"_Eh bien_, Julie! You have been gone long enough to break the bank
twice over. What luck have you had?" exclaimed the husky voice of a
woman who sat in an easy chair beside a wood fire, telling her own
fortune with an old pack of cards, spread upon a sewing board, on her
capacious lap.

She was in a soiled dressing gown of purple flannel, with several of the
buttons off. In the clear light of a window at the woman's back, her
hair, with a groundwork of crimson, was overshot with iridescent lights.
On a small table at her side a tray had been left, with the remains of
_déjeuner_; a jug stained brown with streaks of coffee; a crumbled
crescent roll; some balls of silver paper which had contained cream
chocolates; ends of cigarettes, and a scattered grey film of ashes. At
her feet a toy black Pomeranian lay coiled on the torn bodice of a red
dress; and all the room was in disorder, with an indiscriminate litter
of hats, gloves, French novels, feather boas, slippers, and fallen
blouses or skirts.

The lady of the roses went to the mirror over the untidy mantel piece,
and looked at herself, as she answered. "No luck at roulette or trente.
But the best of luck outside."

"What, then?"

The girl began to hum, as she powdered her nose with a white glove,
lying in a powder box.

"You remember _le beau brun_?"