shabby romance? Is it not enough to make a self-respecting man hang
his head -- to know that he has once found pleasure in the society of
the mistress of Mr Emanuel Pick?"

A long silence followed, during which the two men smoked, looking in
opposite directions. At last Braith reached over and shook the ashes
out of his pipe. Rex lighted a fresh cigarette at the same time, and
their eyes met with a look of mutual confidence and goodwill. Braith
spoke again, firmly this time.

"God keep you out of the mire, Rex; you're all right thus far. But it
is my solemn belief that an affair of that kind would be your ruin as
an artist; as a man."

"The Quarter doesn't regard things in that light," said Gethryn,
trying hard to laugh off the weight that oppressed him.

"The Quarter is a law unto itself. Be a law unto yourself, Rex --
Good night, old chap."

"Good night, Braith," said Gethryn slowly.

Five

Thirion's at six pm. Madame Thirion, neat and demure, sat behind her
desk; her husband, in white linen apron and cap, scuttled back and
forth shouting, "Bon! Bon!" to the orders that came down the call
trumpet. The waiters flew crazily about, and cries went up for
"Pierre" and "Jean" and "green peas and fillet."