never imagined himself without as much of it as he might happen to want.  He had the face of one accustomed to give orders and to look down upon inferiors.  He was absolutely sure of himself.  That his companion chiefly ignored him did not appear to incommode him in the least.  She spoke to him in French.  He replied in English, very briefly; and then, in English, he commanded the supper.  As soon as the champagne was served he began to drink; in the intervals of drinking he gently stroked his whiskers.  The woman spoke no more.

Gerald talked more loudly.  With that aristocratic Englishman observing him, he could not remain at ease.  And not only did he talk more loudly; he brought into his conversation references to money, travels, and worldly experiences.  While seeking to impress the Englishman, he was merely becoming ridiculous to the Englishman; and obscurely he was aware of this.  Sophia noticed and regretted it.  Still, feeling very unimportant herself, she was reconciled to the superiority of the whiskered Englishman as to a natural fact.  Gerald’s behaviour slightly lowered him in her esteem.  Then she looked at him—­at his well-shaped neatness, his vivacious face, his excellent clothes, and decided that he was much to be preferred to any heavy-jawed, long-nosed aristocrat alive.

The woman whose vermilion cloak lay around her like a fortification spoke to her escort.  He did not understand.  He tried to express himself in French, and failed.  Then the woman recommenced, talking at length.  When she had done he shook his head.  His acquaintance with French was limited to the vocabulary of food.

“Guillotine!” he murmured, the sole word of her discourse that he had understood.

“Oui, oui!  Guillotine.  Enfin ...!” cried the woman excitedly.  Encouraged by her success in conveying even one word of her remarks, she began a third time.

“Excuse me,” said Gerald.  “Madame is talking about the execution at Auxerre the day after to-morrow.  N’est-ce-pas, madame, que vous parliez de Rivain?”

The Englishman glared angrily at Gerald’s officious interruption.  But the woman smiled benevolently on Gerald, and insisted on talking to her friend through him.  And the Englishman had to make the best of the situation.

“There isn’t a restaurant in Paris to-night where they aren’t talking about that execution,” said Gerald on his own account.

“Indeed!” observed the Englishman.

Wine affected them in different ways.

Now a fragile, short young Frenchman, with an extremely pale face ending in a thin black imperial, appeared at the entrance.  He looked about, and, recognizing the woman of the scarlet cloak, very discreetly saluted her.  Then he saw Gerald, and his worn, fatigued features showed a sudden, startled smile.  He came rapidly forward, hat in hand, seized Gerald’s palm and greeted him effusively.

“My wife,” said Gerald, with the solemn care of a man who is determined to prove that he is entirely sober.