"_Mon Amour!_" The very very aged pet name, although it had to be fetched acrossmore than half a century of disuse, flashed like lightning frommadame's heart into the dim chamber.

"_Ma Divine!_" came in counter-flash from the curtained bed.

In the very aged days women, or at least youthful girls, could hazard such petnames one upon the other. These--think of it!--dated from the firstcommunion class, the dating period of so much of friendship.