“And your Crucifix,” said Boisrene, “that beautiful Renaissance Crucifix which you showed me last year?”

The man smiled and answered: 

“It has been sold, and in a very peculiar manner.  There is a real Parisian story for you!  Would you like to hear it?”

“With pleasure.”

“Do you know the Baroness Samoris?”

“Yes and no.  I have seen her once, but I know what she is!”

“You know—­everything?”

“Yes.”

“Would you mind telling me, so that I can see whether you are not mistaken?”

“Certainly.  Mme. Samoris is a woman of the world who has a daughter, without anyone having known her husband.  At any rate, she is received in a certain tolerant, or blind society.  She goes to church and devoutly partakes of Communion, so that everyone may know it, and she never compromises herself.  She expects her daughter to marry well.  Is that correct?”

“Yes, but I will complete your information.  She is a woman who makes herself respected by her admirers in spite of everything.  That is a rare quality, for in this manner she can get what she wishes from a man.  The man whom she has chosen without his suspecting it courts her for a long time, longs for her timidly, wins her with astonishment and possesses her with consideration.  He does not notice that he is paying, she is so tactful; and she maintains her relations on such a footing of reserve and dignity that he would slap the first man who dared doubt her in the least.  And all this in the best of faith.

“Several times I have been able to render little services to this woman.  She has no secrets from me.

“Toward the beginning of January she came to me in order to borrow thirty thousand francs.  Naturally, I did not lend them to her; but, as I wished to oblige her, I told her to explain her situation to me completely, so that I might see whether there was not something I could do for her.

“She told me her troubles in such cautious language that she could not have spoken more delicately of her child’s first communion.  I finally managed to understand that times were hard, and that she was penniless.

“The commercial crisis, political unrest, rumors of war, had made money scarce even in the hands of her clients.  And then, of course, she was very particular.

“She would associate only with a man in the best of society, who could strengthen her reputation as well as help her financially.  A reveller, no matter how rich, would have compromised her forever, and would have made the marriage of her daughter quite doubtful.

“She had to maintain her household expenses and continue to entertain, in order not to lose the opportunity of finding, among her numerous visitors, the discreet and distinguished friend for whom she was waiting, and whom she would choose.

“I showed her that my thirty thousand francs would have but little likelihood of returning to me; for, after spending them all, she would have to find at least sixty thousand more, in a lump, to pay me back.