in Paris. You still intend to start to-morrow?" said Jeanne.

"Yes; to-morrow morning," said Germaine.

Jeanne and Marie slipped on their dust-coats to the accompaniment of
chattering and kissing, and went out of the room.

As she closed the door on them, Germaine turned to Sonia, and said:
"I do hate those two girls! They're such horrible snobs."

"Oh, they're good-natured enough," said Sonia.

"Good-natured? Why, you idiot, they're just bursting with envy of
me--bursting!" said Germaine. "Well, they've every reason to be,"
she added confidently, surveying herself in a Venetian mirror with a
petted child's self-content.




CHAPTER II

THE COMING OF THE CHAROLAIS


Sonia went back to her table, and once more began putting wedding-
cards in their envelopes and addressing them. Germaine moved
restlessly about the room, fidgeting with the bric-a-brac on the
cabinets, shifting the pieces about, interrupting Sonia to ask
whether she preferred this arrangement or that, throwing herself