laughed, and sacrificed them.

Nastasia brought the tea, with handleless Japanese
cups and little covered dishes, placing the tray on a low
table.

"But you'll explain these things to me--you'll tell me
all I ought to know," Madame Olenska continued,
leaning forward to hand him his cup.

"It's you who are telling me; opening my eyes to
things I'd looked at so long that I'd ceased to see
them."

She detached a small gold cigarette-case from one of
her bracelets, held it out to him, and took a cigarette
herself. On the chimney were long spills for lighting
them.

"Ah, then we can both help each other. But I want
help so much more. You must tell me just what to do."

It was on the tip of his tongue to reply: "Don't be
seen driving about the streets with Beaufort--" but he
was being too deeply drawn into the atmosphere of the
room, which was her atmosphere, and to give advice of
that sort would have been like telling some one who
was bargaining for attar-of-roses in Samarkand that one
should always be provided with arctics for a New York
winter. New York seemed much farther off than