritchnoff," said Jeanne, in a tone of mockery. "It was the influence of the castle."

      "What do you mean?" said Germaine.

      "Oh, to own the castle of Charmerace and call oneself Mlle. Gournay-Martin--it's not worth doing. One MUST become a duchess," said Jeanne.

      "Yes, yes; and for all this wonderful constancy, seven years of it, Germaine was on the point of becoming engaged to another man," said Marie, smiling.

      "And he a mere baron," said Jeanne, laughing.

      "What? Is that true?" said Sonia.

      "Didn't you know, Mlle. Kritchnoff? She nearly became engaged to the Duke's cousin, the Baron de Relzieres. It was not nearly so grand."

      "Oh, it's all very well to laugh at me; but being the cousin and heir of the Duke, Relzieres would have assumed the title, and I should have been Duchess just the same," said Germaine triumphantly.

      "Evidently that was all that mattered," said Jeanne. "Well, dear, I must be off. We've promised to run in to see the Comtesse de Grosjean. You know the Comtesse de Grosjean?"

      She spoke with an air of careless pride, and rose to go.

      "Only by name. Papa used to know her husband on the Stock Exchange when he was still called simply M. Grosjean. For his part, papa preferred to keep his name intact," said Germaine, with quiet pride.

      "Intact? That's one way of looking at it. Well, then, I'll see you in Paris. You still intend to start to-morrow?" said Jeanne.

      "Yes; to-morrow morning," said Germaine.

      Jeanne and Marie slipped on their dust-coats to the accompaniment of chattering and kissing, and went out of the room.

      As she closed the door on them, Germaine turned to Sonia, and said: "I do hate those two girls! They're such horrible snobs."

      "Oh, they're good-natured enough," said Sonia.

      "Good-natured? Why, you idiot, they're just bursting with envy of me--bursting!" said Germaine. "Well, they've every reason to be," she added confidently, surveying herself in a Venetian mirror with a petted child's self-content.

      CHAPTER II

      THE COMING OF THE CHAROLAIS

      Sonia went back to her table, and once more began putting wedding-cards in their envelopes and addressing them. Germaine moved restlessly about the room, fidgeting with the bric-a-brac on the cabinets, shifting the pieces about, interrupting Sonia to ask whether she preferred this arrangement or that, throwing herself into a chair to read a magazine, getting up in a couple of minutes to straighten a picture on the wall, throwing out all the while idle questions not worth answering. Ninety-nine human beings would have been irritated to exasperation by her fidgeting; Sonia endured it with a perfect patience. Five times Germaine asked her whether she should wear her heliotrope or her pink gown at a forthcoming dinner at Madame de Relzieres'. Five times Sonia said, without the slightest variation in her tone, "I think you look better in the pink." And all the while the pile of addressed envelopes rose steadily.

      Presently the door opened, and Alfred stood on the threshold.

      "Two gentlemen have called to see you, miss," he said.

      "Ah, the two Du Buits," cried Germaine.

      "They didn't give their names, miss."

      "A gentleman in the prime of life and a younger one?" said Germaine.

      "Yes, miss."

      "I thought so. Show them in."

      "Yes, miss. And have you any orders for me to give Victoire when we get to Paris?" said Alfred.

      "No. Are you starting soon?"

      "Yes, miss. We're all going by the seven o'clock train. It's a long way from here to Paris; we shall only reach it at nine in the morning. That will give us just time to get the house ready for you by the time you get there to-morrow evening," said Alfred.

      "Is everything packed?"

      "Yes, miss--everything. The cart has already taken the heavy luggage to the station. All you'll have to do is to see after your bags."

      "That's all right. Show M. du Buit and his brother in," said Germaine.

      She moved to a chair near the window, and disposed herself in an attitude of studied, and obviously studied, grace.

      As she leant