Government from Bordeaux--Bobby found himself arriving at the Gare
du Nord. He had engaged his apartment, as usual, at the Hotel Ritz, and
was about to step into the car which even in such times as these was sent
to meet him, when a lady approached and asked him if he would mind taking
her to her destination, as there was neither cab nor car to be found at
the station. Bobby's experienced eye took in the stranger at a glance;
she was unquestionably attractive, and with something of the old spirit
he placed himself and his car at her disposal. It so happened that there
was no inconvenience attached to the favour, which the lady acknowledged
with becoming grace, for her destination was the same as his, and by the
time Bobby had deposited her and her maid at the hotel they had struck up
a quite promising acquaintance.

Several days passed, and Bobby's chance meeting ripened into an
engrossing adventure.

Many officers in those early days were continually passing through Paris
on their way to the Front or arriving there on short leave. There were
all sorts of other visitors--officials and bearers of dispatches,
diplomatists and cosmopolitan adventurers out for gain, not to speak of
their wives, sisters, and other female attachments. Some of these Bobby
knew, others he met, and not a few of them were well enough pleased to
accept his society, if only to profit by his ciceronage as evening
advanced. But on this occasion Bobby had no eyes for chance encounters.
His time was fully occupied, and he had come to the conclusion that his
new acquaintance was the most tempting and fascinating creature Fate
had ever cast across his path. He had, in fact, constituted himself her
permanent escort.

Her chief occupation seemed to consist in visiting people who lived in