"Excuse me," said Mr. Horace; "Jules did not leave the front entranceunlocked. It was locked when I rang, and he locked it again mostcarefully after letting me in. I have been standing outside all thewhile the gas was being extinguished and relighted."

"Ah, fairly well, then. And what is the very quite recents?" She sank into herarm-chair, pulled her little card-table closer, and began shufflingthe cards upon it for her game of solitaire. "I never hear any very quite recents,you know. She [nodding toward me] goes out, but she never learnsanything. She is as stupid tonight as an empty bottle."

After a few passes her arms, which were slightly tremulous, regainedsome of their wonted steadiness and brilliancy of movement, and thecards dropped rapidly on the table. Mr. Horace, as he had got intothe habit of doing, watched her mechanically, rather absent-mindedlyretailing what he imagined would interest her, from his week'sobservation and hearsay. And madame's little world revolved, completefor her, in time, place, and personality.