Southminster.

Audrey had come to France, and she was going to Paris, solely because of a
vision which had been created in her by the letters and by the photographs
of Madame Piriac. Although Madame Piriac and she had absolutely no tie of
blood, Madame Piriac being the daughter by a first husband of the French
widow who became the first Mrs. Moze--and speedily died, Audrey persisted
privately in regarding Madame Piriac as a kind of elder sister. She felt a
very considerable esteem for Madame Piriac, upon whom she had never set
eyes, and Madame Piriac had certainly given her the impression that France
was to England what paradise is to purgatory. Further, Audrey had fallen in
love with Madame Piriac's portraits, whose elegance was superb. And yet,
too, Audrey was jealous of Madame Piriac, and especially so since the
attainment of freedom and wealth. Madame Piriac had most warmly invited
her, after the death of Mrs. Moze, to pay a long visit to Paris as a guest
in her home. Audrey had declined--from jealousy. She would not go to Madame
Piriac's as a raw girl, overdone with money, who could only speak one
language and who knew nothing at all of this our planet. She would go, if
she went, as a young woman of the world who could hold her own in any
drawing-room, be it Madame Piriac's or another. Hence Miss Ingate had
obtained the address of a Paris boarding-house, and one or two preliminary
introductions from political friends in London.

Well, France was not equal to its reputation; and Miss Ingate's sardonic
smile seemed to be saying: "So this is your France!"

However, the excitement of escorting the youngest English peeress to Paris
sufficed for Audrey, even if it did not suffice for Miss Ingate with her
middle-aged apprehensions. They knew that Lady Southminster was the
youngest English peeress because she had told them so. At the very moment