“It’s discouraging,” he cooed.  “And I believe not one of you here is a Frenchman.  I don’t know what you are all about.  It’s beyond me.  But if we were a Republic—­you know I am an old Jacobin, sans-culotte and terrorist—­if this were a real Republic with the Convention sitting and a Committee of Public Safety attending to national business, you would all get your heads cut off.  Ha, ha . . .  I am joking, ha, ha! . . . and serve you right, too.  Don’t mind my little joke.”

While he was still laughing he released her hand and she leaned her head on it again without haste.  She had never looked at him once.

During the rather humiliating silence that ensued he got a leather cigar case like a small valise out of his pocket, opened it and looked with critical interest at the six cigars it contained.  The tireless femme-de-chambre set down a tray with coffee cups on the table.  We each (glad, I suppose, of something to do) took one, but he, to begin with, sniffed at his.  Dona Rita continued leaning on her elbow, her lips closed in a reposeful expression of peculiar sweetness.  There was nothing drooping in her attitude.  Her face with the delicate carnation of a rose and downcast eyes was as if veiled in firm immobility and was so appealing that I had an insane impulse to walk round and kiss the forearm on which it was leaning; that strong, well-shaped forearm, gleaming not like marble but with a living and warm splendour.  So familiar had I become already with her in my thoughts!  Of course I didn’t do anything of the sort.  It was nothing uncontrollable, it was but a tender longing of a most respectful and purely sentimental kind.  I performed the act in my thought quietly, almost solemnly, while the creature with the silver hair leaned back in his chair, puffing at his cigar, and began to speak again.

It was all apparently very innocent talk.  He informed his “dear Rita” that he was really on his way to Monte Carlo.  A lifelong habit of his at this time of the year; but he was ready to run back to Paris if he could do anything for his “chere enfant,” run back for a day, for two days, for three days, for any time; miss Monte Carlo this year altogether, if he could be of the slightest use and save her going herself.  For instance he could see to it that proper watch was kept over the Pavilion stuffed with all these art treasures.  What was going to happen to all those things? . . .  Making herself heard for the first time Dona Rita murmured without moving that she had made arrangements with the police to have it properly watched.  And I was enchanted by the almost imperceptible play of her lips.

But the anxious creature was not reassured.  He pointed out that things had been stolen out of the Louvre, which was, he dared say, even better watched.  And there was that marvellous cabinet on the landing, black lacquer with silver herons, which alone would repay a couple of burglars.  A wheelbarrow, some old sacking, and they could trundle it off under people’s noses.