the price she paid-第21章

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urface。　　I'm　sure　you'll　be　better　off　thanback　with　your　stepfather。''

‘‘I've　no　intention　of　going　to　his　house；''　she　declared。　‘‘Oh；　there's　your　brother。　　I　forgot。''

‘‘So　had　I　forgotten　him。　　I'll　not　go　there；　either。　In　fact；　I've　not　thought　where　I'll　go。''

‘‘You　seem　to　have　done　mighty　little　thinking　before　you　took　a　very　serious　step　for　a　woman。''　　He　was　uneasily　eying　the　rigid；　abstracted　little　figure　a　story　up　across　the　way。

‘‘Those　things　aren't　a　question　of　thinking；''　said　she　absently。　　‘‘I　never　thought　in　my　lifedon't　think　I　could　if　I　tried。　　But　when　the　time　came　I　I　walked　out。''　　She　came　back　to　herself；　laughed。　‘‘I　don't　understand　why　I'm　telling　you　all　this；　especially　as　you're　mad　with　fright　and　wild　to　get　away。　Well；　good…by；　Stanley。''

He　lifted　his　hat。　　‘‘Good…by。　　We'll　meet　when　we　can　do　so　without　my　getting　a　scandal　on　you。''　　He　walked　a　few　paces；　turned；　and　came　back。　　‘‘By　the　way；　I'm　sailing　on　the　Deutschland。　　I　thought　you'd　like　to　knowso　that　you　and　I　wouldn't　by　any　chance　cross　on　the　same　boat。''

‘‘Thanks；''　said　she　dryly。

‘‘What's　the　matter？''　asked　he；　arrested；　despite　his　anxiety　to　be　gone；　by　the　sad；　scornful　look　in　her　eyes。

‘‘Nothing。　　Why？''

‘‘You　had　such　asuch　a　queer　look。''

‘‘Really？　　Good…by。''

In　fact；　she　had　thoughthad　hoped　for　the　sake　of　her　liking　for　himthat　he　had　come　back　to　make　the　glaringly　omitted　offer　of　help　that　should　have　come　from　any　human　being　learning　that　a　fellow　being　was　in　the　precarious　position　in　which　she　had　told　him　she　was。　　Not　that　she　would　have　accepted　any　such　offer。　　Still；　she　would　have　liked　to　have　heard　the　kindly　words。　　She　sat　watching　his　handsome；　graceful　figure；　draped　in　the　most　artistically　cut　of　long　dark　overcoats；　until　he　disappeared　in　the　crowd　in　the　Rue　de　Castiglione。　　Then；　without　a　glance　up　at　the　interested；　not　to　say　excited　windows　of　the　general's　splendid　and　spreading　apartments；　she　strolled　down　the　gardens　toward　the　Place　Concorde。　In　Paris　the　beautiful；　on　a　bright　and　brisk　day　it　is　all　but　impossible　to　despair　when　one　still　has　left　youth　and　health。　　Mildred　was　not　happyfar　from　it。　　The　future；　the　immediate　future；　pressed　its　terrors　upon　her。　　But　in　mitigation　there　was；　perhaps　born　of　youth　and　inexperience；　a　giddy　sense　of　relief。　She　had　not　realized　how　abhorrent　the　general　was　married　life　with　the　general。　　She　had　been　resigning　herself　to　it；　accepting　it　as　the　only　thing　possible；　keeping　it　heavily　draped　with　her　vanities　of　wealth　and　luxuryuntil　she　discovered　that　the　wealth　and　the　luxury　were　in　reality　no　more　hers　than　they　were　her　maid's。　　And　now　she　was　free！

That　word　free　did　not　have　its　full　meaning　for　her。　She　had　never　known　what　real　freedom　was；　women　of　the　comfortable　classand　men；　too；　for　that　matter　usually　are　born　into　the　petty　slavery　of　conventions　at　least；　and　know　nothing　else　their　whole　lives　throughnever　know　the　joy　of　the　thought　and　the　act　of　a　free　mind　and　a　free　heart。　　Still；　she　was　released　from　a　bondage　that　seemed　slavish　even　to　her；　and　the　release　gave　her　a　sensation　akin　to　the　joy　of　freedom。　　A　heavy　hand　that　was　crushing　her　very　soul　had　been　lifted　offno；　FLUNG　off；　and　by　herself。　That　thought；　terrifying　though　it　was；　also　gave　her　a　certain　new　and　exalting　self…respect。　　After　all；　she　was　not　a　worm。　　She　must　have　somewhere　in　her　the　germs　of　something　less　contemptible　than　the　essential　character　of　so　many　of　the　eminently　respectable　women　she　knew。　　She　could　picture　them　in　the　situation　in　which　she　had　found　herself。　　What　would　they　have　done？　　Why；　what　every　instinct　of　her　education　impelled　her　to　do；　what　some　latent　love　of　freedom；　some　unsuspected　courage　of　self…respect　had　forbidden　her　to　do；　had　withheld　her　from　doing。

Her　thoughts　and　the　gorgeous　sunshine　and　her　youth　and　health　put　her　in　a　steadily　less　cheerless　mood　as　by　a　roundabout　way　she　sought　the　shop　of　the　jeweler　who　sold　the　general　the　gold　bag　she　had　selected。　　The　proprietor　himself　was　in　the　front　part　of　the　shop　and　received　‘‘Madame　la　Generale''　with　all　the　honors　of　her　husband's　wealth。　　She　brought　no　experience　and　no　natural　trading　talent　to　the　enterprise　she　was　about　to　undertake；　so　she　went　directly　to　the　main　point。

‘‘This　bag；''　said　she；　laying　it　upon　the　glass　between　them；　‘‘I　bought　it　here　a　short　time　ago。''

‘‘I　remember　perfectly；　madame。　　It　is　the　handsomest；　the　most　artistic；　we　have　sold　this　year。''

‘‘I　wish　to　sell　it　back　to　you；''　said　she。

‘‘You　wish　to　get　something　else　and　include　it　as　part　payment；　madame？''

‘‘No；　I　wish　to　get　the　money　for　it。''

‘‘Ah；　but　that　is　difficult。　　We　do　not　often　make　those　arrangements。　　Second…hand　articles''

‘‘But　the　bag　is　quite　new。　　Anyhow；　it　must　have　some　value。　　Of　course　I'd　not　expect　the　full　price。''

The　jeweler　smiled。　　‘‘The　full　price？　　Ah；　madame；　we　should　not　think　of　offering　it　again　as　it　is。　We　should''

‘‘No　matter；''　interrupted　Mildred。　　The　man's　expressionthe　normally　pleasant　and　agreeable　countenance　turned　to　repulsive　by　craft　and　lyingmade　her　eager　to　be　gone。　　‘‘What　is　the　most　you　will　give　me？''

‘‘I　shall　have　to　consider''

‘‘I've　only　a　few　minutes。　　Please　do　not　irritate　me。''

The　man　was　studying　her　countenance　with　a

desperate　look。　　Why　was　she；　the　bride　of　the　monstrously　rich　American；　why　was　she　trying　to　sell　the　bag？　　Did　it　mean　the　end　of　her　resources？　　Or；　were　there　still　huge　orders　to　be　got　from　her？　　His　shrewd…　ness；　trained　by　thirty　years　of　dealing　with　all　kinds　of　luxurious　human　beings；　went　exploring　in　vain。　　He　was　alarmed　by　her　frown。　　He　began　hesitatingly：

‘‘The　jewels　and　the　gold　are　only　a　small　part　of　the　value。　　The　chief　value　is　the　unique　design；　so　elegant　yet　so　simple。　　For　the　jewels　and　the　gold；　perhaps　two　thousand　francs''

‘‘The　purse　was　twelve　thousand　francs；''　interrupted　she。

‘‘Perfectly；　madame。　　But''　‘‘I　am　in　great　haste。　　How　much　will　you　give　me？''

‘‘The　most　would　be　four　thousand；　I　fear。　　I　shall　count　up　more　carefully；　if　madame　will''

‘‘No；　four　thousand　will　do。''

‘‘I　will　send　the　money　to　madame　at　her　hotel。　　The　Continental；　is　it　not？''

‘‘No；　I　must　have　it　at　once。''

The　jeweler　hesitated。　　Mildred；　flushing　scarlet　with　shamebut　he　luckily　thought　it　angertook　up　the　bag　and　moved　toward　the　door。

‘‘Pardon；　madame；　but　certainly。　　Do　you　wish　some　gold　or　all　notes？''

‘‘Notes；''　answered　she。　　‘‘Fifty　and　hundred…franc　notes。''

A　moment　later　she　was　in　the　street　with　the　notes　in　a　small　bundle　in　the　bosom　of　her　wrap。　　She　went　hurriedly　up　the　street。　　As　she　was　about　to　turn　the　corner　into　the　boulevard　she　on　impulse　glanced　back。　An　automobile　had　just　drawn　up　at　the　jeweler's　door　and　General　Siddalltop…hat；　sable…lined　overcoat；　waxed　mustache　and　imperial；　high…heeled　boots；　gold…　mounted　canewas　descending。　　And　she　knew　that　he　had　awakened　to　his　one　oversight；　and　was　on　his　way　to　repair　it。　　But　she　did　not　know　that　the　jeweler　old　and　wise　in　human　wayswould　hastily　vanish　with　the　bag　and　that　an　assistant　would　come　forward　with　assurances　that　madame　had　not　been　in　the　shop　and　that；　if　she　should　come　in；　no　business　would　be　negotiated　without　the　general's　express　consent。　　She　all　but　fainted　at　the　narrowness　of　her　escape　and　fled　round　into　the　boulevard。　　She　entered　a　taxi　and　told　the　man　to　drive　to　Foyot's　restaurant　on　the　left　bank　where　the　general　would　never　think　of　looking　for　her。

When　she　had　breakfasted　she　strolled　in　the　Luxembourg　Gardens；　in　even　better　humor　with　herself　and　with　the　world。　　There　was　still　that　horrid…faced　future；　but　it　was　not　leering　into　her　very　face。　　It　was　nearly　four　thousand　francs　away‘‘and　if　I　hadn't　been　so　stupid；　I'd　have　got　eight　thousand；　I'm　sure；''　she　said。　　But　she　was　rather　proud　of　a　stupidity　about　money　matters。　　And　four　thousand　francs；　eight　hundred　dollarsthat　was　quite　a　good　sum。

She　had　an　instinct　that　the　general　would　do　something　disagreeable　about　the　French　a